着物月 Kimono Tsuki

Kiyoko Beauty – Shop Feature and Product Reviews

Diane Sunday, November 12th, 2023 Sunday, November 12th, 2023Japanese-inspired Beauty 0

A while back, I came across Kiyoko Beauty, a Canadian company dedicated to making Japanese and Korean beauty more accessible here in North America (they ship to the US as well!). I gave them a budget and asked for product suggestions to feature, and they were kind enough to work with me to basically double what I was able to get for my budget. It was enormously appreciated, and allowed me to bring a wider range of products to you all.

Before anything else, I would like to thank the staff for being so patient with me. This review has been a very long time in coming, but I’ve been travelling a lot, having some issues with a sick lizard, and wanted to make sure I gave all the products a good long test to make sure my reviews were as thorough as possible.

However, this timing benefits you as my readers, because they’re currently having a huge Black Friday sale, which is on until November 30th. If you’re looking to try any traditional or modern Japanese (or Korean, but I focus on the Japanese here) beauty products, or looking to get some holiday shopping done, this is a fantastic opportunity for you.

I tried a variety of hair and skin care products, and thoroughly enjoyed every single one. I can recommend all of these, with a few case-specific (sensitive skin, colour-treated hair) caveats mentioned in each section.

	Oshima Tsubaki Pure Camellia Oil Tsubaki (camellia) oil has been used in Japan as a miracle multi-use beauty product for centuries. This is pure camellia oil with no additives and it has been so versatile. I've used it on my hair, my nails and cuticles, and my dry legs. It would be great for face too, for someone with drier skin than myself. If you only consider one product from this post, this is the one to go for.
	Amino Mason Sakura Limited Edition Hair Kit (Smooth) I have been on the hunt for a true sakura fragrance and had high hopes for this line. It smells absolutely amazing, but it's almost got more of a fruity and sweet scent than I was looking for. That said, it's a fantastic line, I used up all three of these products (shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask) while I was in California and they made my hair look and feel great and didn't strip my hair colour more than any other shampoo I've used. These may have not hit my "sakura" button but I'm definitely debating buying more!
	Moist, Diane Bonheur Orange Flower Shampoo & Treatment I won't lie, the name of this brand may have been my primary motivator to select these. They were literally calling my name! This line feels luxurious and elevated, from the packaging to the subtle orange bossom fragrance. The products were great, but they definitely did something funky with my hair colour - it's gone from its usual teal to a very natural-looking brown! It's not terrible but I wouldn't really recommend this particular line for colour-treated hair. It's not marketed that way though, so I knew it was a possibility.
	Kikumasamune Rice Made+ Cleansing Oil Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Face Cream I wanted to try some skincare as well and the folks at Kiyoko suggested Kikumasamune. I grabbed a face cream and a cleanser. The oil cleanser is absolutely amazing. It's got a delicious but subtle orange fragrance to it, removes makeup like a dream, and leaves my face feeling soft and smooth. The moisturiser contains sake lees and probiotics, and worked fantastically for me for quite a while, until my dermatitis started acting up (for unrelated reasons). I've had to go back to more specialised products but I'm looking forward to being able to finish it off when my skin settles back down though! However, it absolutely smells like sake so that is something to consider.
	Ishizawa Keana Pore Tightening Sheet Masks These sheet masks are fantastic. I have no idea how they manage to both clear up breakouts and dry oily skin while hydrating the face so well! They have a faint scent of both cucumber and pineapple, which is very invigorating and refreshing, so they're a great pick-me-up to wear while getting ready for a big evening. One thing to note, these masks are not individually packed. The bag has a press-and-seal strip so they do stay moist for a long time, and I appreciate the lack of disposable waste, but I like to toss a sheet mask or two in my carryon bag when I'm spending a whole day travelling and that's not possible with these.
	BCL Vecua Honey Sakura hand cream This is it! This is the sakura scent I've been on the hunt for! It's light, floral, a little herbaceous, and a little powdery. It's also incredibly moisturising and didn't irritate my eczema or dermatitis. If I could buy industrial barrels of this cream, I absolutely would. I cannot say enough good things about it!

