Switch Up Your Look With Bei Badgirl’s Tokyo Beauty Tips
If you haven’t heard of Bei Badgirl yet, you’re missing out.
Bei’s an artist and designer living between Tokyo and Sydney with an Instgram account full of all the beauty, style, and life inspiration a girl could ever need. We caught up with her to find out some of Tokyo’s best kept secrets. From the coolest stores to shop at to the hottest beauty trends, Bei answers some of our favorite #GaloreGirl questions below.
What’s the sexiest piece of clothing you own?
This holographic thong bikini I bought off a stripper on ebay for $12 that has star shaped “cups.”
Who is the sexiest woman you know?
Pamela Anderson is the ultimate [goddess]. Other celebrities I’m inspired by are Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Devon Aoki, Amber Rose, Blac Chyna, Cardi B, Kim K, and the sultry and demure Joanne Prada. My friends are [great], I get along best with other strong females who own their sexuality — my BFF Nikki Lipstick who I spend my whole life dreaming with, working, texting and sending memes to, and my gemini twin Rita Therese who has become an important artist, muse and collaborator in my life. She was also the photographer for this shoot!
If you had to wear one outfit for the entire year of 2016, what would it be?
A yellow sundress and a baseball bat.
How do you get inspired or what inspires you to make art?
I’m inspired by love, romance, heartache and obsession. I love bad bitches. I love the female body. I love everything cultivated by strong, beautiful and unapologetic women. I love beauty and cuteness. I travel a lot and spend half the year in Tokyo — my spiritual homeland. Everything is so cute and whimsical there it’s hard not to be inspired, and it also kind of returns me to my girlhood as I’m mixed and grew up in Asia. Cool [stuff] always happens to me while I’m there, too.
What do you want people to take away from your art?
My art celebrates femininity. I love softness and beauty. One of my main goals with making art is to create a space for cuteness in the adult realm in western culture. I advocate for body positivity and self love, so those are strong themes in my work too. I’m inspired by Takashi Murakami’s Super Flat movement, it links illustrative art with consumerist culture. I can’t lie, I love nice things, and I live well — this is reflected in my work. I try to be honest about females and their possessions, which in turn possess them. Growing as an artist I find new ways of understanding the 360 degree role of the artist, you know, like, art vs artist, and I’m learning to incorporate more of my life experiences as well as my identity into my work through multimedia.
Do you ever leave the house without makeup? Why? Why not?
I’ll leave the house with a bright, natural look, but you’ll never catch me stunting a bare face out the door. Honestly, I just wouldn’t feel put together and that’s not a feeling I enjoy as a Capricorn female.
Best places to shop in Tokyo?
It really depends on your personal style, but I love all the little boutiques in Harajuku, like Bubbles, Nadia, and DOG. I’m a big fan of the chain store SPiNNS. I love WEGO which is another prominent chain store, but SPiNNS has a great selection of LA brands, and they both have really cute accessories and hand selected vintage. Harajuku is a shopping district, so it’s like a neighborhood of stores and malls — just spend a couple of days wandering around and you’re good. La Foret is my fav mall. Kiddyland is the spot for all your kawaii mascot needs. One of the best things about shopping in Japan is how heavy they go on brand collabs, so you’ll always find some cute Disney collaboration with a local shoe brand or something.
What about beauty stores?
Yes! There are also some really amazing beauty stores around Shibuya. I recommend Jill & Lovers and ES Nail to get your nails done.
What are Tokyo style tips our Galore Girls should include in their wardrobe?
I think my favorite thing about Tokyo style is how no one really has rules with their makeup. Most girls wear hella makeup and I love the trend of wearing super bright blush anywhere you like on your face. They do this cute sunburnt look and sad doll look that is so adorable. I really love the concept of twinning, duo looks are always strong. Catch me in bodycon every day of my life, but I really love to accessorize with cute little details, like fluffy stuff or something candy themed. Overall, the attitude towards fashion and style in Tokyo is really playful.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I started 2016 with an ultra successful limited edition lipstick collaboration with Sugarpill, the shade is called Trinket, and the packaging features one of my mermaids on it. The color is a matte mauve with gold glitter in it. It sold out in 4 minutes and has inspired me to focus on creating more merchandise. The support I received from the launch really blew me away and had me in my feelings — I am really so, so grateful for all the babes who constantly support me and my art! I’m heading back to Tokyo for the rest of the year soon and will be working on a solo show, as well as a few top secret projects! A cute fun one I have coming up is a new collaboration with Sanrio, which I’m super excited about. The best spots to keep up with me are my Instagram and Twitter.
PHOTOS BY RITA THERESE X BEI BADGIRL
