The way we get to the end of this story is a little long and rambling but it ends in Alice in Wonderland nail art so I’m sure you won’t mind ๐
A few months ago my Mum went on holiday to the Gold Coast and discovered a shop called “Del Sol” which makes products that change colour in the sun. Very 1990’s right? Well that was my attitude until she mentioned that they made nail polished that change colour in the sun! ๐
She brought me home 4 of their polishes to try out. I was a bit skeptical at first but they actually change surprisingly well!
These are the colours in normal inside light: Red with silver glitter Blue with a pearly finish Clear with silver glitter Pink with a pearly finish
In outside light they change to: Purple pearl finish Red glitter Purple glitter Green pearl finish
I couldn’t remember the order I had them in while I was taking the outside photos so here are the photos matched up to their outside colours!
How freaking cool is that?
So back to the nail art story, I’ve been wanting to do some Alice in Wonderland themed nail art for years now but I’ve never been able to think of a design that would do it justice. Now that everyone is talking about Alice again I thought it was high time to try it out and the first thing that came to mind was colour change. You can’t get more Alice than that!
This is them inside:
This was also my first attempt at doing 3D acrylic. To be honest I’m not really happy with how these turned out, the idea was so much cooler in my head. Also I think that if I had spent more time practicing my skills I would like the end result better. I’m all out of the acrylic liquid now but I’m going to get some more and try again! Practice, practice, practice! The 3D parts are the Heart and Club card suits, the playing card and the White Rabbit on the thumb. I didn’t have coloured acrylic so I used clear and painted them after.
And outside:
I really loved the idea of the colour change polish but I don’t think I used as well as I could have. It works great on the index nail that says “Alice” because it looks plain until it’s in the sun but the other little details like the Cheshire Cat turning red-purple weren’t as obvious.
Another problem I had when taking the photos
Comparison between the two:
A close up of the hat and rabbit on the thumbs. The hat band changes from red-purple but because it was over the black it’s hard to see. The background of the rabbit also goes from silver glitter-red ๐ I am really proud of my White Rabbit though! My first 3D thing that actually looks like it’s supposed to ๐
So conclusions: -I currently suck at 3D acrylics but I will practice and get much better! -These Alice nails weren’t great but I now have ideas for even more spectacular ones. -Colour change polish is completely pointless but also very cool.
Also on a side note the adorable Momoberi gave me a mention on her blog too and I didn’t find out until I’d already written that last post! She was inspired by one of my hair tutorials ^_^
Have a great weekend everyone! And I’d love to see some photos if you’ve done any Alice in Wonderland Nail Art!
I’ve been saying I’m going to do this Hime Gyaru FAQ for such a long time now but I just kept putting it off and avoiding it. I find writing things like this very difficult because there is so much about fashion, especially those whose roots are in a different culture, that is subjective. Writing essays on the subject is not something I want to do, I would be much more at home making some hair bows!
Also please note that these are just the conclusions that I have come to from my own research and opinions. I am not the be-all end-all authority on the subject of Hime Gyaru. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, I am just writing in response to the huge number of questions I receive on the subject so I don’t keep having to repeating myself.
About The Hime Gyaru Style:
What is Hime Gyaru?
-Hime Gyaru is a street fashion which originated in Japan. The literal translation of Hime Gyaru (ๅงซใฎใฃใซ) is Princess Girl. It is a fashion subculture which centers around dressingย and (depending how seriously you take it) living life like a princess.
When did it start?
-While it’s aesthetic roots could probably be traced back to Japan’s 1970’s “cute” movement, today’s incarnation was popularized by the store Jesus Diamante in the early 2000’s.
So do you actually believe you’re some kind of real Princess?
-No. It’s not uncommon for a girl who enjoys the style to attach the “hime” suffix to the end of her name in Japanese rather than the traditional chan/san indicating she is a princess eg. Keiko Hime/ใใใใฒใ = Princess Keiko. For the most part this seems to be a bit of fun, I highly doubt there are many girls out there who believe they are the long lost great granddaughter of some tiny European monarchy. It’s more in the same way that girls/women will use the chan suffix to appear cuter.
Are hostess wear and Hime Gyaru the same? Are all Hime Gyaru hostess? Ageha is a hostess magazine with Hime style clothes right so it must be the same thing?
