The future is my destiny

Japanese fashion magazines made be obsessed with makeup… January 20, 2011

Last summer, I started reading ViVi, Pinky (which is no longer publishing), PopTeen, PopSister, Kera, Nonno, CamCam, PS, Mini, GOSSIP, JELLY, NUTS, AGEHA, and Japanese magazines of all sorts which mainly focuses on adolescent/lady fashion styles and makeup.

Now, about half a year later from reading the magazines monthly, I have completed changed my mind about what is “pretty and cute”. I used to wear no makeup at all except occasionally wear lip balm for chapped lips but now I wear light-medium coverage tinted moisturizer, concealer, mascara,, blush, and loose face powder about 90% of the time I go outside. I used to be obsessed with cute stationary stuff such as Hello Kitty, Sanrio, San-X especially lead pencils but not anything like makeup until I started reading the Japanese fashion magazines. I went from having no blush, 1 foundation, 1 mascara, 1 eyeliner, and a bag of lip products to 6+ blushes, 10+ foundations (I do have a lot of the same foundation because it’s a really small package), 10+ mascaras, 5+ eyeliners, and more than a makeup bag full of lip products. I’ve even attempted to bleach my hair because I just really want to be what is defined as “pretty and/or cute” in the magazines.

Of all the changes, I find myself using less lip products but focusing on real makeup such as foundation, mascaras, concealers, and blushes. I’ve also started shopping online for clothes, makeup, and fashion related stuff more often  but there are other reasons to this because where I live the stores don’t have what I’m looking for because the makeup I want is more readily available overseas.

Today, I realized this has come to a problem that I can’t go to sleep without buying the makeup I’ve been eying on. I just seem to keep on buying makeup and using it but not really knowing when is enough. I do know how to put on makeup that looks natural and pretty/cute at the same time. But the amount of time I spend on looking for the “next” cute/pretty makeup item online is rather wasting my time when I have more important things to do. I have decided to cut down the reading of the Japanese fashion magazines to only ViVi, CamCam, PopTeen, PopSister, and Ageha but this will be hard and it is still a lot of reading. I will report on the effects of decreasing the reading of the magazines and see if there are any changes in my behaviour and attitudes. Stay tuned…

-Intjgirl