December 17, 2013

ELLEJESSinJapan 2013 #1: Invited by METI

We bet some of you have scrolled through our #ellejessinjapan instanture (short from Instagram adventure, yeehaw!) and waited for us to blog about em, so, here we gooo~~!!!
[WARNING: it's gonna be a loooooong post filled with pictures, just the way aha aha we like it aha aha]

ELLEJESSinJapan 2013 #1
♡ Shibuya crossing 
It all started with an email from this guy ↓
Let's call him Mr. B! ^^ Picture above (ignoring the kawaii camera straps and accessories clutched by the girls) really shows how dedicated and helpful he was toward us girls during the trip lolol.

Here's the said email:
AND… Here's the official invitation letter~ :D :D
WE KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFGBBQ, RIGHTTTTT????????????????????

It went like, usual day, usual day, usual day, and suddenly, "you are invited to Japan, your favorite country."


So basically, we were invited by the awesome people of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) 'to be recognized as a key influencer in your respective region because of the activities you have conducted related to Japanese contents.' ← when we read this, we were like, "Omg… our love of Japan has finally paid off…" Not that it gave us nothing before (because we've been in love with Japanese culture since we were kids, thanks to mangas, animes, J music, dorama, magazines, etc. and they have filled our days literally almost everyday with countless amount of laughter, tips and even moral lessons; e.g. true sincerity from One Piece stories, etc.), but THIS! This could never happen if not because of our love of Japan!!! *happy tears* (˘̩̩◡˘̩̩ƪ)

Back to topic, so METI would like to appoint us as a CoFesta Ambassador for the Cool Japan project; 'a government funded project that looks to promote Japanese contents such as games, anime, manga, character, broadcast, music, film, fashion, and design to the rest of the world'. The main purpose is to give us an amazing experience in Japan, in the hopes that we will document our stay and share that experience from a non-Japanese point of view with our followers. ← IT'S LIKE A DREAM TRIP!!! All expenses paid for doing something we love -taking pictures and sharing our experiences to our followers- about something we love (Japan and what it has to offer; lots of it, for sure) and moreover, we're acknowledged and invited by the Japanese government themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *felt super honored, blessed and ecstatic at the same time* #happytearsagain (˘̩̩◡˘̩̩ƪ)


By all means, do check out our real-time photo and video updates during our stay (17-25 October 2013) right here on our Instagram. We also keep posting the rest of the pics and vids on the #ellejessinjapan hashtag after the stay because there are too many of them and they're all very, very Instagrammable!! 


 Inside the MRT 

// Welcome to Japan! //
Our first breakfast: Japanese style inflight menu by Garuda Indonesia. Omg so happy already!!! Σ(✧Д✧ノ;)ノ

Here's our airport outfit (none taken at the airport cause we looked too tired from our last-minute-packing-habit lack of sleep, there was not enough time to take proper pictures AND we got too occupied talking to our new friend STELLA LEE, whom, btw, lost her luggage on that very first day wtf never found such a clumsy Virgo before hahahahaha):

↑ spotted bro's abs wtf ↑

On Elle: GOWIGASA Space Leather Sleeves Army Jacket, Daisy Daze Black Top, Sunset Classic Mirror Sunglasses | Uniqlo Shop Akira | Bruno Premi ankle boots | YSL Tote Bag

On Jess: GOWIGASA FAKE Acrylic Snapback Yellow, Acid Wash Denim Jacket, Polkadot Collar Crop Top, Backpack | Uniqlo Denim Pants | Bruno Premi ankle boots

Ah, ok, got one taken at the airport. See how tired we look? Lol. ┌( ">_<‎ )┘
And yes, Jess changed her Polkadot Collar Crop Top into this Leopard Lips Tee Yellow because it was slightly warmer for her lol.

We landed at Narita International Airport, Tokyo, at about 8-9am on 17 October 2013 and got picked up by Mr. B. Some welcome pics from Narita:
Animal Quarantine Guide - Narita, Tokyo
 "Hammie~~ Hammie picture!!! Must take pic!!!" Jess
Iyemon Japan Espresso - didn't get to drink it, choosing a hot cocoa at the end, but according to this site; this isn't actually a coffee drink, but a very strong maccha (green tea) instead, that they name it 'Japan Espresso'. WTF now I have to drink it!!! Japan has the coolest machine drinks, we swear!

