Egg, C’mon Now!

Egg magazine pulled another clickbaity, race-baiting stunt again on their YouTube channel. I went to look for it the other day for this post, but it was removed. 

Momoa doing Blackface 

Innovation in Gyaru

 As a person that did cybermanba before DeDedo (with some people not liking it) as well as me wearing a camo hoodie for banba, I get why some people would not like style mixing or doing something off beat.

Time slip twins?!

 I was posted on “gyaru_fucks” for this outfit, yet Black Diamond’s Galeo’s Harutamu and outfit gets love and $$$. 

 If someone is brand new to the style, they have yet to get their basics down first before wanting to do something new, but my makeup was consistent and on point back then. 

Some people have no idea on how to do make, don’t want to do the make, don’t know how to do basic coord making, or seem to want to rename old styles that already exist. How is this innovation? How is it being innovative If you can’t even do the basic reiwa make up?

The Original Cybermanba

 Post with terrible text colour choice (a graphic design nono) reads : 

“sweetie, you are a beauty when doing ONLY MANBA. but please, dont so that

Its ugly and scary and mixing styles is wrong. SO WRONG.

The Gyaru Comm is Failing!

 The Gyaru comm is failing! What is causing our community to fail? After 17 active years in the comm and observations of the good, the bad, and the ugly, there are several reasons that I've deduced to why this is. 

Negativity

During the early to late 2010s, there was Gyaru Secrets, a place to originally air out how you felt about certain styles or your views on being a gyaru. The rules changed to be able to allow secrets to be made about individuals, allowing people to talk crap about another gyaru (whether they were gyaru or not) and to still be close to the object of their hate.

This Year is Flying By!

November 20th. 2024

 

Its already late November, and December will be well on its way to completion! What a crazy year its been! From getting a promotion to getting fired because I wasn't gossip besties with the staff there. But, at least I am not doing more work than what I am getting paid for (I don't mind working hard! But when you're made to be an example when others are just going to watch you overwork yourself is not fun!!!!). 

I thought that with many hindrances with my old jobs and my previous inexperience, working hard and doing my best to be as helpful as possible for my managers would save me and work in my favor. Turns out, that work isn't based on all the hard work that you do, but how much you can kiss ass, not make people feel stupid if you happen to have a lot of experience, and gossip about people. Took me a long time to figure this out, but I guess it will help later in my career? Not what I was expecting! 

Terrible Drug Store Make Up, or Nah?

2016?

A while back when I went to the beach to try to relax, I had stopped at the Water Tower to just mosey around. It was a lil while ago... but I was checking out some of the make up booths a little until I saw Katy a make up artist who had me try some purple lip shades.

Don't get me wrong, the eyeliner pencils I drew on my hand with lasted a nice long time for quite a few hours! It actually made me rethink checking into and buying eyeliner pencils for my make up.

Bye for now!

Eyelash Custom

Eyelashes

DIY Project!       

Difficulty level 1 star

In the last bit of the summer break I had, I wanted to try out something new with my eye makeup. Not only did I use a different liner shape than I usually do and have done, I decided to do something different with my bottom lashes. If you remember me from a few years ago, I used to cut up and double up lashes to create my own look.

For this dolly gyaru eye make look with bottom lashes, I will guide you through the steps. Don’t worry, its super easy!

What you will need:

§  Diamond Lash  Sweet Eye

§  Eyebrow scissors

§  Patience

1.       Grab two bits of the Sweet Eye lash that you will use, 1 for each eye

2.       Gently snip the lash hairs a few at a time horizontally to your preference to avoid a really boxy appearance

3.       Carefully cut the holding strip twice to create 3 slender parts. This can be pretty tricky if your hands aren’t too steady!

4.       Store for later use or wear immediately!

And you are done! Look at you being all awesome!

Thank you for reading! Comments are appreciated and I’d love to see how your lashes turned out! 

