Hey Cello, thanks so much for taking some time to talk with me! Can you give a quick introduction, for those that don’t know you?
I’m a hime gyaru with a distinct lolita-esque spin on things. While my looks might be a little experimental, my wigs stay true to form and are quintessential hime~
Thanks! Now, can you tell us how you got into gyaru?
I’ve always liked hime gyaru, especially the brand La Pafait. Unfortunately, as a beginner, I didn’t realize that the style was very different from lolita LOL. So I ended up doing hime lolita for a while, but the more involved I got, the more I realized that while very cute- it’s not really “me”. So, I decided to do some more research and landed in gyaru. ;w;
Now you have some sort of background in Drag right? Can you tell us about that?
Yes! I’m actually a drag queen, I go by Penelope in drag but names can get a little confusing lol. I think there is a very specific image of what “drag queen” means in America, especially for people who aren’t a part of that scene. Drag doesn’t have a set aesthetic, so I can wear gyaru makeup, gal brands, and perform as a drag queen. I’m most closely aligned/labelled as an alternative queen because I don’t fit the stereotypical image of a drag queen.
Has drag helped your gyaru style?
Drag has definitely helped my gyaru style. I've used a lot of techniques that I first heard about in drag to stack wigs, lashes, etc. It’s funny, because things like the Ben Nye white grease paint and huge stoned fake nails were all things I already had since I did drag.
What do you think has been the hardest thing about gyaru? Is there anything that has been really easy about it?
I think one of the hardest things for gyaru has been taking a different approach to it from other styles. I’m very used to sticking to brands and focusing on the outfit, but with gyaru a lot of focus is on the face. Also, there’s a lot of room to experiment- which can be hard for me because I want to go all out but it can end up falling into an uncanny valley.
Oddly enough, I think the makeup is easy. It’s a little hard to nail at first, but because I’m in drag and already wearing 300 lbs of contour, concealing my brows, and drawing new eyelids it’s easy to just “go big”.
What advice do you have for newbie gals?
Gyaru is a lifestyle, and part of gal is that you can be as rebellious and gaudy as you want. You get to define what that means. For me, doing drag is a part of that rebellion. Gyaru can be a really empowering way to approach gender, it’s a way to flip what “feminine” means to its extremes, of what being masculine means for gyaru-oh.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cinemadoll
Insta ((main social media): https://www.instagram.com/thepenelopeveracruz/
Blog: https://pixelperfume.wordpress.com/