By that time, there were only four of us including Stella and Mr. B.
Beckii arrived about two hours later, then we hit the bus to the nearest taxi station(?) -- forgot what it was, too tired to notice BUT there were a lot of these bunnies queueing along right there on that place *kawaiiiiiiiii*
Ok so after the bus and the pink bunnies, we took cabs to reach Hotel Sunroute Shinbashi - our small yet cozy hotel for the next six days:
pic credit: http://bit.ly/sunrouteshinbashi
P.S. They gave us two rooms, but we ended up using one for our luggages and another one for a good night sleep. We find it so much easier that way because our hair, skin and make-up products are mostly the same and we've been sleeping in the same room since we were kids babies. XD
The hotel is located at Shimbashi / Shinbashi and it is really close to the train stations; a perfect place in this business area. The neighborhood was, as expected, busy, yet it was not as cramped as Shinjuku or Shibuya. There were a lot of restaurants and cafes nearby (mostly Japanese food) if you wanna grab a bite. Overall the hotel gave a fresh, modern and new feel. The rooms were tiny, but it is expected in Tokyo. The bathroom and everything was very clean and designed for efficiency. They provided free wifi, both in the room and the lobby. Breakfast was delicious but nothing special except the extra yum fruit yogurt that gave us the much-needed morning disposal, if you know what we mean. But the most winning point of this hotel (to us, at least) is that IT HAS ITS OWN ACCCESS TO A 24/7 LAWSON!! No, seriously, convenience store is a big win for convenience-seeking (read: lazy) people like us. For example, when we got to the hotel late at night after a very tiring day, we just popped to Lawson first to get a pack of hot bath powder (there are lots of these in Japan and choosing one is as exciting as choosing something from the drink vending machine), a can of beer and a pack of sweets, THEN go upstairs and ahhhhh..... an instant hot bath slash heaven before going to bed, relaxed and contented.

↑ pics taken in and around the hotel ↑

After a short freshen-up in the hotel, we were taken out for a late lunch at this petite Okinawa restaurant located in the Shiodome area called SEIJIROU SHIODOMETEN (清次郎 汐留店):
pic credit: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/e888600/lang/en/ | http://jene.jp/jeneosusume/lunch/660.html
Jess ordered the Goya Champuru / Chanpuru, as it was recommended by the waitress because apparently, this bitter gourd (or pare in Indonesian) dish is a classic Okinawa cooking.
Stir fried bitter vegetable, tofu, spam, sea cakes and egg - Goya Champuru Lunch Set with polished rice, miso soup and 4 small dishes was ¥900. Well, it was pretty good, but we guess it's not as special as this one that we're dying to try (link). ^^ Our favorite menu here was THIS ONE:
Blue Seal Ice Cream @ ¥200. Apparently this is a famous ice cream brand in Okinawa and the ones we tried were the Beni-imo (purple sweet potato) and the Shio Chinsukō (sweet-salted cookies) flavors.
They were so! awesome! (\(✧Д✧)/)

Shortly after lunch, we all took off to Bellesalle Garden at Shibuya for our first fashion show here: the rebellious Nozomi Ishiguro's:
NOZOMI ISHIGURO Haute Couture Spring-Summer Collection 2014

pics credit: http://bit.ly/nozomiishiguro
As you can see, the setting was very romantic and dimly lit. The music was nice, too. Ishiguro's SS 2014 collection was overflowed with a mixture of deconstructed cuts and asymmetric-volumized pieces with ruffles, layers and pleats. The most exposed graphic prints that night was none other than stars and stripes; which resembles American flag. Overall, the collection depicted Harajuku style, which is colorful, unpredictable and young. But what we love the most from Ishiguro's SS 2014 collection is that his choice of colors was not that extreme, resulting in more wearable pieces. ^^

After the show has ended, we gathered together, the CoFesta Ambassadors. *rhymes* ~♪
Hi, fellow Indonesian! *waves*
Oh, and with the people from METI, too! Arigato gozaimasu for inviting us~ (ˆヮˆ)づ♡


♡ Just the two of us 
Change of outfit: GOWIGASA Ice Cream Sleeveless Top, VOGUE Snapback, Pink Neon Socks (upcoming collection)

Dinner time!! METI guys splurged (again) for us woohoo! We had this traditional Japanese dinner experience at TEMPURA TENMATSU SHIBUYAHONTEN (御料理・天婦羅 天松 本店):
Click here for more food pics from this lovely place. ♡♡
We're very very happy because this was our first Tempura set dinner, ever! In Jakarta, we'd always take Tempura as a side dish, or even overlook it when ordering because we're simply not a fan. But Tempura in this place!!! All super super yummy and fresh! There were fish tempura, shrimp tempura, vegetable tempura, etc. and they were all excellently deep-fried, not overly oily or greasy and the crisp level was just right.
Our room was a private one, with tatami, sliding doors and all. The waitresses were wearing kimono, too! That night was an introductory night for all of us, and it was kinda awkward because the ice breaker Stella was not around (she's trying to get her lost luggage back lol). But it was a great night afterall because even though we were all very tired from the flight and a long, productive day, everybody was still nice and friendly. (ノ≧▽≦)ノ*:・゚