Again, I want to give a huge thank you to the team at Kiyoko Beauty. On top of the great products and affordable prices, the service I received was so incredibly helpful and thorough. They helped me work within my budget, and gave me some fantastic suggestions that took my concerns and interests into account. So if you’re looking for some cult favourite products from Japan, I highly suggest you check out Kiyoko Beauty.

I purchased this item at a discounted price for honest review purposes.This post contains affiliate link(s). If you choose to purchase, I receive a small rebate or commission which goes to the continued maintenance of this site.

Review – Zen Garden by Island Falls Home

Diane Sunday, July 9th, 2023 Sunday, July 9th, 2023Games & Apps, Reviews 0

Have you ever wanted to bring a little bit of Zen mindfulness into your home? Maybe as a way to focus on yourself for a few minutes during a long work day or to decompress after a marathon session of cleaning? Island Falls Home has got you covered.

As some of you already know, I live with anxiety and OCD, and I have a strong suspicion I’m also dealing with ADHD. Anything that helps me calm down and focus is a welcome addition to my life. I have a little bowl of fidget toys on my desk but I wanted something that took a bit more effort, and felt a little more mature. I’d been looking into small desktop-style zen gardens for a while but frankly all the ones I saw felt cheap or tacky. I’ve found ones with sand that was far too large, ones that included ridiculous little tchotchkes like garden gnomes, ones that were all plastic and flimsy-looking, and ones that had absolutely no sense of scale (giant maneki nekos next to a torii gate the size of your thumb…)

But then I found Island Falls Home. They are a small family-owned business based in the UK, and all they do is sand gardens. This sort of focus allows them to source quality pieces and stay on theme with their products, and that attention to detail really shows. They currently offer two zen gardens (the Traditional kit, which I have here, and the Oasis of Calm which is beautiful and looks like a rippling pond) and one sand planetarium.

I knew when I found their products that I wanted to share them with you all, so I reached out to the owners. James was lovely and through our interactions it was clear that he has a true passion for traditional Japanese arts and culture, and you can tell these kits are a labour of love. He was incredibly generous and offered to send me one to check out at my leisure. To save on overhead I arranged to have it sent here to California, and I’ve been testing it out for almost two weeks now, and love it.

The attention to detail is obvious from the moment you receive the kits. The packaging feels elegant and sturdy, and everything is carefully and lovingly organised and protected. From the tissue wrapping to the bow on the tool box to the well-designed insert, no detail has been overlooked here. The presentation would also make these a fantastic gift.

But what really matters is the garden itself, right? Thankfully that attention to detail is continued throughout.

The kit comes with a wide variety of accessories. There are two sakura trees with bark bases to help them stand up properly, a cute little bridge, a torii gate, a lovely little pagoda, and a selection of stones and moss for a touch of nature. My only (very minor) issue is that the pagoda is ceramic and feels very high quality but the bridge and torii are plastic. They’re still very well-made and nicely detailed, but I’d love to see all these pieces in ceramic to add to the luxe feeling of the kit.

There’s also a fantastic assortment of handcrafted bamboo rakes and tools, which allow you to meditatively create infinite designs in the sand. The sand itself is incredibly fine and smooth and clean, and clearly high quality. This is a place where a lot of kits cheap out, and it’s obvious Island Falls Home did not. It’s sourced from a company in Ontario, which as a Canadian is a nice little bonus. I do wish the kit had some sort of storage container for the sand if it needs to be put away for storage, travel, or moving, but a quart-sized food storage bag would work for the time being.

I could take hundreds of photos of the permutations I’ve created with this kit, but I’d rather be a bit concise and focus on this set up I did trying to feature as many items as I could. The end result is cohesive and uncluttered, and allows for a lot of meditative motions. I also don’t want to influence anyone who buys these kits, I’d rather you let your own moods and emotions guide you.

