Someone posted me on Gyaru Secrets!

Ohmygoodness, hello there! I am so amused right now. My weekend was pretty boring until this Sunday when I went out with my boyfriend and a close friend whom I hadn't seen in ages for... the Chinese Lantern Festival! But more about that and my other adventures this week (or the next! I actually have a lot of fun stuff to post about lately)!

Back to my current amusement. Gal VIP, the gaijin gyaru magazine recently released their Jan-Feb edition, and inside it contained a contest. Because I was procrastinating and Gal VIP extended the deadline I decided to join. Yessss. I know. I am so silly. I'll never win anyway because I'm still such a newbie haha! But that's okay. :) I wanted to try out a new style and try to incorporate some advice given to me about previous gyaru attempts I'd done (More on that some other post?!).

So here's my entry based on Saiharii's super awesome makeup look!

Didn't notice how messy it was until after I sent it. Whoops?

Anyway I decided to post a picture of me doing this style on Tumblr!

This picture :)

And someone was so lovely to give me advice on how to improve! :) She even called me cute and said she hoped she didn't offend me by giving critique (How awesome is that?! I love people!) Oh, and she even photoshopped the picture to show me what she meant!

The 'shopped picture :)

Like that! The nose contour is wayyyy better! Incredibly more defined. :) The upper lashes are also more dramatic, so I think it would be absolutely perfect for a gothic style (which was what I was going for here). I was excstatic and uberrrr happy. :) Thank you very much, shotamilk!

Also the awesome girls in my gyaru-sa were also very kind to give me tips which I tried to incorporate here. Like my lower lashes extended the whole way now! Yay! And the sweet Kirstie who is currently in Japan reblogged my picture on Tumblr, calling it unique. Thank you, love!

Needless to say I am very happy, and I love people very much. :) I know my gyaru look still needs a lot if improvement, so I'll practice whenever I can. :)

Then this morning (around 2AM because my sleeping schedule is crazy right now) I checked gyaru_secrets to see if it's been updated. And, yes, I do visit that site a lot. While a lot of it is mean, sometimes the posts are really helpful. I wonder if anyone remembers the magical ninja cookie posts? (Was it a ninja cookie? It was a cookie and magic though.)

I made it to the over-sized secrets and what's this! Is that...

Hey, look! It's me!

OHMYGOSH. Someone posted a secret with me and Spongebob in it! I nearly died laughing. If my boyfriend were awake, he would have given me that "I live with a crazy person, why do I do this to myself" look again. Oops. I'm giggling again.

I already replied, saying it's LA Colors Grape Crush. :) But I'm not sure if it was meant to be funny, insulting, genuinely asking a question or... something else?

Again thank you to shotamilk and Roxy, Reba, Becky and Kirstie from our gyaru-sa for critique and support! :)

Also people replied to the secret saying I need a lot of improvement, and I definitely agree with you guys. :) One day I'll get there :D (I hope)

Okay, so now the question for commenting is...

Do you like my gothic look (before and/or after Photoshop? Have you ever been goth, or would you like to try it? :)

Personally I love goths, especially sweet goths. Sometimes they freak me out in person (I feel terrible about this, bit it happens), but I think they photograph really well. Also the deep dark soul thing is something I can definitely relate with even though I'm trying very hard to embrace a more positive me! :)

Well, that was an extremely roundabout way of telling you all about that gyaru_secrets post! I hope it entertained you somehow. While you read it, I hope you imagine me saying the words in a very energetic voice!

I SHOULD TOTALLY DO A VLOG, SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR MY VOICE. Wouldn't that be exciting?! (No.)

Yes, I am very hyper right now. I think I should end with that now. I love you all, especially commenters. :D Thank you so much for sticking with me and my randomness! Hugs!

Oh, also, you guys really like that lipstick, huh? If I knew people would like it a lot, I wouldn't have used it and just given it away (since I've had it for a while and only used it 2 times... ). Maybe if I find another one, I can give it to someone! :D

Stay beautiful,

Gaijin Gyaru Directory!

Hello all!

A few weeks ago, a wonderful person who I still don't know posted on Gyaru Secrets to look for other Kiwis (New Zealanders). Somehow that one little secret threw me into overdrive passion mode, and my love for gyaru was rekindled.

The secret that made me happy :)

We started talking in our gyaru-sa again! We had our first ever challenge! We even made a reply secret! I finally got new circle lenses again! I even did a gyaru look with lower lashes!

Our national mascot is a cutie, okay?!

Oh, and someone found our gyaru-sa because of that secret! So now we have 6 members, 3 of whom are in Auckland. YAY!

