Lisha22

La and I wrote a gal story/timeline a whillle back~
Since others are posting it, I'll do so too.
ちょっとはずかしいけどｗ

Lots of pics ahead!

Before I was a gyaru, I was into rock fashion, but had no good style at all!!! At first I wore baggy clothes, then all I wore were black hoodies over my plain old shirts. I wasn't comfortable being myself fully, and also was withdrawn too.

Me in 2004 (pre high school)Y.U.C.K!!

Just blah

All I knew was that this had to change, so I wanted to do a fashion style that I liked and was super flamboyant to really break out of my shell(I always liked flashy stuff, but was too concerned over other people's views and what they had to say):
Decora: too much plastic shiz to buy.
Lolita: clothes too damn expensive, and not enough cash or time and skill to make my own dresses.
Vk- still too damn expensive
Cyber goth (Sisen-esque) - too revealing for outside!! Clothes too expensive and too flamboyant for everyday

And honestly, I made fun of them and always thought WTF when I glanced over Buriteri's pictures. I was going to mock them and such, but when I started to do the makeup to do some mocking... for some reason, something went off in my head. I had these big white circles on my eyes and little eyeliner, but for some reason, it felt fun!

A bit later, I talked with a girl on a forum about it and she did light manba make (her ricoche name was sushikitty), and she schooled me on it a bit, and I fell more in love! she also introduced me to Ricoche.net, and there I started to study the styles that would suit me.
I liked rock fashion, but there was few pics on it at the time, and eventually I started to like banba. I studied pictures HELLA hard before I made another attempt and post and saw what others did too. I saved pictures of make up and styles that I liked and printed some out to put in my sketchbook for reference when I needed to waste some time at school.
Every time I came home from school(mid to late senior year-ish), I'd take the makeup I bought and practice like crazy! I didn't do it once and give up or say "HERE GALS! JUDGE THIS!" right away.

But eventually, I did submit a few photos for critique, and though I was at a beginners level, it wasn't like the stuff you see nowadays on gyarufucks because I actually paid attention to the Japanese gyaru's make up and didnt slap make up on my face and call it a day. I got good feedback from people like and advice from people like Momoko and Yari when he used to do manba. Back then, there wasnt alot of bitchery there or atleast I did not encounter it alot, and people really gave good advice too(imo and experiences). I took that advice and grew.

first *official* try V

To be super honest with everyone, I didnt have alot of money to be buying alot of clothes so fast when I first started gal, I was pretty fucking far from rich at that time and didn't have the cash flow that some people are blessed with.
Some people might think, if you lived like that, why be gal? Why? It's too expensive for you!
It made me happy, took my mind off the stresses with living with my grandma and great grandma for 2 years, and having little freedom, and started to give me confidence, and I was learning how to have fun.

After school with friends~

Anyway, as a manba/banba gal in high school, I had NO gals in person to grow with me. I just had my regular crazy artsy friends. I used to get asked questions about my makeup, or hear people asking if I had fallen into a cake or something because my makeup was super heavy lol. But I didn't let it get me down!!! I held my head high!!! One of my normal friends got me into parapara though. I would also do my makeup before class, during a longish break between classes or during lunch. I don't recall a time where I didn't have on all my makeup for school, besides for school pix and graduation, I guess.

A pic before we started to bumming around for the day in Millenium Park

I also met LA in person from Ricoche during the summer of 08. She was there with me, hanging out, giving me style advice, giving me a taste of the gal lifestyle(clubbing and sleeping late, para-paraing outside and messing with people, and not giving a shit if people stared at our heavey make up-ed faces) and taught me so much. Without her, I would not have gotten too far with my style. I love you, LA!

I usually had a summer job though. my style was a bit off at first, but I slowly grew into the gal mindset, and slowly replaced my shitty boring clothes with better ones when I saved up enough. I was also into customizing clothes and knitting/crocheting stuff too which was perfect for my rock look and that saved money(currently, and continueing to save cash: I also customize clothes, do my own acrylic nail sets, customize my wigs and make hair pieces, and also do my own hair; bleaching, relaxing, snipping, putting in extensions).

When I got into college, my rocker banba and manba styles were much better than when I started, but there were things I didn't get into yet until then: la introduced me to hair extensions, and Kiara got me into further shaping up my brows: bleaching them a med brown, WHICH HELPS SOOOO MUCH! and I bought a wig for manba too.

Beginning of 09! I miss that hair!

ACEN o9

Bleached my brows, and I started to shave more of them off...to draw them back on.

At this point, I was invited to DIAMOND gals, and I was seriously blown away! Me? I thought I'd stick out badly with my manba/banba make and rock style clothes, but these gyaru were kind and also gave me tips and style inspiration too!

A Diamond gal shenanigans ~ lol

2009

Janis,Me,Val

Me and Tif! I did her makeup ~

Acen 2010, I did a convention attendee's, C O U R T's make up for her~

her face is actually darker than it is in the photo~

(winter 2010)

Picture that was used for the Diamond banner

Spring-ish met Usagi and Purin!! :D (Tomo, Usagi, Purin, and I)

Who says you can't rock short hair and be gal??

At times I'd feel a bit bad because I'd feel that I could be improving a lot more if I had more cash and would really consider dropping out the scene, but some words from LA (gal isn't just about clothes, its a lifestyle, having fun..)and thats why I'm still here! because of her! Because she was there for me, I thought it be a great thing to give back to the gal community, so I made a youtube channel for manba/banba make up (for people who want to see it done right lol) and also a few appreciation slideshows for western gals too(i think i might do another video one of these days...) and I also gave advice to some newb gals too, even Kevi, when she was a new member of BLACK*CHERRY at the time.
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Here's my checklist:
1. Study pics! Get the pics of style/makeup that call out to you and study them!
2. Try it out! You won't be perfect the first time, don't give up
3. Keep the first pix to yourself, especially if you cant take critiques yet or people being dicks when your pix are not up to a nice par yet.
4. Have faith in yourself
5. Make some gal friends~ the best ones will not only just chat with you, they will give you mega advice <3 but don't abuse it!! *and will respect you. (added April 9, 2024)
6. HAVE FUN!
7. Take chances, be creative, push yourself. You will never grow as a gal if you hold back!
8. Invest in good wigs/extensions and simple pieces you can mix and match with other stuff
9. Look at street snaps of real gals than gal models.
10. dream BIG!! But, don't expect to become perfect so soon, and don't let your mistakes discourage you.
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A thing that pisses me off :/

1. I think its a shame how some gals that can have so much potential, get so scared or discouraged in ANY style (manba especially) and just drop out.
2. Gals or girls who think they are gal but aren't even close put others down when they are trying. to the gals that have been in the game, SHAME ON YOU! You know it didn't happen magically for your transformation, and you had fails too, so don't act like you were born a perfect gal!!
3. Just because you do some make or style at home once or twice, (manba, any other style) doesn't give you the right to claim yourself as a gal! You have to be good at it and be brave to wear it outside. it's a lifestyle, not a costume or cosplay.
4. Telling a gal who wants to do manba to not waste her time. even though the style has died down quite a bit, they still do exist all over the world!! as long as she (or even in some cases, he) wants to do it, give them the best guidance! Being a manba/banba can be harder than other styles! especially if they are the only one of their friends doing it too! manba is still a part of gal!!

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Here's a little list to the people who were there for meh, thank u:
Yari and m0m0ko(lol) they helped me quite a bit back in the day
La- my first gal sister
Kiara- a gal eyebrow advisor
DIAMOND GALS- making me push myself harder~
<3

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Various pix