My Maintenance/pamper day routine

Today I thought I'd post my pamper day routine, because I love seeing other people's! This is such an 'old school' type of blog post... I miss blogging circa 2014.... 

Snooze in bed in the morning- coffee and a book, magazine or instagram in bed is my perfect lazy morning.

Then, I come downstairs and make myself another coffee probably and chug some water.


First up, I like to clean my room and chuck a load of washing on.

If I need to, I'll bleach my roots (which I do about once a month) and then I wash my hair and do a hair mask.
While I'm in the shower, I exfoliate my body, pumice stone my feet, shave my legs, and then moisturise.
I tend to try and leave the hair mask on for about half an hour, and I catch up on my blogging or read or something.
Theeen, I dry my hair and shove on some cosy loungewear <3

Once I'm done with the hair dryer, I normally stick a candle on.

Put on YouTube or something and: epilate my arms and pluck my eyebrows.
Maybe do a face masks- blackhead pore strip, sheet mask, (depending on how my skin is doing) or a face scrub/lip scrub (but not after hair removal as then the skin would be a bit sensitive).

Paint toenails
Trim my split ends/ fringe


Aaaand we're done ;)


Thanks for reading! What do you guys like to do on your pamper day? Am I high maintenance?

-Amy xoxo

My work capsule wardrobe: preparing for work wear// Things I wish I'd known when I started uni//

Empties #32: Bleach London, Makki, Muji etc

Haircare// 

Bleach Reincarnation Mask// I love this, you all know I love this. I also found a tube with the teeniest bit left in it so I went ahead and used that up and I also finished another big tub.

Bleach Champagne Supertoner// I loove this creamy blonde toner, you can check out my full Bleach London Champagne Supertoner Review and Before and After for more details but safe to say I have used about 5 of these and I have a little stash of like 4 more at home, oops...

Tresémme Heat Defence// my ride or die heat protector. I'm onto a new one now. 

Bleach Hair Elixir// Again, this is the only hair oil I use- it hydrates without weighing down my hair and it smells great. Plus it's really affordable. 

Bleach Total Bleach// Used up another one of these, you know the drill. 

Makki Colouring Mask in Grey// I did a whole review on this a while ago (The Best Grey Hair Dye? Makki Colouring Mask in Grey Review and Before and After) and it was my absolute go-to in uni. Then, I couldn't have grey hair while I was working in Japan, and recently I discovered I had a teeny bit left so I thought I'd finish it. The colour was still great (I got a lot of compliments) but it was definitely a bit drying- definitely make sure you have a good hair mask on hand. I still rate it though.

Skincare//

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask// I got this mini to try and it was super nice! I don't need any new skincare right now but I will definitely pick it up again, it had a gel consistency and it wasn't too heavy and agreed with my skin. 

Muji Toning Water Light// I really rate the muji toners, I definitely will pick this up again although I think I prefer the high moisture version so I'll get that. 

No7 protect and perfect lip balm// this was a nice light lip balm but it wasn't my favourite. I still used it all, just wasn't for me. It dried down and left a little bit of residue on your lips, so I used it at night or made sure to not put too much on. 

3CE Lip Plumper// I used this... but I'm not sure if I like plumpers as a whole to be honest- it was a bit irritating (as that's how lip plumpers work...) but not that moisturising and it tasted nasty.

Makeup// 

The Ordinary Concealer// This was suuuch a chore to get through! It lasted ages which was great value for money I suppose... but I didn't like it. It was thicker than my usual Maybelline fit me and I definitely prefer the fit me. I still finished this though, and it did the job. I do love The Ordinary's Serum Foundation so I was a bit disappointed in this- the Serum Foundation feels so light and weightless which was pretty much the opposite of this. I think I got 1.0N which was super pale, great for me! They've also expanded their shade range since I bought it which is good to see!! If The Ordinary ever re-formulated or came out with a thinner concealer, I'd definitely consider picking it up.

