Tokyo has a ton of tax-free tourist-friendly shops like Tokyu and Donki, as well as cheap-ass drugstore beauty products in Matsumoto Kiyoshi. That's why it's super easy to get lost in a shopping frenzy! I went crazy the first time I was here, but on my third time I now know what NOT to buy.

Number one on my list of NOT to get is cute junk. Yes, they are cute but they are junk. I'd like the idea of owning them but it is highly unlikely that I'll ever use them which was the case when I filled a huge carry-on of that stuff before. I am wiser now so I only get things that I won't be able to buy in the Philippines, or if they are considerably cheaper here (not likely but it happens).

Anyway, here's what I purchased here in Tokyo so far! I'll be flying back to the PH tomorrow so I might add more - we'll see. 

Can't resist a bit of kitsch at the underground mall in Tokyo Station! I got some printed stockings, floral eyeglass cases, leather case, and padded indoor flats. I wish I have more luggage space so I can get household items, but oh well.

Here are my few choice picks at Matsumoto Kiyoshi in Shibuya. A lot of beauty bloggers love the drugstore Shiseido eyebrow pencil so I got a couple of 'em.

Hey guys, how've you been? Hope you're having a grand time wherever you are. Eveyrone's traveling lately because it's spring in other countries and summer in the Philippines - if you've got a bit of extra dough, it'd be a waste not to spend it experiencing a different place. 

I decided to go to Tokyo with my mother as I've been preparing for it for a while. Honestly, this isn't something I would have considered early last year - I'd much rather get a Chanel or Balenciaga with the money then. However, I've been obsessed with traveling in recent months. That, and drawing, is taking up all the extra space in my head. So here we are.

Anyway. thought I'd share some of my favorite pics here! If you're following me on Instagram (@lizlanuzo) you've probably seen these but I'd still like to have a record on my blog for posterity. Here's what I've been up to in the last few days!

Tokyo Beach in Odaiba. Odaiba is a man-made island about 20 minutes away from the Tokyo center. It has malls right in front of the beach, but people seem to enjoy casual picnics more. It looks like a favorite weekend destination by the locals!

Sushi in Tsukiji. I went to Tsukiji during my first ever trip to Tokyo. I literally only had an hour and a half to go around on my own, and found it by accident.

Since the onset of this insane heat, I've received a few questions about the kind of beauty products one should take to a beach vacation. Sunscreen is, of course, SOP, but you have a little more freedom when it comes to makeup. There are only two things to keep in mind: don't wear a lot, and make sure it will melt beautifully or not at all!

I followed these two rules while I was packing for El Nido a couple of weeks back (was it only two weeks?). Anyway, here's what I brought with me to the beach. You'll notice that I didn't bother with powder, instead going for cream or liquid colors. Why? Because cream/liquid makeup looks more natural, more "one" with your skin. Powder makeup looks off in the beach, since it can look thick, cakey, and overdone in such a casual setting. It's best to go with wet formulas to achieve a chic summer-at-the-beach look!

I packed everything in my Happy Skin brush bag. It's so cool no? I get to take these neatly-packed, travel-sized brushes and fit a whole face of makeup in too. The brushes are handy (my favorite is the flat top, sold separately as it happens), but the bag is really something else. It's compact but roomy, and I love the two-level arrangement for the brushes.

I brought my favorite bases from Shiseido: the Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF43, White Lucent Brightening Spot-Control Foundation, and Natural Finish Cream Concealer. Together, they're long-wearing and provide a good amount of coverage + sun protection. I used the Sun Protection foundation while swimming and it stayed on fairly well. I mean, it faded of course, but there were still some left over when I washed my face. It's very water-resistant!

The Fairydrops Platinum Mascara is still the best for extreme humidity, I think. It won't stay on after swimming but it will not fail you under the heat.

Waking up early will get you far in life. I think! You'll accomplish more, experience more, rush less. I've been waking up early ever since I can remember and I believe this habit has made my life easier to manage. I understand that some people perform better at night but if you don't, and you're wondering why, maybe you can try waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning. You just might be a morning person in denial!

Anyway, continuing my El Nido posts. This'll be my last since we left pretty early the next day. ^_^ Enjoy! | Day 1

Woke up at the crack of dawn. Saw a completely different seascape outside - low tide.

