Cute & Creepy: Entrevista con Ayame Shiroi

Hace unos meses atras, explorando el mundo de tumblr me entontré con un artista maravillosa. Ayame Shiroi, una ilustradora conocida por su uso de colores vivos, moda juvenil y temas espeluznantes. Espero que disfruten conocer mas sobre ella.

Cute: atractiva de una manera bonita o entrañable

Creepy: causando una desagradable sensación de miedo o malestar.

Entrevista

P: ¿Por favor preséntense a nosotros?

R: ¡Hola! Soy Ayame Shiroi y me gusta dibujar. Me encanta las cosas extrañas y lindas, tratando de hacer del mundo un lugar más raro y más colorido, un dibujo a la vez. Amo el color rosa, brujas, el brillo, demonios, temas ocultos, cristales y plástico. Gracias por estar aquí , espero que disfruten de esta entrevista!

P:¿Qué te hizo ser interesada en el dibujo y cuándo empezastes a pensar en ello como una profesión?

R: La mayoría de nosotros empeza a dibujar cuando somos niños , sólo que nunca me detuve, me encontré en ella una manera de expresarme de una manera que no puede con palabras. En un sentido, siempre quería que fuera mi profesión, por un breve tiempo pensé de ser una traductora, pero yo era / soy demasiado obsesionada con el dibujo. Empecé a considerar más seriamente cuando empecé a hacer un poco de dinero con él . Hoy en día todavía estoy luchando la batalla por el dibujo a ser mi profesión.

P: Comparte con nosotros acerca de tu proceso creativo. ¿Cómo se te ocurrió una idea, ¿cuáles son tus medios preferidos y cuánto tiempo te tarda en completar un proyecto?

R: Esto es un poco difícil, porque mi mente es un caos completo asi que dibujar un mapa de mi misma es muy difícil , pero voy a intentar . Mis principales fuentes de inspiración son los sentimientos y la moda, sobre todo la moda callejera Japonesa ( y estoy empezando a notar que la comida realmente me inspira también, jajaja ). Bueno, comienza con algo que quiero expresar , no siempre vienen desde el interior, a veces refleja el mundo a mi alrededor. Puede ser algo profundo, como sentirme sola o atrapada o algo alegre como disfrutar de comer un bocadillo . Con esto en mente, empezo a dibujar . Trato diferentes a los colores, ropa otros accesorios como parte del carácter de modo que pueda conectarse con la sensación principal. Espero que tenga algo de sentido.

Por lo general trabajo digitalmente, es muy versátil y rápido, en comparación con los medios tradicionales, que también estoy disfrutando últimamente. La mayoría de mis bocetos comienzo en piezas al azar de papel que encuentro.

El tiempo que me tardo realmente depende, pero en la mayoría de los casos va desde un día hasta una semana.

P: Usted describe su arte como una combinación de " lindo " y " espeluznante " . ¿Cómo se te ocurrió esa mezcla y que es lo que te atrae a cada uno de estos elementos ?

R: Han sido parte de mí desde que puedo recordar . Siempre me ha gustado cosas lindas , que me hace realmente feliz y cuando era una niña tenía mucho miedo a la muerte y los fantasmas. Este miedo de alguna manera evolucionado hasta convertirse en fascinación pura cuando empecé a aprender más y más. Creo que ambas cosas me conectan de manera diferente a mi infancia. Hoy en día, lo espeluznante y lindo provoca la misma reacción para mí. Son lo mismo para mí asi que los mezclo sin darme cuenta. Yo diría que mi arte es sobre todo lindo, pero ¿qué sé yo? Para mi sangre, globos oculares y esqueletos son lindos también jaja.

P: Una de las cosas que he notado mientras se navega a través de su Tumblr es que usted es aficionada de Mahou Shoujo, especialmente de títulos como " Sailor Moon " y " Puella Magi Madoka Magica ". ¿De qué manera te han influido estos programas de televisión como artista?

R: Me enseñaron que la fuerza viene en diferentes formas, que siendo frágil no te hace débil, que todos somos diferentes y que debe valorarse y que los estereotipos se deben romper. Y la sensación de magia! La sensación de que todo es posible. Todo eso es muy importante para mí como persona y que son mensajes , también yo quiero decir. Y no nos olvidemos de los vestidos con volantes brillantes.

P: Vamos a suponer que soy un jinn ( genio ) y te puedo otorgar la oportunidad de trabajar, en tus propios términos, en tu proyecto ideal . ¿Cuál sería ?

R: Me gustaría estar más involucrado en la creación de la moda, me gustaría hacer ropa y accesorios, todos ellos con ilustraciones y otras decoraciones . Me gustaría pasar el tiempo sólo creando y diseñando. Haciendo nuevas ilustraciones e ir a eventos relacionados de vez en cuando. Tendria mi propio negocio y me gustaría en algún momento emplear a más personas. Sólo dame, un lindo estudio y un salario decente. Eso me haría feliz!

