Chilled Out

I suppose this is a continuation of my last post! So after having a rough night out I completely relaxed and went for a wander around a small shopping centre in my area.

This is what I wore, I suppose.



I forgot to take a photo of what I was wearing underneath the coat, oops!

Coat - Lipsy
Blouse - H&M
Skirt - H&M
Boots - I'm not sure

It was something comfy and ladylike, I think. The wig was because my hair was behaving and I felt so pretty in it. I was really paranoid people would notice it was a wig though but it looked pretty natural all day~ My make-up was really light and fresh today as I didn't want to abuse my poor skin anymore than I already had!

As I said, I went for a little wander at the shopping centre. I bought The Sims 2, which if you know me, I've been playing the hell out of! :P My sims personalities never go to plan though...
Anyway, look at these cuties I saw!





All of a sudden, I really want a cat again! They're so cute~ They grey kitten was really naughty though but really fun! I think if I had a cat I would want one like that.

I didn't buy anything that day, but I may have some make-up reviews to do. I'll have to see how much time I have. I've also really hurt my knee, would you all like to see how I managed to do that? If so, I might have a bit of a surprise for you next post~

Out and About

Sorry for the very few updates for the past week or so, I shall try my hardest to update much more frequently!

I went to the cinema to see The Inbetweeners Movie last week, it was really funny! I was crying with laughter at so many parts and there were some parts that were really gross, but the laughs far outweighed those. Even if you've never seen the original series I would still recommend going to see this as I couldn't help but laugh.

This is what I wore:




I tried my hardest to base it off the code idea that I shared with you guys a few weeks ago!

It feels kinda incomplete so I want to work on fixing that for next time. Those shoes were really comfy but they gave me a massive blister ugh. Luckily it healed fast. :)
Let's see...

Playsuit - this is complicated. I need to make a post about this.
Belt - eBay
Bracelet - off-brand
Headband - off-brand
Necklace - ViVi Fashions
Shoes - New Look

I wish I had bought some ankle socks to complete this, it'd have looked really cute. I couldn't find half of what I wanted to wear too haha. My make-up also looks really rubbish and for some reason it looks as though I'm not wearing lipstick. Maybe I forgot to put it on before I took photos? I'm wearing false lashes here but it's hard to see them - I cut a pair up and stuck them on individually and they looked really nice! I tried taking a photo of them but they all came out blurry, booo.

I tried curling my hair too but it didn't look nice at all so I straightened it. >< Such a shame, so it doesn't look too good.

Anyway, after the movie I had a look around Town and popped into Primark to find something. I managed to buy a ring and a charm bracelet with custom charms all for £6 haha. I'm such a broke ass at the moment, and I think I was drunk enough to already lose them.

There was also a big food festival in Town!




I think I'm getting eye diabetes just from looking at them! *A*
I didn't buy any though.

We also went out for food at a little country pub.



I tried to dress 'nice', like a lady. I look so huge here... I stole someone else's dress to wear and it was 2 sizes too big. :( I look like a derpy landwhale here hahaha. I know now to never wear this again~

Dress - Miso
Shoes - Irregular Choice
Bag - Irregular Choice
Belt - not quite sure
Headband - off brand
Bracelet - Primark

I ordered something stodgy because I thought I'd be going on the drink later and didn't want to be too drunk.



It was really nice actually but it didn't work... I got drunk really quick again. ><

Sorry for the lame-o post guys.

BB Cosmetics

Just a quick post guys! Sorry for the small break, I've had a bit of a shock to the system and I'm ill with both a chest infection and cold. I couldn't resist passing on this bit of news though.

I'm sure you've all heard of BB Creams as they're really popular at the moment. I really want to try one so I may do once my current foundation runs out. If you're unfamiliar with BB Creams, I highly recommend checking out this article.



Anyway, BB Cosmetics, a UK based company which sells genuine BB Creams, is looking for bloggers to test their products! My blog isn't all that popular, but for you folk with popular blogs I'd recommend e-mailing them. Their twitter advises e-mailing info@bbcosmetics.co.uk if you're interested.

