Introducing… UK Gyaru Circle, QueenE!

QueenE gyarusa, uk gyaru
QueenE gyarusa! Pic taken by Rachel

I have some really exciting news to tell you… Wib and I have created a gyaru circle! I mentioned in one of my previous posts that one of the things I missed the most about gyaru was being in a circle and getting that sense of belonging, and my wish was granted. We decided to call it QueenE (initially we were going to be called Queenie) in honour of our dear Queen Elizabeth! I’m so excited to see how it goes, and so far we’ve decided that we’ll host meets once a month in all areas of the UK.

I Left My Heart in Tokyo: Gyaru Life in Shibuya!

shibuya 109, gyaru, japan

I remember the excitement building as I stood grasping onto the train handles, counting down the stops on the Yamanote line to Shibuya. I have been waiting for this moment ever since I found out about gyaru – it is the birthplace of gyaru after all, and I couldn’t wait to be walking along Shibuya crossing in front of my beloved Shibuya 109. After we stepped off at Shibuya station I whizzed straight to see Hachiko, the world’s most loyal dog! The story about how he waited for his master years after his death at Shibuya station is one of my favourites, and struck several heartstrings when I finally saw the statue in person.

And then it was time to join the crowd of people at Shibuya crossing to walk towards the beacon of all things gyaru – Shibuya 109. And I was extremely disappointed.

Chasing Cherry Blossoms

cherry blossoms, gaijin gyaru, agejo

Cherry blossoms are my favourite flower; there’s just something so beautiful about their ephemeral state and it was the thing I was looking forward to the most during our stay in Japan. You could imagine my dismay when we arrived and it was too cold for them to bloom… It wasn’t until our very last few days here that they started to blossom, and so we went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and it seemed like we weren’t the only ones, however, and soon all of the spots surrounding the trees were taken.

My Japan Haul – DaTuRa, MA*RS, Sanrio and Many More

I’ve been to Japan and haven’t bought a thing… Said no one ever! And trust me, I am still on the road to financial recovery despite it being over a month since I’ve been in the magical land of Hello Kitty and matcha KitKat. It was so worth it, though, but when I look back at my Japan haul I wish I had bought more, but it was physically impossible to fit any more into my suitcase. My suitcase weighed 17kg before and then 23kg after. Oops. I’ve made the decision, however, to buy more things over from Japan. It might not be good economically but their clothes are just so much nicer and I want to keep supporting my gyaru brands from afar!

In the meantime, though, let’s delve into my Japan haul a.k.a the part where I sold my soul.

Donki

The very first part of my Japan haul was when I splurged on was some Hello Kitty and Sanrio goodies from Don Quiote (also known as Donki). I was just so happy to be surrounded by so many kawaii goodies so I didn’t hold back! I also bought some amazing 2-in-1 curlers and straighteners, and I’m pretty upset that I couldn’t fit it into my suitcase. Oh well, maybe next time.

Sanrio Items from Donki (Don Quiote)

Searching for the Perfect Photo

quest for the perfect photo

This was the first time that I took outfit photos outside the comfort of my home, and I learnt three very important things: one, that I was so awkward when it came to posing; two, that I get terribly nervous when taking outfit shots outdoors; and three, that white shoes will never look clean after some walking. I couldn’t help but feel that everyone was staring at me and thinking that I was being that ditsy chick just trying to get a picture in front of some cherry blossoms like a typical tourist (I was in Japan, after all) so this time I just asked my other half to take ten photos in total before settling down on the grass to enjoy the sight of cherry blossoms before I got too flustered.

The thing was these were actually pretty good.

One Item Five Ways: Boohoo Tulle Maxi Skirt

I’ve always been a fan of maxi skirts; when I was younger I used to have this long white one that I would wear whenever possible, but then my taste changed and I haven’t looked at a maxi skirt since. That is until I noticed them cropping up in Japanese fashion, and I was so tempted to get one right away but decided to wait patiently for it to appear in Western stores.