↑ This vid kinda sums up our first night in this Tokyo trip! ↑

Kay guys, hope you enjoy this long-ass post! Please wait for the next post ^^v
ELLEJESSinJapan 2013 #2
(will be linked after we publish it)

X O X O,

December 13, 2013

Warm Color Palette

What I Wore: GOWIGASA Mustard Dual Pocket Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt and Green High Waisted Hummingbird Printed Shorts | Forever21 Dark Green Blazer and Brown Heels | Topshop Necklace

Today I wanted to play with a warm fall color palette, but I tied up my shirt to give that summer feel because, y'know, it's always summer in Indonesia :) Although lately we get rainy or at least cloudy day every day, sigh. I hate it. Well, mostly because I can't take good photographs when it's dark outside. Good light is VERY important to get good results- especially outfit photos, and daylight is the best

Sometimes Often, I woke up to a beautiful sunny morning thinking, "Yay, I can take some outfit pictures today!" then I hurried into the shower, put on full makeup, did my hair, and dressed up. Then, all of a sudden, the sky became dark and rain was pouring down WTF, stop giving me false hope please! #firstworldproblems

Anyway, I just watched 'Frozen' tonight with Jess, mom and bro, and we loved it!
[Spoiler Alert]
My favorite scene was where Elsa escaped to the mountain and finally had the courage to just be herself. It was just beautiful and whimsical when she built her very own ice castle! She also became much more beautiful when she (finally) smiled joyously with her blonde hair down. Not to mention THE dress, omg! I WANT.

I also found the scene where Anna was ridiculously in love with Hans so amusing and wtf haha..

Another thing that I loved from this movie was it taught us that true love is not always between two lovers. It can be between siblings, and in this case, sisterswhich I can very much relate to :)


If you haven't watched it, go watch! And if you have, tell me what's your favorite scene in the comment section below or maybe what you don't like hehe, I'd love to know! :D


X O X O,
Elle Yamada

December 11, 2013

GOWIGASA Xmas Surprises!

Hello, hello!
Welcome to GOWIGASA's Christmas Surprises! (ノ≧≦)ノ*:・゚✧
Yep, it is that time of the year again and we are so happy to celebrate with you guys!
Tis season, get merry for these THREE jolly things:

1. NEW ARRIVALS

2. GIFTS, BONUS & MORE DISCOUNTS!!
100 first purchases of IDR 200,000 (USD 25) get Lovely Christmas Gifts
10 first purchases of IDR 2,000,000 (USD 250) get IDR 251,213 (USD 31) Gowigasa.com Voucher + Xmas Gifts
Also, take advantage of our all time discount: Shop More Save More


Year End Sale: Enjoy up to 50% OFF selected items! (until 31 December 2013)
In case you don't know about GOWIGASA yet, let us introduce it to you:
GOWIGASA is our beloved online boutique that we've been running together since 2010. We started on Facebook and now we have our own amazing website, check it out here*. :D We bring stylish, affordable goods and deliver them to your door with reliable shipping services. We also ship worldwide! ^^v
*super simple steps to order: http://gowigasa.com/how-to-order

//GOWIGASA's SNS//
Instagram: @gowigasa
Twitter: @gowigasa
Facebook: /gowigasa

//GOWIGASA's contact list//
gowigasa.com | gowigasa@yahoo.com | +6287886619819 (whatsapp / text)

Alright, thank you for visiting and HAPPY SHOPPING, girls! ;D

X O X O,

December 01, 2013

Etude House Disney XOXO Minnie

A rather short review of (some of) the new collection from ETUDE x Disney: XOXO, Minnie; a collaboration concept that comes in limited editions.
Minnie Wink Lash #02 (미니 언더 래쉬), Minnie Touch Blusher (미니 터치 블러셔), Minnie Kissing Lips (미니 키싱 립스)
Okay, I have to admit that the urge to make this post is simply because it's DISNEY!!! I'm a huge fan, pardon me. Not a big fan of Minnie Mouse in particular, but still, it's Disney and I want need a touch of Disney in my blog!! XD
So, what I'll be reviewing today is these three items I got from my Instagram sponsor:
• Minnie Wink Lash #02 Minnie Under Lash (2호 미니 언더 래쉬)
• Minnie Touch Blusher (미니 터치 블러셔)
• Minnie Kissing Lips (미니 키싱 립스)

