Barbie: Tsubasa Masuwaka's Plastic Surgery

Provided you haven't been living under a rock for the past goodness knows how long, you've most likely heard of Tsubasa Masuwaka, the darling of Popteen and Popsister and producer of both Candy Doll and Dolly Wink. She's arguably one of the most famous gyaru models out there; even non-gyaru absolutely adore her because of how charismatic she is and how pretty and cute she is. She's one of the leaders of the hime-kaji gyaru styles: she says jump, her followers all do that. Not that there's a problem with that as even Tsubasa holds a space dear in my own heart.

However:

There is a lot of controversy surrounding Tsubasa. I've heard arguing that whether or not she's had plastic surgery, over whether or not she's too old to be wearing such cutesy styles, even over the colour of her hair. It's almost ridiculous. I'm going to take a look at one of the most controversial things surrounding Tsubasa:


It's hard to find pictures of young Tsubasa Masuwaka floating around the Internet from before she debuted as the new hottest gyaru model. But this is the Internet we're talking about, and anything can be found on here with a bit of sleuth work. Please note that due to the drastic changes there is absolutely no guarantee this is Tsubasa but these three pictures have a tendency to pop up as being attributed to being her back when she was in school and when she was working as a 'reader model'.


If these pictures are her, she looks like an ordinary girl with nothing so special about her. She almost looks like any girl you could see wandering around the streets. There's absolutely zero star factor about her and nothing that would make you look twice which is the opposite of how she is now. People age and make-up is absolutely wonderful and can be used to make yourself seem like a different person.

Just looking at these confirms that compared to the Tsubasa Masuwaka of 2014, it'd easy to deduce that she's most likely had the following surgeries:

♥ Rhinoplasty
♥ Lip Fillers
♥ Double Eyelid Surgery
♥ Cheek Bones and Jaw Bones Shaved Down
♥ Chin Fillers
♥ Cheek Fillers

Tsubasa debuted in Popteen back somewhere in 2004 and 2005 and already exhibited some of her charming characteristics. By the time she debuted in Popteen she'd had her rhinoplasty, lip fillers and double eyelid surgery completed at least.


With being one of the reasons why Popeten exploded in popularity and becoming 'the' iconic gyaru to people who didn't understand the style, the pressure was definitely on Tsubasa to keep evolving and keep herself looking young and fresh. Being the leader of make-up trends, of clothing trends and on the pages of glossy magazine covers helped to keep her in the spotlight. But with how cut throat the modelling world is, it's no surprise that Tsubasa would begin changing her image and get even further plastic surgery to help her stay relevant.

If any of you have seen the movie Helter Skelter staring Erika Sawajiri, it's very relevant to how Tsubasa probably feels. No matter how good she is there's always going to be someone younger, prettier and skinnier to replace her.

In 2008 Tsubasa launched her own line of lucrative eyelashes under the name of Dolly Wink.


Leaving behind trends of past, Tsubasa's skin began to lighten and with it so did her cheek bones and jaw line. Since her debut as a Popteen model Tsubasa had managed to find time to squeeze in bone shaving surgeries to make her face appear longer and slimmer. Granted, photoshop may have had a part to play but it was consistent throughout which points to surgery. In my opinion, this is when Tsubasa looked her very best and was at her prime.

As various new looks came into fashion, Tsubasa has evolved with them. With influences from K-Pop, eye bags became the new trendy must have. Tanned skin wasn't as desirable as pale skin and kudos to Tsubasa for staying bang on trend.


I believe Tsubasa's eyebags are a result of a cosmetic procedure. In her magazine pictures, in her promo pictures, even in her candid pictures she previously never had these until they became the new 'popular' thing to have. She also had a chin implant and potential cheek implants making her face more round and more child like and youthful. At present she hasn't changed her look for awhile now.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Tsubasa having surgery. I admire her for seeing what she didn't like about herself and changing herself for the better because if I were in her situation I would definitely do the same. As long as she doesn't take the look over the top ala Donatella Versace there's no reason for her to be ashamed.

What do you guys think? I'm really interested in hearing your opinion so please let me know below!

Stay sweet! ♥

Before & After Make-Up

Make-up is wonderful and whether or not we intend it to, it can rule a girl's life. There's nothing better than erasing all of your flaws and enhancing everything that makes you, well... you! As a guy once said to me whilst I was getting ready, "Make-up is real life Photoshop."

Maybe it can't conceal all of our flaws but it does a good job of trying it's very best. It also allows for any one of us girls or boys to be beautiful, something that whether or not we're willing to admit we all want to be.

I've put together a small collection of images showing the impact that make-up can have on our own appearance. Enjoy!







I included my own transformation because I can. Privileges of being a blog owner~

Stay sweet! ♥

"Ideal Height to Weight Ratios"

I've approached this subject before and due to recent events in my own life I thought it would be interesting to go back to.