-No they are not the same thing. There is some style cross over in the hair and make up areas and some hostesses do dress in hime styles but they are not the same thing. Many hostesses do not enjoy Hime styles and many Hime Gyaru (myself included) are not hostesses. Ageha caters to both markets with hair and make up tutorials, it also features both Hime and hostess clothing though the emphasis lately has been more on hostess style.
What are the influences on Hime Gyaru?
-Very generally speaking: Rococo France and European royalty. More modern royalty is also an influence to a smaller extent. The more jewel encrusted, the better ๐
Why do people like this?
-Because it’s pretty? Everyone has their own personal reasons, personally I just enjoy the look.
Do you dress this way to attract men?
-NO. Just NO. Yes there are *some* girls that dress this way to attract men BUT that is personal choice not something to do with the fashion.
How much does it cost to be hime gyaru?
-It costs as much or as little as you want it it. Yes that’s a very round about answer because it’s a very round about subject. If you want to buy only JD clothes, get extensions, cut and dye your hair and get your nails done at a salon every single month then it can be a very expensive hobby. However if you take the time to learn some skills like how to do acrylic nails, dye your hair at home or sew it can take the costs right down. It really is about how creative you want to get… instead of paying $700 for a Jesus Diamante dress I can make one for $10 out of a scarf and some pillow cases, no it’s not exactly the same thing but you get the idea.
Is Hime Gyaru the same as Lolita?
-No, they are completely different. While some of the aesthetics are the same (cute things, frills, lace etc) the idea is entirely different. Hime style is more grown up while Lolita is more childish. Lolita strives to be a cute little doll while Hime has a more mature element. Lolitas will wear petticoats at all times to give their skirts a bell shape while Hime Gals prefer more subtle shape. Lolita generally will have covered shoulders with a blouse and covered legs with stockings/socks while Hime Gyaru may not…. and the list goes on.
Is Hime Gyaru like Lolita’s older sister?
There has been a lot of debate on this subject but in my opinion… not really. While a lot of Lolitas tend to “graduate” into Hime Gyaru, the styles have completely different ideals and are not really linked. Sweet Lolitas have a tendency to move into Hime style because it has familiar themes and is comfortable. It can also be a lot less restrictive than Lolita can be and can be easier to incorporate into everyday life. That’s not to say that all Lolita’s feel this way, it’s just what I have heard from those who have made the change. I myself made the graduation between the two and I think Hime is more like Lolita’s slightly older cousin who has an expense account and a company car ๐
Are Hime and Onee Gyaru the same thing?
-No. Hime is Princess style while Onee is more for girls who have graduated from an extreme style to a more family friendly style. Onee tend to be more laid back and love high end brands. Onee can be mistaken for a more casual version of Hime style sometimes but it’s not the same thing.
What are the main identifying parts of a Hime Gyaru outfit?
Please note that all of these elements are not required to make a Hime outfit, they are the most common element.
Big hair usually with big curls too
Big eyelashes
Dark eye make up
Hair bows and flowers
Knee length dresses usually with prints or embellishments
High heels with flowers, lace or bows
Pearl or diamond jewelery
Fancy nail art with lots of embellishments
What are the philosophies behind the style?
-I think the main point is really enjoying beautiful things ^_^
Where are good places to shop for Hime clothes in Japan and in the West?
Japan- Jesus Diamante, Liz Lisa, La Parfait, 100yen stores have a surprising selection of useful things too like eyelashes and hair/nail accessories.
West- The most obvious is Yesstyle. Bodyline also has usable things. My best advice for shopping though is to look locally. I’ve found usable dresses in Target and all kinds of random places. Don’t overlook junk stores and thrift stores, I’ve found some of my favorite things there and they’re super cheap! To be perfectly honest I don’t shop in just one place. I look everywhere I go for things which are usable and even living in silly Brisbane I managed to find a whole wardrobe.
Does the fashion have a lifestyle aesthetic involved or is it simply appreciation of beauty?
-This is a bit of a tough question as it differs for every person. I know there are girls out there that take the fashion very seriously and live their lives as if they were a Rococo Princess, others just dress this way on weekends because it’s fun.
I would say for me personally there is an element of lifestyle but not because a fashion is telling me to do it. I like tea parties, making beautiful things, baking and the kinds of things you would expect someone who dresses like me to… but I like things that are in complete opposition to my fashion as well. The thing is… that I liked all of those cute frilly things before I was interested in Hime Gyaru or even Lolita fashion. Maybe it’s more accurate that my fashion is an extension of my life style and not the other way round ๐
What is the subculture like in Japan compared to the West – does it have a large following or is it relatively obscure?
