Miya wants the past! (Minus the bigotry...)

Today, I'm feeling a little lazy and agitated. The world sucks really bad, I miss a ton of stuff, and I yearn to experience things I never will. So, this post isn't going to be particularly gyaru-centred, nor will I be featuring a small drawing.

Todays topic is: I'm totally yearning for a time I barely got to experience!

I know 2000s and early 2010s stuff is super popular now. But with how shitty the world is now, especially the internet, I'm really missing the stuff I had as a kid, and really envious over the stuff I was born too late to experience for myself. The first time I used a computer was in 2014 when I was 6 years old, and God am I grateful for it. I loved GirlsGoGames, I loved flash games, I loved YouTubers like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, IHasCupquake, Aphmau, DanTDM, I loved games like FNaF and Yandere Simulator and Undertale! I even remember waiting sooooo impatiently for Omori to come out on 3DS!!! But now, a lot of that stuff is gone. Or just changed, naturally. But I loved that short time I had with early 2010s internet. It was full of passion and colour and I still love it now. Those short few years felt like my whole entire life. I'm just so, so irritated that I didn't have the chance to experience it earlier. I miss when my world was doused in life and colour and fun. I miss when I could experience those imperfect little games made by imperfect people from all around the world.

I feel a little bitter and envious of my older siblings. They got to experience that world in full. From its conception to its unfortunate death. I'm also a little mad they introduced me to some of it. Older games, older internet. We're never gonna have that old internet back. Flash is gone. As a 6 year old, I was only able to get those last few sorry drops of what that was like. Now its all ChatGPT nonsense and beige, ugly, polyester clothes. Natural makeup. Boring games. Even physical toys are shit. I remember Barbies being amazing! So many accessories and clothes to mix and match. Now? Walking through a toy aisle is so majorly fucking boring!!!! Kids today get, what, one outfit for Barbie? And its just a slip on dress with a pattern printed on it and like 3 accessories! What! Barbie is a FASHION doll. Is big multibillion dollar company too poor to give Barbara MULTIPLE layers of clothing now? Come ON.

Shit just feels so miserable. I feel so miserable. I want all that old shit back. Maybe that person who said technology shouldn't have progressed past 2009 was right.

But, I'm gyaru. I won't allow myself to succumb to misery and boredom. I won't let myself get torn down by a drab world. I can miss old stuff all I want. I'll find a way to get some of it back. I'll thrift. I'll buy old magazines. I'll decorate to make myself happy. I'll work extra hard to get a job. I'll work extra hard to make friends. I'll journal. I'll update this blog. I'll live everyday as best as I can.

Wrap Up + What's Next?

I'll try making some art to post, or come up with something gyaru-related topic. Or not. As much as this is called The Weekly Gyaru, I'M the gyaru posting weekly here. So expect SOME posts about just me, okay? (＠＾◡＾) That's all for now. Seeya next week!

Gyaru: Performative or Authentic?

 Miya here! 

Recently, I've seen a lot of baby gyarus fussing over whether every facet of their lives can be considered gyaru, or where to find more "gyaru things" to engage with (I was guilty of the very same thing when I first started out... (⌒_⌒;)). However, I find that seeing gyaru as something you morph into rather than something that already resides in you can make "trying to be gyaru" something unnecessarily difficult, and makes you look "performative."

So todays topic is: Gyaru as a performance vs Gyaru as a Lifestyle!

Drawing by me

To me, gyaru is something that blooms within yourself, pumps through your heart and spreads out into the world through your eyes, mouth, ears, fingertips. That is to say, YOU make things gyaru by BEING gyaru. I often see people look for "gyaru" things; gyaru perfume, gyaru makeup brands, gyaru clothing. Questions like, "are my nails gyaru?" "is this shirt gyaru?" "where can I listen to gyaru music?" are far more common than they should be. Gyaru is what you make of it! Constant questions about whether something is gyaru enough to buy, engage with or enjoy make you seem as though you're performing the appearance of gyaru rather than living it. 

Naturally, there are rules to it like every subculture, but they aren't nearly as rigid as you'd think. 

So Miya, what do YOU like?