Talk to you guys shortly!

What I'm Listening To!

I'll get back to my regularly scheduled posts soon, promise! I've a little time to kill and decided to go on a whim.

So, what am I listening to this month? I've really liked a lot of the J-pop releases and I'm very excited about some upcoming releases. I'm extremely excited about Ayumi Hamasaki's new mini album, FIVE. I really can't wait to listen! I'm also looking forward to AKB48's 'Flying Get'.
Kyary also released her album, it's really cute! PONPONPON and Cherry Bonbon are my favourites!

Whilst I'm waiting for that I have SDN48's MIN MIN MIN single to tide me over.
I don't know why but I really do love SDN48, and I've been able to listen to every one of their singles.



Speaking of AKB48 and SDN48, I've been really into DiVA, one of the AKB sub units. It has my favourite member of AKB which is most likely why I really love this unit. They released their latest single, Cry, this month.



I've also re-discovered my love for Natalia Kills. I'm not sure why but I absolutely adore her and can listen to her album over and over again without being bored! I've been listening to it a lot, especially 'Free'.



I'm just kinda wishing Will.I.Am wasn't in this, oh well.

What have you all been listening to?

Buriteri: What has she been up to? ♚

I'm sure every gyaru has heard of Buriteri.



For those of you who haven't, Buriteri is the Queen of the Ganguro movement in the late 90s and early 00s. She's nicknamed after the soy sauce which is used to flavour yellow-tailed fish in teriyaki cooking. I'm sure you couldn't look at a gyaru magazine without seeing her somewhere in there. She particularly featured in 'egg' magazine which I'm sure that you all know! She was pretty revolutionary and was said to have made the ganguro style herself so she's a huge influence on many gyaru; she was even rumoured to use foundation intended to be used by black women to obtain the skin tone she had. She infamously modelled for Blacky's, a tanning salon, which generated a lot of public pressure which then caused her to retire from the ganguro scene for good. Sad, yes? But her legacy really did live on!

Nowadays she's not into the ganguro scene. In fact, her skin colour has gone the opposite way and she's rather pale!



For reference she's the one on the left. She looks completely different!

She's grown into a really pretty woman, hasn't she? She'd be around her 30s now and seems to be living a normal life so I'm glad for her. Buriteri did work for Ash & Diamonds for awhile, although I'm not too sure if she's there now.

It's really striking how she looked as a ganguro and how she looks now; so different!

It's also really interesting to see how the gyaru from back when ganguro was popular are different from the popular gyaru of yesteryear, such as sifow!

Split Wig Review

I've recently fallen in love with split hair. One half of the hair one colour, the other another, you know? My natural hair is too short and rubbish to deal with dyeing it so I started looking into wigs. I've seen some pretty extreme wigs (like, one half black the other half platinum blonde). I wanted a more natural looking wig and I was over the moon when I found one... but for a very high price. I managed to find an alternative, cheaper wig from eBay!

I bought this wig from cosplaywig at eBay.

Some facts about the wig!
♚ it's a caramel marple brown colour
♚ it's 70cm long!
♚ it has heat resistant fibres so you can style it with heat!




This isn't a very good picture of me wearing it. I'm in work clothes and I looked hideous on the picture so I covered my face!

It doesn't really look split on this picture, does it? I was a little disappointed; I wanted it to be subtle but it felt like it was too subtle. I felt so bad about cutting it because it's absolutely gorgeous. The wig itself is so thick and so soft and a lot longer than it looks on the website! I'm really surprised with how thick it is as I was expecting a wig that was a lot thinner. It does tangle easily but that's to be expected for longer wigs and running your fingers through it sorts them out no problem!

What I really loved about this was that it took 7 days to arrive from the day I bought it. I think it's the fastest shipping I've ever had!

Here's some photos of the wig with and without flash.


With flash.


Without flash.