Let's start with the under lashes!
Minnie Wink Lash #02 Minnie Under Lash (2호 미니 언더 래쉬)
I don't really use bottom false eyelashes in my makeup routine because most of them make me look too gothic or too dolly but this one is veeeeery natural! It is very light in texture, the spacing of the lashes is just right (not too close to each other, most importantly) and even the color is not black, but brown, I believe. It comes with the glue inside the packaging, but I prefer using my D.U.P EYELASHES FIXER EX. The strip, however, is a bit too thick for my liking, which made it a little uncomfortable to wear. But so far, this is the best bottom lashes I've encountered.

Moving on to the blusher.
Minnie Touch Blusher (미니 터치 블러셔)
Quoted from the back of the box: "This is a multi blusher that flushes cheeks for a lovely Minnie look." As you can see, it has cool, pastel undertone of Lilac, Pink and Peach (on Minnie's face! So cute!! ✧_✧). As lovely as the colors are, I prefer rosy pink or peachy pink blushers because I like warm undertones more than cool ones. It doesn't come with a mirror or a brush. It does, however, create a very sheer feminine pink on your cheeks and it suits pale skin best.

Last but not least, the lipstick!
Minnie Kissing Lips (미니 키싱 립스)
This is my favorite of the three! I like red lips, but I never dared enough to swipe a bold, red lipstick on my lips; normally, I'd just dab it a little, rub my lips together and lick them to create naturally glossy (or grossy jigong-sy? lol) red lips. But THIS TIME I tried to swipe it on and tadah~~ looks pretty good, yes? Hahaha. I even swiped it a little out of my upper lip line for perkier look lol. This lipstick has a faint fragrance that smells pretty good to me. It also creates glossy finish (if you prefer matte finish, you can blot your lips with a tissue after using it. The color will stay and you'll have equally gorgeous red lips!) AND most importantly, the texture is creamy, it glided smoothly and felt very moisturizing on my lips. The color also stayed put for a pretty long time. I love it!

Now, now, all the mentioned points above lack one thing for sure: THE UBER CUTE PACKAGING DESIGNS!!! Gosh, I love them sooooooo much, they're so kawaii! I think they're the best selling point for this collection lolol. They also put attention to the little details, for example: XOXO means Hugs and Kisses, so they wrote it in the back of the boxes, just below the XOXO Minnie signature ^^. And, oh, even the barcodes are in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. So, so cute! 

// OUTFIT REPORT //
Earlier before; went for the opening of UNIQLO store in Mal Taman Anggrek (in case you're wondering, I haven't put on the Minnie Under Lash and Minnie Touch Blusher in this photo. I wore the Minnie Kissing Lips already, though; dabbed-kissed-licked a.k.a. jigong style):
GOWIGASA Red Knit Reindeer Sweater (upcoming collection), Chambray Relax Shorts in Blue Jeans

 Alright folks, that's all for today. Thank you for reading and see you guys on my next post~ ^^

Hugs and kisses,

Jessica Yamada

November 27, 2013

As Life So Good

 "How do you deal with negativity?" Yes, I'd like to bring up that topic today, please. :)
But before that, please bear with my kinda very unrelated outfit post first~ (ノ^ヮ^)ノ*:・゚✧

GOWIGASA DOPE MCMLXXXV SnapbackBnW Striped Turtleneck TopBaggy Semi Elastic Denim Shorts, Black Slim Backpack | TLTSN Red Mary Jane Flats

SO!
Let's continue talking about the topic I mentioned up there: "How do you deal with negativity?". Two days ago, I posted these tweets:
https://twitter.com/jessyamada/status/404984213708886017
English loose translation

perhatian: caring
kepo (from singapore slang 'kaypoh'): busybody / meddling
ga kepo: aloof / does not like being a busybody / meddling with other people's business
sombong: arrogant / snob
berkualitas: have a certain standard of quality
mahal: expensive
murah: cheap
https://twitter.com/jessyamada/status/404984364594761728
English loose translation

banyak temen: have a lot of friends
ansos: anti social / introvert by nature
dimusuhin: banished / alienated
tegas: bold
batu: stubborn
ngalah: pacifist / phlegmatic
Got the idea yet? Yep, it's about how negativity loves screwing with people's brain and turning plain X into (-)X. Well, even though I've posted the answer too up there, which is pretty obvious: Just Be Positive; I'd still like to dig furthermore into this matter.

