My Gyaru Card

Hi hi~ I hope you're all doing well!

I'm having a lot of fun writing this blog. I feel like the past year or so I've just been passively watching my life pass me by, waiting for who knows what... so it's nice to finally have something I'm passionate about

 The lovely Leia created a gyaru challenge last month, and I figured it's not too late to join in on the fun! Buckle in for this long, picture-heavy post~

Your Nickname/Gyaru/Blogger name: Samii

Birthday: August 19

Zodiac Sign/Blood Type: Leo / Unknown

Your Style: Honestly it changes depending on what vibe I'm feeling– though lately I feel the best wearing Onee or Ane Agejo.

some current inspo

Fav Style: I’m going through a Kogal boom right now and I go back and forth between wanting to be a sexy older sister or LARPing as a teenager in the 90's. I can never decide!

OTT Hime will always hold a special place in my heart, though, along with Himekaji.

Fav Era/Year: It's got to be 2012, when I first truly discovered gyaru!

Top 5 Japanese Gyaru models:

Shizuka Muto

My #1 spot is the lovely designer of Rady! Though I loved her looks from the last decade, she's one of my biggest inspos right now! It also helps to have someone who's older than me on this list who still dresses gal to look up to.

Yukipoyo

The adorable and charismatic Yukipoyo makes my list because of how much her vines influenced me back in the day! I still watch them whenever I need to smile. Even when I was going through a dry spell with gyaru, I kept watching her YouTube videos to study Japanese. I love her voice so much too lol

Aochan

It only took reading one interview with her for me to fall in love with Aochan/Aochanp. I love how she is unapologetically herself and embodies what it means to be gal! My hair is even inspired by hers right now 

Tsuchan

What kind of list would this be without Tsubasa? Her cuteness and makeup inspired me wayyy back before I even knew what her name was! I'm looking up a lot of her coords because I feel like she can (well, did) rock so many different styles.

Kyiiripu

I love her badass vibes! She's so gorgeous. She makes my list because she's one of the modern gal models who still has that undiluted "gyaru" look. (Also, I have no idea how to properly spell her name romanized, I'm sorry) 

Fav Magazine: I honestly don't own any magazines in print and take whatever I can find online! 

Top 5 Brands:

Rady - I'm completely obsessed right now! I won't rest until I'm decked out in thigh-high boots, big celeb sunglasses, and a long Rady hoodie. I promise you will see it.

Cecil McBee - I fell in love with this brand when shopping in Japan, and some of my favorite wardrobe pieces are from Cecil. Certain clothes would stick out to me on the rack at secondhand stores, and they would all turn out to be Cecil McBee! I guess it was meant to be.

DaTuRa - One word: sweaters. That is all. Ironically enough I'm not actually a huge fan of most of their floral print skirts and dresses (I know, I know - please don't kill me!) but let's just say I recently spent a lot on DaTuRa...

Alba Rosa - Okay, I don't actually own a single thing from Alba Rosa so it's almost unfair for me to put it on the list. But I love to look at it and I hope to own it some day, so I feel somewhat justified!

Jesus Diamante - I would be remiss not to include the brand that made me fall in love with gyaru in the first place. Their jewelry is inspo for my handmade jewelry, and I'll forever treasure the idea of a pink JD coat with fur trimmings! I also actually own something from Jesus Diamante, which I consider bragging rights. Granted, it's just a heart-shaped keychain and a drawstring bag... 

Top 5 Inspo Coords:

These might look super hum-drum and basic af, especially if you're into a more OTT style, but I feel like they really represent how I want to look right now! Totally elegant and rich bitch vibes with gyaru flair 

Top 5 Your Coords:

I don't have enough coords that I can really be proud of yet to answer this 

Top 5 Fashion/Must-Have Items:

#1: deco’d items

Rhinestones on literally everything! I don't care that it's 2021. I've loved deco forever and clutching a big deco'd phone in your nails really gives any coord a little extra gyaru flair 

Flexing my current phone case

#2: nails

For me, I never feel like my outfit is complete without a beautiful set of gyaru nails, even though it makes it hard to do almost everything lol

#3: bags

Big or small, I can never have enough bags. Or enough charms and straps dangling off of them. Right now I'm craving a rattan/straw beachy bag for summer vibes.

