Today's Lunch!

This was my lunch today!

I went out to lunch with the CEO of Armada Style and a colleague and we got to eat delicious steak.

This is a shot of me testing out my camera before all of the steak and potatoes disappeared!

The steak came with a light but, flavorful onion sauce. So much better than A-1 sauce!

My Speech to Students in Japan.

I am back in Japan once again!

Yes, everyone. This time I came to do a very important task. In Japan, there is something that happens every year for many college students called SHUSHOKU KATSUDOU. This is when students make the decision on where they will be starting (and usually finishing) their careers.

Armada-Style Japan (like most other companies here) holds a few seminars a year, during which students listen to the CEO speak, get to participate in a Q&A with current employees, and get to learn about what kind of lifestyle they;d have working at the company.

I spoke about the challenges that we face in the New York City office.

I think it went really really well! The students seemed to understand me which was super important because my speech was ALL IN JAPANESE!

Thanks so much to Mayu for helping me practice over and over--- it really paid off.

Participating in this event was certainly a highlight and something I'd love to do again.

Thanksgiving Hair --- Straightening my natural hair success!

I usually reserve doing drastic things to my hair for the holidays. I know it sounds strange but, around this time last year is also when I cut my hair into layers because I was tired of looking like COUSIN IT. Of course, it's just hair right? So it will grow back....

Well, my hair is still sort of in layers since that time but I am proud to announce that I have finally discovered even more neat things about my hair in the past few months than I ever have.

In this post I'd like to share with you some of the things I've learned about my hair, as well as document the regimen I will be using from now on when I straighten my hair.

Products Used: 

e-CURE Treatment M-3.2
e-CURE Treatment P-3.2
S-Series Shampoo
Aussie Moist Conditioner

Chi Silk Infusion

Wide Tooth Comb
Jilbere Straightening Comb
Paddle Brush


Gold N Hot Hooded Dryer
Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Blow Dryer (w concentrator nozzle)
Croc Infrared 2 Inch Flat Iron



First, I applied M-3.2 to my dry hair and scalp and made sure that it was dripping wet. I then applied a mixture of M-3.2 and Shampoo (I no longer use the shampoo mix bottle but use a foam pump or an applicator bottle).

I massaged this into my hair until it became a rich (and grapefruit smelling) foam. Placing a plastic cap on, I sat under the dryer for a good 45 minutes. I wanted to make sure that my hair was as completely moisturized as possible before heat styling. I have learned from so many of my past experiences that the more moisturizer my hair is, the straighter and sleeker I can get it to look and the longer it STAYS straight.

Anyway, after I was done under the dryer, I sprayed my hair lightly with P-3.2 and made sure that I massaged it into my hair, especially onto my ends before going ahead and rinsing. I rinsed, making sure that my scalp was absolutely as clean as possible and then went ahead and applied Aussie Moist, leaving it on my hair for about 15 minutes (until I finished showering). After rinsing I noticed that my hair had minimal frizz and  my curls were so defined. I will attribute that to the level of moisture that I had in my hair after the intensive conditioning of the e-CURE Treatment.

Next I sectioned my hair off, and used a paddle brush, working my way up from the bottom of my hair to the top, and went through, removing any shed hairs and tangles from my strands. I applied a drop of Chi Silk Infusion and then pulled this first small section of my hair taut, and moved my blowdryer up and down using the concentator nozzle. I found the small section, the high heat, and the detangling session really helped to get my hair quite straight with the blowdryer.

I repeated this until my entire head was blowdried and then proceeded to flat iron. I used even smaller sections this time and went through the blowdried section with my straightening comb. This helped me to ensure that my hair was really separated into strands and ready to be flat ironed. I was able to flat iron my hair and it came out SO smooth and SO shiny. I also took the time out to dust any straggly ends and any single strand knots (which are so much easier to see on straight hair).


