Photo Journal: Hakone, Japan

My Road to Minimalism: Having Less to Live More

What started as a fascination with the French capsule wardrobe evolved to looking into things like project 333, and eventually an overall infatuation with simple living. Being a hoarder and the ideal consumer (advertisements easily convince me I need things in my life...(-_-) ), this transition into minimalism is definitely taking a lot more time and is yet to become second nature to me. 

Simple Living by sue-mes featuring distressed furniture

Winter Skin Care Tips

Winter Skin Care by nia-maki featuring a face moisturizer

Skin care is already tricky on its own. What works for one person doesn't mean it will for the next person. Throw in skin types, allergies, and seasons and you end up with a shelf full of products that never get used, or an irritated face that needs some TLC. Knowing some general guidelines can help you pick products to help you with your winter skin care routine so save you some money and heartache. (We've all been there... no one likes throwing out bottles of virtually unused products)

The Winterlicious Tag 2014

Winter by nia-maki featuring christmas holiday decorations

I've never done a tag on this blog, but since it's been ages since I've filmed a video (and I managed to forget my charger for my camera while here in the US for the holidays), I figured a blog post would suffice. Although I started my vacation with lots of snow and cold, gloomy rainy days, the past few weeks have been manageable, and I am not as envious of the temperate Tokyo winter I am missing out on. Anyway, let's get to these questions, and as always, I tag everyone!!

My Road to Minimalism: A Capsule Wardrobe

Many people that know me will not believe me when I say I am trying to become a minimalist. I've been thinking about this for a while, starting with the book I read about French parenting, I started getting interested in the "French ways" so to speak. It took a while to get into the whole idea of a capsule wardrobe, but I was definitely intrigued by the simple, yet chic French style and attitude overall. Yes, it definitely would take a lot of discipline to do this, and I must admit I am failing very hard at it, but hey...Baby steps. Am I right?

http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod3170204

5 Tips for Beautiful, Healthy Curly Hair

Hair comes in all colors, shapes, and textures. Knowing how to care for it can make a difference between hating your hair and loving being...well, you. Rather than straightening your hair by drying it out and frying it with harsh chemicals, just put a little more thought in your daily hair routine and you'd be surprised at how little effort it can take to get healthy, beautiful locks. <3

1. Moisture, moisture, moisture. 
Shampoo strips away your natural oils that even your conditioner can't replace. Rather than shampooing everyday, switch to every other day or start co-washing. Harsh chemicals like sulphates and alcohol in your hair products are not good for your hair, so pick them wisely. Use oils like coconut oil (my personal favorite), serums, and creams to help keep your hair from being dry which leads to frizz. Spray your hair with water and organic aloe vera juice to reset curls on those second day curls.

Statigram – Instagram webviewer (clipped to polyvore.com)

The Big Chop, part dos

After being stuck in a rut for a while, I finally decided to start decluttering my life. By that, I mean both figuratively and literally. For those that know me, I tend to hoard things because I fear of having those "just in case" moments where I'd randomly need things, but there comes a time when you realize that this false sense of security actually ends up causing more stress... This means getting rid of all the clutter, in my room, closet, personal relationships, and just life in general. Simple is more. Which brings me to my hair.