Bad Managers and Marvelous Bands

Published November 5th

Before becoming acquainted with Eurobeat and Trance music due to my involvement in gyaru, I was in love with the sparse amount of Jrock and Jpop music that I could get my hands on. It was a hard time back then as resources were limited for Japanese music online.

 Malice Mizer was one of the bands I fell in love with as their outfits were quite majestic and the vocals of the frontman, GACKT, were captivating. Though their songs have continued to entice listeners, they had long since disbanded; Malice Mizer later disbanded and the former frontman, GACKT, embarked on his solo career in 1999. 

Is Gyaru Racist?

Lately, one of the biggest topics in the gyaru community, outside of the validity of newer gyaru substyles like tropical gyaru and the blunders and controversy of a project that eggmag has been disappointing us all with, is "gyaru fashion is racist." Not just the extreme manba fashion from the early 2000s, but as a whole movement.

Japan- Gyaru Beginnings

For a quick history lesson on this particular subculture and its fashion, there were girls who rebelled against Japan's beauty norms of pale, white skin, being modest, quiet and subservient by tanning, being materialistic, and partying. As time passed, girls involved with the style seemed to want to outdo each other, or to just push the limits, to stand out even more. This brought upon changes of the next popular accessories and clothes, to bleached/dyed hair, and affected the makeup and also their intensity of their tans. Some of the notable trendsetters and icons at this time were Buriteri and the gyaru circle Angeleek. 

Sunk Cost Fallacy

 I really wasted my own time trying to be on good terms with people who hated me, wanted others to do so too, and liked seeing me disrespected and frustrated. I wasted my own time working on a few (not all) projects where the goals were constantly shifting out of reach, the budget to pay me was nearly nonexistent though there were investors and new equipment for the group, and projects/benefits that were dangled in front of me I “hadn’t worked hard enough for it yet” despite making appearances to the least important events I was informed about and creating content etc.  

I thought that putting in more work, not bring up what was hurting me and crossing my boundaries, and extending myself to be there for others would actually work… because that’s what I was told and I held on to that belief. But, at the end of the day, I was important enough for them to be so concerned about me improving my life, which was a big NO for them. 

Kawaii Gyaru Themed Wallpaper pt 3

 Here is the third installment for gyaru themed wallpapers. The theme for these themes (wowzers, thats a lot of "th" words...) is pretty in pink!

Nokia Phone
Technological nostalgia with a pretty twist. 

Quilted Cushion

SailorMoon

Now, some wallpapers with a hint of pink. 

Pretty Dark Chocolate

Black Pink

Simplistic Black Lace on Pink Background

I do not own these images, but curated them from submissions on the web. 

Sept. 19, Break Ups!

 This month has been interesting. I can focus on a few things now and give my time to people who appreciate what I do. I finally took a bit of time to relax, and tend to a few things that needed to get done… to make more time for my hobbies. :) 

So, what’s been on my mind recently?

Breakups and New Beginnings 

Not all breakups are simple and amicable, or easy. I’ve been watching a lot of TikTok recently. lol 

It can be hard going through one, especially if it’s a first long term relationship or the breakup might be messy. Maybe the two aren’t a good fit. Maybe someone tried too hard and the other not enough. Maybe one person thought they could see other people and the other did not want that. There can be all the tears and sobbing and wanting that person back with impromptu declarations of “changing”. Or, two people just drift apart and accept it. 

 At the end of the day, nothing worked out and it’s time for something else to fill in the space!

There can be a plethora of factors that can lead to a break up (and a lot of feelings that can be birthed from it!), but instead of settling for someone who’s not your type and being miserable, check out some of the activities that can take your mind off things. 

I’d love to say some cliche things, but every situation is truly different. Sometimes people hold the blame for another’s actions and others would rather destroy your world, friendships and career than mutter a simple “sorry”. Sometimes people are chill instead. 

On my Twitter account, I’ll be posting some activities that you can do if you find yourself in a romantic (or friendship) breakup! 

If you have something to share, you can share your stories or thoughts below. 