#4: sweaters

I know it sounds strange to list such a seemingly modest item in a gyaru list, but off-the-shoulder sweaters can be so sexy! I'm absolutely obsessed with DaTuRa sweaters and fuzzy sweaters, even though it's almost summer lol. I'm always cold so at least I have an excuse.

#5: hats

Anytime of the year, hats are the perfect way for me to top off any co*de (especially when my hair is looking less than perfect hehe). I have a huge collection of beanies and ball caps, and I want to get a big sun hat this year for summer~

Top 5 Gyaru Goals:

#1 - perfect my make to suit me

This one is important because I still haven't perfected my makeup looks yet. I feel like I do a decent enough job copying tutorials, but I have some distinct features that most models and even gaijin gals just don't have that I need to work around. I really want to keep experimenting until I find the perfect balance of what works for my face while still looking gal! 

#2 - try a fake tan

I'm definitely planning to write a post specifically about tanning/shiro and gal, but if you didn't know this, I have one of the palest complexions "most people have ever seen". It made me the subject of a lot of teasing back in high school when tanning was going through its biggest boom in the US, lol. And I've always felt like gal needs that tan to look realy good, especially certain substyles. But! I found a fake tanning routine on YouTube that's aimed at gingers (though I'm not a natural redhead, I just have the complexion of one) and I'm eager to try it out this year! Maybe next month!

#3 - wear kogal to USJ

This is such a specific goal, lol, but I'm determined to make it happen! I've been idealizing it ever since I saw some cute Kogals at USJ with Snoopy headbands taking photos together. (If you don't know this already, I love Snoopy.) I know most people strongly associate Kogals with Disney Sea, but I'm also a Kansai jin at heart so what can I say! 

#4 - go to a meet

It's sad to say it but I've never actually been to any kind of gyaru meet or met any gal in person... I've been binge watching past meets all over the world on YouTube and feeling extra lonely thanks to the pandemic keeping me from really seeing friends for the better part of a year. I really hope one day I can meet up with other gals, take cute pics, go drinking and karaoke together, and just have a wild fun time! It's my dream! 

#5 - discover more about myself and my style

It's been a wild past few years and I feel like I've been trapped in a whirlwind. For a while, I really lost my sense of self and I'm finally starting to discover it again. I hope that my gyaru journey will help me find what styles I like and suit me best, aliong with more confidence - this is the most important of all to me!

Top 5 Gyaru Achievements:

#1 - Making a lot of accessories/deco items/nails

Like a lot of other gals, being into gyaru has inspired me to craft so much! I'm pretty proud of the different things I've made (and have a lot of ideas to make more) so keep an eye out for my posts about DIY!

Nails I made recently to match a coord

#2 - Finding cheap brand secondhand

This might not seem like an achievement to some people, but I'm someone who loves deals and so I treasure every piece in my wardrobe that I got for a steal! Especially when there are some beautiful brand dresses that I got for the equivalent of $5-7. 

This gorgeous Cecil McBee dress, one of my favorites ever, that I got for $6

#3 - Finally learning how to put lashes on

Again, this might not seem like an achievement, but I swear this was probably the hardest part of getting into gyaru for me!! I remember crying in frustration that I could never be gyaru because I just could not get the hang of falsies. But now I feel a lot more confident about it! Though my makeup still has a lot of room for improvement.

#4 - My puri/cheki wall

It needs some extra gyaru flair - leis, maybe? - but I've been collecting these purikura and polaroids through the years and they capture some of my favorite moments with my loved ones! It's so precious to me and I'm proud of it.

#5 - Starting my gyaru insta & blog

After lurking the gyaru comm for a literal decade, I finally took the plunge in trying to come out of my shell. I've been thinking about it before but have always had too much self-doubt. I guess I kind of idolized all the gaijin gyaru and gyaru-o because of how cool they all seemed - I felt like I could only look up to them and never try to participate! But now I'm finally trying and to me, that is my biggest achievement.

Last 5 Gyaru gets:

I have a lot in the mail right now, but I'll narrow it down to 5 eheh...

