New Gyaru Make Up Tutorial Coming Monday!

Yippu! Its a new season and not only that, I've been inspired to make a new makeup video again! This time around its not manba or kuro gyaru related! (Le gasp!)

I had fun making it and putting it together as well. 

I will also have a post and maybe a video about how to make bottom lashes too so stay tuned! 

Selling off a few gyaru clothes and items that are taking up space. Buy an item and get a couple free stickers! Limited time only! Shop Now!  

Horseback Riding!

About to get paired up with a horse

For Sandra’s celebration, one of the members of Champagne Pop, a social group, we took a trip to a stable where we all were able to take horseback riding! We were paired up with a horse that seemed to be a match in Horse Riding Heaven!

Elvis and I

The stable staff was very knowledgeable and taught us some saddling tips and helped us get to know the horses before taking them out to ride. Horseback Riding was a bit of a workout for us. We had to learn how to keep ourselves erect while riding the horse with and without holding on to the reigns as we did laps. It was also pretty hot and sunny which made for a day seeming a little longer than usual!   

We did it!

For me, it was a little difficult trying to match the pace of the horse and I had to concentrate a lot as I was not used to riding and the feel of riding as well. However, I think it is something I would love to do again! 

Snacking... just like me

awwwww!

Now we can be cowboys

After horseback riding, we went to a water park and cooled off. I tried some of the crazy water slides, but I think the Lazy River is the best. Sandra and Porche were the daredevils and tried a slide that was very steep. Way too steep for me!

A little late, but... better late than never right? oh hohoho.....

Thank you for reading and stay tuned! Comments are always appreciated!

Highbrow Lowbrow Straightbrow!

I am a big fan of arched eyebrows and have been perfecting them for years in my gyaru journey.

Recently, straight brows have become a thing for people in and out of kawaii fashion. The straight brow gives a person a supposedly youthful appearance. 

Those were the samples I drew inspiratiom from...

And this is what I came up with. One brow is a little wonky and both are just... ok. Maybe I'll add this brow look in my repertoire.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned! 

Lishaslooks.storenvy.com

Gyaru items and handmade goodies 

Bye Bye GGA

Watch the clip here

Since we both have quite a handful of mutual friends, I am sure the lot of you have seen the official end (at least a wrap up for 2013-2014) of the GGA's. For those who are new to the blog and this fashion, "Gaijin Gyaru Awards", an award show created by Lady Li for the Western Gal community. 

An award show that was to have the community participate in something other than the drama and G_S, and not only that, to have some sort of entertainment for us as well besides the gyaru magazines. Like, c'mon, who cannot say that the para para clips sent in were pretty awesome and a good idea!!

I think that with anything created in the world, in and out of the gyaru community, there will always be people who will love it, feel indifferent, and also show their dislike for it for whatever reason. As for the GGA's people will be mad and probably were,  because they weren't nominated but someone else did or for the fact that the Award show existed. Like dayum, we can't have nothin nice! haha

I felt and still feel really honoured to be asked to be a Presenter for the GGA's! Though I was only a presenter for the GGA's, thank you for your hard work, Lady Li, and also those who had sent in clips and what not, to have made this happen. I thought it was a very sweet gesture and gift to the gyaru community.

Thank you

Torn but Moving Forward

Its been a weird couple of years. Though a lot of activity from my part has slowed down, save for attending some anime cons and a few events here and there and some blogging and article writing for Galvip and pix for SugarGamers, I plan to do a bit more for a lil while I think...

With about 7 derpy years under my belt in the gyaru comms, the highs and lows of (gyaru) circle life and trying to keep it together (I get really passionate about things at times :P ), the highs and lows of young adulthood regardless of being in a subculture, not knowing what I REALLY wanted to do in college or out of it{professionally speaking}, helping make events and promoting them while at times tiring out, its still a bit to process even after all this time. Allthewhile doing so, I am still trying to push forward as fast while wondering if I should try and slow down and rest. Some days, it feels as if I am living a double life! Bold fashioned gyaru life and normal out of college life.

I was told to (and also a part of me wanted to) stop with all my extracurricular activities and focus on my art career.{what am I, a lil kid still? haha}

That would mean:
NO blogging
NO events
NO gyaru related anything
prolly no more conventions

But then a part of me wants to still do it, but tie it into what I've learned at Columbia  I can see it, a faint vision, kinda fuzzy still, a bit patchy. It makes me smile, but then I wonder if its even worth it or just start over.