Clinique Lip Gloss// This was from my advent calendar in 2020 so I decided it was time to use this up- I'm not a huge lip gloss gal but this one was nice and not too sticky. 

Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry// This was from a gift set a while ago- unfortunately I think I'd kept it around for too long as it smelt a bit like crayons... the colour was lovely though. 

Rimmel Nail Nurse Base Coat// This did what it said on the tin, I liked it! Not much to say apart from that tbh. 

And lastly, a miscellaneous nail polish from my childhood// another thing finished! Obviously had kept this too long as it was getting on the gloopy side. But I'm pleased to be using things up and getting them out of the house! 

I hope you guys are all ok, stay tuned for the next blog post which fingers crossed will not be an empties!!!!

-Amy xoxo

Bleach London Champagne Supertoner Review and Before and After

Snapshots from Shizuoka City: Part 2 Chanomachi and Shizuoka after Dark

Packing for a year in Japan round 2: Work Edition 

Kunozan Toshogu, Shizuoka// My travel guide

So there are only a couple of 'touristy' places easily accessible from Shizuoka city, and one of those is Kunozan Toshogu, a gorgeous shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu with a distinct architectural style and definitely a place I'd recommend visiting.

Access// I'd recommend going to Shimizu aand getting the bus from there. Going from Shizuoka city involves a pretty confusing change at Higashi ooya 東大谷 where one bus stop is in the wrong place on google maps. If you're going to take the bus, I'd recommend telling the bus driver you want to go to Kunozan because nothing is in English either. 

So- the easiest way is to go to Shimizu city by train and take the bus from there, take one of the direct buses from Shizuoka city that run a couple of times a day, or go to Nihon Daira and take the ropeway.
Or you could even cycle if you've got the time! 

Kunozan is famous for having over a thousand stone steps up the mountain, but you can avoid this if you take the ropeway from Nihon Daira. Unfortunately that's still not super accessible as there are steps to get to the ropeway.

After you're done, you can go strawberry picking, go to Nihon Daira or just chill on the beach for a bit <3 The area is famous for Ishigaki strawberries, so there are loads of yummy strawberry flavoured omiyage to pick up and snacks to eat!

But Kunozan is really relaxing and pretty and green so it's a great day trip- I'd really recommend it! The first time I went, I went by bus and went on the ropeway to Nihon Daira after. Luckily I could see Mt Fuji and I'd definitely recommend checking Shizuoka Prefecture's Mt Fuji live camera before you pay to go all the way to Nihon Daira because if it's cloudy you aren't going to see anything.

Below are some of my shots of Kunozan and Nihon Daira: 

Ropeway to Nihon Daira// 
The recently opened Yume Terrace there has free entry- there's a cafe and some information about Nihon Daira's geography and- in good weather- a great view of Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula

Back to Kunozan where I climbed down and headed back to Shizuoka city// 

Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful and that I convinced you to add Kunozan to your Japan bucket list! 

-Amy xoxo

Shizuoka City, Japan Travel Guide: What to do in Shizuoka

Snapshots from Shizuoka City: Chanomachi and Shizuoka after dark 

Snapshots from Shizuoka city// Shizuoka after dark/ spring 2019

Hi gang, I have sooo many snaps hanging around from my year working in Shizuoka, it's a bit overwhelming so I have just left them for a long while. 

But I'd like them to have a little home so I'm going back to my blogging roots- lo-fi shots of Japanese side streets. These were taken around March/April 2019. Stay tuned for some aesthetic grainy shots of sakura, neon and the lanterns from Shizuoka Festival <3

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for some more lo-fi Japanese side street photos from 2019! 

(Eek I'm really nostalgic for Shizuoka now send help)

-Amy xoxo

Snapshots from Shizuoka City: Chanomachi and Shizuoka after dark// 

Packing for a year in Japan: Round 2 work edition

Empties #31 Bleach London, Mary Quant, The Ordinary

Hello gang, I am still behind on these empties posts, let's get into it! 