A few months down the line they arrived on the scene, and when I saw this white mesh skirt on Boohoo I knew I just had to get it, and BAM it was in my wardrobe. It’s amazing how versatile this skirt can be so it wasn’t that hard to come up with five different combinations for it, all of varying styles. You got your larme kei and your gyaru kei, both super easy to wear in your everyday life. It provides the perfect amount of layers for those cold days but it’s also light enough for Spring. I love it!

one item five ways, tulle, boohoo

To My Favourite Human

valentine's day, cute, love, heart balloon

I didn’t think much of you when we first met; you were a pretty ordinary guy with an ordinary life, and I was actually quite sick of boys at that time because they were always the same. No matter how pretty they were they were predictable to the core (from the guys I knew of anyway) and it was a bit boring. I thus decided that I couldn’t be bothered to have a guy in my life and would rather just do my own thing and be my own favourite human.

And then you came along and… Well, nothing changed. At first. anyway.

Nobody Cares

nobody cares, killstar, rokku gyaru

Once again I’m caught in the middle of a style crisis; on some days I want to be all pink and fluffy, and on others I want to be dark and witchy (so in gyaru terms it’s agejo/himekaji vs rokku gyaru). If I could ever win an award it would be for having the most indecisive and inconsistent style, a gyaru chameleon. Normally I would just go with the flow and jump at the opportunity to try new things but one day I got so sick of it that I behaved like a stroppy child and just sat with my arms crossed trying to figure out what to wear.

New Year Who Dis? 2017 To-Do List!

rokku gyaru 2017

The year ended as it began; with my friends and family, because no matter how good or bad the year was, as long as I’ve got them then nothing else matters. It will end and begin on a high, what more could I ask for?

2016 was… Interesting, to say the least, but that’s so last year (haha) and now it’s time to focus on 2017! I have to admit that I did not stick to my last year’s resolutions at all. And you know what? I don’t think I’m going to stick to them this year either. Making resolutions sucks because you get this false sense of hope that you’ll be a better person but you end up just staying the same. Oops.

Instead I’ve made a to-do list for 2017 because I just love ticking things off, especially when it’s things that are super easy to do which makes me feel like I’ve achieved something. The first thing on my list was to enter the year looking as glamorous as can be, and what better than to dress up like a gothic princess-in-training? I’ve fallen in love with my dark side and couldn’t wait to find the chance to wear this gorgeous velvet dress I picked up from Quiz.

I’m Dreaming of a Pink Christmas…

pink christmas decorations, rocking horse

I’d like to say that I was organised this Christmas but that would be a huge fat lie and I’m a terrible liar. While everyone else was putting up their Christmas trees, I was waiting for my decorations to arrive and was being a lazy slob. That’s when I realised that I had a Christmas part to attend to the following weekend and thought, “you know what would look great with my outfit? A Christmas tree”. Soon I was dragging myself to town and going down countless aisles to pick up whatever pink decorations I could find. Annoying thing was that the decorations I was waiting for arrived the day after the party (typical) so I snapped some photos with my Christmas outfit and took some more later when it was complete and you know what? It looks magical!

Embracing Your Imperfections

ane agejo, ma*rs, gyaru

I remember it as clear as day; me and my friend were sitting at a bar with our new housemate, and we were having a right giggle when our new roomie suddenly leant forwards and said “Haven’t you noticed that Lizzie has bunny rabbit teeth?” I was slightly intoxicated at the time but I remember my stomach dropping and my happiness faltering. Why would they say that, right in front of me? Luckily my friend just laughed it off and started pointing out our roomie’s imperfections while I just sat there trying to think of the best way to recover.

Caw, Caw, Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw, harry potter, gyaru, gaijin gyaru

I don’t care what anyone else says, they can make as many Harry Potter related films as they want and I’ll be happy. Who cares if it’s a money-making-machine? J.K Rowling is as magical as her books, I adore the world of witches and wizards, so any excuse to be absorbed into it is good for me. Reading Harry Potter is just perfect for winter – I can snuggle up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate and I’m satisfied. It’s a bonus if I can do that in front of a toasty fire, but seeing as I don’t have one… hot chocolate will do.