August 30

 Its already the last few days of August. This year is flying by so much. I had some good news earlier this year, and someone took it not so well. Its wild that some people would want to cozy up to you and then not be happy for you and in turn want you to be miserable alongside them. But, it was to be expected of them. 

Outside of that, I have been enjoying TikTok recently! I had an account for a few years to watch a few things here and there, but have recently started contributing content that I archive on my Youtube channel. It has been fun and a little more manageable for me than when I became a Youtube Partner back in 2010-2011.

I have some things I need to edit a bit before posting, and it makes me really excited!

Stay tuned!

GAL REVO

GAL Revo, short for Gyaru Revolution, by Miyu Yoshida is now available as a website! 

GAL REVO was founded in February 2014. We are the largest source for digital Gyaru magazines, as well as to archive other things GAL. We aim to provide HD & watermark free scans.

I have been a subscriber of Gal Revo for many years, becoming quite impressed with Miyu's sharing of a large variety of gyaru fashion magazines. She is the proud owner of an extensive, drool worthy collection of trendy Japanese gyaru fashion magazines, possibly out of all the gaijin gyaru.  And with her ig accounts as well as a brand newnwebsite, you can enjoy these scans as well, whether at home or on the go. 

Check them out here! 

Stay inspired!  

Brow Blindness

As a formerly fuzzy browed gal finding myself in love with gyaru fashion, I found the importance of shaping and designing a brow look for myself that worked.  

I happened upon a trend on TikTok recently called “Brow Blindness”; a phenomenon where you are so used to your former brow that you don’t recognize how thick or oddly shaped they are! A few people have shared some of their looks, being able to laugh at themselves and showcase how great their brows have gotten over time.

TheLanarenee 

Her brows are impeccable now 💖

Janelle on TikTok looks quite flabbergasted at her old brows

Strongest of brows

Strong, but doesn’t overpower her features 

Dinero wishes someone would have informed her that her brows weren’t working for her. 

Before

After
Aren’t her red locks GORGEOUS?!

I can definitely relate as my natural brows had several transitions since I’ve became gyaru. Here are a few pictures of my old brows.

The arch is plucked… can’t you tell? 

What kind of shape is this?! 

Have you had brow blindness? What did your brows look like before you found the best shape for yourself?

Acen 2024

 Acen 2024 came and went, and it was a hot one this year. It seems like there was a larger influx of people who came out to enjoy anime and manga festivities. 

I saw many cosplays and some fashionistas that I was enamored with which is always delightful.

Here are some of my favorites:

Met a cute couple <3

Mothers Day

 Happy (late) Mother’s Day to the Mom’s out there. 💖

For some people, it’s not a fun day filled with gifting or receiving roses and cute cards, as some moms may have passed or were abusive to their children. Maybe some moms experienced a miscarriage, lost a child, or may have been abused by their children. 

Hopefully, there can still be some joy found. 

Gyaru Spotlight: Ari Marie

 This (cross posted) Gyaru Spotlight is for Ari Marie! 

I met her around 2010 or so when she applied to a nago-sa project co-founded by me and LA. We didn’t give her a clear cut answer as the Chicago nago-sa/gyaru project was having internal issues that needed to be resolved first and foremost. Our bad for not being upfront about that when you applied. 

Movie Analysis: Nobody Knows

Have you ever had a movie that you’ve watched stick with you after you’ve watched it? I have. I was chatting about current movies the other day and later reflected about the ones I’ve already seen. “Nobody Knows” is one of them. Its not a gyaru movie, but a Japanese one that gave me a glimpse of what some kids may be going through, or have gone through in broken homes in Japan. 

      A pensive, triggering movie suggested to me where a mom moves and finds a new apartment in a new part of town. She introduces herself and her eldest son, Akira to the other tenants, and goes to finish moving in. 

<b>Spoilers ahead!</b>

Veteran Gals Vs. Newbie Gals

Its a thing currently. 

As I dive gently back into the realm of online gyaru worlds, I am met with tons of posts that I would have loved as a beginner gal. There is so much content out there to inspire and enjoy. Some things, also bring to light some of the darkside of Japan and several different fashion subcultures like Jiraikei.