Haircare// 

Bleach London Reincarnation Mask// I'm on my third one of this mega tub, after going through several smaller tubes in my time. Safe to say I love this (as regular readers know) and I love the XL packaging, I wish the Beer Mask also came in this size. Speaking of, I also had a Beer Mask in my empties. I tend to alternate between the masks and it seems to be agreeing with my hair so I have no plans to change up my routine. 

Bleach Scotch Mist Super Cool Colour// I do like this, it's quite subtle but really pretty misty purple- grey. I forgot to take photos so I'd need to buy another one if I was to do a proper review. 

Plex Bleach// I think I prefer Total Bleach to this? I'm a bit paranoid that my hair will get protein overloaded again. But, it lifted my hair perfectly. I'm just being a bit paranoid I think...

Lavender Grey Toner// I really liked this- again, the colour came out quite subtle for me but really pretty! Debating buying another one so I can do a proper review post as it's gorgeous but I didn't get any pictures that do it justice.

Marie from Bleach did let me know that for my length of hair, (slightly longer than shoulder length) I should be using 2 boxes of toner at once for the best colour application if I'm toning all of my hair and not just the roots. I was stingy and used them one at a time (Sorry Marie!) I will listen to her advice next time. *This lavender grey toner was kindly gifted when I was a hair model for Bleach. They didn't ask me or pay me to post but I was super happy to be able to try it and will definitely buy it myself in the future. 

Skincare// 

No7 Vitamin C cream// This was a nice texture! It didn't disagree with my skin and I wouldn't rule out getting it again although I believe that this format of vitamin c won't stay as effective as long as it's got more chance to be exposed to air?? Don't quote me on that though. My skin did like this though! 

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser// This was... fine. Not bad but it didn't remove my makeup as well as other cream cleansers I've tried, so I am back on my search.

The Ordinary Niacinimide and zinc// I love this! I'm currently using a Mary Quant Call the Shots serum which is also a texture refining pore control serum, so I won't be purchasing this Ordinary one for a bit, but this serum is so affordable and I think my skin really likes it. Will definitely pick it up again in the future. I will let you know how I get on with Call the Shots in a future empties post :)

The Ordinary Buffet// I love this! And so does my skin. As with the niacinimide, I'm currently using my Mary Quant Back to the Prime which fills the same spot in my routine, so I won't pick this up until I need a new serum but I definitely will get it again, this is a cult classic for a reason. 

Clinique Moisture Surge 72hr// I love Moisture Surge- it's one of the only moisturisers that I reliably notice that my skin has improved the next day after using it. I don't use it every day but I definitely appreciate it for when my skin needs a boost! I think I wrote this last time though, but there are so many moisture surge things to choose from right now... and I want *this* one. I bought a jar of 72hr recently and it's more of a creamy texture which is fine but this gel texture is the one that really agrees with my skin. I'll have to keep hunting. 

Garnier Micellar water// I don't know if mine was getting old, but I definitely remember it being better at removing makeup when I had it previously. I will get a smaller bottle if I pick it up again so it doesn't have the chance to go off. For now I'm on the hunt for a different makeup remover that will remove makeup without dragging or irritating my eyes. I've had luck with the Muji Oil Cleansing and also with the No7 Cleansing balm.

SOS SPF 50// This was nice and did its job well but it's quite thick which isn't my preference. I adore the SOS serum though, and the SOS H20 (which has SPF30) is nice too, although I usually do prefer something with SPF 50 (like Kosé Suncut or Mary Quant Block & Block).

Mary Quant Go Deeper// I've already bought another tube because I can't be without this! It's a really nice clay mask with Moroccan lava clay, smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling fresh and soft (obligatory disclaimer: I work at Mary Quant but no one's asked/paid me to post this).

Nivea Moisturising Cream// I liked this fine for actually moisturising my hands and body- it did it's job really well. But the smell was super strong which is not my favourite.