The definition of peaceful

A dusky blue

Stairs to the sea

Interesting textures

Two worlds apart

This trip couldn't have come at a better time. There are a lot of changes in my life recently, and while I am not given to melodrama, I still need to figure out a few things. What's that line from Frozen? "It's funny how some distance makes everything so small." I think that our problems are all small, once we look at them from a fresh perspective. Traveling or doing something as mundane as reading a book gives me a set of new eyes. What does it for you?

Anyway! Nivea launched a new product, as you know, and invited press and celebs over to one of the best resorts in the country: El Nido in Lagen Island, Palawan. I feel lucky to be able to stay in such a beautiful place! Here's a photo diary of what went down on my first day there.

We rode a small, 16-seater (I think) plane to Palawan. It's the smallest plane I've been in! Not as scary as it looks.

The clouds look like they're sitting on top of a mirror

The port in Palawan

Ready for the sea!

Mikki and Martha

Julia looking like a cute kid

Marj and Ana. I love that I'm traveling with my blogger friends! First time I went to a Nivea junket (about four years ago I think), I didn't know anyone. It was so awkward at first! I was just starting out as a blogger then. Now it's different - I'm with a group of friends, plus I'm also acquainted with lots of people outside my blogger circle. It's certainly more fun this time around!

It normally takes me a week to write about press junkets, but this time I decided to try writing everything down while my memory is fresh. I want to remember everything! El Nido, Palawan is the most beautiful place I've been to so far. Thanks to Nivea, I was able to experience it and #embracethesun!

I was invited along with fellow bloggers, press, and celebrities to attend this annual event. We stayed in a gorgeous resort for three days - El Nido in Lagen Island - and got to visit the surrounding islands. I'll write about our stay in a separate post, but in the meantime, I'd like to introduce to you the latest product from Nivea.

Guys, meet the Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Spray (P599)! It simply lets you tan beautifully and safely, without having to resort to self-tanners or tinted oils to get bronzed. The liquid is completely clear as it works in such a way that your skin develops its most natural tan, versus orangey and fake-looking tans out of a bottle. It promotes the skin's natural melanin production so that you get a color that is truly yours.

It comes in SPF 20, 30, and 50, which means that you can choose the level of protection as you need it. If you're in the beach though, you should go for the PF50! It protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays for about 4-5 hours (depends on your skin). Did you know that you actually don't need to go higher than 50? It should bounce off 93% off all harmful rays from the sun! (If properly applied, that is.)

This is already available in all major drugstores and supermarkets. ^_^ Keep an eye out for it if you're soaking up some sun soon! Anyway, here are photos of the actual launch.

Recap: last November, I was invited to visit the Shiseido Factory in Kakegawa, Japan. The first part involved a visit to the test facility for raw materials - I saw how Shiseido is currently studying how best to produce their own ingredients. They've built a self-contained unit where they can design the most beneficial environment to grow plants, and hopefully branch out to farming them in bulk in the near future!

We've seen their plans, but this time I'll give you a general view of what they currently make and how they make it in the Kakegawa factory. I don't have a lot of pictures since some areas are naturally restricted, but I figured I can still tell you what I saw.

After the tour of the test facility, Jen (the brand manager of Shiseido Philippines) and I were ushered into a lecture room. Here, two kind ladies gave us a presentation about the factory. They also did some demos on how foundation is made!

So how does Shiseido come up with its awesome beauty products? First, they research and develop new technologies. What do the customers need? How can they better improve on what they already make? Once that's been determined and formulated in their dedicated research centers, the products are tested by a team of experts. Shiseido, as far as I know, does not do animal testing unless required by law. Most if not all products and ingredients are evaluated on human skin. 

Once the products pass a rigorous testing system, they are manufactured in the factories and then shipped out to stores. Foundation, powder, lipstick, and eyeshadow are just some of the cosmetics produced in Kakegawa. 

I think foundation is one of the main products here. The diagram above shows how it's produced - by mixing the powder and liquid binder, placing the mixture in the compact, and then pressing it down with a heavy metal object (I didn't catch the name!). 

