Category Archive for Books + Magazines
PINK HAIR ISSUE OF KERA MAGAZINE: PUNK LOLITA CLOTHING, MAKEUP AND HAIR.
Once upon a time, La Carmina could have been mistaken for Leeloo or Run Lola Run. Since then, my hair has moved on to less Day-Glo pastures; a red dye stain on a new white leather jacket was the final nail in the coffin. Alas, I can’t help reminiscing about my fiery-haired days after flipping through Kera Magazine (11). This Lolita-meets-Punk issue is pinker than a flamingo dipped in cotton candy.
Is pink hair reserved for girly-girls? Not when finger-less motorcycle gloves, fishnets, and biker boots are in the mix. Algonquins Addiction matches the model’s pink extensions with punky plaids; what do you think of the silver moon boots?
Pink locks will inevitably stand out in a room, but you can create a different impact through styling. Kera contrasts “soft” and “hard” dos; the latter is achieved with dramatic eye makeup and teased, punky piles of hair.
This spread is titled “Rock and Rose” for self-explanatory reasons. The outfits are a hodge-podge of Algonquins, BTSSB, HellCatPunks, and Super Lovers. A stellar look, but my brain hurts from so many visual elements. (Can you spot five bows, a cherry, a poodle, a key, two flowers, two crucifixes, and seven belts/chains? )
To achieve this “Red x Rock” look, apply black pencil around the eyes, then add red eyeshadow with a makeup brush. Eyebrows and lips are kept subtle to avoid a “clown” look. On the left: a cute backpack from Hundred Club x HellCatPunks.
Other ways to dress up pink hair: Kera suggests a DIY black hat topped with a rose, or a fiery plaid skirt and faux-fur collared jacket from Sex Pot Revenge.
Everyone’s living la vie en rose! From left to right: Alice and the Pirates, Metamorphose temps de fille, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Toxic Star.
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JAPANESE SCHOOL LUNCHES DECORATED LIKE CUTE CHARACTERS: BENTO BOX CHARABEN.
Do you remember the scene in Kamikaze Girls where Momoko takes out her school lunch? Everyone’s nibbling on rice balls and sandwiches – but our Lolita heroine opens up a pink heart-shaped box filled with girly-colored sweets, meticulously arranged for maximum cuteness.
She is not alone. Every school day, Japanese children tear open their bento boxes at lunchtime and squeal “KAWAII!” Their mothers had risen at dawn and spent three hours arranging slices of egg, cheese, and seaweed into Doraemon, Pikachu, and Super Mario. Okay, I’m hyperbolizing… but “charaben” (character bento boxes) arranging is in fact soaring in popularity in Japan.
In his new book Face Food, Christopher Salyers documents the art of the kid’s meal. Character bentos are a modern spin on elaborate food arrangments dating from 12th century Japan. To my surprise, the driving force behind these visual feasts is not artistic fulfillment. The parents toil in the kitchen for the sake of their children; one arranges ham slices into Piglet to delight them, encourage them to eat nutritiously, and hopefully boost their social standing in the classroom.
The book includes helpful hints on how to make your own bento box character lunches. Above are some adorable animals that would suit a Sweet Lolita. Rice is dyed with curry powder or pink food coloring. Egg, sausage, and fish cake form the facial features.
Gothic Lolitas would never be deficient in iodine: a lot of black seaweed (nori) is required to sculpt Emily the Strange, Jack Skellington, and Spiderman.
I whined to my mom: “I’m so deprived! You should have woken up at 5am to craft Goth-themed lunches for meee. Like a skull-shaped sandwich, impaled with red peppers and dripping with ketchup-blood. Or a soy-based interpretation of the Seven Sins, one for every day of the week.” She snapped: “Well you were lucky to have ANY FOOD at ALL!”
† From Face Food: The Visual Creativity of Japanese Bento Boxes by Christopher D. Salyers (New York: Mark Batty Publisher, 2007). For more bento box imagery, check out the Face Food blog.
LA CARMINA
