About

Hello 🙂

Welcome to my blog and thank you for taking your time stop by!

 

What is this blog about?!

 

It’s about J-Beauty, Japanese beauty, Japanese skincare and anything Japanese – because I’m Japanese!

“CRÈME SCOOP by J-Beauty” is a Japanese beauty blog dedicated to proving you with knowledge and profound wisdom on Japanese skincare and beauty secrets that have been passed through generations for all women around the world so we all can feel beautiful inside and out 🙂

 

 

A little about me

 

I’m Nana (this is my real name yes!) and I’m Japanese born and raised. I have two hometowns – Tokyo 🗼 and Okinawa 🌴 (a small subtropical island in the south of Japan), and I currently live in Switzerland with my sweet Swiss boyfriend. I call him Chocolate and I love Swiss chocolate.

I’m here to share all things about Japanese skincare tips and beauty wisdom which have been passed down through many generations. It was born out of my passion for the Japanese way of living from skincare and diet to self-care.

For the last 17 years, I’ve been living in Europe (12 of which UK, blimey), and I have a great understanding of both Western and Japanese skincare. I was a model between 2006 – 2011 in London (with d1 Models), which also helped me become knowledgeable in all things about skincare and beauty.

nana ichikawa japanese beauty blogger

After leaving the modelling industry, I became a digital marketing specialist based in London and eventually Zurich, working for a luxury skincare brand. It also helped me see the industry from inside, and I loved it!

 

 

So, what led to this blog?

 

After having been away from Japan for so long, I realised that no matter how long I’ve lived abroad, very deep down, I practice something very Japanese in my daily life – the way I see the world, the way I treat my mind or soul, and of course how I see beauty in general.

I believe feeling beautiful inside and out gives women so much confidence regardless of nationality or age, and that is the case with me. I’m heading towards 40 (gosh!) but I still wake up every day looking for better ways to improve my beauty regime so I don’t age overnight! I guess that’s something all women can relate 😉

Japanese Beauty is not simply about having beautiful skin (yes Japanese women are fanatically obsessed about that too!). But it’s something that also comes with her spirit, her way of treating others, her generosity and kindness.

I learned the spirit from my mum, my grandma and my aunt. It is deeply ingrained in me, and I cannot think of beauty without the Japanese spirit. It was only when my mother sadly passed away 7 years ago at quite a young age that I started to see and feel this very Japanese way of being in me so strong.

After her death, for a long time, I could not really live my life with an insurmountable amount of grief, anger and regrets shadowing me. I suffered from severe depression and some illnesses for a good while losing the will to live whatsoever. No matter how hard I tried to live, I kept spiraling back.

During those dark years, however, the only thing I kept doing was skincare. I never missed the ritual I learned from my mom when I was a teenager. The ritual started when I was 13 and it is deeply connected to my sweet memories with my mum, and I practised everyday religiously as if I was feeling her presence.

Eventually, I started to feel I want to keep a log of this skincare journey with her. So I began to write, which I found very healing and this is how my blog was born.

 

Why CRÈME?

 

Why the heck the name CRÈME SCOOP? I think so too! Well, it’s because I love skincare cream. But since my mother named me after a French novel called Nana by Émile Zola (god knows how she came across this book and was inspired by it!), I made cream CRÈME 🙂 And, why SCOOP? Because I am hoping that my blog will become the go-to place for all Japanese Beauty and you can get the scoop on J-Beauty here in this blog!

 

 

A bit of (skin)context

 

I’m in my late 30’s and my skin type is normal but can get sensitive easily. I struggle with pimples quite often (mainly stress-related, oh gosh) – which obviously I dread! I practice the typical Japanese skincare routine and I wear little to no foundation but a bit of bronzer. I am obsessed with anti-ageing skincare products, diet and anything that helps me age as slow as possible.

Like many Japanese women, I use not only Japanese beauty products but also other great products from other countries. I personally use lots of French skincare products as they suit my skin. It’s just that inherently Japanese women take care of their skin in a very J-Beauty way regardless of which products they are using. This makes all the difference and that’s how they manage to look young for long FYI 😉

 

Promise to you

 

I will be sharing Japanese skincare tips and guides based on 26 years of my skincare journey (I started the journey at the age of 13 with my mother). My posts will also be packed with beauty secrets and wisdom that I learned from my mom, my grandmother and my aunt. I will also be sharing what I research and learn from Japanese publications. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my skincare ritual and would love to share the journey with you!

 

【Start with those popular posts to get into the world of J-Beauty 🌸】

10 Best Japanese Skincare Products of All Time by J-Beauty

5 Essential Japanese Skincare Steps [Beginner’s Guide]

12 Step Japanese Skincare Routine [Ultimate Guide]

 

I hope you enjoy my blog and find some of my knowledge and experience useful.

Look and feel your best every day. More importantly, feel beautiful inside and out 😉

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

I look forward to connecting with you.

Best wishes,

Nana

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P.S. I'm a Japanese girl born and bred!