JVlog #7: Japanese Jewellery Haul

Good Day Everyone,

In this Japan vlog I take you jewellery shopping. This is not shopping for traditional Japanese jewellery but more of what's available in the shopping malls. Japanese women tend to have a very feminine dress style and this is reflected in the jewellery styles available. The jewellery tends to be very delicate and dainty looking. Most jewellery pieces are silver or gold in colour and there are a lot of pearls (real or otherwise).

In the department stores such as Takashimaya (think John Lewis in England) there are independent jewellery makers selling their own unique pieces and these tend to be more colourful and often larger pieces, kind of like statement necklaces. We also have stores such as H&M and Zara which are great for statement necklaces as well as slightly more delicate pieces, although not quite as delicate and fragile looking as those in the local Japanese jewellery stores.

Something that I did find particularly interesting was that in all of the local Japanese jewellery stores there was a huge selection of earrings available for those that don't have their ears pierced. I was truly surprised by the sheer volume and diversity of the styles/designs available.

Its been a long time since I bought any new jewellery and so I picked up a few pieces. You can see more about the Japanese jewellery stores in the vlog above.

Store: Shazbot Karako / Cost: 1,620 Yen

My favourite piece is this necklace that I picked up from a store called Shazbot Karako which are two separate stores (Shazbot and Karako) that share the same shop space so I'm not quite sure which store the necklace belongs to, but it's located in the Bay Quarter mall in Yokohama. I love that the stars are different colours and the copper colour is especially pretty. The stones in the centre of each star catch the light beautifully and sparkle.

The stars are not fixed onto the chain as they're threaded onto the chain from the back, and move independently of one another. I can actually remove the stars from the chain which gives me the flexibility to wear all three or just two or one of the stars as the pendant. The chain is a fixed length and so I did try the necklace on in the store just to ensure I was happy with it.

I picked up two pairs of long dangle earrings as I have quite a lot of stud earrings. The first pair are these silver twists which look really pretty against my dark hair when I wear it down.

Store: Puretre / Costs: 1,080 Yen

The second pair are three gold coloured diamond shapes that hang within each other. Both of the earrings I bought are nickel free and were clearly labelled as such in English on the packaging. Most of the jewellery pieces I bought were labelled as 'made in Japan'. I tried to ask the sales assistants in the stores whether the jewellery I was buying was hand or machine made but my lack of Japanese and their lack of English didn't make for a fruitful conversation.

Store: Guilty / Cost: 1,404 Yen

I also picked up the four rings below. I'll be honest, I haven't worn many rings over the last few years due to me feeling particularly self conscious about my arthritic fingers with their slightly deformed joints and my unsightly psoriatic nails. I haven't liked to draw attention to my hands but this is something that I'm trying to overcome as I do actually like rings. So I'm trying not to let my own insecurities about my fingers and nails get the better of me because this is just part and parcel of the disease that I suffer from :o).

Store: Puretre / Cost: 2,268 Yen - Store: 3 Coins / Cost: 324 Yen - Store: Before the Boom / Cost: 1,190 Yen - Store: Before the Boom / Cost: 1,400 Yen

The first ring that I picked up was a gold floral cutout ring with a flower in it's centre. This fits on both my index finger and my thumbs and I love the swirly pattern either side of the centre flower. The second ring I got was from the 3 Coins shop which was an absolute bargain. It is a dirty gold colour band with leaves. I love it's simplicity and colour. The next ring is one that I've had my eye on for a couple of weeks and the store was actually having a 30% off sale on the day I went shopping and so naturally I took that as a sign ;o). It's a pale coppery colour and I love the design around the stones. It looks quite Aztec-y to me. It is a pinky ring that's a bit too big for my little finger and so I bought it to wear as a midi-ring on my middle finger. Finally the last ring I got is a bit more dressy with the gold and the diamond-esque stones (I've no idea what the proper name for such stones is). This is also a pinky ring and does actually fit my little finger perfectly but could also be worn as a midi-ring.

I hope you enjoyed my little Japanese jewellery haul and the vlog showing you what the shops look like. If you want to read more about my experience of psoriatic arthritis then click here and about psoriatic nails here. I hope you all have a lovely weekend :o).

Love Sheen xxx

Autumn Accessories

Good Day Everyone,

It is so wonderful to be experiencing seasons once again. Not only that, but it is also great to be able to wear something other than a summer wardrobe after almost four years. Most of my winter clothes are stored at home in England but I did have a few pieces with me that I've been enjoying recently in Japan. Plus, as I'm currently back home (it was a last minute thing), I may pick up a few of my winter clothes to take back to Japan, in preparation for the wintery months ahead.

Today I want to share with you a few of my favourite autumn accessories. Even though it is December, the weather where we are in Japan is still very much autumnal rather than wintery. Originally, I had planned to photograph the accessories I wanted to share with you, even though personally, I like to see accessories modeled on people. That way I can get some inspiration on how I might incorporate something similar into an outfit. But I'm no model and not particularly comfortable in front of the camera... perhaps it's because I'm not from, what my hubby calls, the 'selfie' generation i.e. I'm old ;o) But after some coaxing from my hubby and bearing in mind that it's mainly my friends around the world that read my blog rather than strangers (I think), I decided to be brave and give it a go... so here goes :o)

I'm loving my burgundy sunglasses. Now sunglasses are not particularly autumnal per se but the colour definitely is. I find black sunglasses a bit too harsh given my dark features and loved my tortoise shell ones as a good alternative. However, I lost those on a shopping trip whilst trying on hats and scarves...don't you just hate it when that happens?! I spent two days shopping for a new pair but I struggle with glasses! Having a relatively large face (and an even larger nose... I can't help it, it's a family trait lol), means that most styles do not suit me with the exception of these larger ones. These balance out my face ;o) So when I couldn't find tortoise shell in this style, I opted for burgundy and I absolutely love the colour.

 

I am really enjoying being able to wear scarves again. I picked this red and green one up from Singapore last year. I fell in love with the colours and pattern and knew that one day, when I moved to cooler climates, I would get a lot of wear out of it. Plus it goes so well with these maroony-red trousers, and the fact that it was the last one in the store was clearly a sign that I should get it ;o)

This very long, bright red scarf was a gift all the way from New Zealand, and this is the first year that I've actually started to get some decent wear out of it. I love that it's a bright shade of red, which may not be all that autumnal, but it's great on those days when its a really sunny bright blue sky but very cold. It is sooo warm and soft to the touch that I can't help but feel all cosy and snuggly in it :o)

For many years, I've never had the confidence to wear hats but a lot of people wear hats in Japan, and recently I've joined in. I only have a collection of three at the moment, but they come in sooo handy when I'm having a bad hair day, (which tends to be quite often as my ghds don't work in Japan due to voltage differences), that I know I'll be buying more in the future. Plus they are good for keeping my head warm in the cold!

What autumn/fall accessories have you been enjoying over the last couple of months?
Love Sheen xxx

P.S. A special thanks goes to my hubby who took these photos for me x