How to do gal makeup without lashes or lenses (90's/2000's inspired)

How ya doing!? <3

This post isn't really a tutorial, it's more of an advice/guide post on how to do gyaru makeup without contact lenses or false eyelashes. However, keep in mind that this is recommend for experienced gals. If you're a baby gal, this might be trickier than a look with long, thick lashes and circle lenses!

This look is inspired by the 1990's and early 2000's when gals didn't wear circle lenses or falsies very often and it wasn't as necessary as it became later. Although many did wear lenses, they didn't have the same enlarging effect as circle ones.

I became more and more inclined to old school style inspired as I became busier (a.k.a less likely to wake up early enough. I'm prioritizing my sleep a lot these days). I do like my makeup with false lashes a lot better, but my glue takes a while to dry so I can take about 10-5 minutes to do both upper and lower lashes.

Let's break down the old school look!

BASE:

First, you might have noticed that old school was all about tan and highlighting. It's very important to focus on your base makeup! If you're skipping nose contouring/stripe, you're already doing it wrong. This and light, arched, thin brows are what will sustain your whole look to make it gal.

Your look will hardly work out if you're going for Instagram Baddie brows. Keep it as thin and light as possible; preferably, shave your real brows.

Not feeling like tanning anytime soon? Me neither. But bronzers or slightly darker foundation (I said SLIGHTLY! Use common sense!) can give the illusion of a sun-kissed complexion. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Hoola bronzer by Benefit Cosmetics. It's not really visible in my photos because my camera is one of those whitewashing ones but a good bronzer makes a lot of difference. Also, a little bit of highlighter on cheek and brow bones never killed nobody!

A nice, flashy blush is very handy as well, specially if your tan is more toned down or non-existent. Bright pink and orange are the best ones.

EYES:

Eyeshadow/base: I personally like bright colors and shimmering/metallic shadows, whether it's old school inspired or not. Blues, whites and silvers are some the most common shades for this kind of look, and I think they work out better than neutrals as they're flashier. Remember to give your inner corners a nice highlight too! It's very important to make sure they're always shining and drawing attention!

Eyeliner: Probably the #1 essential item in gal since day one. You can figure out how to do your makeup without lashes, but NEVER without eyeliner.

Try not lining it too thick or too thin, but thinner is definitely better than thicker as it helps your natural lashes stand out when you apply mascara. 

Also, I can't stress this enough: LINE YOUR WATERLINE! Wether it's from the inner corner to center, or center only, this makes a WHOLE DIFFERENCE and in my opinion is so essential to simply ignore it. I use pencil eyeliner for the waterlines but some people like using liquid eyeliner. Experimenting is the key.

Droop: Droopier droops require fuller lashes to look good, so it is very important but try not to drag it down too much. As you can see in the pictures, it's not as nearly as dramatic as in a manba or tsuyome look. I like using pencil eyeliner or eyeshadow so I can blend it out a tiny bit too and looks more harmonious without lashes. 

Namidabukuro: I've done with and without it, and IMO both look good. However, I try to not do it as dramatic as I'm known for, I try to keep it more subtle, but they do give a more gal vibe to the look + eye-enlarging effect.

Mascara: Here's where the magic happens. Just because you're not wearing falsies, it doesn't mean that lashes aren't any important. The whole thing will come together when you put on mascara, specially after the first coat. And PLEEEAAASEEEE don't forget about the lower lashes!!!! Give them nice coats!!!!!

LIPS

Pretty much the same for other gal styles: pale lips. While some substyles allow playing with darker shades, if you're not wearing lenses or lashes then you definitely don't want to draw attention to your lips.

I think pearlescent, creamy, glossy and shimmering finishes work better than matte but that's just my opinion. I like wearing lip glosses or balms better than lipsticks too. Nivea's Pearly Shine lip balm, NARS' lipgloss in "Turkish Delight" or The Body Shop's watermelon lip balm all got the perfect pale pink shade. M.A.C's "Myth" is a forever gal favorite.

This was my look today:

With glasses and mask:

Previous looks that look more old school:

Of course, I'd much rather wear lashes (as for contacts, never wore them and I don't intend to anytime soon). It's much easier to look gal with them plus they look so nice, but if I'm short on time or feeling too lazy, this is my go-to makeup. Otherwise, I'm an advocate for falsies.

Always keep in mind that this lash-less look is not fit for (ya)manba, tsuyome, agejo, rokku, and other dramatic substyles. It works better for kogal, old-school, and, as in my case, casual/work/daily.

This is my first educational post and I hope it was helpful and that you guys enjoyed! I tried to make it as detailed as possible!

 Leave any questions at the comments if you have any!