If you've ever flicked through the pages of any gal magazine whilst they were on the market, you're bound to have seen the adverts where an already tiny girl has gotten even tinier. Whilst Photoshop would have played a part in making these girls look waif as possible there's no smoke without fire; it would be insanely difficult to photoshop rib cages sticking out, right?

The below were from a particularly infamous ad in Ageha due to the Photoshop used making them seem ridiculous.


38, 37, 39kg... these girls are all such a scarily low weight, with or without Photoshop aiding them. I recently came across a blog post by Sincerely, Dolly talking about Shizuka Takeda's "Ideal Height to Weight Ratio". For those unfamiliar, Shizuka Takeda was one of the Happie Nuts models before the publisher went into bankruptcy. Therefore her "Ideal Height to Weight Ratio" is an interest insight into the world of gyaru modelling and what is expected of the girls who model for magazines, brands, etc.

Granted her opinion is based of those of Japanese girls. As a Westerner I am used to girls being slightly 'heavier' so whilst it might be shocking to Westerners that these numbers are being idealised, for these girls they are able to carry such little weight with little health risks. The numbers that Shizuka recommends are as follows:

♥ 155 cm → 38 kg
♥ 156 cm → 38.5 kg
♥ 157 cm → 39 kg
♥ 158 cm → 39 kg
♥ 159 cm → 39 kg
♥ 160 cm → 40 kg
♥ 161 cm → 41 kg
♥ 162 cm → 42 kg
♥ 163 cm → 42.5 kg
♥ 164 cm → 43 kg
♥ 165 cm → 43.5 kg

I personally stand at 162cm and at 42kg (and have actually dropped below this weight). My BMI is 16. In order to have a healthy weight my healthcare provider recommends I put on an additional 15kg. If a hospital is recommending that I should put on that much weight then surely this can't be healthy even for Asian girls with smaller frames and possible smaller bone density than myself. I wear a UK size 4, or a US Size 0

To put it into perspective, here's a lazy day picture of myself trying on a MA*RS skirt (I was wondering if it was too short to be honest and was asking a friend for an opinion but I digress):


Not healthy. I'm pretty much flat everywhere, if you get what I'm trying to say.

Alternatively, the Korean "Ideal Height to Weight Ratios" are as follows:

♥ 150 cm → 40 kg
♥ 152 cm → 41.6 kg
♥ 154 cm → 43.2 kg
♥ 156 cm → 44.8 kg
♥ 158 cm → 46.4 kg
♥ 160 cm → 48 kg
♥ 162 cm → 49.6 kg
♥ 164 cm → 51.2 kg
♥ 166 cm → 52.8 kg
♥ 168 cm → 54.4 kg
♥ 170 cm → 46 kg

These are somewhat better and would put a girl of my size into a BMI of 18.8 which is considered healthy. These numbers are a lot easier to read and not as shocking as the ratios that Shizuka suggests following. Of course, the modelling world is vicious with new girls lining up to replace the established faces we all know and love so the pressure to remain thin is high but I can't help but worry about the advice that is being given off, especially if you're a Westerner such as myself who are reading these numbers and thinking how?

What do you guys think of the "Ideal Height to Weight Ratios"? Would you guys aspire to fit this?

If you or someone you know is suffering from a eating disorder, please seek medical advice. These images are not healthy. If you do wish to achieve such numbers do this by eating healthily and excercising.

Moshi Moshi Tokyo

Whilst not exactly gyaru, I often find myself fondly looking over to Kyarypamyupamyu for fashion inspiration from time to time. If I'm bored of my current style and wanting to jazz it up a little I find myself looking at her for inspiration and you have to admit her music videos are totally cute (if not a little crazy)!

In order to coincide with Hyper Japan which was over the weekend over here in the UK, Kyary's team has released a nifty app called Moshi Moshi Tokyo which allows you to see Tokyo through Kyary's eyes. The French version was released to coincide with Japan Expo in Paris. It allows you to 'visit' stores such as 6% DokiDoki, Milk, etc. as she takes you on a tour around her favourite spots in Harajuku.


The app is really simple and pretty fun. It gives a nice insight to some stores that I would normally look over such as JYDA. It's really simple to use and reminds me of a magazine that I might pick up. The photography is gorgeous and Kyary is super cute as usual.

If you're interested you can download it from iTunes.

Stay sweet! ♥

Musical Gyaru

Today we're going to look at gyaru who have made a point of showcasing their love of musical chairs.

...Okay, I jest. Lame joke!

Today we're going to take a look at gyaru who have decided to dabble in music and launch a singing careers for themselves.


First up we have...

Milky Bunny ~ Tsubasa Masuwaka



To any gyaru, it definitely won't be a surprise to see Tsubasa on this list!

Tsubasa Masuwaka first debuted as a musician a few years ago with Magic to Love, a song released to coincide with the release of a perfume of the same name which Tsubasa was promoting at the time.