Amongst the plethora of nostalgic fashion posts, or people debating whether or not manba is offensive to black people, I am met with posts declaring how mean and callous gaijin gyaru veterans are. I am met with posts about how ignorant and helpless newbie gals are.

Gyaru Themed Phone Wallpapers

 It’s been a long time since I’ve done gyaru themed items here on this blog. Posts about scenarios and what would you do in them and my mission statement, my values etc is great especially with what has happened with meeting new people who seem to be oblivious about that, but what about the MAIN topic of this blog, Gyaru‽ 

So, I’ve dedicated some time to finding some cute wallpapers that you can decorate your Home Screen with. If you need these in a bigger size, let me know. 

Enjoy.

GAL💎VIP

 

Hey rockstar⭐︎

Besides writing for my blogs & a site for gaming& tech, did you know I also wrote a few articles for GAL💎VIP?

During the year of 2012-2013, there was so much going on outside of Amerigyaru and college senior life. I was quite busy at the time, but it felt great dedicating some of that time and effort for the gyaru comm. 

I was given prompts to write about; very different topics than what I’d normally write about for my own blog or for the gaming/tech site. I hope my articles,(non alc.) beverages and managing S.A.D.S. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) helped you❤️. 

Mata ne 🌺

May 14th, 2024

 Its already mid May, and the weather seems to be going a little steady. 

Since this has been on my mind for a while, I had some instances of gyaru style hiatus and became a bit of a weekend gal! (something I thought I'd never do! But due to a new set of circumstances...)

The first time I did this it was a hiatus of sorts around 2013. I had let my eyebrows grow out and return to their natural, black and thick state, stopped perming my hair and using wigs, and took a break from the lashes and nails. It was weird seeing myself so plain yet complete (no need to fill in my brows etc.). I also ended up cutting off all permed parts of my hair as it grew out, and just did twists and such. 

This probably lasted for a few months, until I stopped and decided back to old routines. Taking that time off allowed me to just be reacquainted with myself without all the bells and whistles. 

Several years later,  when I began studying and working at a university, I took another hiatus to forgo the make and hair and things to blend in a little, and focus on work and study points as there were people who had way more time dedicated to understand. Of course, halfway through that period, I did start to do more toned down versions of my style, experimented a bit and kept the bolder looks for events and weekends. (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

Though I have done faux locks before with my banba gyaru make up, I went without it with a blue set. It was a little odd, and perhaps doing gyaru makeup and being creative with my style a large majority of the time made me feel as if the look wasn't complete without the lens and lashes. I looked really tomboy-like again for a while.

With those few breaks, I also noticed I still do my contour the same, but got used to looking how I did before all the heavy makeup.

With having done such extreme styles and doing such bold eye makeup, you can get accustomed to what you look like in those moments. A sense of dysmorphia when you skip out or don't do your makeup routine is a snippet of a conversation I had with someone who loves lashes. 

Spotlight: Atelier Pierrot; Size Range Increase!

I am so excited that a lolita brand, Atelier Pierrot is increasing their size range! As a J-fashion blogger and enthusiast, I am always impressed when brands are inclusive or become inclusive for other body types, whether it be Western ones or Japanese ones. March 11th starts their Plus Sized Fashion Festival and sale to cater to the Western and plus sized fans of their designs. You can now fawn over posts of their latest pieces on their social media.

Ebunny, a twitch streamer, singer and former onee gyaru, modeled for Atelier Pierrot and looks gothically amazing in the tiered skirts and gentle ruffles.

A qoute from her instagram:

"The Japanese elegant gothic lolita fashion community usually doesn't see someone like me representing brand clothing for lolita. As someone who's loved egl fahion for almost 20 years, I cannot tell you how proud I am to be a full figured, plus size, thicc, whatever adjective you like to use (lol) black woman modeling for a lolita brand in Japan. This is a type of representation I would've loved to see as a child, but sometimes you gotta be the change you wanna see!