-So far as I’m aware the subculture in Japan is of a decent size. Not as big as regular Gyaru or Lolita but they aren’t uncommon. According to the Wall Street Journal Jesus Diamante turned over US$13.4 million in the year ended March 2008, so clearly someone is buying them! While in Japan in 2007 I remember one occasion of visiting Angelic Pretty in Harajuku and being very surprised that it was packed with Hime Gyaru rather Lolita! The Western world is different though. From what I’ve seen it’s quite rare to find more than a couple of girls in the same place. Of course there are exceptions but Hime is a “go big or go home” kind of thing which can be hard to keep up with no friends to talk to about it unless you *really* love what you’re wearing.
Do Hime in other countries do the fashion differently to girls in Japan?
-Yes. One obvious difference here is the make up, Japanese techniques need to be adjusted to achieve the same effect on a different shaped eye. Availability is another factor which changes the way Western girls wear the fashion. In Japan you can walk into a shop and walk out with a complete outfit. In most other countries you have to search quite hard to put together a decent coordinate out of local items. I think that this probably makes girls more resourceful and (arguably) more committed to the fashion because they have to work a lot harder for the end result. In the parts of Asia I’ve visited, staple Hime items are readily available for decent prices while in other areas of the world they aren’t. Diamantes are a great example of this, in many places in Asia you can just walk to the shops are buy a pack of 1000 or so diamantes for a reasonable price. Here in Australia our craft stores generally sell them in packs of 10-50 for $5 upwards. So if I want to complete a deco project in a cost effective way I have to order from overseas. The internet has helped greatly with shopping and making friends with similar interests so I think as more companies start shipping internationally we’ll be closer than ever ๐
Is the style dying?
-It’s true there has been a lot less activity in the last few years. According to Mitsu the Jesus Diamante Mixi forums are dead, I’ve seen less Hime in street snaps, Ageha is moving towards more generic host looks and there seems to be less talk about the fashion in general. Personally I’m putting this down to a mass graduation of the 1st gen of girls. A lot of girls who began in the fashion in 2000-2005 are now getting a bit older and graduating to more mature fashions. Even Keiko Mizoe who is Jesus Diamante’s biggest selling/most popular shop girl has retired to settle down into family life. So with that era of girls retiring their frilly hair pieces, the next few years will tell if Hime Gyaru is going to be an enduring style or end up with styles like Manba as a footnote of fashion history. Personally even if no one else dresses this way I won’t mind, I dress to please myself, not because it’s in fashion!
About Me In The Fashion:
Are you a spoiled princess?
-No. I work very hard for the things that I own.
Do you wear Hime style 24/7?
-I don’t wear full on Hime style all the time, that’s just not practical. Who wants to sleep with a head full of bobby pins? I dress how I feel on a particular day. When I am not wearing complete Hime you will usually find me in something like this. For days when I’m just staying home and working I like to be comfortable. I wear cute lounge wear with frills and lace but that’s a whole other post. I try to incorporate as much Hime style as possible into what I’m wearing at all times.
Do you spend all of your money on clothing to the detriment of being able to feed yourself? Do all Hime Gyaru do this?
-No and no. This whole issue/stereotype has been brought on by one silly article that was written about a woman who spent all her money on clothes and had no food to feed her children. That is not an accurate representation of an entire style. There are idiots in any group of people and clearly not everyone is good at managing their money. I eat very well *thankyouverymuch*, as does James.
How do you afford all of these extravagant things?
-A lady doesn’t tell and a gentleman doesn’t ask. No the truth of the matter is that I work damn hard for what I have and if I see something I want that I can’t afford it I make it.
Do you have to wear a petticoat?
-No, not all the time. A bell shaped skirt is not required in Hime style. It does depend on the dress though some things just look better with a petti ^_^
So you only wear pink?
-No. Hime style can include many colours. Pastels are common but dark colours like red and black aren’t uncommon. Pretty much the only colours that are completely off limits are fluros.
Where do you get your clothes?
-I buy at local shops, thrift stores, online and make things.
OMFGSDSD!!! I WISH I COULD DRESS LIKE YOU BUT *insert excuse here*
-Well you should stop wishing and do it ^_^
Other good resources:
Universal Doll- Fantastic resource for Gal information in general. Full of really well written articles!
Ricoche.net- Forum all about Gyaru, all styles including some Hime.
