Amai Furiku?
-The sweet freak's guide to VK fashion
A happy February to you all! Carrying on from last month, I want to start off with some reader's hair tips sent to me through Tumblr.
First of all, from Beki;
“I have a tip for after care of bleached hair! Use egg whites like shampoo as it replaces the protein in your hair and makes it stronger again~”
From an anonymous sender;
“If you have thin and brittle hair, on dry hair, just gently rub in some conditioner on the very ends and leave all day and if it's particularly bad, keep adding throughout the day. When you rinse it out, the ends should feel much softer!”
Anon;
“On dyed hair, try to use cooler water when you wash it since it helps keep colour in (hot water opens the folicles which means that the dye pretty much falls out!) also when dying your hair, rinse the dye out with as cold water as you can handle!”
Even my mum had some tips!
“Use lemon juice on blonde hair to lighten it slightly and black coffee or dark vinegar on brunette hair to keep it dark and shiny.”
Two of these tips make use of foodstuffs you will likely have in your homes, so won't cost you huge sums of money to try out.
On to this month; nail art and trends for 2011!
As usual, please click photos for larger sizes and links to sources where appropriate.
I have noticed recently a lot of photos of Gal's amazing and over the top nail art. This is becoming increasingly popular in western countries too. However, false nails aren't for everyone and can prove to be incredibly impractical for everyday life.
One style I have had my eye on is the “Gloomy Bear” style of nail art. Very simple in design which can be played up or down and still look cute. It seems to have become more popular since Baby the Stars Shine Bright collaborated with Gloomy Bear (as featured back in Amai Furiku? 3).
There are various interpretations including styles to look like chocolate which really matches the Angelic Pretty Melty Chocolate print...
Some have gone with a zombie-esque look...
And others who started and followed this trend have opted for the “traditional” Gloomy style...
I took the idea and adapted it to my own tastes and colour preferences.
My favourite colours are turquoise, blue and purple and these are also the colours of my hair. I took 3 Barry M nail varnishes in 295 Turquoise and 291 Cobalt Blue. The purple I am using is a limited edition, not available from stores, so a similar colour would be 161 Vivid Purple.
First put one coat of a clear varnish over your nails. Here I am using Gosh's nail hardener.
Once dry, you can begin to use the colours!
Starting with the middle colour (I chose the blue for my middle) paint a streak across the mid dle of your nail.
It doesn't need to be neat as while it's still wet, apply your bottom colour (in my case the purple) to the bottom of the nail along the cuticle. Ke eping this messy will add to the effect and if you can, try to mix the two colours where they meet.
Once these two colours have dried, take your top colour (turquoise) and starting from where you want the drip to end, drag the brush upward and along the remaining blank nail. Add drips to your own liking. I find it easier to always start from the bottom of the drip and work up.
Now, don't worry if it looks really messy at this stage. This is only the first coat so there is plenty of chance to clean it up a little.
Wait until it has dried and neaten up any edges as you wish. You may find it easier to use a thin paintbrush rather than the brush with the nail varnish. Taking a cotton bud, dip it in nail varnish remover and clean up any areas around your nails.
Finally, once happy with the results, seal it in with a top coat of your clear varnish.
You are done!
The great thing about this sort of thing is there are many variations you could try, and it is easy enough to paint on your own nails. There is no need for falsies!
Some may want to add glitter or gems and such, but I would recommend you do this on false nails or go to a salon if you're not experienced in deco-ing your nails.
Now, onto upcoming trends we may be seeing in 2011.
Japan's fashions are constantly evolving and it can be difficult to keep up! However, in the last year or so, things have slowed down a little with some trends lasting much longer.
A trend that was big last year across fashions such as dolly kei, gyaru and lolita were can-can hats named so because of the noise they make when hit! In western countries, we would refer to these as boaters. Due to the abundance of styles, this trend looks set to carry on through this year.
Another sure trend of this year is wicker bags and baskets! Again, very popular amongst fans of dolly kei and gyaru, wicker has been a hit material in fashion last year and will continue to be seen this year. Various embellishments such as flowers, sequins and embroidery mean that these bags have limitless possibilities and will continue to sell.
Have you ever noticed how western trends follow the Japanese trends very closely? Styles or items popular in Japan will often become a hot new trend the following year in the western world. Taking for example boo-san, fur tails and floral maxi dresses and jumpsuits. All have become very popular in western countries since the boom of these style in Japan.
Look out for all of these styles in shop windows near you soon, and if not, now!
Can-can hats will no doubt catch on here in the UK where it would very much fit into indie/hipster kids' styles. Fur everything has also caught on here in a big way with fur skirts, fur coats, fur boots, fut bags, fur hats. With gyaru/gal styles becoming more po pular here, western gals are finding it easier than ever to find great items for great prices.
UK Gal circle 「PINK MARBLE」
US Gal circle Diamond Gals
Lastly, another trend that I really hope catches on is the colour orange. In an interview with NHK show Tokyo Fashion Express, a “brand producer” spoke of how her brand will be creating lots of orange clothing and items this year. She has always thought orange would suit Japanese women better than a colour such as red, plus orange has never been hugely popular.
Already, in Junya Watanabe's catwalk for the spring/summer 2011 range, models sported big colourful hair including lots of orange tones (red-orange-pink).
This in fact seems like a reverse trend, as orange has already been a big trend in western countries with emphasis on orange/coral lips, nails and eyes. It will be interesting to see how this pans out!
What Japanese trends would you like to see catch on in your country? Or maybe you have ideas that you would like to see in Japanese fashion? Let me know in the comments!
Last, but not least, it is February, so we are coming up to Valentines Day! A Japanese tradition is that girls will give guys chocolate on Valentines Day to express their feelings. The guy must wait until White Day (March 14th) to return any gifts! That probably sounds a little odd to some of you, so how about just going with some chocolate themed fashion accessories? Stores such as Claire's have started to stock charm necklaces and bracelets with foodstuffs on such as cakes, chocolate etc in deco-den style, so for quick, easy Valentines style, maybe treat yourself to a little chocolate necklace or maybe try out the Gloomy Bear nails in chocolate colours! Just be careful, they may look good enough to eat! Other than that, for all of you in the US, head on over to Cute-Plush.com to take a look at their range of adorable accessories and greetings cards too!
So, we've reached the end of this month's Amai Furiku?! Everybody have a lovely Valentines Day whatever you may be doing and I shall be back next month.
Anyone want to try out the Gloomy nails? Please send photos to missescupcakeface@hotmail.co.uk !
I'd like to leave you with some photos of myself showing off my new Gloomy Bear nails!
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