P: ¿Qué consejo le darías a alguien que quiere seguir tus pasos?

R: Sé fiel a lo que te gusta, No te ocultes, no hay ninguna razón para hacerlo. Trabajo duro y práctica mucho. Habrá momentos duros, pero trata de aferrarse a las cosas buenas y no darse por vencido.

Sitios de Ayame Shiroi

Tumblr: http://shiroiroom.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiroiroom/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shiroiroom

Shop: http://shiroiroom.storenvy.com/

English is not her first language; Spanish is not mine. Please be forgiving of any grammatical mistakes made in the process, Thank You.
Credits: English Interview by The Beautiful World | Diaries of Two Travelers

Gotta Chatch'Em All: Pokémon’s Clothing Collection

Attention anime lover's, as I hope many of you already know, this year is Pokémon’s 20th anniversary year! And here to help celebrate is YUMMY MART debuting their Pokémon’s clothing collection. The collection will be released on the 20th of April, 2016 by the popular "sister" brand known as PEACH JOHN which sells lingerie. This collection will be made up of relatively the same items. Things like, panties, pajamas', ponchos, eye masks, and a laundry bin. Unfortunately, the Pikachu bras are not going to be sold to the public. Apparently, they were made just for the photo shoot. How could they do that to us right?! 

Well, there is some more good news to compensate for that. The company will also hold a giveaway contest during the first few weeks of the release of their collection. There will be an Instagram hashtag# campaign held at YUMMY MART stores in Shibuya 109, Shibuya PARCO, and Ikebukuro PARCO. Too bad we don't live there. (I'm sure if you hashtag or DM the company's Instagram asking if international contestants are allowed and how can they participate, they'll get back to you with an answer.) Anyways, If you live in Tokyo or plan on visiting on those dates, why not drop by a store? The special photo booths will be placed at each store, all you have to do is take a picture of yourself and post it with the hashtag #YM_PIKACHU. Then 5 lucky people will be chosen to get YUMMY MART Pokémon collection special items. 

This campaign will be starting from April 20th until May 8th. So far, I have no idea how to order online or anything like that, but I just wanted to share with you this fun bit of news. Share your thoughts on how cute this collection is in the comments below. 

Here is the link to the site's announcement in case you want to check more out!

Pokémon Collection on YUMMY MART website : http://www.peachjohn.co.jp/pj/yummymart/pokemon/

Sponsorship Introductions

This month I have a few cool things happening on the blog. I'm happy to announce some new sponsor companies helping my cause. I'll be introducing these companies formally and sharing with you some reviews coming up for them. Some of these companies are a more long term collaboration and others just sponsored posts. None the less, these are companies I have purchased from in the past and have been very satisfied with their products and services. I must admit one of these is completely new to me. 

First up is Pinky Paradise, here is a little bit about their story: "Founded in 2006, PinkyParadise has accumulated years of experience in the beauty industry, making us a trusted and renowned online retail merchandiser specializing in fashionable and trendy circle lenses/color contacts. With more than 900+ types of lenses in stock, PinkyParadise.com has become one of the largest online circle lens store today.

We believe circle lenses are more than just coloured contact lenses, they redefine the beauty boundaries of eye makeup. Even more, it tells people who you are. Your eyes speak with PinkyParadise." Link: http://www.pinkyparadise.com/

Next is Lens Circle, an online retailer of circle contact lenses. Circle lenses enhance the appearance of your eyes making them look bigger and bolder. Their mission; making eyes beautiful, one lens at a time." Link: http://www.lenscircle.com/

Can't forget we have Wigaholics. "Wigaholics, an online store that caters to all your wigs crave. We believe that everyone deserves a wig that would fit perfectly to their makeover, any style they want. Some prefer bubbly wigs, others want a vibrant looking cosplay wigs, for sure we accommodate to all your needs, just like how a wig would require bobby pin and wig cap, and we would like to have your satisfaction and happiness." Link: https://www.wigaholics.com/

Lastly, I'll be introducing to you Cute Kawaii, a Cute Kawaii Harajuku Fashion Clothing & Accessories Online Store.T Selling the top trending Japanese & Korean Fashion, Selling also Asian Fashion Clothes & Accessories. Link: http://cuteharajuku.storenvy.com/

So there you have it. I look forward to reviewing their products and collaborating with them again. I will be talking more in depth about them once the time comes to review them in later posts this month. I'm very lucky for these opportunities to work together with companies like these and have support from all sorts of places. Especially my readers! Thanks so much, and keep a look out for upcoming posts. Until then... 

