Cat's House Nekobukuro (Ikebukuro, Tokyo)

As written on the title, we went to one of the most famous districts in Tokyo... Ikebukuro! Our main purpose was to visit Tokyu Hands- a large department store that sells almost everything you could ever need.

But actually, there are other districts in Tokyo where you can find Tokyu Hands, like Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ginza.

So, why did we choose the one in Ikebukuro?

You guessed it, it is the only store that also has a CAT's HOUSE inside it!!
Neko means 'Cat' and it's located in Ikebukuro, hence the name: NEKOBUKURO♡

If you are following our Instagram accounts (@elleyamada and @jessyamada), you might have seen our posts about cat cafes. We've visited 2 cat cafes so far, and basically, a cat cafe is a place where you can go spend some time with these lovely furry friends while enjoying some snacks.

Nekobukuro is called a cat's house because they don't serve any kind of snacks and you are not allowed to eat or drink there either. That's why the admission fee is also cheaper than the usual cat cafes (1,000 yen for couples with no time limit).

Anyway, once you've arrived at Tokyu Hands (Ikebukuro), you will see this big poster in front of the entrance:

It's on the 8th floor! So let's skip ALL the 7 floors and go straight to the cat's house, shall we?

On the 7th floor, there is a staircase that leads you to a pet shop and Nekobukuro! Yes, the cat's house is placed next to a pet shop, how convenient!

The cute gate!!

It says that:

"Today, the last admission of Nekobukuro is 19:30."

(Thanks Google Translate!)

 We hadn't even entered the cat's house yet, and there was already one sleeping cat at the cashier of the pet shop! The pet shop itself was also dominated by cats' stuff, but we still managed to buy some food and snacks for Hyde lah! :)

 Look who was ready to greet us inside the entryway! Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service of Studio Ghibli! :D

When we stepped inside the cat's house, there was this 'CATRAIN' with a cat-driver(?) inside, and we thought, "What a cute display!" and turned out, it was not just a train display. See below!

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Each car of the train is a "bedroom" for cats!!

And of course, when you take a look inside, some cats are enjoying their naps there. :3

↑ There are also papers with the cats' names (and gender) on them, taped on the window of each car! ↑

↑ The complete list of the cats. They all have names! :) ↑

↑ One of the areas where the cats can play. Or sleep. It's like a playground with the colorful paint and all, but personally I don't really like the lighting here; it's a bit dark and dominated with white light which doesn't make the room feel "warm" and cozy. ↑

↑ Cats in every corner! ↑

Stopped for a moment to stare at us suspiciously...

...and quickly made a run for it.

↑ The one who didn't move a bit from the moment we arrived until we left. ↑

#ZEN

↑ Seriously looks like a white fur rug. ↓

Image credit: www.aliexpress.com

↑ A very kawaii Tree House for cats!! Love the green tea color so much♡♡♡ ↑

The second area of the cat's house which was brighter than the first one- Train area.

↑ S/he just sat there for like 15mins observing us humans. ↑

↑ The second minus point of this place (for me) is the chairs. They are like so rigid and not relaxing, kind of like hospital or airport waiting chairs. ↑

↑ You can borrow some toys from them to attract the cats (like the guy on the far left), but most of the cats don't give a shit lol. ↑

↑ My absolute favorite!!!!!! SCOTTISH FOLD♡ ↓

↑ Looked even cuter with that cherry charm hanging on his neck! ↑

↑ Finally he was sitting quietly so I could pet-pet-pet all I wanted!! XD ↑
BUT, when I tried to pick him up and put him on my lap, a female employee came out and prohibited me to do that! Usually in other cat cafes you are allowed to pick up the cats as long as you're not standing up!! FML :(((

My overall impression of this cat's house was MEH.

Both cat cafes that I've visited were much cozier and made me don't want to leave, but this one, even without time limit, I only spent like 30mins there.

The "MEH" points:

1. The place was not that cozy or pretty (as I've mentioned above).

2. No food or drink allowed.

3. Cannot pick up the cats.

The WIN points:

1. Relatively cheap compared to other places.

2. Many cats were active, not just sleeping.

3. You got to visit Tokyu Hands too! Two birds, one stone! :D

Location: Tokyu Hands, Ikebukuro (8th Floor)

Hours: 10:00 - 20:00

Admission: ￥600 (￥1,000 for couples or pair ticket)

#OOTD

What I Wore: Grey "Triumph" Sweater and Sunglasses from Shibuya 109 | Black Turtleneck Top, Green Maxi Skirt (upcoming collection), Vintage Purse Bag, Necklace from GOWIGASA | Dark Lipstick from Topshop (Beguiled)

Actually underneath the turtleneck and skirt, I also wore long-johns and knee-high socks. Plus a coat on top of all that. Aaand leather gloves! The weather was freeeeezing, but I miss it so damn much.