Overall, if you’ve been looking for a desk zen garden, or even if you hadn’t considered one before but now see the appeal, I highly recommend these! You can grab the Traditional Zen Garden kit on Amazon here, or the Oasis of Calm kit here. Prime day is coming up soon, which could be a great time to take advantage of free shipping if you’re considering one of these.

I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me.This post contains affiliate link(s). If you choose to purchase, I receive a small rebate or commission which goes to the continued maintenance of this site.

Review – Ritual of Sakura duty free kit

Diane Sunday, May 7th, 2023 Monday, May 8th, 2023Japanese-inspired Beauty, Reviews 0

Sakura season may be ephemeral, but I’ve always wished I could enjoy the scent year-round. And so begins my quest for a line of gentle, authentic, lightly sakura-scented bath and body products that are relatively easy to obtain.

Rituals is a line of home and personal-care products inspired by scents and, well, rituals of self-care from around the world. I’d been wanting to try their Ritual of Sakura for a while but never got around to it. Until I passed through the duty-free shop in Denver on the way to California last time, and I knew it was fate. They had this lovely little kit that was a duty-free exclusive and I took it as a sign that I had to snag it.

I managed to hold on to it until we got to Las Vegas, where I could take advantage of the huge glass shower and giant two-person bathtub. It made the experience all the more special.

The products included in this travel-focused kit are a shampoo, rice scrub, foaming shower gel, and a body cream. They all include rice milk and cherry blossom. The products are all lovely to use – rich and creamy and not drying. The shower gel also makes an incredible shave gel and I’m always a fan of double-duty products, especially for travel. The rice scrub is very gentle, which my sensitive and eczema-prone skin greatly appreciated. The whole kit comes in an elegant little travel bag that’s white faux-leather on the outside with a soft pink lining that suits the sakura theme perfectly. There is branding on it, but it’s a very discreet embossed logo and I would not feel self-conscious carrying other products at all in this. The whole package and experience felt suitably luxurious for a Vegas getaway with a fancy bathtub.

Unfortunately, for me personally, the scent on these missed the mark. It’s definitely got notes of sakura but it reminds me more of that iconic “doll” scent from the early 80s (I know, I’m likely dating myself here). It’s a combination of bright florals and a powdery, comforting scent, all undertoned with a very faint whiff of plastic. It was definitely less fresh and herbaceous than a true single-note sakura fragrance should be, which is what I am still on the prowl for.

However, none of of this is to say that it’s an unpleasant scent! Not by any means! It’s familiar, but elevated, and unique enough to make it stand out in a line of overly florid and saccharine “cherry blossom” scents on the western market. All it means is that my hunt for a true, easily attainable sakura body care line continues. If you like the idea of a softer cherry blossom scent with a more western scent profile in mind, then I highly suggest checking this line out. But if you’re like me and you’re on the lookout for a pure sakura experience, maybe give Rituals of Sakura a pass.

I purchased this item myself and chose to review it.

Review – Morimoto Restaurant Las Vegas

Diane Friday, February 24th, 2023 Friday, February 24th, 2023Events, Food and Drink, Reviews 1

I want to preface this with the disclaimer that I have had a crush on Chef Morimoto Masaharu for literal decades, ever since I first saw the badly-dubbed transport of the original Japanese Iron Chef show. I mean, a handsome man in kimono who makes delicious food? How could I not?

So of course, when my boyfriend took me to Las Vegas last month I knew I wanted to finally get the chance to eat at one of the Morimoto restaurants, even though I knew realistically there was no way he would actually be there.

The restaurant is in the Marketplace area below the MGM Grand, and we stayed in the MGM Signature which is connected via a walkway to the Marketplace, which made it incredibly convenient and comfortable to get to, but if you’re staying in a different property be prepared for a bit of a walk.