Nowadays, with the help of internet and various social media platforms like Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Blog, etc.. we have the privilege of getting a whole lot more information about something (or maybe even get 'exposed' to the ones we don't actually need) AND we also get a lot more chances to express our opinions about those things. 

Now, if you're reading my blog right now, I assume that you're not new to this cyber world and that most of you netizens must be pretty familiar with these terms already: cyberbullying / public thrashing or attacks, hate accounts, spamming abusive comments, etc. Well, for you newbies, they're all about humiliating / defaming / harassing / intimidating / harming people (individually or as a group) or companies online. Believe it or not, most of the cases are:
- Unprovoked
- Done anonymously
- Simply based on negative thoughts or intentions about that person / group / business

So, why cyberbully? While for some people it might be entertaining, others do it for revenge, sabotaging competitions or simply for seeking attention. Whatever their motives are, they do not care about the damage they're doing to the victims (some even INTEND for the damage to happen). And when it comes to cyberbullying, they can simply run and hide after doing the bullying and not dealing with the damages afterwards, by being an anonymous. Easy? Yes. Classy? Not at all.

I fought a lot when I was a kid and every now and then, I deal with negativity online and offline. But I NEVER fight unprovoked (never accept being bullied either, though) / judge people relentlessly / spread lies or bad rumours about someone or something (sometimes I wonder about people who buy and read gossip tabloids. Do they do it to make them feel good about themselves? If so, I feel bad for them) / talk badly about someone or something or intentionally hurt other people or their businesses (heck, I don't even have the interest to at least care about most of them and besides, I choose my words carefully. If I don't have anything nice to say about someone or something, I'd prefer to be silent. Unless it's for positive outcome, e.g. telling a best friend that her boyfriend cheated on her, telling your interior designer that it is an ugly wallpaper for your dream house, telling your readers to be careful of a marketing company that disguises their profit with charity. Other than that, I really don't see the point of mocking other people or their businesses out of nowhere, especially when I'm a firm believer of karma) / or above all, choose anonymity online. The last point irritates me the most. Sometimes, I wish I could put my hand through the screen and grab those anonymous cowards by the collar, saying, "Say it to my face. I DARE YOU."
Back to the topic. Being through some fights (verbally and physically), I can honestly say that even when I won, the victory never taste as good as doing something positive. Not even close.

By 'doing something positive', I'm not saying that you should all immediately go helping people, do charity or join a volunteer trip (although they must feel really good, yo). It could be as simple as: 
Avoiding the negativity and keep being positive all the time.
As simple as it sounds, it's actually a hard thing to do, as human as we all are. I myself still doing my best to keep it up. But it really is  the right way to go.

Look, there are some things that may cause people to resort to negativity. If the source of the negativity is certain people around you (e.g. gossipy / sarcastic / malicious / discouraging / toxic people, etc.) and you have done everything you can to make them change for the better but it doesn't work out, you should really consider to cut them out of your life, IF you want to move forward, of course.
 But mostly (and sadly), negativity comes within yourself and one thing that might lead people to drag each other down is none other than ENVY. I deal with envy all the time. I envy kids whom parents are meant for each other, girls with easy-to-maintain skin, filthy rich kids who don't have to work, etc. 
https://twitter.com/jessyamada/status/404984595126292480
Can you imagine how I'd be doing right now if I kept concentrating my energy on envying those people? I might become one of those pathetic losers who keep whining and pitying myself or worse, one of those bitter sarcastic people who curse others for what they have instead of pushing myself to do better and better and getting to where I am today.

I might not be blessed with parents who are destined for each other, but I do learn a lot from their relationship since I was a kid: what to find and what to avoid in a partner later when I grow up, keys for a successful relationship, how to keep it logical while still maintaining the magical lovey dovey things, etc.

I might have a hard-to-please skin, but that makes me learn a lot about skincare, treatments, safe makeup products, healthy food and habits that turns out to not only giving temporary solutions to my skin problems, but also benefiting my skin in the long run.

I might not be an heiress of something big nor do I have a trust fund to live off*, but I do love making money, I am blessed with jobs that I love and I feel truly blessed and honored to have the opportunity to be the backbone of my family at a pretty young age, together with my beloved sister.
*FYI, Gandhi even said that 'wealth without work' is considered a social sin. ^^;

Alright then, I hope this post can somehow benefit you. :)
As life so good, my answer to the question, "How do you deal with negativity?" is #JustBePositive! :) What's yours? Have you got an issue with negativity before? Kindly tell me "How do you deal with negativity?" in the comment box below, I'd love to read it! :D

Nevertheless, thank you so much for reading and see you guys on my next post~

Jessica Yamada