The Ups and Downs of attempting to be Gyaru outside Japan

I could have probably named this post just "99 problems", now that I think of it XD.

Although many of the downsides of trying to be Gaijin Gyaru have been wisely covered in this post:
http://gyaruattitudenl.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/gal-thoughts-7-gaijin-gyaru-hardships.html
(Which is not mine, but hell, do I agree with it!)
I would like to add a few problems I've experienced in this quest for Gyaru style:




Problem #1 - The Lashes:

Cute Gyaru lashes are almost impossible to get. I mean, there are basically 2 or 3 types or lashes:

So super natural you won't even notice them... and a few cute ones:

There's this one brand, Jessamy, which is the only one with good quality lashes.

There are also quite a few designs. Although, picky as I am, I've only liked 3 different models out of which only 2 look good on me.

Nowadays, I've got a pair of the super natural kind, which I use when I don't want my eyes to look super-dolly or when I got for a more natural look.

And the cute ones.

The problem with the natural ones, though, is the shape. These have the longer lashes in the middle, which, maybe because of my eye shape, I truly don't like.

Sooooo, desperate times, I ended up cutting them in the middle and using only the halves, with the longer lashes on the outer corner of my eyes.

Just the right amount of  lashes for a regular day.

Not bad, I must say! But considering they're not the cheapest thing, I honestly would prefer not having to cut them (what if I screw it up?).

Then there's this one more gyaru-like model, which I love!

These!

But that's it.

Ultra-cheap, uncomfortable lashes:

Of course you've always got the super cheap alternative. The first Lashes I bought were this kind: hard, black plastic band, stiff, thick completely unnatural lashes.

These come in a variety of models too, and there are super-cheap and cheap, but they're mostly the same, and all of them have the black band, which I don't really like (unless it's really thin and can bend properly) because they're hard to glue and sometimes they poke your eye :S

Flamboyant, drag-queen style:

The first relatively expensive good lashes I bought were this kind (not so over the top as the ones above).
I completely underestimated their length and fullness and it was just... horrible! (Sorry, no pics).

Not that there's anything wrong with flamboyant, but it's just not for me.

And, one more problem added to the lashes: the glues that are available:

I currently have two different glues, one black and one white (which, according to the woman who sold it to me, "It becomes transparent afterwards"... not true.).

Both are adhesive latex and no matter how many different methods I've tried (letting it dry a bit until it gets tacky, applying a lot, applying a little) they don't last for too long.

Then, I was told, there's this more professional adhesive (which is used by artists, for example) which is quite expensive (about 20 dollars) and you have to be extremely careful when using it (because you might suffer some minor discomfort, like, causing harm to your eyes or eyelids!)

Not suitable for me.


Problem #2 - Contact Lens:

The one available brand you can buy at any eyeglass store is Acuvue Freshlooks (and maybe there's one other, I'm not sure), which come in hazel, blue, green and gray, 14mm.

And the only pics available are freaking Photoshopped, so you don't have the slightest clue what you want to purchase.

The price is around 30 dollars, and they last a month.

Could you get lenses that have a longer life span? Sure, for about 130 dollars, you can.

I know I'm cheap, but that seems way too expensive, when you can buy Korean lens online for 20 to 30 dollars, but which can last from 6 months to a year!!! And there's a huge variety of colors, models and diameters which make them worth their price.

"But, what about shopping online?" You say?

Well, like I've previously mentioned in another post, I've got a friend who has been waiting for a videogame since October last year, and another friend who had to travel all the way from his city to Buenos Aires (where Customs is) just to pay a high amount of money in taxes to get a package he had already paid for.


So, there's Problem #3 - Customs is a pain in the ass.

Not that everyone has the same experience, but, being kinda broke (and with a bank which won't link to my paypal account :@) I'm not going to risk it for now.


Problem #4 - The clothing:

It's downright impossible to get any Japanese brands, at any shop here.

And even though there are some interesting brands, they're nothing like gyaru style. Some fashion items take YEARS to get here IF they get here.

And though styles differ from brand to brand, they're pretty much the same.

I remember when I was 17 all I wanted was some purple clothes, but the trend was brown, pink and light blue, so those were the only colors you could get. And these days I challenge you to find any light colored clothes, when bordeaux, dark green and navy blue are the "winter colors".

Clothes are quite generic, even among brands and shops that plead to be different and original.

And, to add insult to injury, it's really hard for me to get anything in my size. I'm very skinny and short in a country where more girls have wide hips and big butts. Yeah, shopping in Japan would be PARADISE to me.

So, many times I end up sewing up my own clothes.

Well, at least I end up wearing something original :)

And the shoes? Oh, they are very expensive, yes. 

The cheapest shoes (those that would last you around two months) cost around 55 dollars. For what I see in US, UK, and Japanese mags, you can get cheap shoes for 15 or 20 dollars. Well, not here.


Problem #5 - The make-up

Most brands available here are what, in other countries are referred to as "drugstore brands". Revlon, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Rimmel... all of them are quite expensive. Some time ago I got a Revlon foundation for ten dollars and it was A STEAL.

And they don't come in a wide range of colors either: for the past three years I've been looking for a baby pink lipstick, but they don't exist here!!! I even recall carrying a pic of Tsubasa Masuwaka in my phone to show the retailer what a baby pink lipstick looked like!

Oh, and the BB cream? They hardly even know what that is. The first time I asked for it, I received a perplex expression in return. And even though Revlon, Garnier and Maybelline have launched BB creams in my country, you can only put your hands on Maybelline's. And, like I mentioned in a previous post, it's not THAT great.

Basically, the price I pay for drugstore make-up is the same you pay for good brands.


Problem #6 - Gyaru isn't popular

Like I've said many times before, I'm ok being a loner, I don't really need a group.

Still, it'd be nice to have people to share experiences and make-up tips with.

There's this tiny group on facebook which hadn't posted anything since 2011 but came back to life a few months ago. But it's mostly pics of Japanese gyaru or mags scans. Not a single pic of an Argentine gyaru.

I suggested adding recommendations and sharing things like what they favorites mags are, or where to get good make-up and such, but that never happened.

There was a Gal Meet some months ago, but they are always in Buenos Aires, and I, as every other gyaru in the rest of the country, couldn't travel.

Being rare as it is, I can't avoid the topic of how people stare at you, and judge you and immediately assume that you are some shallow-as-f*ck, fake person.

But I truly don't care about it, so it's not really a problem.

On the bright side, thanks to the internet, I get to read plenty of Gaijin Gals' blogs and that is truly comforting. 

Most of you are amazing, kind people and needless to say insanely beautiful in many ways. 

Thanks for teaching me (I still have lots to learn) and making me feel less lonely and very supported.


What about you? What is it like to be gyaru in your country?