Japanice Style @ Akira Salon

I jokingly live by the words, "Mess everything with me and mess my life but NEVER mess my hair." But sometimes, I take it a bit seriously. LOL 

 

One thing's very certain with me, I like Asian hairstyle and I always wanted to have my hair styled by a Japanese stylist primarily because I think that there must be a difference in their styling technique with that of local stylists. Also, it's because I always liked the hair styles of my favorite J-Pop idols and so I wanted to go to a stylist who actually know Japanese hair do, I'll be showing Japanese hairstyles that I like to have after all.

 

However as one would expect, hair salons here in Manila that has Japanese stylists are very far from common. I remember searching in the net to try to find one and it only proved my thoughts that it would be difficult for me to find one. For the past 3 to 4 years, I have gone to a salon nearest to what I've been looking for. I went to Tony & Jackey. It's a salon with Korean stylists. They definitely understand Asian hairstyle. I used to think that I am more satisfied with the styling they do as compared to other local salons but I also always feel far to be completely satisfied.

 

And then I came across a blog that mentioned Akira Hair and Make-Up Studio that's located in A-Venue Mall in Makati Avenue, Makati City. I decided to try their services and get a new hairstyle shortly before the new year 2013.

 

Here's my hairstyle last December before I went to Akira. It already grew long. It was a lot shorter when I had it completely permed at Tony & Jackey.

 

 

"Before"

I would sometimes straighten my bangs and the sides using hair iron.

 

Still "Before"

I had the idea of ironing my bangs straight and leaving the perm at the back when I saw this hairstyle of KISUMAI's Kento Senga. It think it really looks cool and pretty. It's pretty cool. XD 

 

Kento Senga of KIS-MY-FT2

 
And so when I went to Akira, I was torn apart between getting a full perm again or rebonding my hair until I decided to do both. XD
 

 
I had my bangs and the sides rebonded while the back of the hair was permed again with little curls - like the curls of a telephone cable as Akira-san described it. =D
 

 
Sometimes I'll style the bangs one-sided but most of the times I go for full bangs. I really like how the style turned out.
 

Christmas Day

Here, I attempted to copy Senga's hairstyle. My hair was black though after that I thought of getting a hair color in my next visit.

 

Do it Senga-style

After two months, I returned to Akira to get a hair cut and the much-anticipated hair color. I returned to the salon two weekends ago.

Me, Madz and her moral support XD



They suggested to color the eyebrow too LOL
First time I did that

Tadaaaah! =DD

With Akira-san

With Madz and her moral support for me XD

I love the result. The hair color is perfect. It is obvious but not too loud or striking. It suits me whether I am in a casual get up or in an office/business atmosphere. You know that feeling of being fashionable and casual without being looking too juvenile? I think that is how I would describe my hairdo. =D



Officemates say they also like my hair color



 

My hair at the back is still permed while I would sometimes iron straight my bangs. Most of the times though, I just blow dry the bangs and let it look naturally wavy. The hair loooks nice even without applying a hair product . However, to make the curls at the back look defined I would use mousse.

 

OK, here's the catch. Most people might find the services a bit too expensive expecially for those who don't even spend more than Php 100.00 for a haircut. XD But as in any other reputable salon, you pay for the satisfaction you get from the services.

 

Akira-san is basically a celebrity in his own right in the hair and make up industry. His salon's website illustrates his background as having worked as [a] top-stylist at a world-famous salon in London. He returned to Japan, his career as a free-lance make up & hair stylist took off and hi work has been seen in the beauty industry, including Fashion Magazines, Advertisements, CD-Jacket, PV, Fashion Shows etc, in Japan, New York, and London. [In] 1995, [he] established Hair & Make up studio in Tokyo. Now he is based in the Philippines.

 

Complete satisfaction. That's the one thing I kept on missing everytime I go to the salon to refreshen the hair and the looks, even during all those times I had been going to at least two branches of Tony & Jackey. I have always felt that something is always amiss especially with the thought that stylists in Tony & Jackey are like on-the-job trainee-stylists. So there, having finally been able to discover a reputable Japanese hair stylist in Manila, I'm just happy. ^___________^

 



Oh! This entitles me and my family for a 20% discount on all products and services. Sugoi na! XD

 

{FOOD} Yomenya Goemon - Japanese Pasta & Pizza

Japanese food, seafood and pasta.
 
The three things I reply every single time I am asked as to what is my favorite food. True enough wherever I dine whenever pasta is in the menu, I would most certainly order seafood pasta. And that is why when I first heard of Yomenya Goemon, a Japanese spaghetti house, I was thrilled, curious and so eager to visit the restaurant and try the food.
 
I was watching one of the programs of Myx (yes, the music channel) that was about food and different restaurants in the metro when I learned of this Japanese spaghetti house. Since then, I had been meaning to taste their food. The chance came when I went to Greenbelt 3 last Friday to watch a movie. It was  a good thing that Yomenya Goemon was just a floor below the cinemas and so I asked my friend if we can have dinner there.
 

MJ emoting over pasta XD

 

 

   

They have a wide-array of choices centering on pasta and pizza with an Asian or more particularly, a Japanese twist. I think that I would perhaps never feel fed up with their menu. Their "Half & Half Set" that consists of two half-orders of two given pasta, a glass of drink and a bowl of wafu soup pegged at Php 480.00 to Php 580.00 is priced reasonable and will surely fill you up.