First impressions on the atmosphere – the hostesses were incredibly attentive and friendly, and one even helped an older gentleman find the way back to his hotel room despite him not having been a patron at the restaurant. The décor is a lovely blend of Japanese clean lines and more ornate Chinese elements. It works without feeling ill-informed or like some kind of “oh all Asian things are the same” mish-mash. The bar and lounge is opulent in reds an golds and feels more Chinese (and also more like what you’d expect inside a casino) whereas the main dining room with the teppan area is all black wood and clean lines and has a much more modern Japanese vibe to it.

I asked if I could snap a photo of both the dining room and the sushi bar and they were kind enough to oblige me. I didn’t take more as I didn’t want to disturb the other diners. I also really liked the clear chopsticks and snapped a quick photo of our place settings.

I will say that this place was noisy. This is no fault of the restaurant itself though, it’s simply what happens when you place a restaurant inside a casino. One table nearby in particular were clearly having a very fun time and the quiet that settled after they left was palpable. We went on a Monday night and it was still awkward to have an intimate conversation, so I can only imagine what it would be like on a Friday or Saturday. This didn’t particularly diminish the experience for me but it is something to note if you’re looking for a quiet date night.

Once we were settled our attentive but not overbearing waiter asked if we wanted drinks. I started with a cocktail called a Geisha’s Secret, that was listed as containing Kai lychee vodka, shōchū, Calpico, and pomegranate juice. When I got to the bottom I found what I assume to be the geisha’s “secret”, an actual whole lychee! I was delighted because I love lychee. Keith went the safe route and ordered a beer; a Tokyo Black porter which had this delightful little Sumōtori butt on the can. I followed up with a Morimoto-tini for my meal, which is vodka and sake. I’ve never been one for gin so this twist on a vodka martini was perfect. I avoided eating the cucumber garnish though, as to not inadvertently kill my dining companion (more on this in a moment). This was a much cleaner and more subtle cocktail, and suited the sushi much better than the first one would have.

Of course, the most important part of a restaurant is the food, right? So how was it? Undeniably fantastic. We started with an order of gyoza and then decided to go with the chef’s choice sushi plate. The gyoza were flavourful and the perfect balance of soft and crispy, and the fish was the freshest I’ve ever had in a landlocked state. Keith is allergic to cucumber and avocado which can make rolled maki a challenge, but they were very accommodating and gave us a selection that was safe to eat (and yes this is why I ignored the garnish in my cocktail) while remaining utterly delicious. The hamachi nigiri with scallion and lemon zest alone was a revelation. I could have eaten an entire plate of those alone!

However, that one single plate of sushi alone was one hundred and sixty dollars. I realise they’re highly trained chefs using very fresh and clean ingredients, and we certainly didn’t leave feeling hungry or wanting more, but that still works out to roughly six dollars per piece of sushi.

Dessert was a delicious toasty pot of genmaicha and a spectacle of a dessert, a brownie with marshmallow creme topped with a chocolate dome that was melted at the table. It didn’t feel particularly Japanese but in retrospect they do a lot of incredibly elegant western-style pastries now so who am I to judge? It was rich and indulgent without being overwhelming, but I am very glad we decided to split one dessert. Eating this alone would have been a challenge!

I managed to get a video of part of the fantastic dessert spectacle, but missed the actual opening of the dome. I was too distracted by chocolate and fire.

The inside had a delicious pillowy marshmallow crème and a brownie bottom. It was a fabulous way to end the meal!

All that being said, was this worth it? It was a fresh, delicious, once-in-a-lifetime meal with my favourite person in the world and as an experience it was definitely worthwhile. If you’re in Las Vegas and are looking for a memorable meal, by all means go for it. However, if we’re quantifying things solely on the food itself, I honestly feel like as long as you live close to a coast or in a large city, you could get sushi just as fresh and delicious for a more reasonable price.