Crazy Bat Lady

halloween, bat outfit, vampire, nugoth

Halloween is here. As soon as the clock struck 12am on October 1st I was bringing out all of my Halloween decorations and the rest of my rokku gyaru wardrobe. Not that I had much of a chance to channel dark witchy vibes – it’s been so cold lately that I’ve been wearing chunky sweaters that had hidden any hint of witchy goodness.

The past couple of weeks have been heaven for me; all of the UK brands were bringing out their Halloween collections as well as the local supermarkets. A friend had asked if I was shopping for Halloween when they peeked at my screen but I secretly admitted that it was more for everyday wear. Another friend gave me these awesome pair of bat tights, and that together with my bat headband and vampire top I became the crazy bat lady.

kawaii bat outfit, jfashion, nugoth

bat tights

nugoth, jfashion, bat lady

Top: H&M / Skirt: Forever21 / Tights: unknown / Heels: New Look / Bat headband: ASOS

I am so glad that I didn’t throw out any of my rokku clothes in the end because October definitely brings out my dark side. I blame it on Halloween. It’s my favourite season of the year (joint with Christmas) and I can’t wait to get dressed up for it! I have so many ideas… Have you got any plans on what you’re going to wear this year? I’m tempted to buy a lot of Halloween stuff when it all goes on sale for my rokku wardrobe… Sure, some of the stuff isn’t technically “rokku”, but whatever.

I’m starting to become more comfortable with myself after numerous Lush baths and walks through the countryside. I have been struggling to find balance a lot this past year – I have work, my art on the side as well as my blog, and trying to juggle all that whilst maintaining a social life is an absolute nightmare. The main cause of my stress? The yearning for perfection. I want to do better in all aspects of life and believed that my current state wasn’t good enough. I was racing against time to try and achieve everything and more and was becoming burnt out.

My other half always tells me that I’m way too hard on myself and he’s right, but I just can’t get out of this mindset. I am a lot better now though, which is amazing! I’ll do my best to do my best without being ill and stressed out. I know that I probably won’t be able to do everything at once, so I’m taking baby steps!

If you have any tips for me, then please let me know in the comments below! Now let’s go out and get spooky!

Until next Sunday ♡

Lizzie Bee xx / facebook /twitter / instagram / bloglovin’

One Item Five Ways: Acid-Washed Jeans

Acid-washed jeans are the best things to jazz up a simple outfit; every time I feel like I’m in a slump I just slip on a pair of these babies and it instantly improves my mood. I haven’t been wearing it lately because it’s been unusually hot in the U.K. (the horror) but I just can’t wait for it to get a little cooler so that I can whack them on!

So while I patiently wait for that day to come I have decided that it was time to do another one of my “One Item Five Ways” posts. I really look forward to doing these, and I guess I could class them as a series now! If there’s anything you would like to see me experiment with then please let me know in the comments below.

acid washed jeans outfits

One Item Five Ways: Floral Denim Shirt

Summer is finally here in the U.K. Shocking, right? I can’t actually remember the last time we had a proper summer so I’m making the most of the warm(er) weather. But everytime summer comes around I find myself itching to buy new clothes and I’m trying my very hardest not to splurge too much and to find ways to make do with what I already have. I’m also trying to find ways to do gyaru without buying brand because I can’t bear the thought of shipping and custom fees… Luckily this year I’m achieving my goal of doing more gyaru-kei style (which is a surprise as I’m such a brand whore) and it’s quite refreshing!

Today I’m featuring this floral detailed denim shirt from Primark. I’ve been wanting to buy a cute denim shirt for ages but couldn’t seem to find one until I clapped eyes on this beauty. Sure it’s cheap and probably won’t last long, but it’s good enough for now. Anyway, onto the one item five ways!

one item five ways, denim shirt outfit ideas