#1 - SweetHeartYun Bear and Shushu

I couldn't help ordering a kuma keychain and shushu from the lovely Mayu's shop SweetHeartYun! I know for a fact they're both going to look perfect with the kogal co*des I'm planning

#2 - Rienda mini dress

 I snatched up this gorgeous Rienda dress for 740 yen because there's the tiniest stain on it! It's both of my favorite colors and I'm bursting with excitement to wear it this summer  This was an impulse buy but I would 100% do it again

#3 - DaTuRa knit cardigan

Again got this for super cheap thanks to a tiny stain! It's got gorgeous pocket details and I cannot wait to wear this - it looks thin enough to wear on a summer night as well, but we'll have to see!

#4 - EAST BOY Cardigan

There's a reason sweaters were on my "must-have" list. This one is actually special because I hunted for so long to find the perfect cardigan for a kogal coord - I finally found this one with the pink detail and pink buttons, and then the seller cancelled on me...But luckily enough, a different seller listed the same one for half the price! So this is my miracle get!

#5 - Platform Crocs from Aliexpress

These are the most outrageous purchase I've made in a long time lol. I'm so excited to wear them with kogal and whatever else I can match them with. I feel like Yuchan is going to have something to say about these...

5 items from your Gyaru Wishlist:

#1 - Rady Parka/Hoodie/Whatever you want to call it

I have wanted one of these for several years! But do I want black? Pink? Rainbow?? I can't decide, and I also can't justify dropping that much on a single secondhand hoodie when I could get so much more for the same price... (Like I said in my first post, I'm stingy!) Someday.

#2- Faux fur detail coat

Yes, I'm still obsessed with coats with (faux) fur trimming! They're so elegant and I need one in my life again. Probably not white though, as I would destroy that thing within days lol.

#3- Big white cerebu sunglasses

I have a bit of a sunglasses obsession - and for good reason, because I literally cannot see outside without them! Even on overcast days, I have to squint. I need to add a big, over the top pair of white ones to my collection! I feel like they will look so nice with any coord!

#4- Swimsuit

I need a new swimsuit this year! I really love the ones from Lip Service - I first saw them in Gyaransu's bilkini lookbook but I worry about the fit (also, the price makes me wanna weep lol). I'll probably look for as close a copy I can get in Western stores. 

#5 - Basics that suit Gyaru

I'm actually dreadfully lacking in basics right now. I need simple but sexy shirts like above, and I need to shell out for entirely new jeans because I lost weight this past year. I hate spending money on basics so my wardrobe always ends up lopsided with big statement pieces but no basics lmao.  

Suggestions for a beginner gyaru:

I am by no means a veteran and am probably not in any position to give advice. But I will share 3 things that I've learned recently:

- If you're starting out and having a hard time developing a style or looking good, pick a single model who you really like and basically copy them. Try to learn as much as you can from their coords, makeup, and hair until you learn what looks good together and what you like. (I'm actually paraphrasing this tip from Emi, but it's one of my favorite pieces of advice!) 

- Don't be afraid to ask for advice/concrit!! I know it seems daunting at first, but the veteran gals know what they're talking about and if they offer advice, that means they are willing to help you! That's something you can't replace easily.

- Don't try to shoehorn yourself into something you're not. Doing something because everyone else is doing it goes against the gyaru spirit. For me, I absolutely loathe hot pink, don't love animal print or My Melody, and haven't watched Super Gals until this year (I know loool). Some people might think, "these are staples of gyaru! How can you call yourself gyaru!" But I live my gyaru lifestyle in different ways and I'm not going to try to force myself to be someone I'm not just because I "have" to - I'm way too old for that!

And with that, we've reached the end! Thank you so much for reading and thanks again to Leia for putting together this challenge 

One last thing before I go... I saw some gals sharing what they've been listening to lately, so I thought I'd share a song with you. It's "届けたい・・・" (Todoketai) by Thelma Aoyama feat. KEN THE 390. Almost everything with KEN THE 390 is a win in my book. Enjoy! (I also recommend looking it up on Spotify because YouTube ate the quality lol)

Bye for now! Talk again soon!

~SamiiChu