Basically in the last few weeks, I've been falling in love with gyaru all over again. :) And I thought to myself: if I became this enamored just because I realised there are other gyaru in my country, then wouldn't others be excited too?!

So I made a gaijin gyaru directory! 

Where are the Gaijin Gyaru?

If you are gyaru, send me a tweet, ask me on Tumblr or on Ask.Fm! I'll add you to the directory.

You don't have to be pro. You can be a complete newbie like I am. I just want a place for gyaru enthusiasts to find people in their areas and make new friends. :)

Stay beautiful,

GEO Nudy Brown Circle Lenses

Hello, lovelies!

Guess why I am intensely happy?! It’s all for a very simple reason – I have circle lenses again!

I am the proud owner of GEO Nudy Brown lenses which I got off TradeMe. Normally I would buy a pair of lenses from a shop like oh, I dunno… Eyecandylens or Shoppingholics. But the seller has 100% positive feedback!

So I thought to myself… What the hey! Let’s buy a pair!

Now you may be wondering what the circle lenses are like, right?! So here’s a perfectly honest review about the GEO Nudy Brown circle lenses I got from TradeMe. :)

But first… Photo spam!

 /end photo spam

Information about the Circle Lenses

Water content: 38%

Duration: 1 year

Diameter: 14.00 mm

Base Curve: 8.6

The actual size of the lenses are pretty small (or standard?!) for circle lenses, so they’re great for beginners in terms of size. They’re not like OMG THAT’S MASSIVE, and since they’re circle lenses, no, you won’t think ‘Did it even do anything?!’ Duration is a year, again pretty standard with circle lenses. I’ll see if these will actually last me a year, or if I’ll accidentally wreck them or something. Water content is normal. Base curve – I don’t know anything about that, haha!

Picture Comparisons

Here we go! Here’s how the circle lenses look under different conditions. 

Indoor

Small flash 

Big flash 

Window 

Comparison 

Review: What do I think?

GEO Nudy Brown are my third pair of circle lenses ever, but so far they're my favourite! They're enlarging but still a natural and respectable size. When I wear them, I forget they're there. So far I haven't had moments where the world suddenly blurs because of the lenses (Why does that even happen?!). They're super comfortable. I love the design in person and in pictures. The colour isn't amazing though. I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it exactly. Maybe I was expecting a browner brown. This looks more hazel to me. But I love how the colour shows really well on my dark brown might-as-well-be-black eyes. :D

Enlarging Effect

Comfort

Design

Colour

Final Result? 

I love these lenses so much! And I will most likely buy them again (unless I find a pair I like more!)

What do you think? :) 

Do you like GEO lenses? What do you think of these lenses? What about my bedhead? I'm a mess, I know! Haha! 

Let me know what you think via the comments, Facebook or Twitter! :) 

Stay beautiful,

Gyaru Circle Challenge Number 1

Hello, feisty beauties (If you are male and reading this blog, you are beautiful too)!

Today will be photo spam to show off my makeup and blonde wig.

Hana Emi Dolls - Daily Gyaru challenge

Recently my gyaru circle Hana Emi Dolls had our first challenge! We tasked each other to do our 'daily gyaru' look, just the hair and makeup! :) I don't have circle lenses at the moment, so this look is incomplete, but it's better than nothing... Oh, and I put on makeup again for the first time in probably two months. Oh, yeah.

These are my new lashes! I love them...

But I still need lower lashes! 

 My usagi (rabbit) ears! And my tropical nails ;) 

I know if your skin tone is warmer/browner, you're supposed to stay away from light blonde shades, but I really don't care. ;D I love being blonde! When I put that wig on again, it was like coming home but better!

More photo spam... 

Can anyone give me wig care tips?! I am so useless with brushing and caring for these beauties. D: 

My outfit: I didn't actually go out that day. I just threw on these mismatched clothes because I think they're cute, and I didn't really want to be taking photos of myself in a crop top and shorts. :D (If you're thinking, ew you're fat, why are you wearing that?! Go away.)

And these were my nails at the time. It's so tropical! Perfect for the Auckland summer. ;D

I'm waiting on my new circle lenses. The TradeMe seller hasn't gotten back to me yet, and it's really frustrating because I chose that person for her 100% awesome feedback. WHY ME?

But hopefully I will soon be blinking at you with pretty dolly brown eyes. I mean I like my eyes - but I LOVE them when I have contacts on. :D

Can you give me some feedback about my gyaru makeup please? :D 

I'm still a newbie, and I really want to improve.

Outline of things I did for this look: 

• Foundation 
• Contoured nose 
• Upper lashes
• Almost non-existent lower lashes (Look real close?!) 
• Eyeliner 
• Eye shadow 
• Blush 
• Lip gloss 

Feedback on how to improve my gyaru makeup would be much appreciated! But please be civil about it. :) I'm still trying to figure out lower lashes. I keep trying and failing. But I'll get there!