I'll list a couple things I like and use, and also consider gyaru. Why do I consider them gyaru? Because I like them, and I'm gyaru. My body is a machine that turns "normal and everyday" things into "gyaru" things. This can hopefully inspire you to also become somebody who turns the things you like into naturally gyaru things, too! I'll also list things that I feel contribute to my lifestyle, even when I'm not wearing makeup.

Perfumes

- Majoromantica (Majolica Majorca). This is a super sweet, syrupy and sexy perfume oil I bought recently! It comes in a red 20ml bottle and smells like red berries, sugar and is a little boozy. It's a gorgeous warm sweet scent that I am OBSESSED with, and I keep a bottle with me in my bag to reapply throughout the day. Pairs well with Victoria Secret's "Bare Vanilla Bliss" body lotion. It really reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. I like to put a little on the ends of my hair as well as my skin.

- Olympea (Paco Rabanne). I bought this for myself as a birthday gift while it was on sale. This is a really beautiful and unique scent that smells of jasmine, vanilla and salt. The salt note is what makes it smell SO interesting!!! It adds a whole new spin to the jasmine and vanilla that makes it smell ocean-like, and its seriously a favourite of mine. I find it pairs well with Victoria Secret's "Bare Vanilla Bliss" body lotion and So...? Sinful body mist (which is unfortunately discontinued, so I'm clinging tightly to my last two bottles...)

- Fantasy (Britney Spears). I don't actually own this one (yet....!!!), but my I tested it in-store and plan on buying it when I get the money. It's an incredibly sweet and sugary (can you tell I love sweet scents?) gourmand perfume that actually smells quite similar to Sabrina Carpenter's "Sweet Tooth" to me! White chocolate, cupcakey smell... please be in-stock when I can afford you... anyway! I have a feeling this would pair well with Lush's "Posh Chocolate" bodywash/lotion. 

- Super Milk (Lush). While technically not a perfume, it will have people smelling you before they see you. I got SO many compliments at school when I was wearing this, and I was leaving sweet, lemony scent trails wherever I went. It smells like a lemon cake, and a little cinnamony. And it is STRONG. Seriously. Spray one or two sprays into your hands and pat it into your hair, and you'll be smelling it on you for days. I recommend buying the 250ml bottle with a friend and splitting it between you two, it works out to be cheaper than the smaller bottles and you both get a little extra product. I bought the 250ml for myself the first time I got it, and even after sharing it with friends and using it daily, I still wasn't able to use the full bottle and the rest spoiled!

Music

I'm actually not a huge fan of euro-beat, which is the unofficial-official "gyaru music genre." (Remember, you don't have to like EVERY stereotypical gyaru thing to be gyaru. Trying to force yourself to like a certain genre of music in a subculture that isn't music-based is silly, and will only drive you away from gyaru.) I don't think I have much to say about the songs/bands themselves, but I'll try giving a sentence or two about them. I'll just a couple.

- Penthouse. I'm a huge fan of their music! Some of my favourite songs include; One Two Three, Undertaker and Sparklers.

- Snail's House. Huge nostalgia for me, really. If you like cute, cheery songs without lyrics, you'll like the songs made by them (him? I totally forgot).

- Toby Fox. Do I need to say anything? Music God.

- Stevie Wonder. Do not mention The Amazing Digital Circus -- I truly feel the song was used in an inappropriate way and I'm pissed that it's got a whole fandom of young teens and grown adults that are obsessed with re-branding their "edgy middle school phase" that they failed to grow out of as being "grown up and mature" believing that the song has romantic undertones. My father used to play "Isn't She Lovely" for me ever since I was basically a little baby, so it really means something to me, especially as a person of colour. His songs are amazing, and I would recommend giving a listen to "Do I Do."

- Pata Pata (Miriam Makeba). I'm starting to list really old songs, but that has to do with me being very young, and my parents being very old. I feel that most people wouldn't be a fan of this style of music, but it's really stuck with me from when I was little.

- I'll Tumble 4 Ya (Culture Club). Great karaoke song. Love love love (≧◡≦)

Makeup

I'm obviously not going to list ALLLL my makeup, or else this would become super duper long. But here are some of the things in my makeup bag that I reach for!