Thank you to all the hardworking Japanese and non-Japanese staff at Atelier Pierrot for making the investent and effort to produce high quality lolita fawshion clothing in plus sizes. Egl should be for everyone to enjoy regardless of size, race, gender, height, etc. They are taking small steps everyday in the right direction."

You can follow the brand here to keep updated on their designs. And here is a link to the dress modeled by the lovely Ms. Ebunny herself.

You can follow Ms. Ebunny here on her IG.

Have fun!

SHIBUYA! by softboiledegg

softboiledegg of the legendary egg gyaru magazine just dropped a new catchy song four days ago after sharing some behind the scenes clips on their Tiktok. I was curious how it will turn out as there were clips of gals doing parapara to a nonstandard beat in the background while two of them had close ups of them rapping/singing. Its also a bit refreshing to see a more recognizable gal makeup being worn by the main artists of the song. The song is also complete with some wild lyrics, but what could be wilder than opening your song with how fresh and clean.... you are from their song Gal is Mind?

Check it out here:

The Fine Line Between Normal and Special

Having been heavily in the gyaru scene since 2010 after being on a gaming platform around 2007-2009, I experienced moments of pseudo "celebrity". Though small in comparison to some of the well known names out there, and there were others who were cooler or more kawaii, at the time it was a big deal in this little bubble. It was thrilling at times, but the amount of progress I felt was needed, becoming a sell out, and what content should I publish to entertain hundreds of people is something I had to think about constantly.

Friend/Partner Poaching

Recently on social media, my former feed of pictures of food and statements of "its better being solo than surrounded by people that don't like you" is now filled with random stories about friendship or partner/boyfriend poaching and situations of overly humbling (or outright disrespecting (Black) women (ie. Rihanna x Chris Brown, Beyonce and Jayz, Ciara and that one guy before her current husband Russel) who are successful and the critiques on such circumstances.

This kind of poaching is regarding someone taking your friend and excluding you out of the relationship. Essentially, "stealing" your friend from you. This can also happen when you are dating or in a romantic relationship, and your friend wants to "steal" your partner from you, causing your boyfriend to cheat on you if he has no empathy or respect for you.

Apparently, women who go for married men, or unavailable men feel as if they need to "win" and be better by showing their worth by being able to seduce someone away. They get the feelings of feeling better than you, hotter than you, sexier than you, and this boosts their ego and makes them feel powerful if something is triggering them to feel less than. It is also a breach of trust if this person was considered a friend or claimed to be, and simply is a form of disrespect for boundaries, and a "power move" to become dominant and cause pain to the other party.

As for friendships, I haven't seen a lot on the topic outside of the "stolen" friend having more clout or popularity which makes them seem cool or pretty to be around them, or that the new friend has resources, money, a car, or connections to be used for their own benefit. You are left behind because they didn't want you, but what the people around you can do for them and their social status even if they cannot reciprocate.

How to NOT Dox Yourself

Keeping yourself safe is pretty standard advice.

So is making sure that when you hand your resume to someone who is a complete stranger to you to "fix" that they are someone you trust with that information. A stranger can go and see where you are working, and if you are getting out of an abusive relationship, you don't want that person knowing where you are since they are not capable of respecting your boundaries and treating you with respect.They have the potential and will/might just cause drama with the people around you and get you fired. A stranger who may be a win-at-all-costs sadistic, bruised ego type can have access to your references that may have loved you and your work ethic before, and "furnace your references".

Values, Failures, Mission Statement

Good evening! How are you? Are you doing alright after the pandemic and with all the chaos going on in the world? Are you doing alright with your work load or with the topics you are studying?

You know...this blog was generally centered around various aspects of my days throughout college, events I hosted with others, or what I found cool. However, it didn't allow much in the ways of getting to see your perspectives and such.

We deserve love - Anti Latinx/poc hate, fatphobia is not tolerated here

 For the most of us, we can all agree that we should all be able to be respected for who were are when it comes to our ethnicities, body types and for the languages that we speak beyond English and to have healthy high self esteem.