Stay beautiful,

Gyaru Questions!

Hi there! Today's going to be a short post. I spotted a gyaru questionairre on the Forever Gyaru forums, and I couldn't resist filling it out! (If you don't know what gyaru is, check out this post.)

I will probably post my answers here on the forum as well since, well, that was the original intention of the question-asker... But this will depend entirely on how motivated/mindful I'll be since I have a tendency to be lazy and the forgetfulness of a... I forget. So you see my point really!

Gyaru Questions 

What's your name? Do you have a nickname?

Patricia! Call me Pattee. :)

How old are you?

Twenteen. Oh, alright... 20.

Where are you from?

Philippines. :) But I live in New Zealand!

What is your occupation?

Student

Do you have a blog/facebook/twitter?

http://wannabeempress.blogspot.com, @wannabeempress  

How did you discover Gyaru?

It may have been Tumblr!

What is your favorite substyle?

Kuro gal (dark-skinned gal) and also onee (sophisticated older sister), ane (rebellious older sister) and himekaji (casual princess)!

When did your interest for Gyaru started?

Late April-mid May of 2012 :)

Do you follow some other fashion style besides Gyaru?

The I-wear-what-I-want style!

Do you have any Japanese gal inspiration? If yes, who?

There are so manyyyy! I'll make a separate post about this some other time...?

Do you have any gaijin gal inspiration? If yes, who?

Saiharii. Black gyaru in general. Ninoshka. Rox. (I should add links here, huh?)

What are your favorite brands?

The Pretty Reckless and... I don't know anymore. 

Do you wear Gyaru everyday?

I wish!

What's the reaction of your family and friends about Gyaru?

'Why do you wear so much makeup?' 'You're pretty without all this makeup!' 'Why do you need to be different?' 'You look scary with that thing on your eye!' 'Pretty!' 'You look nice today' 'You look Japanese' 'I thought you were a white girl which is weird because I don't have white friends' 'Your lashes look good, not fake like Nicki Minaj' ---- I am learning to ignore their feedback slowly...

When you go on the street dressed as a gyaru, how do people deal with your look?

Um, I think people look at me sometimes? It's really not that bad here in New Zealand. 

For you, is it difficult to be a gyaru?

Kind of. It's a bit expensive even if I don't buy brand clothes or anything. And I'm also a very lazy person, so the motivation needed to do my hair and/or my makeup is tremendous!

In your country, are there many people who also wear Gyaru?

There are around 5 of us from what I know!

Have you turned some friend into a Gyaru lover?

I wish. I sincerely honestly wish. Then I would have a gyaru buddy!

What makeup do you prefer: lighter and natural or darker and extravagant?

Gonna say lighter makeup! But people I know would say my makeup is not light or natural at all. BUT IT'S LIGHT FOR GYARU, OKAY.

Do you wear makeup everyday? If yes, what kind of makeup do you usually use?

Used to! Usually BB creme, eyeliner, eye shadow, eyebrow powder, concealer, mascara, false lashes, lip gloss, and I think that's it. On a lazy day, just eyebrow powder. On a 2013 day, no makeup. I have become what I hate!

What are your favorite hairstyles and which ones do you use more often?

Fave hairstyles are curls. I love curls. I wear my hair in a bun often because it's summer. In the winter, I usually wore wigs. 

What is your skincare routine?

HAHAHAHAHA. None.

What is your haircare routine?

Shampoo! Maybe conditioner. When I freak out that my hair seems drier than usual, I use Lush hair serum/cream... thing. I will check the name later! 

Do you have some knowledge in Japanese language?

My knowledge is limited to what I know from watching anime 5 years ago. Translation: not a lot. 

What kind of music do you listen to?

Anything I feel like. Lately lots and lots of pop and dance because I just feel so bouncy all the time! Plus it blocks out the voice in my head that tells me I'm a failure and should kill myself. 

What are your tips for someone who is starting in Gyaru?

Go on Tumblr. Look at the gyaru tag. Google gyaru every day and night for at least a week. Do your research. Read tutorials. Try them out. Wear falsies. Try contacts (if you can!). Check the archives of Gyaru Secrets for wisdom (not the new stuff except for the ninja cookie secrets!). Just do it. Make mistakes. Learn. 

That was interesting!

That was a productive (not really) way to tell you about myself and stay awake in the whee hours of the morning!

What do you think of my answers? Have I finally converted you to gyaru? Wonder why there were no pictures? Gee, Pattee, you're so lazy today!