Eyes

- MSH Love Liner (black) and Heroine Make Kiss Me Smooth Liquid Liner (black). Luv these eyeliners so much. MSH is my usual liner, and the Heroine Make one is my backup I throw in my bag.

- Canmake Quick Lash Curler Mascara (black). Lovely! It has a cute image of eyelashes on the side of the bottle.

- Excel Skinny Rich Eyeshadow (SR01) and Dolly Wink Eyeshadow Quad (Brown). I LOVE brown eyeshadow quads and these two are sooo silky smooth with BEAUTIFUL colours! Unfortunately, the Dolly Wink palette is discontinued, and I got mine during the limited Don Quijote-exclusive rerelease.

- Diamond Lash Upper Lashes (Twinkle Eye). Such gorgeous lashes that my friend got for me while he was in Japan!! They're perfect for me -- not too spiky, not too natural. If you have sensory issues, they might not be the best for you since the band is thicker. Try out Dolly Wink (Sweet Girly) if eyelashes w/ thick bands irritate you.

- Dolly Wink Lower Lashes (Natural Girly) and (Vivid Pop). Vivid Pop is also discontinued and I got it during the limited rerelease. Such cute lashes, I'm planning on buying Dolly Wink (Real Nude) lashes soon. I recommend Dolly Wink lashes if you can afford them. Great quality and you can't feel them since the band is so thin.

Lips

- Candy Doll Lipgloss (Macaron Pink) and (Peach Orange). These are both discontinued... and were not rereleased... YES I'm wearing expired lipgloss, but its fine!!!! It's still good!!!! I'm still gonna buy more!!!! Don't do what I do!!!

- MAC Lip Erase (Light Medium Cool). This WAS discontinued, but it had a rerelease. Not all my lip products are expired, you know... and its really good at blocking out my natural lip colour!

- MAC Lipglass (clear). I'm in love with thick and sticky lipgloss. This goes over the top of everything else I put on my lips!

- No lipliner. I am totally anti-lipliner... well, not completely. I use the Saem Concealer Pencil as a lipliner to cover the brown edges of my lips so I can have perfect, no liner concealer lips. Other than that, No Lip Liner. 

Face

- Maybelline Fit Me Matte Foundation (Light Beige). Just regular ole foundation.

- Moist Labo BB Cream (03?). For when I want light, SUPER skin-like coverage.

- Canmake Marshmallow Powder (MO) and Secret Beauty Powder (translucent). I set my face with these! I'm a huge fan of Canmake products, if you couldn't tell.

- KATE Designing Eyebrow Palette (Light Brown). Excellent for nose contour and filling in my brows!

- Kiss Me Heavy Rotation Eyebrow Mascara (Yellow Brown and Ash Brown). Perfect for bleached eyebrows without needing to actually put bleach on your eyebrows. Be sure to trim and shape your actual eyebrows first, or else the colour won't appear well.

- Game Beauty P5R Heat Wave Blush (Panther). This was limited edition so its not sold anymore, but its a hot pink blush that I adore. I will cry when I hit pan.

As for when I'm not going out and wearing makeup, I do a couple things almost daily or weekly that contribute to my lifestyle. I do my nails every week, trying to work new styles. You can do a lot with just regular polish and super-grown-out natural nails! Some people have even thought my nails were false, hehe...

I have Pinterest boards dedicated to inspo for my nails, makeup and clothing. I read gyaru magazine scans almost daily. I study my own selfies to see where I could improve my make. I have a whole shower routine with various sweet-smelling soaps and lotions (think back to Angeleeks "no stinky pussy" rule LMFAO). I think about how I could freshen up my outfits. I put all my fav stickers on my laptop. I put my makeup on display on my desk. I have this blog! And most importantly, I take every opportunity to have as much fun as possible. Going out with friends? Absolutely. Doesn't have to be clubbing (I have yet to actually do that), I can have fun anywhere. In somebody's room. Grocery shopping a friend. Walking in the park. Messing around in said friend's room and swatching all her makeup on my wrists and spraying her perfume all over me. Anything can be made fun.

I try to stay as confident and authentic to myself as possible. Do the things I like when I like, wear the things I want regardless of what others say. Unless its a job interview. I'll behave. I need the money...

Wrap Up + What's Next?