Clinique Smart Defence Serum// Another thing from my 2020 advent calendar, this was nice but I didn't notice any difference in my skin particularly. Was happy to try it though!

Makeup// 

Bleach Lip Pencil in Matte Le Blanc// This has been discontinued for a while, and I was trying to use it up as it's getting on age-wise, but then I sharpened it and the whole thing fell on the floor so it's good bye to this unfortunately. 

Clinique Chubby Stick in Pudgy Peony// I loved this colour, but I think I'd kept this too long (I got it in 2018 I think) as it had a slight crayon scent. Nothing had changed colour wise and I don't think it was unsafe to use or anything?
 

Wah Nail Polish in Mating Surfaces// I loved this, I used most of it up "organically" just because I love the colour, and then it was starting to get thick when there wasn't much left so I made a concerted effort to try and use it up. You can't get these any more, which is a shame. I definitely want to find another lilac nail polish to replace this with.

Etude Play// This nail polish was sooo glittery and cute! It's so full of glitter it was a bit rough to the touch, but worth it for how cute the polish looks on. I got it in Shizuoka and again I used most of it up without trying. Silver glitter nail polish is definitely my go-to. I would definitely pick it up again, not that I need any new nail polish...

That's it for now! I hope you guys are all doing well and staying hydrated ;)

-Amy xoxo

I have seven different shampoos and they're ALL DIFFERENT OK?: My bleached hair care routine in 2021//

Bleach London Champagne Supertoner: Review and Before and After// 

How to keep up language learning after living abroad //

Empties #30 it's been a little while... Etude House / Bleach London/ SOS Serum / Emoda/ Mary Quant

Hello gang, hope you're all well! I haven't blogged (or posted much on instagram...) this whole year, and yet again, I'm back with a quick empties post. (I do have plans for more hair dye reviews and other substantial content, don't worry!)

So yeah, here are the (many) products I've used up recently along with some mini reviews: 

First set: 

Hair//

Bleach Pearlescent Conditioner// You guys know I love this. Conditions and deposits a lovely pearly colour.

Bleach White Heat// I didn't want to like this, as it's just another step to get white hair. But, I actually think Bleach's White Toner + this made my hair look amazing. I'll get it again for sure. 

Skincare// 

Clinique Moisture Surge Eye Cream// it's nice enough but I don't like the little bobbles of extra... hydration(?) in there? I'd rather it was a smooth texture. 

Clinique All About Face Face Wash// foaming face washes really don't agree with me.. this was another one I got from the Clinique advent calendar, I'm really pleased I got to try it and confirm that it's not for my skin.

SOS Serum// I heard about this brand from skincare queen Demi Colleen, and I really like these two products! The SOS Serum is a really nice light gel which calms down irritated skin and I really liked it! I bought a larger one of the SOS Serum and the SOS H2O which is a moisturiser that has SPF 30 in it. Safe to say I liked them! 

Lip Bouncer L-04// I loooved this ginger scent, and I'm a bit sad to see it go as it was a limited edition scent. You can still get the regular Lip Bouncer and the Tea with Milk scented Limited edition from last year though! (** obligatory disclaimer: I work at Mary Quant, no-one asked me to post this but I want to be totally transparent!)

Red Nail Polish// misc. from my childhood. I am trying to use up any miscellaneous bits of makeup like this, wish me luck!

Makeup// 

Etude House Tinted Lip Balm// I bought this while I was in Shizuoka.... I think I just need to accept that I'm not a tinted lip balm person.... or maybe I just don't have luck with them? This turned BRIGHT PINK on my lips! It looked nice but it was not the work appropriate orange tint that I had bought it for. Glad to see it go as it wasn't the most hydrating. 