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Whilst some people consider Magic to Love to be her official debut, it seems as though Tsubasa didn't share that thought.

Tsubasa re-debuted under the name of Milky Bunny last year with the song Bunny Days which went to #12 on the Oricon Charts. Not too shabby for a debut single!

Milky Bunny then went on to release no shape of love, her first digital single, in which the lyrics were written by Tsubasa herself on 9th November 2011. She then followed this up by Zurui yo.../I Wish on 11th January 2012. I Wish was used as the opening to the anime of Fairy Tail.

This was followed by Milk Shake SOS on 29th February 2012 and her self-titled debut album followed on March 21st 2012.



Rina Sakurai (Sakurina)



Rina Sakurai, the popular Koakuma Ageha model, has also tried her hand in the world of music.

She first released her debut single Angel on 18th April 2008. The single failed to chart on Oricon and seemed to put an end to her short-lived singing career.

Until she re-debuted under a new name, of course.

Under the nickname Rina, she re-debuted with Gray Zone on 22nd December 2010. The song was first released digitally in 20 countries before the physical copy dropped. The single charted at #158 on Oricon's charts.



sifow



sifow, real name Shiho Fujita, was a fairly popular gyaru back in her day. Her popularity grew because of her GALRevo campaign but reached overseas with her musical debut.

After taking part in numerous collaboration albums, sifow finally debuted as a indie artist, allowing downloads from her website. After having a fairly good response, avex signed her up and released her first mini-album, & YOU REVO on 15th February 2006.

The album charted at #281 on Oricon's charts.



She then released her debut single, CLOVER which was then followed by her LOVE & PEACE single. The album CLARITY followed on 13th September 2006.

After this, she released the singles Carat, RULE and Natsu Hanabi followed by the album Love Spell. The album failed to chart on Oricon's charts.

After the release of Love Spell she announced she was going on hiatus.



Juliet



Juliet are a three member gyaru group who debuted in August 2009 with their single Natsu Love. The group is made up of gyaru who go by the names of Hami, Maiko and Yumi.

Natsu Love was their first single which peaked at #24 on the Oricon charts. The song peaked at #1 on the Recochoku Ringtone Charts.

The song was released in collaboration with the Popteen model Komori Jun.



Juliet often have a 'seasons' theme with their music and have released a song for every season! In addition they have been moderately successful and have released three albums; Love, Real and Shibuya.



Yumachi & Aina/Shibuya GAL's



Yumachi (Yuma Takahashi) and Aina (Tanaka) are two egg models who are pretty familiar in the gyaru music scene.

Debuting with I Love... they followed up with their debut album, QUEEN, all the way back in August 2010. It was just after the release of this album they announced their new musical venture: a super gyaru group.



To be more specific, a gyaru group based off the AKB48 format. That's right; 48 all singing, all dancing gyaru. The members also act as models.

They released their debut single Ouenka! Agepoyo~ in August 2010. They also promoted with the group at Tsukicon in Finland the very same year!




Other Gyaru-esque Muscians

Jamosa

Playz (actually, these are a gyaru-o group!

Kana Nishino

Tsuji Nozomi (tenatively. After she left Morning Musume she became gyaru and was supposed to join Gyaruru but left due to her pregnancy)

Gyaruru

How Far is Too Far?

In both the West and the East, it seems as though being thin is in. In most magazines you can see thin girls pouting and preening and in gyaru, there's really no difference! Gyaru magazines often advertise weight loss programs to encourage people to try their products; I would too if I lived in Japan. The results are simply amazing!

But how thin is too thin?

Recently, whilst reading Ageha, I came across the following girl and automatically winced.



Whilst being thin is a stereotypical asian trait, this thin is not. She doesn't look healthy at all and looks as though she could snap if the wind so much as touched her! Her legs are like sticks and it's almost surprising that she can support herself on those legs. She looks like a skeleton; not sexy at all.

Photoshop does play a factor in these sort of ads but for that to be used to make a girl look this painfully thin, there has to be some sort of truth behind it.

I also spotted the following girl in Ageha:



Once again this girl is painfully thin. I actually winced when I saw her ribs and her legs are also scarily thin lke the previous girl's.

I'm all for being thin but this is taking it a step too far. Neither of these girls look particularly healthy and instead look rather sick. Whilst we don't know what sort of issues these girls have, it's very sad to see supposedly confident gyaru reduced to looking like this. In fact, the Ageha models themselves had more weight on than these girls.

I didn't see any girls this shockingly thin in 'egg' which I am relieved about. Maybe one day the industry will wake up and see that these girls don't need to be this thin. Even the models, who are thin, aren't this thin and it's a shame that girls feel the need to look like this.

If you or anyone else you know suffers from an eating disorder please go seek help. I personally wouldn't want to see you looking like these girls.

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!

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. :)