Try to discover what you truly like, rather than trying to conform to "The Perfect Gyaru" stereotype. Obviously, don't go so far off the rails that you aren't recognisable as gyaru anymore... or do. Not everybody is gyaru and sometimes the makeup you like or the ideals you have don't align with the subculture you want to be in, and that's fine. Find your true self, whether that be gyaru or not. But if you ARE gyaru, live it, don't just do it as a performance. Your lifestyle won't look the same as mine, so don't think that you need to follow as I do in my everyday to a T (and certainly don't wear expired makeup like I do...) 

As for what's next... I dunno! I might post art, or about some other thing I notice in the gyaru community. Or... I might... skip next week's post entirely!!!! Haha. I'm thinking about posting my likes and dislikes regarding gyaru makeup/fashion, so more on that, potentially.

Thanks for reading! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

First post! Are substyles really THAT important!?

Hello! Miya here!

This blog is going to consist of my (mostly) gyaru-related ramblings and drawings (and hopefully makeup reviews, once I get a job...)

As per the blog title, I'm going to try and update weekly. But my life at the moment is pretty uneventful, so we'll see...

Today's topic: Substyles, and are they really important?

I often see baby gyarus mention substyles. "What substyle would suit me?" "Can I dress in multiple substyles?" "Can I be tsuyome today, hime tomorrow and amekaji on the weekends!?"

Personally, I really don't think substyles matter all that much. The only thing that truly matters when deciding what kind of gyaru you are is whether you are kuro or shiro.

If you are tanned/brown skinned, whether that be natural or artificial, you are a kuro gyaru. If you are pale skinned, you are a shiro gyaru.

Drawing by me!!

The fun part about being a kuro gyaru is that you can do any substyle you like. Yamanba, banba, manba, hime, rokku, whatever! If you are shiro like myself, you're locked out of those kuro makeup styles (yamanba, banba, manba, etc.) until you Get That Tan.

"But Miya," you may ask, "what substyle should I be? Are my nails gyaru? Do they suit X substyle? What do I do about my current wardrobe!?" Slow down!!!! 

You don't HAVE to choose a substyle, they were just old trends within gyaru. If you do wanna pick a substyle, you can't just ask anybody else! You're an up-and-coming gyaru! So strengthen that gyaru heart by asking yourself: what substyle do YOU like? DO you even like any? Do you like dark, edgy clothing? Maybe you'll like goshikku or rokku. Do you like frilly dresses and skirts? Maybe you'll like hime or himekaji. You should take a look in your closet to see what you already have, and try dressing it up with some jewellery or simple layering. If you're interested in expanding your wardrobe, try thrifting or DIYing yourself some pieces. Remember that clothing does not make a person gyaru, YOU make the clothing gyaru. So don't ask silly things like, "where can I buy gyaru clothes?" The answer is: ANYWHERE!

Getting Your Fashion On

Something simple I like to do is to rummage through my clothes every month and assess what clothing I want to keep, and what I gotta throw away. (I HIGHLY SUGGEST READING THROUGH MAGAZINE SCANS ON GALREVO FIRST BEFORE YOU DO THIS. Too many times have I thrown out clothing just to realise weeks later that I threw away a piece with so much potential...) Once you do that, try grabbing just one piece of clothing from your keeps; that'll be your staple. Base your outfit around that oooone piece! I find it super common for new gyaru to overload on accessories, but that really harms the overall look if you're just accessorising with 0 plan. If you're in need of new clothes, go try thrifting. I do NOT want to hear, "thrift stores near me have nothing good!' See my previous statement in brackets. You have to find the potential in others unwanted clothing, and reading through magazines will assist you.

If you're looking for hime-style clothing, that is where it does get a liiittle tricky, and pricey. You probably aren't gonna find old Jesus Diamante in just any thrift store, and it'll be difficult to buy pre-owned online. You might find it helpful to ask lolitas where they get their clothing from, and you'll probably need to do some saving up.

Wrap Up + What's Next?

Ultimately, I REALLY think people should use substyles as a guide to see what they really wanna wear, rather than honing in super hard on 'em. Being gyaru is about being your most authentic self, so focus on developing your own personal style. That ties in with my next post idea: Gyaru is a lifestyle, not a performance! But more on that next week. Thx for reading!