Tokyo holds a really special place in Dave and my hearts. Dave has actually been 16 times. He goes every year at least once, if not twice a year. I’ve been once before… and that one trip was Dave and my very first trip anywhere together. I know right, half way across the world for our very first trip was a huge test on our very young relationship.
Now, 7 years later, we decided to go again. We weren’t rushing around trying to see every single shrine, temple, and crossing on our list. Instead, we decided just to wander. We wandered for a full 7 days and really wanted to focus on enjoying it, on soaking up the energy, on embracing the culture that is so undeniably unique. Tokyo is one of those magical places that make you feel like you’ve been transported to another world.
Half way across the world for our very first trip was a huge test…
There were 4 really big themes we came away from the trip experiencing that we wanted to focus this editorial on. We hope that the feelings and energy we experienced in Tokyo translates here and we hope you love it as much as we loved creating it. And at the end of it all, we hope it inspires you to get out there and experience it for yourself.
And lining up to each of those 4 themes perfectly were our incredibly generous partners on this trip – Shu Uemura, Le Chateau, Glamglow, and Alpha Industries. Each of these brands and their teams are like family to Dave and I and we were thrilled to be able to bring them on our trip with us. Family in Canada definitely translates to family in Japan.
Traveling honestly makes my heart so full. There is absolutely nothing like coming back home from a trip. I feel like it filters life with this rose coloured lens… but in the best possible way. Traveling opens up your eyes to what else this incredible world has to offer – that its beauty is vast, that our problems are insignificant, and that life is better when it’s spent enjoying it.
It’s easy to forget that beauty is everywhere and that there’s so much of it to explore in the world. Traveling to Japan and getting to experience first hand the way they think about beauty, and specifically, how they think about the beauty industry was so inspiring.
I had the opportunity to visit my friends at Shu Uemura Tokyo and went through a full class on “classic Japanese natural” make up. It was so different from what we consider natural make up. It was all about rosy cheeks, natural skin finish (no full coverage), and light dusting of eye make up. And as much as it was different, we realized that the love of beauty and the way that we appreciate beauty is all the same – language barrier or not.
Japan is full of tradition. It’s one of those really unique cultures that seems to sit at the epicentre of tradition and modern technology. And the contrast inspires so much wonder and thought. We realized that the younger generations were all about breaking free from the Japanese traditions and living their lives to the fullest. At the same time though, they were so respectful of their elder’s traditions and still participated in them.
We realized that tradition is good. It reminds us where we come from. But these newcomers were paving the road for a new Japan, and that journey is one that we can totally get on board with. Wearing a classic floral print, with less classic hems and cuts from my friends at Le Chateau and Dave wearing a classic blazer combo in a less traditional colour.
Languages might differ and you might not be able to understand the people you’re surround by when you’re traveling, but something that transcends language barriers is energy. It’s the smile, the hug, the nod, the bow that speaks volumes more than words. It’s your energy, it’s your glow. And it’s the most important thing you have.
We brought our glow with us to Japan in more ways than one. Bless our friends at Glamglow Canada for prepping us and our skin to shine while we were in Japan. Dave even got the chance to use the cleansers and he’s hooked! Check out our Instagram for our cleansing video together.
As to be expected from a big city, we guess. But there’s something about Tokyo’s chaos that comes across so organized, clean, and purposeful. Everyone is hustling, but they’re patient, they’re kind, and they’re always ready to help… early at 6AM in the morning, and at 2AM at night.
This city never sleeps and we didn’t want to miss a moment of exploring it – rain and all. Our Alpha Industries jackets kept us warm in the early hours and the late night. It didn’t rest, but hey, neither does Tokyo.
