To start off with the first written post of my blog's return, I've decided to share an article that was meant for Volume One of Papillon magazine. This article I suppose didn't seem fitting considering the August release got pushed back to October. However, I find that maybe this piece still has a lot of potential and I put a lot of love and care into it. I hope you all find it helpful if not just entertaining!
lBeing
a University Gall
Being a student in college and wanting to still be a gyaru can be tough occasionally! Between juggling classes, working a job in order to afford your eccentric lifestyle, budgeting (if your focus is only on academics), and setting aside time in the day for all-out glam-it can be a challenging task to feat. Here are a few tips on how to maintain your fabulous lifestyle while being in college!
Obtaining your degree comes first! Keep your eye on the prize! You absolutely must be a student first. If you cannot juggle being a gyaru and a student at the same time, do know that you can always take a hiatus and come back to the fashion later on. Making time to study and being punctual is extremely important. Time management will never ever leave you in adulthood so it’s best to prioritize what is most important.
• Bills and expenses also come first.
With the transition from being a teenager into becoming an adult comes a new set of financial responsibilities. Rent, textbooks, supplies for class, food, electricity, hygiene products, and other necessary items must come first and be paid for before the fun begins!
• Allow yourself to have fun or enjoy yourself on a special occasion.
Give yourself an incentive system. Some devout followers of this fashion sometimes realize that being lifestyle gyaru isn’t a practical or obtainable course of action. Being a lifestyle gyaru isn’t for everyone and doesn’t make someone any less dedicated to the hobby that they love! Despite the seriousness that comes with adult responsibilities-there are always vacations, weekends, or special events where you can allow yourself to have fun. Did you do well on your last final exam? Did you work extra hours at your job? Let yourself go to karaoke on a night off! Hang out with your best gal pals. Buy yourself that brand item you were eyeing awhile back. If you work hard, you definitely deserve to treat yourself every now and then!
• Hoard up your materials.
For example, I was very privileged to live at home while I went to community college. I paid bills but they were at the minimum due to not having to worry about rent or heavy solo expenses. However, I knew I was moving out to a new city for university way back last year. With that kept in mind, I began hoarding everything I needed for a semester such as hygiene products, skincare, and school supplies a year before my big move! Along with everyday materials, I also stocked up on eyelashes, circle lenses, makeup items, and brand name clothing. I reminded myself that I would have less room to splurge once I was living out on my own. I wanted to still be gyaru while in university and planned ahead to ensure that I would be able to do so. It’s good to have backups of your ride or die products. The key to make sure that you have a good amount of time before expiry dates! I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have the same circumstances I did but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if you have the ability to do so!
• Find brand items that can be mixed, matched, dressed up, and dressed down.
I habitually love buying brand name one-piece dresses. Such things can be altered to look different depending on what it is. However, I challenged myself as of last fall to focus on purchasing skirt and top sets that could be paired with multiple things so my wardrobe would look much more expansive than it actually was. I also tried to find pieces that could be dressed up for big events but could also be toned down for when I went to class that way I got more use out of my purchases. Make your wardrobe versatile! Before purchasing an item think about how many other pieces can be coordinated with it. Do you have items in your closet that could work with this brand new piece entering into it? Are you buying pieces in your haul that could cohesively work with what you are adding to your cart? These are questions that any smart shopper should ask themselves to help combat impulsive buying practices (which saves money) and overall help restrict their closet to fun necessities rather than chaotic clutter! That’s the last thing you need when moving into a smaller space at a university! • If all else fails in terms of hoarding up gyaru materials-prioritize cosmetics!
Gyaru is a very makeup and hair based fashion. Clothes are nice and can help establish your style when it comes to choosing a sub-style. Though, keep in mind that you can also wear all brand and not look gyaru at all! When in doubt? It’s all about the eyes! If you’re truly living that “broke bitch” life-buy a good eyeliner, eyelash glue, an okay mascara, and a stable set of false lashes! You can’t go wrong with the basics!
• Buy yourself a fashionable but sturdy bag.
Neutral colors are the way to go so they match every outfit. You want a cute but practical bag! It is wise to have a nude bag and black bag in your arsenal that can fit both your laptop, phone, wallet, school supplies, and make up bag! You will thank me later.
• Learn how to curl hair with a flatiron!
I swear by this technique. It’s harder to do with longer hair for some reason but I had to pick between bringing a flat iron, a set of hot rollers, or a curling iron? A flat iron would be my choice! This saves space and is multi-functional.
• Make time in your day if you’re planning to dress/look gyaru.