I assume that I will be straightening my hair every 2-3 weeks this winter because it helps me retain length. I am really determined to continue growing my hair out and hope that I will get the waist length hair that I've been hoping for by next winter. I am confident that e-CURE will continue to be a staple in my hair journey, as it replenishes my hair with much needed moisture and helps keep my hair looking shiny, healthy, and beautiful.


Wish me luck!

yay for macrons!

This morning Carla brought us a yummy treat for Thanksgiving!
This was my first time trying macarons.
I honestly did not think that I would  like them because at first glance, they appear to have a crunchy shell.

But...

they were AMAZINGLY delicious and so very chewy! The flavors that I got a chance to taste were dark chocolate and pumpkin. Both were very rich but fun treats before the holidays.

Just a few more days until my Japanese exam.

 

Only 3 weeks left and we are at the final countdown before my Japanese Language Proficiency exam. This has been one of the hurdles in my language learning and we are fast approaching the deadline! 

My exam is on December 2nd and I am really nervous about it. I have been studying for a really long time and much harder than I have in the past (though there is always room for improvement). 

The main issue that I think I should focus on over the next 10 days or so will be grammar. 

As we say in Japanese--- GANBARIMASU! 

Photos of my Nikujaga.

Finally I was able to find the photos of  my nikujaga from the other night. 

What do you think?

Making Japanese comfort food at home.

When I studied abroad in Japan, one of my favorite foods that I ate at my host family's home was NIKUJAGA. 

This very traditional meats and potatoes dish is named for exactly what is in the pot. In Japanese NIKU means meat and JAGA (which is short for JAGAIMON). I love this because as many Japanese foods it has a soy sauce base and is both a little bit sweet and a little bit savory. 

When I made mine I used yukon gold potatoes, yellow onion,  baby carrots, and sukiyaki meat from the local Japanese market. It was amazingly good and I plan on making it one more time... in fact, I may make it again this week! Traditionally, I have read that NIKUJAGA is supposed to be served with white rice so next time I will try it that way (ive just been eating it alone!)

I plan on making many more stops to the Japanese market to stock up on Sukiyaki meat in the near future!

my favorite things at Yankee Candle!

The winter weather has been dumped upon us here in New York City. Just as we have been trying to get back to normal life around here after Hurricane Sandy, we were hit with a Nor'Easter storm that has left us with a lot of snow and slush in the streets.

Whenever winter hits, I always think of one of my favorite hobbies. Maybe I am a nerd for doing this but, I am an avid collector of Yankee Candles. Well, my collection isn't HUGE but, I will say that I love Yankee Candle and I look forward to smelling their new fragrances whenever they come out with a new set. 

Last year one of the sets that really impressed me was the "My Favorite Things" line of candles. 

This line is based on the song "My Favorite Things" from the classic film, "The Sound of Music".

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittensBright copper kettles and warm woolen mittensBrown paper packages tied up with stringsThese are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudelsDoorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodlesWild geese that fly with the moon on their wingsThese are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashesSnowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashesSilver white winters that melt into springsThese are a few of my favorite things..."
Yankee Candle has brought us lots of candles with fun new scents, inspired by this song. Last year, I walked away with just the Crisp Apple Streudel candle but, this winter I am going to try a couple more. I cannot wait to try the following: 
Whiskers on Kittens
Brown Paper Packages 
and yep, Schnitzel With Noodles

Vintage goods.

I bought this agenda in Tokyo! 

I have been looking for a new agenda for some time now and it just so happened that I found this beautiful, vintage-style planner. 

I will be using this on my next trip to Japan....

Trader Joe's Brie and Asparagus- woohoo!

I love this frozen meal by Trader Joe's. Some days I'm totally stumped as to what to get for lunch. 

So... I choose this! 

Shells with Brie & Asparagus

My Steamed Cheesecake... gone too soon.

Normally when I post about food, I post about delicious food that I've had the pleasure of eating. 