IGARI Makeup: the Hangover Look

IGARI Makeup, the most popular makeup in Japan. As of last spring when it debuted, it's still growing strong. IGARI SHINOBU, the creator of this look is a famous makeup artist in Japan. We know that previously, most Asian makeup was pointed at emphasizing the eyes to make them look bigger. Right now, that's out the window due to this trend sweaping the industry. Because Igari is such a big influenzer it has been picked up by many popular magazines and media entertainment widespreading to beauty gurus and fashionistas everywhere.

You may be asking yourself, "What is Igari Makeup?" Many also know this look as the "hang over" makeup. This is totally not what someone looks like the next morning after a night of fun, but I guess it does resemble anime characters when portrayed as being drunk. They blush a lot because they feel embarrassed.

Either way it looks cute, and adds something unique to your style. Regarless of what it might be, this makeup can be adapted to any style because of its simplicity. I've seen it on many girls with different fashion styles, but same makeup.

How to get the look? As I mentioned before, this look is very simple, and very easy to recreate. The look is separated into three ky points which are: natural eye makeup, blushed cheeks and rosy lips. I'll give you ladies some tips on how to achieve this look.

• Of course, start with a clean face. That way when you're moisterizing, you can massage it to lock it in and promote blood circulation to face. It will wake you up and make your skin look healthier.
• This look is a minimalist makeup, so keep that in mind when doing you foundation routine. That being said same goes for the eyes. Lightly put on a soft shade if desired and curl your lashes. If you wish to use mascara to make them stay all day that fine- just be cautious of the amount of layers. Natural is what we are going for in the eyes.
• The most important point is....the blush! Now, you want to emphasis this feature by adding a gradation of blush to your cheeks. A darker shade of blush to the outer part of your cheeks and a lighter shade of blush to the apples of your cheeks. This will create the look of soft feminine skin and your girlish beauty. 

Just like any trend, looks evolve and beginning to change into other ones. Thus, a new word has risen, calling girls that use this makeup, "Holstein Face." Which pretty much means, "face full of attractive hormones." Weird I know. But most girls wear it for the  sheer reason its an innocent yet sexy look.
I'll also share a few videos on the different takes of the Igari makeup. Remember there are no rules to makeup. Just do what make you feel beautiful!

I'd like to expiriment with this kind of makeup.

I hope you enjoyed this look and found it helpful as we try to keep up with the latest trends. If you liked this post and want to see more like them, leave a comment & don't forget to subscribe.

How I Reached 10,000 Facebook Likes in One Year

As many of you know, I have put a pause on blogging and social media every since I had my kids and things slowed down. Before then, is a completely different story. You may be asking your self what it is I was doing and posting about. So, how was it that I reached 10,000 #Facebook likes in 1 year? Let me tell you,..

Background Story:

 I used to be very into a Korean Fashion style called "Ulzzang." It literally means to have the "best-face." So, as a young teen I not only had the monetary resources to afford this style, but also the time and energy to live it. I made a fan page for myself that focused on this style and how to apply it to daily life, posting tips and tutorials I would create. I entered and won many online contest, submitting my photos and gaining internet popularity in this subculture. After seeing myself getting stuck and not really progressing (getting more popular) peaking at about 1,000 likes, I switched to promoting myself and creating my content for a Spanish speaking audience. This is where I boomed.  I went from 1,000 likes to 10,000 likes in 1 year. At one point eventually averaging to about 1,000 likes a month. Now that may not seem a lot compared to other internet famous blogs or people but in this particular niche, it was.

Now, that you know a little bit of how I started getting involved with social media and the internet, I'll tell you exactly what I did to "boom."

Steps I took:

1. Brain Storm & Define your Niche:
Decide what kind of page you want to be. Now, I had to brainstorm a lot! I wanted to be the go-to page for this kind of style in the spanish speaking internet world. I wanted to provide reliable, quality information and be 100% legit about it. I simply wanted to be #1. It was something I loved and was very passionate about. Now in order to be #1, I had to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk." So here is where step number two comes in.

2. Research your Niche:

You know what you want to write or post about, now learn everything there is about it. I can't tell you how much I read, watched and searched for answers to the questions I had about this niche. I'm not Korean, and I have never been there. So, I was influenced and guided by what I saw online. Doing this made me question so many things that where contradictory in the style, and so many opinions of "how-to-be Ulzzang." I wrote to many influential bloggers in this niche, and commented on many videos and forums, simply asking. I obtained good feedback and I went by "majority opinions." The more I dove into topics the more I learned about the style, its origin, South Korean culture and so much more. If someone had a question for me, I had the answer.