Of course, I did have to dress up for this, right? Had this not been travel-within-travel (flying from Montreal to southern California and then driving from there to Vegas) I may have been tempted to wear a kimono but I knew it wasn’t realistic, especially with the shoulder injury I am dealing with. Instead I chose to wear this black dress with very kimono-influenced kiku designs I got at Wal-Mart, of all places! The dress was originally much too short for my gargantuan frame (for those of you unaware, I am 5’10” and change, or 179cm tall and built a bit like a retired linebacker gone soft – yes that is a normal sized door behind me) but my dear friend @taylor_goodacre managed to insert a black panel around the waist that was reminiscent of an obi. A pink faux-leather obi-style belt and my moonblossom earrings fit perfectly and added just the right finishing touch to the outfit.

: Seriously.. Wal-Mart? Can you believe it?

: I look tired here, but it’s a good tired!

If you do plan to go and want to dress up (either in Japanese-inspired western clothing like this or full-on kimono) just remember that while the restaurant itself is lovely and elegant it is inside a casino food hall which means people in various states of dress from resort casual to formal will be wandering in and out. So if you’re the type of person who feels self-conscious when over-dressed, that is something to think about. I am a ridiculous peacock of a human being so I was fine with it, but it’s worth bearing in mind.

Picrew.Me Kimono Avatar Creators Part 4

Diane Friday, February 3rd, 2023 Friday, February 3rd, 2023Dolls & Miniatures, Fun stuff, Games & Apps 0

You guys really seem to enjoy these fun little posts, and I enjoy making them, so here’s a fresh batch of avatar creators from over on picrew.me that are either fully kimono-based or feature kimono options for you to play with! Life is hectic but good at the moment, California continues to be wonderful. My recent trip to Vegas was lovely and I hope to have a nice little post about Morimoto Las Vegas up soon, but in the meantime I hope you have a great time playing with these!

If you’re new here or need a quick reminder on how to use picrew.me and its Japanese interface options, there’s a detailed guide in the first of these posts, which you can check out right here!

	https://picrew.me/image_maker/46139 This one has a nice selection of differently-patterned kimono and coordinating juban/haneri to play with, as well as a ton of fun non-kimono accessories
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1442555 This one is fantastic. It allows for customisation of every aspect of the kimono, obi, and accessories. There are a ton of colours and patterns available, as well as things like fur stoles, hakama, kappougi aprons, and other traditional "over top of kimono" items. It's probably my current favourite, because of all these options!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1407953 There is only one kimono in this one, available in blue or pink, but it's still quite charming and fun to poke around with!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/41305 An elegant young lady creator, with a variety of kimono colours and a huge amount of avatar customisation! All the kimono have the same design, but oyu can add accessories and things to really make it your own.
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1446612 Only two kimono options here, but a ton of options for the base avatar and some very lovely art. I think it's actually a "demon maker" but you can totally avoid any demonic-looking features, if you prefer.
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1315158 Another cute one with limited kimono options but utterly adorable art. Look at that face!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/707090 This one is listed as a dangerous woman/villain maker, but as you can see you can make some very charming and not-nasty avatars too! Again, not a ton of variety in kimono in this one but still amusing to play around with.
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1272810 Only one not-entirely-accurate kimono in this one, with a few colour options.
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/1472643 This one is technically a Genshin Impact avatar creator. I fully admit I have never played Genshin Impact but there's some fun kimono and kimono-adjacent options here so it's worth checking out!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/9971 This one has a really nice variety of kimono outfits, including a shiromuku wedding ensemble and this adorable hakama and kofurisode. There's no customisation for the outfits, but the variety and detail in them makes up for it!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/602958 A sweet little princess maker. This one is fun because the top, bottom, and sleeves are all separate so you can make a reasonably accurate kimono with or without hakama, or you can go a very kimono-hime or wa-lolita route by adding a fluffy skirt, sheer sleeves, or other fun variations!
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/610761 A very steampunk-feeling literall "doll" maker. There's no pure accurate kimono options but there are some very clearly kimono and wa-lolita inspired combinations you can make, and the end results are really lovely.
	https://picrew.me/image_maker/84797/ This one is technically an "angel maker", with only one kimono you can't change the colours or design of, but the end results are just so pretty I thought it made a good way to end this post!