With flash it looks really shiny and almost unnatural but without flash it really does look so natural! The fringe is a little wonky ha ha, I'll have that properly sorted this weekend as I'll have someone with me to help cut it. I'm still a little nervous about wearing this out and about, what do you guys think?

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to have split hair without forking out too much I'd recommend purchasing this. I was looking for a subtle split and this was almost too subtle for me. If you're looking for a more extreme split there are other websites you can visit.

Ageha: Ayumi Hamasaki

People who know me well know that I'm a die-hard Ayumi Hamasaki fan, and have been so for years now. So when I was flicking through September's issue of Ageha I was really surprised; they were gyaru-ifying celebrities (so to speak) and they did so to Ayumi's RULE/Sparkle cover!

For reference, here's Ayu's version of the cover.



And here is the Ageha version.



Personally, I'm not too sure how to feel about this. It is identifiable as the RULE/Sparkle covers but there's something that just feels off with this. Maybe it's the use of the coloured circle lenses or the huge amount of sparkles Ageha seems to use everywhere? Ayumi has pulled off 'gyaru' looks in the past but I don't think the RULE/Sparkle covers were supposed to be this way. It's really interesting!

They also did this to other celebrities including Namie Amuro, Achan and Tomochin from AKB's 'Everyday Kachuusha' covers and even Lady Gaga!

Blog Goals

I was thinking today what the goals for this blog are, so I'm going to write them on here to see



♚ To learn and become a better gyaru; I really want to develop a better style and have more confidence to go out and wear it in public. At the moment I'm so paranoid people are looking at me.
♚ To get at least 100 blog readers! I don't think I write anything too interesting, so it'd be really nice to see that! I might have a giveaway then.
♚ To just keep this blog going, really! I have a whole folder of blog ideas to write about, so as long as I keep that up I shouldn't have too much of a problem.
♚ To use this experience to gain some self-confidence.

Sorry for the not too informative post today, I have a million and one things to research!

sifow : What has she been up to?

I know she's pretty old news now but have you heard of sifow? She's a really inspirational gyaru!



Her real name is Shiho Fujita although she commonly goes by the name of sifow. I was introduced to her through her music back in 2006, around the release of LOVE&PEACE. She started up her own company aged 19 after realising that gyaru, especially ganguro gyaru, were getting a bad press and simply wanted to improve the image of them. Her online blog proved to be really popular and she even had a music career for awhile, although she didn't really chart on Oricon.



After the release of her album Love Spell in 2007 she announced she would be going on a hiatus so that she could open a school for gyaru. She'd been talking about opening the school in her GAL REVOlog all the way back in 2005 so it was most likely one of her dreams. This school was going to teach gyaru about I.T., the music industry and the entertainment industry in general. I was under the impression the school would be opening in 2010 although by the sound of things it hasn't opened it's doors yet.

But sifow hasn't been sitting doing nothing. She's currently working on the NoGal project, aka the Farm Gal project.



As a lot of Japan's food is imported and there are a lot of abandoned fields in Japan, sifow realised that Japan had to stop relying on other people and produce food for themselves. She set up the NoGal project after buying a rice farm and encouraging other gyaru to join her. Yes, that does mean leaving behind Shibuya 109 to go work on a rice farm. Not entirely glamorous, is it? That's why she collaborated with various clothing brands to provide affordable, stylish and practical clothing for gyaru to wear. She also gives lectures on agricultural subjects to gyaru and gyaru mamas!

Her farm appears to be mainly a rice farm, and she produces her own brand of rice which she promotes with her fellow gyaru. The name? Shibuya Rice, of course. The packaging even features a big, sparkly image of Hachiko.



Whilst sifows GAL REVOlog hasn't been updated in some time, she has moved to ameblo and her blog can be seen here! I really do recommend checking her out, she's really inspirational! I've really missed her since she went on hiatus so I did some research and found out what she's been up to lately. :)

Gyaru Style in the UK: Lipsy

Hey all!
I meant to post this yesterday, albeit I completely forgot about it! Work has been a little hectic this week so I've been coming home exhausted and just relaxing. I have definitely not been looking my best.