3. Goal Setting:
I began with minimal knowledge of my niche, but as time went on I became the "wiki-pedia" of it all. I sat down, and vaguely planned month to month the content I would be posting throughout one year. I had a vision and with that vision came the desire to obtain a huge following. I told myself that no matter what, I had to be #1, and be the first page of this niche to reach 10,000 likes.  The competition already had a good head start away from me at about 3,000 likes each, I knew it would be hard, but I had to beat them, mainly because they content they posted was terrible. I began the first of January of 2012 and so I had the opportunity to remain organized in my planning. Although I didn't have specific numbers set to try and reach weekly or monthly, my goal was the end of the year number and quality of the content. It wasn't until much later into all of this that I really began planning weekly posting schedules. So, set realistic goals that you believe you can accomplish.

4. Create Content your Audience Wants:
This is I think the hardest part of it all, creating good content that not only show cases your quality and vision, but also providing what your audience wants to see. I started off with basic essential posts such as style must haves, beauty tips and tricks, the photography aspect of the style and other basic info. After that, I hosted polls and questionnaires asking our followers what they liked, wanted to see more of, or if they had any questions that needed answering. This made it a bit more easy to brainstorm ideas for content and fulfill my mission. I also tried very hard to be different than other pages, innovating the way pages of this niche would operate. I constantly was introducing new ideas, and concepts keeping my content fresh and constant. I created giveaways, themed contests, monthly challenges, and much more to help others grow and progress in this style. I must say though, that not only the content was important but obtaining a professional look as well = Branding your style. My pictures were high quality images that attracted my viewers attention. I was always constant in the look my social media channels portrayed. I never bought any kind of software to edit images with text or anything. I simply used an online photo editor called #picmonkey.com It had everything I needed to create the visuals for my page. The best part of this site, is that it's free!

5. Keep yourself Motivated:
I can't stress this one enough! Motivation is key here! When the page was first created, many people mocked and laughed at me. They would say really mean things, and discourage me. Even my family would tell me to grow up and be a normal girl. Although all of this hurt at times, I never gave up! I would tell myself, that I would be the best, and I could do it. I needed to prove to my family and all of the other haters that I could be the best page out there. It was a big struggle. Not many people would visit my posts or click like but I kept posting regardless. Slowly, I noticed people would begin to do so without me having to do anything. This made me feel excited and I continued doing what I was doing the whole time. It was about 5 months into managing this page, that I saw real progress. I went from about 1,000 likes to 3,000 and each day it would grow faster and faster. People finally noticed my quality and work. By 6 months I reached 5,000 likes. 

6. Promoting yourself and Social Media:
About 5 months into managing the page, I decided to branch out into different social medias and for this I needed help. I recruited reliable internet friends to help me out by each of them managing a branch of social media.  I created a blog, twitter, youtube, and tumblr. I found the the most successful channels of social media were the blog, tumblr and youtube. So after a while, we just focused on those, also keeping up with our principal channel which was the Facebook page. I also joined many Facebook groups of this niche and promoted new posts or events there. I would say to shamelessly promote yourself and your content. How will anyone know you're there if you don't open your mouth?

7. Sponsors & Affiliates:
Part of what gave my page such great credibility were the sponsors I obtained. Though they were few, I ensured that they were reliable, famous/popular companies. I didn't get a sponsor until I reached at least 5,000 likes. Which is the average minimum for most companies related to this niche. I obtained sponsors such as #pinkyparadise #lenscircle #speciallens #choies.com and several others for that year I was most successful. For most of them, I had to personally contact the company and ask if they had any sponsorship opportunities available, and for a few others I was contacted by them with an offer. From these sponsorships, I would host giveaways and contest prizes, instead of keeping the products for myself. People loved that I would give back to them for their support, in this way. As for affiliates, I partnered up with other pages related to this niche that I felt were just as good as mine, and around the same number of followers I had. We would support each others events and cross post each others content making stronger friendships and gaining useful benefits from one another.

8. Interaction:

I always made time to answer questions, reply to comments and interact with my followers. It would make them feel closer, more relatable to me and in a way more special if I gave them individual attention. I would seem less like an internet celebrity and more like a regular girl like them.

All of this contributed to a fast growing following for my page. By the end of the year, I did reach 10,000 likes and blew my competition out of the water. It took determination, knowledge and the desire to accomplish this. 

After that year, I got married and had my kids, and well here I am now, trying to get things going again. I no longer practice Ulzzang fashion and lifestyle but I do love it. I've matured and changed these past few years. Growing into the style and life I have now. I know it will be a slow journey but one I'll enjoy. I love blogging and I hope this helped you all try and figure out what it is you want to accomplish. Currently, I have about 13,100+ likes having been inactive for about 2 years without posting a single thing. The best advice I could offer you is to not give up no matter how discouraged you are. On days you don't feel like posting anything, do it anyway, you'll thank yourself later- TRUST ME.

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