Today however, I am posting a sad story about the last snack that I have leftover from my trip to Japan. 

This is Hokkaido Steamed Cheesecake and it has always been one of my favorite convenience store snacks. I saved this once and hope to have it for a nice snack over the weekend.... 

Only to see that the expiration date has already passed.

Oh well :(

This was my weekend. Studying.

Most of my weekend was taken over by studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency exam. But yet somehow, I know it is still is not enough. I still have 5 weeks left. It is a really big goal of mine to try and pass this exam but, as others who study Japanese know, it is never just that simple. It's actually really hard to try and get all of this information down and ingrained into my mind. 

Ganbarimasu! 

Back from Japan.

I had a great time at the Japan office and visiting the Armada facilities there.


I would have to say that I also had very great meals there, with friendly fellow colleagues.

One of the best experiences was going to the factory to see how our products were manufactured.
It is always very important in business to be able to know the process from which the products have been created.


I wrote a really informative article about this to be featured in the November issue of the e-CURE Newsletter. I encourage you all to look out for that in the mail in about 2 weeks.

I have arrived! My Visit to Armada JAPAN

During the second week of October I am here at the Japan office. I will tell you about my experience over the next few issues of the e-CURE News but here are a few photos to peak your interest! 

One of my favorite times of the year.

The beginning of the Fall season is one of my favorite times of the year.

There are so many things that I love about this time of year. Here is a picture update for Autumn:

leaves falling

combat boots

thanksgiving

MISSION COMPLETE!

I am finally so happy to say that my MISSION is finally complete!

Just a few weeks ago I was desperately searching for Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Chobani and the wait is finally over. Amy from Chobani found my blog and hooked us up with some of this hard-to-find flavor!


The entire office was ecstatic when we saw that Chobani had gifted us an entire case of the 16 ounce pre-mixed cups!

I was super excited and happy to open the box!

The cup is HUGE! 

A close up of the chocolate chunks! 

 We will surely have enough to go around. My boss usually doesn't like the taste of Greek Yogurt because it can be quite tart, if eaten plain. I will admit, as someone who was used to eating only super-sweet sugared up, junked up yogurt, it was refreshing and surprising to taste the true flavor of yogurt, as found in Chobani.




This yogurt was vanilla flavored and velvety smooth. Usually things that are chocolate chip/chunk don't have much chocolate but these yogurt cups were generously filled with chocolate chunks!!

ME! Enjoying the goodness of VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHUNK.

AMAZING! 

Thanks so much CHOBANI, for the amazing treats. 

I am definitely going to ask my local grocer about how we can get these in stock by my house. I think this yogurt would be a hit.

All of us here at the office are officially hooked and will continue to enjoy these tasty stuff whenever we can (which is pretty often!) 

One of the trends that I have recently fallen in love with has been Stiletto Nails!

If you don't know what Stiletto Nails are, here are some photos for your reference:

Source: prettynailswag.tumblr.com via Latrica on Pinterest

One of the reasons why I love these is because they look so chic.

But would they be too sharp?

Have you done any nails like these for clients at your salon?

Fashion's Night Out

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out!

I am not too into fashion but I can say that I am definitely interested in events like Fashion's Night Out.

This event was created a few years ago to promote fashion and supporting shopping and the economy.

I will report back if I find anything interesting going on! 

Recent hair observation: I need oil.

I know that this may be totally against everything that we have come to learn about hair-care and maintenance but I have to admit that I've been noticing something very different about my hair lately. It's been feeling sort of dry and it isn't as soft and manageable as it has been in the past.

I tried everything.  I tried clarifying my hair, using more leave-in conditioners, even doing the e-CURE Treatment more than usual. However, my scalp was itchy and drier than usual and my hair was so tangled that every time I touched it, it was breaking! 

I really couldn't believe that things were getting that bad for me, although I have been using the e-CURE Treatment for the past year, my hair has just not been doing well this summer.