 



Sausage, Bacon & Beef Chorizo with Chili Tomato Sauce



Mentaiko Shrimp & Japanese Herb Ao-Shiso

I loved their "Sausage, Bacon & Beef Chorizo with Chili Tomato Sauce". Its spiciness and is just exact and its texture was nice so as their "Mentaiko Shrimp & Japanese Herb Ao-Shiso," which at first made me wonder if it was cream-based but according to MJ it's not and that it must just be in olive oil. What I was sure of is that I very much fancy the taste of the seaweed and herbs in it.



Straight to food trip after coming from the salon. :D



The very next day after I took a new hairstyle at Akira Salon in A-Venue Mall along Makati, Avenue, I returned to Yomenya Goemon and brought another friend.

 

We ordered a pasta and a pizza for sharing. Much to our surprise, we were so very full after dining that we had to wonder what was in the food that made them so heavy. >_< The ambience is so neat and orderly that we didn't notice that we hanged out for quite a while in the restaurant chatting over meal. The wait staff are attentive and a manager was thoughtful over the customers. 
  

Mixed Pizza



Vongole Pasta



A friend bon appétit is a friend in gluttony. XD





I enjoy dining and being at Yomenya Goemon that I now have a favorite restaurant in Greenbelt. Being a pasta person myself and a lover of anything Japanese, I think it was just inevitable that I would endear myself with this restaurant. =D

 

 

In closing, I cannot suggest anything at the moment but for them to play J-Pop music to add in the ambience. ^_____^ 

 


Suggestion: "Play J-Pop Music" LOL



 

{COSPLAY} Fairy Tail: Freed Justine

I'm back for my first February blog entry which shows that so far I am in keeping with my New Year's resolution to keep on blogging. XD

My eighth Japanice Resolution for 2013 is to improve my cosplay. I got to realize that I really need to start on going down to the details of my cosplays when I cosplayed Freed Justine from Fairy Tail. I noticed some details that I fail to give attention at.

Jellal and Freed Justine

When I think about it, failing to go to the details are most of the times brought about by the fact that I have to change into costume either in a cramped rest room or in the mall's food court (when I wear my costume in the food court, I need not "change" but rather just simply put on the costume). The point is that I don't really get the luxury of time and convenience to get all things and parts of my cosplay completely done and made. I don't even put on make-up aside from a quick application of basic foundation. That is why I would admit to always falling short of doing a perfect cosplay. But then again, having imperfections would always mean lots and lots of rooms for improvement. Improvement in itself is always a welcome challenge for me. So looking at the brighter side, I can expect that I have always something to work at.
 

For this blog entry, I would also be sharing how I made the sword-props for Freed Justine. Freed's sword is a rapier which he uses both as a weapon and as a pen with which he writes his Letter Magic especially during battle. This is just the second time I made a weapon-props. The first time was when I made a quincy bow for my Uryuu Ishida (Bleach) cosplay. I think I made a satisfactory job with the sword except that the blade was too wide.
 
 
 
The materials I used for this sword are as follows:
1. All-purpose cardboard;
2. A round tension curtain rod;
3. Masking tape;
4. Silver spray-paint; and  
5. White, blue and green all-purpose paint.

Most part of the props-making involved cutting and shaping the cardboard into (1) the blade, (2) the hilt, and (3) the decorative Fairy Tail insignia on the hilt and "wrapping" the sword handle.
 
The curtain rod serves as both the skeleton of the blade and the sword handle. After assembling all the parts of the sword, I wrapped everything in masking tape and painted the blade and hilt white.
 
It took so much time before the white paint completely dried and then I noticed that the surface of the sword seemed to have "runs" or it became uneven, primarily because of the masking tape getting wet, I thought. It made me think that I should have just directly spray-painted the sword silver, without first coloring the masking tape white, to avoid getting the surface uneven.
 

 

After spraying-painting the sword blade and hilt silver, I proceeded to design, cut and paint the Fairy Tail insignia that would decorate the cup hilt of the sword. Notice that "tail" of the insignia functions as a knuckle bow that adorns sword handle. I wrapped the cardboard cut-out in masking tape before painting it green.

 

Lastly, as the final detail, I attached a small rubber ball at the tip of the sword handle and colored it blue. Actually, it's not a ball but an Animax rubber cellphone stand that is attached to the flat and smooth backside of a mobile phone so that it can stand. Luckily, I just to insert it in the hole of the curtain rod and it attached perfectly. =D



With other Fairy Tail cosplayers during the Ozine Anime Figure Special 2012
 

Now going back to my concern on attending to the details, some of the details of my Freed cosplay that I did not do, both intentionally and unintentionally, are (1) Freed's bangs are swept to the right and covering the right eye, I swept mine to the left XD, (2) I didn't tie my hair to a low pony tail, (3) I didn't put a mole under my eye, (4) I didn't have Freed's signature lightning hair strands jutting out backwards from the sides of my head, and lastly (5) I no longer had time to make a brown scabbard for the sword. XDD

 

Anyway, I want to do an improved cosplay of Freed Justine again with a Laxus by my side. =D



Character: Freed Justine

Series: Fairy Tail
Cosplayer: Hiro
Venue/Convention: Ozine Anime Figure Special, December 2012
Photos: Mark (aka Kram)
Costume: Commissioned Tailor
Props: Hiro