Gyaru fashion is the epitome of being extra. Sometimes being that extra bitch requires you to wake up much earlier than the average person to get ready. This might be especially challenging when you have an eight am lecture or a job that requires you to work opening shifts. If you love gyaru? Sacrifices must be made! In this case, it might be that extra hour of sleep. No worries though, I have a solution to your sacrifice! First off, evening showers will trump over morning showers in this case. This will save you so much time. Another way to combat a morning time constraint is to set out all the items you're going to be using the night before. This includes the makeup and contacts you might be using as well as your entire coordinated outfit! You might be able to spare yourself an extra thirty minutes of sleep prepping the night before. - Make time in your day if you’re planning to be gyaru and know when to cut corners
Punctuality
is key! Most people might take thirty minutes to clean up and get out
the door. For someone doing gyaru, on average, it can take an hour to
an hour-and-thirty-minutes to get ready for the sake of aesthetics. Do
not burden other people with your upkeep. Take time out of your own
schedule to accommodate other people’s schedules. For instance, if
your friends want to leave somewhere at 9:30 or you if have a 10
o’clock class, you may want to wake up at 6 am knowing that it will
take you time to get ready. Have all of your items that you
need packed in your bag way before you need to leave. Cutting corners
might be setting your hair in sponge rollers before bed in order to
have already flawless big hair in a matter of minutes. It also might
mean using more neutral-colored eye shadow palettes knowing that
colorful eye make up takes much more time. Whatever it is, find a
good medium between what works for others and what works for you. I
find this crucial in balancing gyaru fashion and everyday life.
That good roomy handbag I talked about? This will come in handy because if you’re anything like me, you’re going to leave your dorm room in cute shoes and be limping back at the end of the day in flats. The beginning is all for the sake of aesthetics and Instagram. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this! You’re starting your day off strongly on the right foot quite literally! Once pictures and the day have progressed though, the less and less you’ll care about things for the sake of vanity. Invest in a good pair of nude and black flats that can go with any outfit. Inside your purse, carry a cute tote bag. I have one from Black Peace Now that is a little ghost/imp keychain. However, inside of him is an extra bag to carry excess things. In this case, it would be my extra shoes. You also use bags like these for extra items in your shopping. I have quite a couple from a variety of different brands. If a brand you like offers them for reasonable prices, I highly suggest investing. Even for your everyday shopping runs! They’re a lifesaver.
• Always have a makeup bag on hand stocked with essentials.
This is generally a must whether you are in university or not. Gyaru is a high maintenance fashion. If you’re working or in class all day, you’re bound to have a makeup malfunction. Be sure to carry a compact mirror, eyelash glue, eyeliner, and a lip color for quick touch-ups!
• Sponge Rollers
This should probably go with the “night before” prep but I personally think it deserves its own section! Set your hair with sponge rollers the night before for extra voluminous hair. This will save you a large amount of time when it comes to styling your hair the morning of. You’ll be ensured to have big gyaru-worthy hair that will last throughout the day! I especially love doing this right before I go to a big event. These are also quite affordable versus a set of hot-rollers. You can find sets at the dollar store even or at a local discount store.
• Sneak gyaru-able accessories into your everyday life
If you’re not capable of doing gyaru everyday, there are still ways to sneak the fashion into your everyday life. For instance, deco-den your notebooks or tech accessories in a cute gyaru style. Not only will they be personalized to your style (meaning nobody else but you will have them on campus) but such cute school accessories are bound to be a conversation starter! You might even be able to gain others’ interest in gyaru fashion just by sporting something that is practical and relatable to everyday people.
• Everyday make up can be a form of gyaru-practice
I usually do not do a full gyaru-beat on campus. It’s a waste of my resources when I’m already on a budget. I save my lashes for days when I feel extra good about myself or have somewhere to be after class! However, I do let myself experiment around with my make up. I’ll work on different eyeliner shapes or different color combinations that I can incorporate into a gyaru look that I'm planning later on. Sometimes, I’ll even do a “half-gyaru” look that includes circle lenses and a good eyeliner shape-but might not necessarily have lashes or an obvious contour that people would associate with gyaru. The more you sneak in practice with gyaru kept in mind, the more of a visual image you’ll have when you actually get to partake in doing the fashion!
• Save money. Learn a skillset.
Going to salons can be pricey. I personally cut my own hair and do my own nails. This can be time-consuming and at times, risky, or frustrating. However, I save a ton of money by doing things myself. Plus I end up semi-ly getting more so what I wanted versus leaving my vision in the hands of another person who might not have any idea what the hell I'm going for in terms of the look. Maintaining a nail fill, hair color, or a specific hairstyle can be expensive. One trick for me is to keep my nails painted and grow out my real nails. If I constantly keep them painted with a thick topcoat they will remain hard and are less apt to break. If I dye my hair, I opt for an ombre or streaks/highlights versus a full-on head full of color. This is so my grow out over time isn’t as gross looking. However, I am extremely lucky to have light hair and have only tried that option once but it incredibly helpful for me to keep this in mind when it came to knowing about hair maintenance and my budget for each month. Cutting hair can be risky but I usually do my own so I can get the right layers that I want. Learning one of these skill sets will save you an abundance of money each month if this is something that you regularly do!
• Most importantly-more money equals more brand.
At the end of the day, your university years should be the prime time to gyaru fashion. Without a fully restrictive dress code that might limit you in your career years and a good work-life balance to ensure ample time to have fun, you definitely can and should be done! With the right usage of time and budgeting gyaru can be attainable even on a college budget. It’s all about balance. I hope these tips are helpful! Be sure to have a productive and fun start to your new semester!
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