Here's how it looks like:

You know what (and this is just an observation, not a complaint) having a beauty blog and getting sent a lot of free stuff takes all the fun out of makeup shopping. Whenever I see something that makes me go "oooh-I-want-that-looks pretty-awesome!", that enthusiasm is quickly followed by a dour practicality "But-I-have-like-twenty-of-those". 

Every so often I do buy something because I feel that I absolutely need it and don't have something like it yet. However, it ends up getting buried by all the other products that I still need to start using and reviewing. I told you. It's sometimes not at all fun to be a beauty blogger.

Image credit: muza-chan.net

That's why when I went to Japan a few weeks back, I only grabbed three beauty products for myself. These were things I felt I needed at that time. Besides, they were inexpensive so it'd be totes fine if I don't use them often or like them at all. :P

I stopped by Matsumoto Kiyoshi in Akihabara to look for some pabili and to check out the drugstore beauty stuff (of course). Here's what I got!

My first visit to Japan last July was all about experiencing Shiseido's 140-year old heritage and consummate love for art. You saw how the brand evolved through the years and how it looks like today. You've read about the Shiseido Museum in Kakegawa, the Flagship Store, and the Parlour in Ginza. Now, I'd like to show you the Shiseido factory in Kakegawa, Shizuoka!

This is an exclusive feature as I am honored to be the first beauty blogger to tour this factory. I'm grateful to Shiseido for the opportunity, because they don't normally work with bloggers; they usually go with traditional media. I'm happy that they're beginning to support this medium! ^_^

Moving along! The Shiseido Factory in Kakegawa is about an hour and forty minutes from Tokyo by bullet train. It's a sprawling complex that produces Shiseido's makeup products, among them foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick. If I remember correctly, each building is dedicated to making only one type of makeup!

Shiseido Philippines Brand Manager, Jen Jimenez-Yalung, with myself

The background is actually a mosaic of real eyeshadows

I'll be talking more about the production aspect of the brand on Part 2 of this post. For today, I'll be discussing one of the brand's latest projects: a test facility right inside the Kakegawa complex.

You might be thinking: a test facility? What? That's boring! Guys, it's not. This is my favorite part of the factory visit, actually. The test facility is further proof of Shiseido's commitment to excellence. It was built because they want only safe and reliable plant raw materials for their active ingredients. They seek only the highest quality ingredients which are traceable to the source.

This facility is a preview of the things to come in 2014. It's only a small area for now, but the plan is to re-create it in a larger scale should it prove successful! The photo above shows a cube where various conditions like temperature, irrigation, light intensity, and carbon dioxide are controlled to get the best possible harvest.

Here's what's inside!

Confession: one of my favorite things about traveling is, er, packing. Okay I said it. I love planning what outfits to wear, skin and body care products to bring, and picking out the best makeup to wear for the weather. I get such a thrill putting all of these things together in my head! I also enjoy physically placing them in the best possible arrangement. 

However, don't get any ideas about me being a pack rat. I like to travel light, which ups the challenge of planning the exact items to bring. If I can do without it for the next few days, I most likely won't be taking it with me!

That being said, one of my serious problems when packing is decanting my beauty products. I found these tools from Muji the other day to make my life easier!

I have never believed in love at first sight, until I set foot in Japan. It is a country of extreme contradictions - modern with gleaming towers and newfangled inventions, yet still traditional at its core. For example, there is a 700,000-square meter forest right in the middle of Tokyo's busiest district, Shibuya, that contains a shrine to their deified emperors (Meiji Shrine). The Japanese always remember and honor their roots. 

They are also obsessively practical and detailed, at least compared to the Philippines where we have a happy-go-lucky attitude towards things. But the Japanese, well, they really think of everything! They have built-in bidets in toilets that have perpetually warm seats. 

The people are also always courteous, disciplined, and prompt. Go into any shop, and you'll get a smile and a hearty konnichiwa or ohayō gozaimasu! They also always walk on the left side of the road or corridor, so as not to hassle those in a hurry. 

I can go on and on really. I want to regularly visit Japan as long as I'm able. That's now one of my life goals!

I thought I'd post some random photos I took during my trip last July. :) They aren't all particularly nice photos, but each one has a small story.

JAL Airline offers a LOT of yummy food! And I like that it's healthy too.

