Holiday Essentials

It's that time of year again when most people will be jetting off to somewhere sunny, warm and exotic. I, however, will be setting off down south to the usual holiday park with my family but that doesn't mean that I don't have those items that I have saved just for the week away. Here are some of the top essentials that I will be taking with me on my trip.

Even if you're not going on holiday this year, it's important to wear SPF. Yes, even if you live in the UK you gotta protect your skin from those rays! If you wear make-up then you will know the dilemma of whether to put sun cream on your face or not, but worry not as there are plenty of products available that contain SPF from foundations to moisturisers. I am an avid user of the Simple light moisturiser but instead of opting for my usual I thought I'd change it up a bit for the warmer months and go for one with SPF 30. My foundation also has SPF in it but over the past few months I have grown to prefer going out with no foundation so this will be perfect for when I just want to put on a bit of concealer and avoid a shiny sun creamed face. The warmer weather also brings with it the emergence of bare legs which brings with it the frustration of shaving them more frequently. I saw this Venus snap razor in Boots for half price and just had to pick it up. It's travel friendly and comes with a case! Another hair removal essential for me is the Nair facial brush on. Having dark hair means that I have been blessed with a moustache so gotta keep that in check. This is a new one with argan oil. I'm not too sure if there's much difference to the standard one but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I doubt I'm the only one who finds washing their hair a chore let alone washing it when on holiday, so dry shampoo is an essential for me. My go to brand is Batiste, specifically the tropical scent which smells like coconut! I also picked up a mini body scrub and mini body lotion from Soap & Glory. I am an absolute sucker for travel minis and it's probably one of my favourite things about going away. When I'm at home I am incredibly lazy when it comes to skincare and pampering myself. I'd much rather spend the evening catching up on YouTube videos and scrolling through Tumblr. Being on holiday means that I have zero wifi access in the evenings so I like to take the opportunity to spend some extra time on pampering myself and this year I will be trying this yogurt smoothie mask from Superdrug!

Restricted wifi access means that I must find other ways to entertain myself. I always make sure to take a new book with me on holiday and this year I have chosen 'How To Build a Girl' by Caitlin Moran. This has been on my 'to read' list for ages so I'm excited to finally read it! My inner child will also be kept happy with this beautiful patterns colouring book. Colouring for grown-ups has become a huge craze recently and both me and my sister have jumped onto the bandwagon.

Last but not least, what would summer be without a new pair of sunglasses? I had been on the hunt for the perfect heart shaped glasses for over a year and I finally found these beauties on the website CHOIES. They have a pink & blue ombre tint to them and they are just so cute!

Whether you're going away this summer or staying home, I hope you have a carefree, fun-filled time.

Feel free to let me know what some of your holiday essentials are!

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Japanese Street Style

Take a walk down the Harajuku district in Tokyo and you will undoubtedly be greeted by the bright colours and extravagant fashions of Japan. It is common knowledge that the Japanese aren’t afraid to push the boundaries in almost everything they do. Just look at the variety of Kit Kat flavours produced by the Eastern country. These flavours may not be catching on in the Western side of the world just yet, but the fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed. Welcome to the world of wacky fashion.

Much like the different styles found in the UK, Japan fashion ranges from cute and girlie to dark and gothic. The main difference however is that they take each fashion to the extreme. A popular street fashion found in Japan is ‘Lolita.’ The Lolita style has a number of different subcultures within it – sweet Lolita, gothic Lolita and punk Lolita to name just a few. This style takes the Victorian and Rococo era and gives it a modern twist. The end result is something very unique indeed. Not to be confused with the Western connotations of sexualised youth, the term ‘Lolita’ in Japan references elegance and modesty resulting in high neck collars and full skirts.