X O X O,

Elle Yamada

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Lookbook | Facebook | Youtube

The Secret Is in The Eyes (Circle Lens Review plus Giveaway!!)

It is no secret that circle lenses are the bomb in nowadays' Asian make up. I don't really know when it began, but I started using them since 2010 and I still AM a big fan until now. And since a lot of people have been asking about my lenses, here goes:

Clothing by GOWIGASA

Why circle lenses?

• They come in various styles and colors to complement so many different make up styles out there

• Some of them have powers (minus and plus) too, so you, yes you with your cute glasses over there, can also use them to replace your glasses sometimes and surprise yourself by trying out some new looks with these circle lenses ^^

• They especially make your eyes appear bigger, rounder and livelier (read: younger and cuter*)

*When we grow up, all our body parts also grow up, including our face. But newborn babies' eyes are already about 70% of their adult size. That's why it seems like babies have bigger, rounder eyes and as they grow up, that feature slowly disappears:

Pic source: dooz4kidz.com | www.short-haircut.com | freedhearts.wordpress.com | www.ourvanity.com | quoteko.com | slodive.com

Now let's see the comparison pic below:

Ahh, very interesting, right? I mean, it's so amazing how a pair of circle lenses could easily accomplish what other make up tools can't! Okay, I also used lashes etc. on the pics wearing those lenses, but I believe you can see through that by simply comparing the diameter, color and pattern of the lenses to my naked eyes' irises. :)

That being said, I still like going out without circle lenses, but for photoshoots, hands down, they're definitely my magic make up tool. Okay nuff said, let the pictures do the talking. :D

Lenses: Hyper Love Brown from Sparkling Chix
water content: 42%
diameter: 14.50mm
base curve: 8.6mm
material: 2HEMA

 

 
Lenses: Candy Green from Sparkling Chix

water content: 42%

diameter: 14.80mm

base curve: 8.8mm

material: 2HEMA

Lenses: Super 325 Grey from Sparkling Chix

water content: 42%

diameter: 15.00mm

base curve: 8.8mm

material: 2HEMA

Comfort

Regarding the material (2-HEMA), I'm no scientist, so I'd just use this email I got from my sponsor (B-Eye Korean Hyper Lens a.k.a. Sparkling Chix) to enlighten you:

Loose translation: B-Eye uses 2-HEMA for their lenses while other contact lenses manufacturers use HEMA as their material. HEMA is a material that should be used for Hard Contact Lenses, not Soft Contact Lenses. Therefore, B-Eye lenses are flexible and thin so it is very comfortable to use, both in air-conditioned room or for outdoor use. B-Eye can be used up to 12 hours without eye drops, although we strongly recommend to keep using eye drops during usage to maintain our eyes' oxygen supply.

I couldn't agree more to the last piece of advice: "keep using eye drops during usage" because even though the lenses are comfortable compared to other lenses I've tried, my eyes are very dry in nature, so I have to regularly use eye drops whether I'm using lenses or not. I keep my eye drops everywhere: on my computer desk, in my bag and in the bathroom ^^. Other than that, Sparkling Chix's lenses ARE comfortable and they never cause me any irritation. 

TIP: Never wear contact lenses when you sleep and always remember to cleanse them well, before you insert them in your eyes and after you use them. Here's a step-by-step how to use and how to cleanse your lenses (with pics).

Look

Of all five pairs of lenses Sparkling Chix sent to me, I love those three I'm featuring in this post the most.

♡ The Candy Green's color is especially vivid and fun, I love it! ♡

♡ The Super 325 Grey's so gorgeous and elegant ♡

♡ The Hyper Love Brown is suitable for natural chic look ♡

Overall, they:

✓ have pretty color and pattern, look so pretty in real life and on camera

✓ give enlarging effect

✓ make my eyes look bigger, rounder, livelier

Giveaway!

So, which one of the three lenses is your favorite? Tell me in the comment box below which and why do you like it and WIN A pair of Sparkling Chix Gorgeous Lenses! ;D

Three (3) lucky winners will be picked randomly and each will walk away with a pair of Sparkling Chix circle lenses!

• The giveaway will close on 30 January 2014 at 23.59 WIB (GMT+7 Jakarta time zone).
• Winners will be randomly selected and I will announce their names on 31 January 2014.
• Winner announcement will be made on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
• This giveaway is open to Indonesian residents only.
• The prize will be delivered to each winners' address of choice (Sparkling Chix will take care of the shipping fee).

That's right, girls. Just comment and WIN! ;D

Thank you for reading and see you on my next post~

Jessica Yamada

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Google+