And after all of that writing I’m pretty damn tired and I’ve earned my cup of tea! Happy to answer any Hime Gyaru related questions to the best of my ability ๐
Evening everyone! Ok so tonight I’ve just got a couple of things to take care of before we get back to regular posting tomorrow.
Firstly remember I did a review on Skin MD moisturiser a few months back? A lot of you had questions about where it was available and if it would be available in Australia any time soon. Well they currently don’t have plans to stock in physical stores in Australia but they do ship internationally. The only thing with this is that a bottle costs $18 and the shipping is another $9.95 which is not exactly cheap when you haven’t used the product before ๐
Violet to the rescue of your bank balances!
If you want to order and you enter the promotional code “VIOLET” you will receive 20% off your order!
I know I’m going to be stocking up ๐
Secondly my blog has also been featured on lots of other blogs lately !
I’ve also been receiving some lovely emails from you all and I just wanted to say thank you all for continuing to read my blog. I hope I can make it even better in the future!
Following on from that in an effort to make things even better around here I’m going to be making a couple of changes. Nothing major, just a few things here and there so please don’t mind as I tinker with the site. If something doesn’t work please let me know and I will fix it up! If there is something that you want to see on the website I’ll be putting up a little poll so you can have your say ^_^
There is also a competition coming up for you all to look forward to!
Lately everywhere I look there are pompom hair bands so I thought why not do a pompom hair band tutorial!
Seriously it’s hard to turn around without seeing some kind of variation! I’ve been seeing them worn in hair and as bracelets or tied to bags. At first I couldn’t stand them but they’ve been slowly growing on me… and now I think they’re cute! The only thing is that here in Aus because they are more hard to come by they are very expensive, who wants to pay $20 for a hair tie?!
So I decided to make my own and it took around 10 minutes.
What you need:-Pom poms in various colours
-Stretchy jewelery thread
-Needle
-GlueDecide on the pattern you want and lay out your pom poms in a circle. I used 9 medium pom poms but you might need more or less depending on how big you want it and how squishy your pom poms are.
Get your stretchy jewelry thread and thread it onto your needle.
Pick up your first pom pom and thread it onto the elastic. Don’t go straight through the middle, go slightly to the side so you can fit as many pom poms onto it as possible.
Thread them all on!
Once you’ve got them all there, thread your needle through the first one pom pom again. Pull the thread tight to form a circle. Depending on how thick your stretchy thread is you might need to go through all of them again to make it extra sturdy.
Now tie the thread off in a double knot. Make sure to pull the knot extra tight but be careful it doesn’t pull the pom poms too close together or you won’t be able to stretch it over your hair! Finish by adding a tiny drop of glue to the knot for extra strength.
Taadaa! I am Wonder Woman deflecting bullets!
The lovely Super Kawaii Mama shows us you can use all kinds of sizes and colours:
Great for entertaining yourself as well.
And SKM’s doggie is an even cuter model:
And of course you could just wear it like a normal person…
Enjoy ^_^
Next post is going to be a Hime Gyaru FAQ so if you have any questions this is the last chance to get them in ๐
Let me know if any of you make a pompom hair band too!
Quite a while ago I placed an order with Bodyline Japan for quite a few items as a belated Christmas present from James ^_^
A lot of you asked for a review of the items so here it is!
Website:
The site is very easy to use with a standard shopping cart and the ability to pay via Paypal or credit card. Shipping is offered via DHL at a flat rate of US$20 or EMS with a rate depending on your country. The site has a huge amount of items to choose from so it was a little hard for me to stay in my budget! ๐
Shipping:
I chose DHL shipping to save money. DHL has a rather bad reputation from other people I’ve spoken to, depending on what country you live in *cough*America*cough* they have been known to expedite your package through customs and then several weeks after delivery present you with a bill for doing so. As far as I’m aware this doesn’t happen in Australia and it definitely didn’t happen to me this time. That said if I was ordering again and I was in a hurry I would spend the extra money for EMS because even though the “estimated arrival time” from Bodyline was arriving on a Friday the package didn’t arrive until 4:30pm on the Monday. The package made it all the way from Japan (via a bunch of other countries) to Australia in around a day and a half and cleared the airport customs very quickly and then it spent the better part of 3 days “on route” to my house. Considering my house is around 30min from the airport that was kind of irritating! Anyway not a big deal! XD
Here is the package that arrived:
Inside I ordered the following (not the real names but I can’t find half of the things on the site anymore):
James’s mini review of the beannie and hat is “very soft and nice” XD
Ok let’s do the individual reviews!