I love you all anyway,

Ane Style Guide

Whoa, it’s been a while since I last made an update for this series! Let’s make up for lost time with a look at the gyaru style ‘ane’. 

Unfamiliar with this style? Let’s picture it...

You see a lady – oh, you just know she’s a lady – standing with her friends. There’s a ferocity to her gaze and her looks tempered with hints of glamour and maturity. A tattoo adorns her bare shoulders, and her skin is the golden brown of a sun-kissed goddess. She’s beautiful and fierce, and she knows it. Don’t mess with her.

Sexy lady, foxy mama, rebellious star, do these descriptions suit you? Maybe you ought to start incorporating a bit of ane into your life!

Let’s see how to do just that.

Agejo style guide

Today we'll  be looking at the agejo style! If you're not familiar with this style, then take a moment to...

Picture a lady with fair skin and long curls. Her light brown hair towers above her head as if the higher it goes, the brighter her smile gets. Her cheeks are rosy, her lips light pink. She laughs at something said over the phone, and you notice it’s covered in rhinestones and tiny cute decorations. She’s in the sexiest outfit you’ve ever seen on someone in the daytime, but somehow there’s a hint of classiness you can’t ignore. Finally she flips her phone shut and saunters away. You can’t help but wonder… what’s her secret?

That is probably how I envision agejo in my gyaru fantasy land. For me, agejo evokes images of grandeur and sexiness with hints of class along with hair that could make Amy Winehouse jealous even in her grave. :D

Now let's take a look at what agejo has to offer!

GAL style under a microscope :: Different substyles – Intro Post

Heya! Recently I was inspired by Mitsu’s and Lizzie’s posts on personal style to look at my wardrobe and really figure out what kind of gyaru I wanted to be.

But as I was thinking about it, I realised omg I’m not even sure what kind of styles I could really get into! I had some general idea of what the different styles were all about, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to translate any of them into my own style or my own closet.

So who wants to join me on a post of style discovery? Let’s take a look at different substyles and see what’s key to the different looks.

Looks to be covered: Agejo, Ane, Hime-gyaru, Himekaji, Rokku, Mori, Onee-gyaru

Going Gyaru – With Shop Links [PICTURE HEAVY]

Let’s go window shopping!

Gyaru, gyaru, gyaru. It’s a style people love and hate. It’s a style where people can be utterly ruthless but also amazingly sweet. It’s a crazy kinda up and down loop-de-loop rollercoaster, and I want in on it. Do you want in too?

NOTE: This is an updated version of my previous post which you can see here!

Valley Girl + etc HAUL

Hey gals!

Long time no blog, aye? :) I hope you’ve all been doing fabulously! I certainly am feeling happy – I FINALLY have internet again after three weeks! And I went on an awesome shopping spree on the 4th of September. It was half-impulse and half-planned. I’ve been meaning to buy a pair of decent black flats and a pair of slippers for ages and ages, so when I was at Westfield Henderson mall, I couldn’t resist.

If you want to skip ahead to pictures of my haul, they’re further down the page. Most items are from Number 1 Shoe and Valley Girl. One item is from Kmart. And a few are gifts from my wonderful Mommy who got them in Singapore/Philippines!

Shoes, shoes, shoes! [Happie Nuts Focus #1]

Kia ora, everyone! I love shoes: staring at them, lusting after them, taking pictures in them and of them, prancing about at home in new shoes… etc. Shoes are awesome! And heels are especially so. They’re so magicaaaaal. (My boyfriend disagrees, but he’s a boy – therefore, irrelevant opinion!)

Anyway since I love shoes, and you probably too if you’re looking at a gyaru-inspired blog, let’s take a look at shoes. This is going to be a regular feature on Wannabe Empress – taking a look at shoes as featured by different gal blogs! If I can find some, I’ll look for shop links of replicas and similar beauties for your footsies. :]

(Note! I will probably only be hunting around on Taobao and New Zealand shops. Not familiar with Jap shops yet :[ I know! Disgrace!)

Let’s begin!

Okashi is having a giveaway!

Okashi is having a giveaway! CLICK for link :)

Giveaways are always neat! So here's a link to Okashi's generous raffle. Hopefully I win! And if I don't, I hope you do.

Strawberry kisses,

Pattee

P.S. I'll update with my own blog posts when I'm done with this hell week. D: So much to do!

Gonna go Gyaru! A shopping list

Hullo! :)

People who know me very well are probably extremely aware that I am obsessed with a certain number of things. 1) Being extremely geeky or nerdy 2) Zombies 3) GYARU

Since I dedicate a lot of my time to talking about the other two, I will now tell you about gyaru and then go on and add in my shopping list. (Don't worry, Mommy! I won't buy everything in one go! :P)