Mong Kok in Hong Kong is a dusty, damp, and densely crowded place where people go to shop for awesome bargains. It's almost like Divisoria here in Manila, except that there are more Chinese per square foot! Get it, Hong Kong is in China, ha ha? Pff anyway.

There's a lot of amazing fashion finds to be had in Mong Kok. There is only one rule in that wild, unfiltered place: bargain. Then, bargain some more! I was blissfully unaware of that until I started buying a few things, one of which was this cute pink satchel.

Okay, before we continue - Hong Kong dollar conversion confused me greatly. It's not like US dollar where you know that one dollar is a huge amount; or yen, where Y1000 is not really a lot of money. But 1 HKD is equivalent to about 5 Philippine pesos (or 7 PHP if you were foolish enough to change money at the airport). To my mind that's not a terribly big gap. 50 HKD is only P250, so what. But 200 HKD is already 1,000 PHP. 250 HKD is already 1,250 PHP, and so on. Before I know it, I've spent money I wouldn't have otherwise spent if I just actually computed exact conversion rates rather than just winging it in my head.

So. Back to Mong Kok. My mother and I visited it in the afternoon. I think it was on our first day in Hong Kong; we were both still excited about exploring a country new to us. It was a terrible idea. I was tired, and I didn't expect the area to be so ridiculously crowded. Apparently, Mong Kok is named by the Guinness Book of Records as the busiest district in the world due to its extremely dense population. Well, if I knew that, I would have avoided the migraine I got while I was there.

I'm back! I was in Hong Kong last week for a vacation with my parents. It was fun but exhausting, and of course I had to work whenever I can get hold of wifi. Suffice it to say that I'm done with traveling for a while. It majorly disrupts my routine and therefore my life - it's so difficult to get back on track! I don't know how other people can go in and out of the country and not miss a beat.

Maybe it just takes practice, huh?

Anyway, I just want to share a few photos I took of Hong Kong. The province has a beautiful harbor, but inside it is very much like Manila. It's a great shopping destination! Otherwise there isn't much to see that'll be worth visiting a second time. Maybe it's just not my scene.

The harbor on a gorgeous day

Aberdeen Fishing Village

The best part of my Japan trip last week was the visit to the Shiseido Museum in Kakegawa. It wasn't the shopping or the sight-seeing around Tokyo - it was the museum housing 140 years worth of stories and innovations! Remember my post on the rich history of the oldest cosmetics brand in the world? I was so in awe of Shiseido when I wrote that, so imagine my delight in visiting the place where the brand's product archives, ad materials, and art work are stored!

The museum is about two hours away from Tokyo via the Shinkansen (bullet train), and four hours by car. It's surrounded by a quiet suburban neighborhood - the kind of place where Doraemon and Nobita would have lived. It was an offbeat location for a corporate museum but the curator explained why it was built there. The first in place was actually a factory. The location was chosen for convenience since it's between Tokyo and Osaka, making it easier for employees to commute to work

The factory utilized the most cutting-edge technology at that time so people visited it to satisfy their curiousity. It became so popular that Shiseido decided to build something that could accommodate visitors while displaying and storing their extensive archives. Hence, the Shiseido Museum was born.

Okay, enough talking and more sight-seeing. Are you ready for a virtual tour of this awesome museum? ^_^ Click click!

You asked for it, so here it is! I honestly didn't expect to shop this much in Tokyo. Actually, I didn't know I got this much until I photographed everything. Take note, I've already given away a lot of stuff at this point. I bought my mom a cute bag, my dad a watch, my brother a shirt and a pair of shades. Wish I took pictures as they were nice finds. 

Anyway! Like I said in my travel kit post, it's sale season in Japan right now. Those that aren't on sale, however, are still affordable as long as you keep to small shops, flea markets, and drugstores - which is where I mostly shopped. By affordable I mean under P2,000 or roughly ¥4,000. I won't say how much I spent exactly, but I had to buy another huge bag just to fit everything. (Love the pink polka dots)

I got a loooot of food. I wish I bought more miso soup paste, and more Royce chocolate at the airport! And ramen. But food is so bulky. I mostly got these in Don.Ki in Ginza, which is a crazy grocery/drugstore beauty paradise that's open 24/7! You HAVE to go there when you visit Japan.

The Tokyo Banana Roar is a popular delicacy of sorts. We got ours from the train station, where people were seriously lining up.