Spotty Bow
Price- US$3
Made from average quality ribbon, finished quite nicely.
On the siteI thought it was a side bow but it’s actually right in the middle, now looking at it I think she’s just wearing it to the side. The plastic band it’s on is a little flimsy.
Over all: happy with the quality for the price. I’ve worn it several times now.
Short ruffle socks
Price: US$5
The lace is nylon but it’s still very very soft. The actual socks are incredibly soft. I’m really happy with these especially for the price, they are adorable!
Music Note Dress
Price: I think it was around US$35-ish I can’t find it on the site now but it was very cheap.
This is the packaging. Something about Bodyline’s international packaging has always made me happy.
The dress:
I fell in love with this print. It’s not top notch quality, up close the print gets slightly pixeled and one thing that irritates me is that some of the treble clefs are backwards… but unless you’re staring at it from 2 inches away and are a music nut like me I don’t see it as a reason not to buy.
The quality of this dress is fantastic for the price plain and simple. No it’s not the same quality as AP or BtSSB but it’s still better than the average dress you would pick up at Supre or even Target. All of the seams are finished well and though there is no lining every stitch is in it’s place. *edit* I also forgot to mention that this jsk comes with bow ties for the back and shirring with ribbon so the size is quite adjustable. The bow ties are not detachable unlike other brands.
The quality of the lace was as good as any brand piece I’ve seen, no nylon at all.
It came with 2 detachable bows on the collar which I totally love. They are the perfect size to use on my beret or just in my hair. The only problem I had (and this is really nit-picky) was the clips were put on backwards compared with everything else I own so I put them o upside down a few times out of habit ^_^
Eyelashes:
Price: US$1-3
I was really happy with the lashes, here in Aus lashes are usually $8-10 which I think is quite unreasonable. These are a great price and decent quality. They also offer many many different styles.
This was my favorite pair:
Diamantes!
Shoes with bows
Price: US$37
I can’t express how happy I am with these shoes, they are exactly what I was hoping for! I bought them so I would have good walking shoes for Melbourne, the reason I chose these ones is because the front platform is almost as high as the heel so there isn’t as sever slope as appears. Apart from rolling my ankle once they did their job fantastically and I didn’t have any major dramas.
I picked the non-shiny version. They are very sturdily made and surprisingly light. I went through two airports with them and didn’t set off security so I imagine they are made of hollow plastic.
The heels are thick and the bows on the back are so cute!
One feature I really liked was the fact that the top buckle is on a snap closure. This means when you have ridiculously long nails you won’t have problems with putting your shoes on ๐
The tread on the bottom was a nice touch too that a lot of these style shoes seem to miss out on.
The only problem is that being white they do scuff quite easily. That’s not a design flaw, it’s just how white shoes are so if you’re going to get some you should get some shoe polish too.
Stripe Candy Tote bag
Price: US$6
I was a little disappointed with the colour of this one, on the site it looks like a very pastel blue but in reality it’s about half way between my photos and theirs.
The pattern is so cute!
For some reason the straps are made from a shiny slightly stretchy almost cheap vinyl fabric. It’s a very strange choice because it feels so much more flimsy than the rest of the bag. That said I used it to carry my heavy laptop to and from Melbourne and all around the place and it still hasn’t broken. It hasn’t broken yet but I still think I want to replace the straps just to be safe.
It’s lined with pink cotton. For $6 you can’t really go wrong though.
So what does it all look like on? Well it looks like this…
The skirt of the dress has lots of room for a good sized petti. Without the petti it is the perfect shape for hime style.
And co-ordinated slightly differently. Also don’t worry I haven’t forgotten that you all want a tutorial on this hair style, I’m just a bit behind at the moment *_*
Overall I’m happy with my purchases. I think it was great value for money and I was able to buy a lot more items than I was expecting.
Bodyline had such a stigma in the Lolita community because of quality issues many years ago, since then they’ve worked hard to change their image. Yes you will still find maid style items and no not everything there is good BUT if you are prepared to do your research and study the pictures carefully it can be a great place to pick up well priced lovely items.
I will definitely be ordering from them again ๐
Illustrator. Strong tea, knitting, watercolours, and making a video game called Moonlight in Garland. Living with her adorable husband Jimmy, fluffy puppy Miss Lottie and Bergamot Bunny in Melbourne, Australia.
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