Mary Quant Billion Lashings Volumising Mascara Smudgeproof Ebony Black 01// (** obligatory disclaimer: I work at Mary Quant, no-one asked me to post this but I want to be totally transparent!)I LOVE this mascara. It's expensive but I think it's totally worth the price (unfortunately as it is a bit pricy.) I got so many compliments on how nice my lashes looked when I wore this and I didn't have any smudging onto my brow bone. I have quite deep set eyes so smudging is actually something I've really struggled with with other mascaras recently (e.g. the Marc Jacobs one, in the next empties... you can't buy it any more but I haaated it cos it smudged on me so badly) . 

I've bought another Billion Lashings as a backup and I'm using Action Lashings too right now- I'll let you know which one I prefer but I'm leaning towards Billion Lashings atm.

Emoda Highlight Stick// I dug every last bit of this cream highlight out because I adored it! It was a freebie with Jelly Magazine in 2019 though, so no way of getting it again as I don't think Emoda even do makeup usually? I bought the Glossier one a while ago so I will give that a go. 

Clinique Perfume mini// Another one from the Clinique advent calendar. I don't really think perfume when I think Clinique, but this was quite nice! I have lots of other perfumes on the go so I'm not going to seek this out but I was happy to try it. 

Second set: 

Two different sets of empties because that's how long I haven't posted... 

Mary Quant Cleansing Massage Cream//  (** obligatory disclaimer: I work at Mary Quant, no-one asked me to post this but I want to be totally transparent!)Happy to have tried this, it's a great first cleanser. You definitely need to double cleanse after using this though. I'm trying the MQ Deep Cleansing Gel Oil next which I think might be more what I'm after. Watch out for that in my empties in a couple of months ;)

Clinique All About Clean// I really want a cleanser that will take my eye makeup off, but this sort of irritated my eyes. 

Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Masque// I liked this a lot, was happy to receive it in the advent calendar. I think my favourite moisture surge is the 100 hour gel one (?) I've had it a couple of times and I genuinely notice that my skin looks better the next day when I use it. There are too many different types of moisture surge and it's a bit confusing trying to find *the* one that I think works best on my skin. 

Bleach London Awkward Peach Super Cool Colour// I kept this for waaay too long before using it, and I think this because it turned my hair pink, not peach. A gorgeous pink, but it wasn't peach. Again, it's my fault for keeping it around too long- I'm actually trying not to hoard beauty and makeup so much so this type of thing can be avoided.

Mary Quant Block and Block Perfect Protection Sunscreen// My beloved. This is a little pricy compared to drugstore sunscreen but it's 100% worth it for me, it's soothing to the skin and non-sticky. I'm using this instead of importing sunscreen (mostly Kosé suncut or Bioré) from Japan like I used to. This is definitely in my top 5 MQ products (should I do a whole post on Mary Quant? Would you guys be interested? Let me know). 

Topshop Wheels On Fire Lip Liner// RIP to Topshop.... this was a nice enough colour, but it was a bit too creamy to use as a liner really so I used it as a lipstick. It was a proper bright red, I got many compliments on it!

The Inkey List Vitamin C// I didn't like this, it was too strong for my skin and it irritated my skin and also left oxidated vitamin C marks on my pillow when I used it at night. I know you can mix it which they suggest to do if it irritates you, I tried to mix it with a moisturiser but it's a hard pass from me for now on tbh. 

Nail Polishes// Again, misc. from my childhood. 

Tresémme Instant Recovery Mask// This has protein in it and I'm a bit wary of overloading my hair with protein lately. I did use this up but I'll be sticking with Bleach London for the forseeable. 

Anyone else super satisfied when they use up beauty products? I've recently been mildly obsessed with Project Pan youtube videos of people using up their makeup. Super relaxing, and the lo-fi style of a lot of the youtubers makes me nostalgic for the olden days of youtube... 

Plus, it really makes you realise how long some of these things take to use up! I'm really glad I managed to miss out on the IKEA Alex Drawers full of makeup that we were all encouraged to accumulate. And on that note, I will be doing a post on my up to date makeup collection soon! For my own future reference, if for nothing else. Quite proud of myself for not going (too) crazy and drowning myself in beauty products now that I have a disposable income ;)

Thanks for reading! 