I realize that it is because I left out a crucial part of my routine. 

OIL! 

One of the things that make hair as curly as mine unique, is the fact that oil does not travel down it as easily. And the oil that I am talking about is sebum, the oils that everyone's glands naturally produce. With the e-CURE Treatment, the P-3.2 does work to help balance the pH of the hair and close the cuticle. In closing the cuticle, it is supposed to help seal in the moisture but, for hair as delicate and dry as mine naturally is, I need a little bit more help to help with moisture retention. 

The very best thing that I did last weekend was stop by my local drugstore and stock up on some oil! 

There are so many different kinds of oils that can be used on the hair. To be honest, it seems like just about every oil that exists in the world does have benefits for hair but, for me, like everyone else... 

I have my favorites!

Some may laugh at this but, my very favorite oil is castor oil. Castor oil can be found in your local convenience stores. It is a really heavy oil but, even though my hair is fine, I feel that this is what works best for me. 

I am not much of a baker but...

I saw these cute cookies and I got inspired!  They are actually layers of very pretty cake. 

http://wineandglue.blogspot.com/2012/08/let-them-eat-cake.html


I'm getting hungry.

Salon Visits

One of the things I have come to love doing at Armada-Style USA is participating in Salon Visits.

Since Carla has joined the Armada team, we have really gotten to take the opportunity to visit salons and see how they react when they see the results first hand, that the e-CURE Treatment gives. Carla is a licensed and experienced cosmetologist so, she has great tips and can give accurate and easy-to-understand instruction on how to perform the e-CURE Treatment.

We typically go to salons and give demonstrations of the Deep Conditioning Foam Pack. The Foam Pack gives the most immediate, and most drastic, results, so it's always a favorite of ours to do.

Shiny and silky hair is what so many clients are looking for and we show them how to achieve soft, manageable, and smooth hair, without all the junk and chemicals.


Here are some photos from our latest salon demonstration. We went to Janet Rufin's Parlor, right here in Manhattan and had a great time!

Here are some before and after shots of our lovely model's hair. 

Everyone was pleased and very impressed with the results. 

Can't wait until the next salon visit!

Yogurt Mission.

I have told you all before how much I started to love Greek yogurt.

If I didn't mention it to you before, I really love Chobani as my favorite brand and I am currently on a Chobani mission to find the mysterious flavor ...

Vanilla Chocolate Chunk.

Everyone raves about it online. I have not been able to find it anywhere. Most people that like yogurt but do not like greek yogurt because of the tartness but supposedly, this one tastes smooth, velvety and sweet.

I am on a mission to find this starting today!

Behind on technology.

Everyday at the office, I notice that my phone is blinking yellow, which on a Blackberry is a sign of low battery. 

I am pretty much the only one that has this problem and it is mostly because I have a cellphone that is behind the times. What that means is I have a Blackberry and everyone else has iPhones or Androids and I am the last man out.

Being behind on my cell phone technology is something that should be banned! I need to upgrade... what would you all suggest?

The perfect office.

Lately we have been contemplating about the perfect office space.

We have been so bogged down with orders and sample kit requests, that our office has become taken over by boxes, bottles, and products. Needless to say, we are happy about this because it means that more and more salons are loving our products however, us employees need some room to think and breathe too!

I have heard so much about the office spaces of innovative (and huge) companies like Google, Pixar, and Facebook. They all come with a number of perks but, I am not all that picky when it comes to office space.

I bet like offices, salons also have a much better vibe and positive energy when the space is beautiful.

For me, a nice office has to have:

Big, sunny windows
Spacious desk, office space
Clean, bright building
Ample security
Lounge/Education area for stylists to come in and visit
Not far from a train station
Great lunch/afterwork dinner options around the area




What does your ideal work environment look like?

being healthy with V-8 sparking infusions

I have recently tried to be more healthy and I am continuing the health-kick with V8. 