A few pictures of gal me2s over time, from about '09-'14

I know things will not be the same as the highs during those years, that maybe circle life just isn't a thing, but they were cherishable memories to me. Time moves on,things change, people come and go, shit happens, you learn from it, even if some of the memories still sting, you try and get over it.

Its no use livin' in the past, though I find myself doing that maybe all the time. So, I try to focus on the present and look forward to a brighter future. What does the future bring?  Maybe its one that sparkles and shines like rhinestone studded nails that barely allow you to function, and more glamorous than any sujimori-ed weave to grace any gal's head.

Wish me luck, gals!

Gals snaps!

Here is some pix! It has been a while since I took these photos!

I still have to hunt through my old files for some of the meet pix. A little bit of a hassle when you dont have lightroom on your pc!

マタネ

Gal Story and Reflection

Photography done by LiquidMojo

first published 11/19/2013

The Construction of "Lisha"

LA and myself 2008

As a child,being bullied near the end of elementary school (or middle school), conforming to what others expected of me (being a seemingly perfect, straight, Christian woman and wearing a uniform for YEARS), and trying to suppress the me that wanted to simply be, created a more shy, reserved self that I wanted to shake off. I also did not want to wear the exact same thing that everyone else wears (uniforms), and that if you tried to do your own thing either you would get into trouble, or people would not like you and make fun of you or say that you must want to be white or asian.

I had  chose gal because it was a cheaper alternative (somewhat...)to the other fashions I found and liked. What it seemed to offer after doing a bit of research, was appealing for me, even though it was a contradiction in itself (rebeling yet conforming to its own rules.)

Over the years

I stumbled upon gal at about 2007 when I wanted to truly break free of the restrictions and inhibitions that kept me from being myself or what I wanted to do. I was searching for a fashion style to show an aspect of myself and to be creative with it, not be too expensive and Japanese brand heavy centered like Lolita fashion but not too showy like Cyber fashion .

Aaron Bercaw photography 2010

After it startled me, I started to love it because it gave me a little sliver of happiness. I liked the idea of wanting to not look normal, to look bold, and wear things I wanted to. Now, I feel like I have been in this (online) community long enough (about six years now?) that my statement from maybe anyone else, maybe more so beginners to the style and/or lifestyle, could get people to not like them or see a flaw in their want to try this style out. However, for me, it was one of the things that I wanted to enjoy.

Even though there are no written rules for Gal fashion per se, there are guidelines and/or rules for individual circles and how they should be ran, or what makes something Gyaru. Now, these "right” things change over time, with different sub styles/themes in the main part of the subculture, and also who you are as a person/race/etc (face shape, skin darkness or lightness). If you get all the “right” things down and improve pretty fast then you become well known in the gal scene and looked up too and sometimes even hated ,  or you don’t improve at all and don’t see what is holding you back, then you get looked down upon.

I narrowed down what I liked, and had ideas for things that I thought would be cool, despite being told that there were no such thing as a rocker gal, or pirate themes (until   it became more established in Japan ). I did my own thing subtly as I collected inspiration pictures non stop from other gals. I studied these pictures, and practiced them a lot. In a way, I was like a mad scientist. For me, something in my mind snapped, almost like for Ichiko in Kamikaze Girls. 

2012

Actually hanging out with people and staying up all night listening to hyper techno or eurobeat, paraparaing outside, or just walking around with other gal'd-out girls , that was what I wanted and what made me happy. To know that I was improving and trying out new things was exciting for me, even though over time painful things would pop up, or disappointments would happen.

 I have had moments where I wanted to give up, but I keep coming back. Sometimes I have to ask myself, for what? 

Now that I am older and been in the game for a while, I definitely feel the tug of normal life at my side. I now am focusing my attention on being more on the lines of a coordinator, or at least an attendee for other gal's events, and helping out new generations of gals. I have the pressure of not only fitting into normal society's standards (though I don't have to 100%) but also marriage/relationship stuff as well from my family.

Gal*Luxy March Me2!

My gal sisters and I who make up Gal*Luxy, a Midwest oriented gyaru circle , are holding a meet up! We look forward to meeting new faces too!

Date:
March 29th-31

Location: 
Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, Michigan

Pricing details: 
Bath house 7$ http://oasishottubs.com
Blue Nile 19$ http://www.bluenilemi.com
Museum free http://www.umma.umich.edu/
Bubble Island Arcade (depends on how many games you play) http://www.pinballpetes.net/

RSVP:

http://www.facebook.com/events/267219986742122/