[Images from Tokyo Fashion]

Another popular fashion is ‘Decora.’ In English, the term ‘Decora’ translates to ‘decorative’ or ‘decoration.’ This style is widely based around the layering of accessories including both hair accessories and jewellery and is known for being bright and colourful. It is also common for small toys to be used to accessorise. Like ‘Lolita,’ this style can be divided into different subcultures ranging from pink and girlie to dark and gothic.

[Images taken from Tokyo Fashion]

What happens when you combine 1950s Americana with music and fashion? You get ‘Rockabilly.’ This style can be found almost anywhere in the world, but naturally Japan step it up a notch. Looking like they have stepped right out of ‘Grease,’ the men sport greased back hair and leather jackets while the girls step out in high ponytails and poodle skirts. Alternatively, girls can be found wearing pencil skirts and sweetheart necklines for a more pinup look.

[Image taken from Tofugu]

Finally, one style that you may be more familiar with is ‘cosplay.’ The shortened term of ‘costume play’ refers to an outfit inspired by video games, anime and a variety of other pop culture icons. In Western countries you will more likely see this style at conventions such as Comic Con, however on the streets of Tokyo, it is common to see individuals incorporate their favourite character’s style into their own every day outfits.

[Images taken from Tokyo Faces & Tokyo Fashion]

These are just a select few street styles that can be found in the streets of Tokyo. Other popular fashions to be found include ‘Ganguro’ and ‘Mori.’ The Japanese will continuously be admired for the confidence they seem to possess to express themselves in a way that most in the UK and other Western countries may find a little OTT. Hopefully one day we might be able to feel free to express ourselves in similar ways. Maybe without the use of small toys as accessories though.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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References:

Tokyo Fashion

Japanese Streets

Alpha City Guides

Done With Diet Culture!

Yesterday I watched a video where a young woman spoke about her recent weight loss journey and there was something about it that didn't sit right with me. A few elements of the video came across as slightly toxic and I put it down to this diet culture that has become the obsession of many in recent years. From fad diets to the media linking ones happiness to how slim someone looks, I want to tear my hair out every time I see the promotion of low calorie diets.

Now, I am all about feeling good about yourself and being in a place where you are happy with your body and if losing a few pounds will do that for you then that's great, just as if you are happy with your body the way it is at the moment then that is also great. But what isn't great is when people think it is okay to promote low calorie diets and/or a substantial amount of exercise without doing the appropriate research and having some sort of professional input and guidance.

Did you know that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calories a day is just an average? It all depends on your gender, age, height, weight and amount of physical activity. Your body actually needs a good amount of calories to just sit and do nothing! Yes, even sitting at your computer or lying in your bed needs a good, substantial amount of energy. Now, of course I'm not a professional but even I know that if you are following a low calorie diet without doing so with caution and with the correct research you are at risk of developing unhealthy behaviours and an unhealthy relationship with food and/or exercise.

When you start to live off a low number of calories a day your body can enter 'starvation.' This means that slowly your body will begin to shut down as it is no longer energy balanced. Your body's main priority is to keep you breathing and your heart beating, so your body will take the energy that would usually be used for other bodily functions and put it towards keeping you alive. One of the main examples of this for females is the loss of your period. If you are serious about losing weight in a healthy way it is important to remember that if you are consuming a low number of calories and also doing a substantial amount of exercise then you must make up the calories that you have lost. It is also important that when you have reached your goal weight and are happy with what you have achieved, you MUST increase your calorie intake slowly to a number where you are able to healthily maintain that weight. If you continue to eat the same number of calories that you were losing weight on, you will continue to lose weight.

It is possible for you to be fit and healthy and still eat a slice of pizza. It's all about balance!! The media is forever highlighting the negatives of fat, carbs and sugar yet they never seem to highlight the positives of these and how they contribute to a healthy body.

To conclude this slightly different post, I want to remind you all that if you are wanting to lose weight then make sure that you are doing it for yourself and nobody else, and also make sure that you do your research, query a professional about it and ensure that you are doing it in a healthy manner.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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