Long Time No Blog

I had a moment of memory today. I remembered this blog. I remember that I was very much interested in gyaru and how gyaru woke me from my appearance apathy.

I've since "graduated", realizing that I didn't want to be lumped into one standard of beauty that wasn't truly mine. I didn't want an unattainable body; I wanted the body my frame is meant to hold. I don't want straight blonde hair; I want to enjoy my thick curly hair and go ginger. I don't want to wear what's being sold in the gyaru stores (actually, I do want some of them, but bear with me); I want something unique and true to my own style. 

Where does this leave me? I have to rely on my will and my current means to make these things happen.

It's truly time to wake up and be a Realist Gal.

Stick with me on my journey, ok?

Is this thing on?

Hey cats and kittens, it's been a while. So much has happened since my last post that I feel so amazingly bad for not posting anything. Trust me, that's going to change.

See, ladies, I went through a Gal-crisis. Here I was, unemployed and gaining weight, on the side of depressed, and honestly, not caring at all about how I looked. I found myself looking hard at my roots (not my hair, duh), seeing what I'd become and where I was going. Then things changed.

I got a job (which I LOVE), have the summer off from college, and put on another ten pounds from not being as active as I was and working in the presence of bagels and doughnuts. It was evaluating what was different and where my attention was that I reached an epiphany. I was not living by my own life motto: Nothing changes until you make it change.

So, my dears, I have made a massive change. I am back to eating a mostly raw and mostly vegan diet starting today (I've been easing into it over the last week -- I'm a realist, duh!). I'm cutting wheat and corn completely from my diet (don't get me started on how bad they both are for the human body). I'm embracing that I am, in fact, a geeky gamer gal, bringing all aspects of my personality into my fashion choices. I WILL rock that X-men T-shirt with a cute skirt and shoes.

What am I doing for exercise? Read on.

I'm a huge fan of Hatha Yoga. Even if all I do is the Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation), I feel calmer and more positive about my day, and all my little aches and pains disappear for the rest of the day. I haven't had to have a chiropractic adjustment since I started Yoga in January. I stopped practicing when I got more tired and busy at work, and have started incorporating it again. It's amazing how much of a pick-me-up the fifteen minutes I spend on a slow Sun Salutation makes me feel, and it keeps me limber.

What else am I doing? I'm actually going to start doing Para Para again and playing video games that keep my body moving. I miss playing Dance Dance Revolution and am strongly considering arcade nights again. I'm cutting my Warcraft and Mass Effect time to only a couple of hours, and I'm walking during my breaks at work.  I'm riding my bicycle to do errands. I'm parking at the back end of the parking lot when I go shopping. I'm watching my posture and doing ab exercises at my desk several times a day. I'm lifting more. I don't bend over to pick things up, I squat.

So what does all of this have to do with my Gal-crisis? Everything, really. Seriously, if you're feeling crappy for days on end and don't even want to look at yourself in the mirror, how realistic is it to think you're going to work on those falsies and bronzer every morning? For me, however, that's part of my personal revival. I'm doing my make up every day now, putting time into my hair. At work, I keep my look toned down for the most part, but I'm still being conscious. Being Gal isn't necessarily about pure vanity -- there's an attitude to consider.

I'm keeping my blog. I'm tracking it all. I'd love to see what you guys think about what I've said and get some feedback and suggestions for incorporating my inner-me with my outer-me. I'm a geek, a gamer, a personality, and I'm pretty sure I'm still Gal.

-J

Make Up Lines Are FAIL

Well, I've had a hell of a time finding examples of this online, but there is something that I think we all recognize, and that's the Makeup Mask. Here's my definition: gorgeous make up with a visible foundation line along the jawline. Perhaps your face and neck are two different colors after you're done with your foundation? Here's an example borrowed from Skin Deco:

That doesn't drive me as crazy as the ones that are orange in the face and white on the neck. It looks tacky. If you're like me and use a darker color than your facial skin tone, this is something that is difficult to combat, so I'm going to share some of the tips I've picked up over time.


1. Use a foundation brush.

You'll get a much more even blend with your skin tone using a brush, and you can fade it out to the edges of your face. Since I use a darker foundation, I spread it out to my hairline and to my ears. Do I stop at my jaw? Nope, I keep going down my neck until it's fully blended and seamless. It also doesn't require an expensive brush. I use e.l.f.'s foundation brush that costs a dollar.

2. Try tinted moisturizer.

For an every day look, tinted moisturizer is the way to go. It blends much more evenly with the skin and, in my opinion, blends very well. Save the thicker foundation for meet ups and events. One can still have smooth even skin without caking it on. The point of foundation is to hide flaws and even the skin tone, not look like you're about to go perform for the circus. If you do use regular foundation, make sure it's water-based and that you can still blend it smoothly.

3. Bronzing/Blushing/Powders

I'm a fan of bronzing, but something that contributes to the cake-mask face, too. If you use a darker bronzer, tap off the excess so that you don't use too much, and layer it until you have the effect you want. Don't be afraid to use it on your neck, either, to make sure your color stays consistent. Sometimes using a larger powder brush to blend in edges makes it a lot more natural looking and less glaring.

The same goes for contouring. I see sooooo much on the "Gal-nose", meaning the dark contours on the side with a light stripe up the center to thin the nose out. The problem is that I'm not seeing a lot of blending done, so that ends up on my pet peeve list, too. Here's a good tutorial from Chaigyaru on proper contouring:

See? It's not that hard, just blend it in.


4. Give yourself a good once over.

Look for visible lines, get a second opinion. Do your make up in the right light and really blend. Again, don't forget your neck, ears, and hairline. Visible contour lines and foundation lines are really distracting and detract from the overall package. Keep the illusion going! A couple of minutes of reviewing your finished make up and blending in places you might have missed will go a long way.

I hope you all found that helpful. I know most of what I bring up are pet peeves and the unglamorous side of being glamorous, but these are all things that I believe are necessary to presenting oneself properly. If you have tips of your own, please share them in the comments!

J!