In my last post I briefly mentioned Lipsy and I'd just like to show how whilst it is a UK brand, it really can incorporate some elements of gyaru style. It's rare but you can make gyaru work on clothes in your own country. I'm not being sponsored or anything, so please don't get the wrong idea, I just think people need to stop giving up on the brands in their own country. It also happens to be that Lipsy is one of my favourites.

First up, I'd like to talk about this Lipsy Dotty Jumper.



It's really cute, isn't it? I really want this in my own wardrobe.

The first thing that caught my attention about this is the peter pan collar. Over the past few months I've noticed these have been on trend in both the UK and Japan, although I do think that's due to the retro girly and blogger style that has been very in fashion with gyaru. The polka dots also really add to that trend, which I really love. I also really like the colour; it's more autumny and mute compared to the bright florals and colour blocking trends of the summer. I'd be a fool to say that this is going to be big with gyaru in the winter, as it may not be, but the fact this is knitwear makes me really want to invest in this! It's really cute and hopefully warm!

This currently retails at £35.00 which isn't too bad; I've seen pricier. I really do want this in my own wardrobe, I'll see.~


I've really noticed that maxi skirts have been making their way into autumn trends for gyaru this year. They seem a bit more floatier and lighter than the Lipsy equivalent but...



This is the Lipsy Pleated Maxi Skirt. Maxi Skirts and dresses seem to be a popular summer trend for gyaru each year, so I'm surprised to seeing skirts in this style coming into the autumn trends. I do believe I saw a similar skirt to this on the Milsqur website which is really surprising as usually gyaru favour shorter skirts. I have seen some brands (I think Cecil McBee was one but don't quote me on this) that have had slightly shorter skirts, around knee length. If it was a brighter colour maybe it'd look more gyaru?
Lipsy also stocks a culotte which looks very similar to this skirt, you can see that here.

I don't really like this skirt so I'll be staying away from this. It retails at around £50.00 which is a little pricey for something I really don't like.

Finally on my list is the Lipsy Crochet Back Cardigan.



I wouldn't really say this was too gyaru but maybe I'm thinking on the wrong mind frame. The dusky colour of it really does step away from the bold colours that's normally associated with summer. It's colder without being too cold, if you understand my point? No. Never mind. I've seen a lot of gyaru wearing cardigans in the autumn online catalogues, although maybe that's because cardigans are practically a staple for autumn and spring - it's not too hot nor is it quite cold enough to pull on your winter jackets. What I really love about this is the back detailing, I've seen lots of gyaru items with unusual backs so I think this may just fit right in. Also, I really do like how long this looks. Although it's not as big as the gyaru brands oversized cardigans (which are making an appearance for autumn, may I add) it's still sort of big for a UK brand.

This retails as the dotty jumper at £35.00, and it's also available in black and grey if you're not feeling too colourful.

Out of everything I've spoken about today I'm most wanting the Lipsy Dotty Jumper, but that may because I really do love the retro girly trend. I'd love to see it in some codes!

That's all for today, I should hopefully be back tomorrow!

Also, I am still working on the wardrobe post I promised. I will hopefully have all of the pictures taken by Sunday and I'll get to work processing them and putting it together!

Coordinate Ideas

I really do think that currently, Liz Lisa is one of my favourite Japanese brands of clothing. I do think that Lipsy, a brand that can be easily found within the UK, emulates some sort of the sweet looks that Liz Lisa looks for but I suppose that I'm currently head over heels for Liz Lisa!

Earlier in the year I fell in love with a playsuit I saw whilst browsing the web but I couldn't seem to track it down anywhere! A few weeks ago I did manage to find it and purchase it and I'm currently waiting for it arriving by post. Hopefully I'll be able to wear it at least once before the weather starts getting too cold.

I was planning on coordinating it something like this:



Sorry for how messy the picture is! For some reason Photoshop doesn't want to use any of the fonts I installed.

Let's break this down even further!