I always see Mayu drinking V8 and I tried it but couldn't get over the taste of tomato! I decided to get this sparkling drink and it's amazing! Its a really great way to get one serving of fruits and veggies in without sacrificing your taste buds :)

Knotted and sad.

I have been a very bad girl lately. 

I have not been taking care of my hair the way I should and it's resulted in my growth being pretty much untraceable for the summer. I am really sad about this because the summertime is usually when I can tell that my hair is growing the most. I have a lot of single strand knots as a result of the dryness. So many of my precious strands look like this:

Time for another e-CURE marathon. 

Wish me luck.

great reviews of e-CURE from hollywood

If you have been reading my blog for the past few month (or at all) or are a personal friend of mine, you know that I am a big fan of the Kardashians. My favorite sister has always been Kim. I have always loved her overall style and her signature long, flowing hair!

I was super excited when I heard that Kim Kardashian's hairstylist was a fan of the e-CURE Treatment! I have to say that I was not only impressed but, really excited to hear what he had to say!

If you read the e-CURE News, please look out for this month's! We will be featuring Frank Galasso, renowed celebrity hair stylist and his thoughts (and TIPS) for working with the e-CURE Treatment!

Our new fragrance-- S-4 Black Tea

I have to say that I have heard from really great things from headquarters about our newest fragrance of the S-Series Shampoo. The new scent Black (Darjeeling) Tea is said to not only smell amazing during a wash but, the smell lingers lightly on the hair afterwards.

Tea is one of my favorite things to drink during the winter months and I was super excited to hear about our newest product. Suddenly I started to think about one of my favorite scents in a hair care product. Although a harsh, stripping, clarifying shampoo, it's so soothing-- 


I just know that the black tea will be my new favorite once I am able to get my hands on it!

One of my new favorite sites!

If you know me, you know that I love online shopping!

But, more than online shopping, I enjoy online browsing. I really love the whole retro trend that waves in and out and the website I will tell you about today is no exception!

The site that I'd like to tell you about is called RetroPlanet.com!

I recently found this site when looking for some vinatge items to redo my bedroom! I really love the 1950's and 60's in terms of style inspiration and this is a great resource to find replica and authentic vintage items from that time period. If you are interested in giving your office, home, or  business a retro theme, check this site out!

Did You Know? Yogurt is great for your hair too!

One of the new foods that I have tried recently is Greek Yogurt.

At first I did not realize that there was a difference between everyday normal yogurt that I'd find in the supermarket dairy aisle (like Yoplait, Dannon Fruit on the Bottom etc). I was excited to try it for the first time, when I saw that Chobani was on sale, I jumped at the chance to try something new.

There are some major differences between Greek yogurt and other yogurts, particularly with Chobani, being all-natural. Greek yogurt is also double strained so it is lower in sugar and fat but also, higher in protein. My personal favorite brand of Greek Yogurt is CHOBANI. I like CHOBANI because of the wide variety of flavor offerings! My favorites so far have been Blood Orange, Vanilla, and Apple Cinnamon.

Did you know that yogurt could be used to condition your hair?

Here's a recipe from naturallycurly.com for a conditioning yogurt treat for your hair:

Dry hair can look frizzy and dull and be prone to breakage. Make your own yogurt hair mask by whisking one egg until frothy. Then blend in ½ cup of plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to damp hair in sections. Leave on for at least 15 minutes then shampoo and condition as usual. The lactic acid in yogurt will smooth and hydrate your strands.

Colorful Celebrity Hair--- Love it or Leave it?

I have personally never been one to look to celebrities for the newest or most trendy styles but needless to say there are some celebrirites that have very trendy hairstyles that seem to change week to week. There are plenty who stay relatively consistent but, there are some who change the colors of their hair to match crayola boxes! I am not really in love with this trend but, its worth mentioning. I haven't seen too many people outside of the ones on the red carpet sporting these colorful looks but, here are some of the most recognizable faces of those that push the envelope.

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