-Amy xoxo

Empties #29: Glossier, Bleach London, Mary Quant etc// I have seven different shampoos and they're all different ok? My bleached haircare routine in 2021// Bleach London Champagne Supertoner: Review and Before and After

Empties #29// Glossier, Bleach London, Mary Quant, Becca etc

 

Hiii gang! I hope you're all ok! I'm still doing nothing but work, basically....

I will get back into creating *content * but for now, here are some more empties:

Skincare//

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser// I liked it, this was nice. But, I have lots of other cleansers to get through before I even consider if I want to repurchase. I get the hype though.

No7 Hydraluminous Water Surge Gel// This was actually my second pot of this and I loved it! I'm currently trying another cream in this range but I think I will go back and get this exact one again- this was perfect for where my skin is now- dry but also very prone to breakouts.

Soap and Glory body cream// This was nice and moisturising, but a very strong scent for me tbh.

Mary Quant Lip Bouncer// Lovely. It's a bit more expensive than good old vaseline, but I liked this and will definitely get another one after I've used up a few more older lip balms. It's light but hydrating and also makes your lipstick last longer, what's not to like? 

Lush Peony// This was a lil sample and it smelt gorgeous and was super moisturising. 

No7 protect and perfect primer// I got this in the summer gift set, and it was nice but quite thick.

Haircare // 

Bleach Total Bleach// I like this, it's always a repeat-buy for me. This or the plex bleach, depending on how I'm feeling.

Bleach London White Heat// I tried this out finally, and it is a lovely last step to get white hair. I didn't want to like it cos it's an extra step after bleach and toner, but I do. I will probably pick this up again at some point but I have lots of other colours to try out first!

Bleach London Beer Mask and Reincarnation Mask// you guys know I love these, what can I say. I alternate these every time I wash my hair, and I've bought each several times. And you know what? I did experiment with another mask I had, and my hair hated it.... so I'm sticking with what I know and love for hair care. If it aint broke don't fix it I say!

Bleach London Pearlescent Conditioner// as regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of the pearlescent shampoo and conditioner. I want to try the pearlescent toner too. 

Makeup// 

Clinique High Impact Mascara// I like this a lot, and it had got to the point where it was super done. I have another one that's from the advent calendar to use up, along with my fave MQ Billion Lashings.

Clinique High Impact in black// This was nice- smooth and creamy and lasted pretty well for me. I got it in an advent calendar for 2020 and I used it no problem. 

Becca tinted lip balm in Rose// Becca the brand has gone, but I saw this in T K Maxx and thought I'd try it, along with a red lipstick. The lipstick is nice, but this tinted balm I was not a fan of. It went waaay darker pink than it looks in the tube, and it had sort of scratchy glitter in and it wasn't that hydrating either. I used it up quickly to get rid of it tbh.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo// I actually didn't finish it, but I decided it had to go because it was years old and past its best. I was half heartedly trying to use it up, but there's so much in there and it just wasn't my favourite. I'm not really a liquid lip gal tbh so I wouldn't get this again although I did get lots of compliments on the colour.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent// It's called transparent, but it does have a bit of an orange tinge on me if I use too much. I much prefer the version of this with the green bottom- the complexion clarifying one. The actual powder in both is pretty good for the price, but I haaate the packaging- it always breaks on me even when I am careful not to take it anywhere. I've finished it and I've got the Laura Mercier loose powder in translucent for now, and I think I prefer that finish on my skin (unfortunately, seeing as it's much more expensive...). I think Rimmel have a new pressed powder with a different packaging which I wouldn't rule out, cos my main gripe with this is the packaging. 

Thanks for reading! Have you used up any makeup recently? Or had anything exciting happen? 

-Amy xoxo

I have seven different shampoos and they're all different ok? My bleached hair care routine// Empties #28 The Inkey List, Glossier, Bleach London and more// My work capsule wardrobe//