For this I tried to use the same store, mainly to see if I could put something togeher! I think I did okay.

Brogue Shoes - bought from New Look. I recently bought these the other week actually! They're currently on sale but I paid full price for them. They look comfortable and they're versatile enough to be incorporated into multiple outfits. I almost bought a heeled pair but I didn't think they'd be too practical for someone like me who has been known to go out shopping at 11am and return home at 8pm haha. They're here on the New Look website.

Polka Dot Usamimi - bought from New Look. New Look currently has an offer on their hair accessories, buy one get one free, so if you're in the UK I recommend taking a look! They were fashionable in Japan last summer but they only recently took off in the UK this year. I think they're cute and what I do like about them is that they can be worn in multiple ways. They're here on the New Look website.

Bracelet - bought from New Look. I say bought but I don't actually have it yet. I figured that the ribbon made these look very girly and the colours aren't too outlandish that this can't be incorporated into other outfits. I personally just find this too cute - I really would like something like this! It can be found here on the New Look website.

Belt - I've had this for sometime now. Although the playsuit does come with it's very own belt, I prefer the red one Liz Lisa used. I luckily have something very similar to this already so I'd be using that.

Fish Ring - Arinna Jewellery. I recently discovered Arinna Jewellery and they have some very interesting pieces for sale! I couldn't help but smile at this ring; the colours in it are gorgeous. It's also really interesting, I've never seen a ring like this before! I figured the red would compliment the belt without being too overwhelming. This can be found here on Arinna Jewellery's eBay store which is really worth a look.

Maybe some ankle socks would finish this outfit off, I don't know. I'll see once I can try this on and come to a conclusion. I'm also highly considering a necklace but I'll check ViVi Fashion sometimes in my local shopping centre. ViVi Fashion is a little stand there and they import all their jewellery from Japan. It's all very sparkly.

So, what do you guys think about this outfit? Hit or miss? Or is there something I need to change? Let me know!

Kyarypamyupamyu

I apologise for the lateness of this post! I'm sure everyone's heard of Kyarypamyupamyu, right? Or at least people who follow the music scene will have!

Who is Kyarypamyupamyu?



Kyary's your everyday, average 18 year old Japanese girl. Or not. She debuted in KERA magazine all the way back in 2009 and she's had a quick rise to fame with a mini album and a book both due to be released this month. She's not gyaru but she definitely has an interesting style.

Also, Kyary pulls the most hilarious faces.



I discovered her through the announcement of her debut album, Moshi Moshi Harajuku and what really caught my attention was how long her name was! The now infamous video for PONPONPON came out and with it she topped the iTunes charts in several countries. The video for PONPONPON is very crazy, but really fun. When it first came out I decided I wanted to see it when I was drunk.

Moshi Moshi Haraujuku is scheduled to be released on 17th August and it's produced by Yasutaka Nakata from capsule.

However, this isn't the only release by Kyary this month! She's also releasing a book called Oh! My! God! Harajuku Girl which is released on 4th August, aka tomorrow.



As PONPONPON had an international release via iTunes, please support Kyary!

Kyary's Blog

Cosplay

Hey all!

I do believe I mentioned this in my brief, introductory post but one of the hobbies I do indulge in is cosplay, which is short for costume play. I began looking into this in the winter of 2007, but it wasn't until May 2009 I went to my very first event; London MCM Expo. What draws me back to events like these are the people who I've met there. Everyone I've met there have been lovely to me. We don't sit nerding about stuff all day; we mainly just sit and chat and then proceed end up really, really drunk!

Now, cosplay.
When I first started out I went towards the more loli types of characters. However, in the last year or so I've found myself choosing very girly characters. From my last con only one cosplay I wore was actually not pink!



I understand that there may be some misunderstandings or perhaps even issues with regards to this but it's all a little bit of fun. It's only a small part of who I am and what I do; to be frank I have a lot more important things to be doing!

Sorry about this blog post in particular but I did think it should be best to clear the air about this first. From now on I will be back on track! :)