I am a huge believer in traveling as light as possible. If I can live without something for the next few days then it is highly unlikely that I will be bringing it! I actually just lugged my trusty gold NaRaYa bag  (this is such an awesome bag, it is incredibly light and tough! I've had it for years!) and a tote bag from Ferretti in my recent trip to Japan. I honestly felt I overpacked even with just two bags.

In the end, I had to buy another big bag just to store my purchases hehe. Shopping in Japan is quite inexpensive, more so when it's sale season (which is right about now). Most of the stores were at 50% to 70% off. And the drugstores! Oh my gosh! I just went batshit insane - but mostly for food lol. I wouldn't know what to do with more makeup or skincare, I seriously do not have any space left at home. In any case, do you think I should still post my haul?

Anyhoo, I just want to show you my makeup kit while I was over there. Again I packed too much, but it didn't feel like it while I was throwing everything inside. The actual pouch (from Bobbi Brown) is small but roomy. It fit pretty much everything I need, and a little bit more.

The pouch was part of a promo last year, I believe, so I don't think they sell this anymore. :( Well, I'm sure you can find something similar. Here's what I brought with me!

I got the Travalo Refillable Perfume Spray (P680) last Christmas, lost it, but recently found it. Hence the extremely delayed post on it after I promised to review it last December! Anyway, it's a pretty nifty storage solution for people who love smelling fresh during the day but hate bringing a glass bottle or plastic atomizer. It's also perfect for travelers who want to save space during a trip.

The Travalo is a small capsule tube that can easily fit in the palm of your hand. It has a clear slot in the middle so you can see how much liquid is inside. The spray nozzle and cap seem pretty secure and tight, which means that there are less chances of leakage and evaporation compared to the average drugstore atomizer.

When I was very young I was absolutely certain that I knew more than my mother. How could I not, when I've read all these wonderful books and spent hours devouring all those wise-crackin' TV shows? Surely I understand the world better than she does. I'm smarter. I will do better, she'll see.

But now that I'm older all that hubris has faded away. I try to remember all the advice and little facts (from being sick to home-making) she's given me through the years, and what do you know - she was right all along. "What would my Mama do?" is a question I constantly ask myself these days. I don't spend time with her as much as I should but I think of her always. 

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got to bond with her on a trip to Tagaytay. Remember the Project Vanity x Ford contest? We rode the All-New Ford Focus with the winners and had lunch at Marcia Adams. It was a great Saturday afternoon just chillin' and eating delicious home-cooked food. Here are the photos! 

Leaving the city in style

...to find this secret garden tucked away in the borders of Tagaytay

Sharing (and knowing) things as they happen is probably one of the coolest things in the 21st century. It's mindblowing that you can snap a photo and have it up within a minute for all your friends to see, and vice versa! I usually use my cellphone to share photos but sometimes, if I just happen to be in front of my Macbook Air, I take pics with Photobooth instead. 

I've already mentioned our Huawei MiFi device before. It's a handy portable router that you can use ANYWHERE - at least, in all the places I've been to! We use a SMART sim with it and are patrons of the Smart Bro UnliSURF 50 (unlimited browsing for 24 hours). It's hella reliable.

Let me tell you a story. Last year we were in Bellarocca, Marinduque, when the devastating earthquake hit Japan. Bellarocca's internet wasn't working at that time, so we had to resort to using our MiFi to get information. We wanted to know if we would be hit by a tsunami! Lol.

I just realized - I took oodles of photos of my makeup and skincare during my out-of-town trip the other week, but I only have two or three shots of myself to show for it. They weren't even good! I guess I just don't like taking photos when I'm busy doing something on a vacation. Next time though, perhaps I should take more just for posterity. :P

Anyway, I want to show you what I brought with me on the trip. I rather overpacked buuut at least I knew I was prepared for whatever! Hope you like this little show and tell. I brought products that I feel suited the demands of summer - bright colors on the lips, light shades for eyes, and warm cheek colors. For the face base, I just brought a long-wearing concealer + a light, illuminating powder foundation. It's too hot for cream or liquid types. 

I housed my cosmetics in this neat Rustan's pouch that Pond's gave it to me a few months ago. I like that it's big but slim, roomy enough to fit in lots of stuff while keeping them from bouncing around.