My shopping detox: a quick update.

It’s been 16 days since I started my shopping detox and I must say it’s going rather well.

I’ve actually bought a few things, but mainly for other people (side note: I managed to get all my Christmas present shopping out of the way today, so I’m pretty damn proud of myself), with a few exceptions for myself.

The exceptions, however, were all in accordance with the rules I set for myself. I picked up a lovely chiffon skirt and a velvet maxi dress in a charity shop in Poland, and the two items cost me around £6.50. I managed to snap up a stunning top on eBay (still waiting for delivery) and a pair of earrings on Etsy from The Crypt of Curiosities (they are handmade and I’m supporting an independent maker). I did buy some socks in Primark, but that was a necessary purchase.

By that time of the month, my bank balance would usually be close to zero, sometimes verging towards overdraft. This month, despite all that Christmas gift shopping and my trip to Poland, where I spent a fair amount of money, I still have enough to tide me over until the end of the month. It’s quite refreshing!

If there’s any money on my account at the end of the month – and it looks like there will be – I will transfer it to my savings account and set up a holiday fund. I have a few short ones and one big one planned for next year, so I’m sure it’ll come in handy.

Also, as there’s not enough room between my mirrored wardrobe and my bed, I’m finding it hard to take pictures of my outfits while standing up. So, until I get a proper full-length mirror, I’ll be posting some pretty awkward OOTD photos, like this one.

Jumper: H&M; skirt: the aforementioned chiffon thingy from a Polish charity shop; boots: River Island, via eBay; bag: Killstar; necklace: The Rogue + The Wolf.

Please pay no heed to the fat cat in the background; my Bengal Cara wants to be famous, but she’s insisting on showing off her bum rather than her face. Oh well. Cats will be cats, right?

Coming up tomorrow: a thing about ink.

Going grey

I’ve dyed my hair black for as long as I can remember, but for the past few months, I felt the need to change something. My natural hair has been gradually turning grey anyway, so I thought I might as well accept it and go full-on silvery-grey.

 

I thought I’d ask my sister for help. She’s an expert on hair colouring and changes her own hair colour every 2-3 months or so, so I figured trusting her with my tresses is a good idea. She warned me that removing the black dye will require a lot of bleach, and most likely damage my hair a fair bit, but I was adamant, so I went to hers yesterday and we started working on turning me from raven-haired maven to grey-haired goddess.

Now, I know if there’s a lot of bleaching involved, you should take it easy and gradually lighten your hair to minimise the damage. Trouble is, you need time, and I had no such luxury. Going back to work on Monday with egg yolk yellow hair was out of the question, so we had to do it all in one go.

Round 1. Fight!

 

It took one evening, one morning, two rounds of bleach, some toner and a bleach bath to make my hair light enough to put the dye on. Luckily, it was one of those deposit-only things from the Colour Freedom Metallic Glory series. I went with Graphite Grey, which is neither too light nor too dark, and it turned out to be a great choice. The warm undertones still come through here and there, but the closer to the roots, where there was no black dye to remove, the result is spot on.

So, I think I’ll keep my grey hair for a bit. Sis gave me a bunch of handy stuff, including bleach (for roots), blue toner (to counteract the warm tones), silver shampoo, and heaps of good advice. She also trimmed my ends, which were damaged beyond repair, even though we used tons of Olaplex. I foresee many a night with coconut oil on my hair in my nearest future, but hell, it was worth it!

Result!

 

Haute goth and the real thing.

If there’s one thing that can be said about fashion, it’s that it tends to go round in circles and recycling previously seen trends is not uncommon. So I can’t say I was surprised to see goth making a return to the runways. Autumn/Winter 2016 shows were full of lace, velvet, leather and corsets, with models sporting black lipstick, pale foundation and dramatic eye makeup. From theatrical ensembles at Marc Jacobs to stern and practical all-black pieces at Dior, there was a distinct aura of darkness present.

(Pictured: Dior, Rodarte, Marc Jacobs)

Fashion is a fickle thing, and I’m sure the goth trend will be long forgotten by spring, only to be reinvented again in a few years. Meanwhile, the real thing keeps going strong, and goth is probably the only subculture that has what others are lacking: longevity. While people involved in other scenes as teenagers tend to drift away when they become adults, many goths stick to what they love, which might be the reason behind the subculture’s staying power.

I used to snigger whenever I read about this or that celebrity “going goth”, which usually translated as wearing all black and slapping some dark lipstick on. OK, I still do – it’s hard not to.

On the other hand, though, seeing goth influences on the catwalks pleases me. Because where designers lead, high street will follow, which, in turn, means that I might be able to pick up some really great and inexpensive pieces at chain stores. Alternative fashion tends to be a bit more expensive than your average Primark or H&M stuff. Sure, some alternative brands offer much better quality, but that is not always the case, and more often than not, you end up paying for the label. Then, there’s the fact that chain retailers are pretty much everywhere, so if you live far from any alternative shops and prefer going into a store to shopping online, the goth trend cropping up yet again might mean that you’ll actually be able to find real gems in  places like Topshop or River Island.

(From top right, clockwise: Primark, Bershka, H&M, River Island, Topshop)

The only thing that bugs me is that some people see goth as a fashion trend and nothing else. But there’s not much that can be done about that.

OOTD: skull dress by Iron Fist

Don’t you just love eBay? It’s so easy to find something incredible there for peanuts. I stumbled upon this dress by accident, placed a bid, then went off to the gym, convinced that someone will outbid me on it.

When it turned out I won the auction, I was over the moon. This is exactly what I needed for the transition from summer to autumn! Soft, comfy fabric, great length and the striking skull print make it absolutely perfect. The mesh bit at the front looks amazing, too. A steal for just under £10, including delivery. I’m going to wear it forever.

And the best thing? It doesn’t even require any accessories, it’s amazing as it is.

Also, remember when I mentioned I’ll never again go on a diet?

I lied.

More about how I eat now and why it works to follow soon.

Back to un-normal

Sometimes, there’s weeks or months of nothing and more nothing, and then – BAM! – there’s a lot of stuff going on at the same time.

So I’ve had a mini-avalanche of strange revelations this week. First, a friend of mine told me that he’s bored out of his mind with the gothic scene and he’s retiring. Then, another friend mentioned she’s no longer into alternative fashion and she just wants to look normal now. As a side note, both are younger than me by over a decade. But nevermind.

Sure, I get it, there’s nothing wrong with becoming “normal”. I’ve been through that phase once, too, and it didn’t work for me. I guess it’s natural that, every now and again, there comes a time when one feels like reinventing oneself. Fair enough.

But I think I’m done trying. I won’t become normcore, I won’t pick up a new trend and try to play dress-up and pretend someone I’m not. I’m pretty sure I’ll be like these guys when I’m old.

If it’s just a phase, then long may it last.

I cringe when I hear women shouldn’t do this or that when they reach a certain age. That shorts or a mini skirt are not for the over 30-s and if you’re 40+, you should get rid of all your slogan T-shirts and trainers, and at 50, jeans are a no-no. That at some stage, you just need to cut that hair and avoid black, because it makes you look older, and wear pearls and kitten heels or moccasins. That there comes a time in life when you have to give up gigs and parties, because that’s what young people do, and you’re not young anymore, and what will the people say?

Well, I’m not old yet, but when I am, (and I’m under no illusion here, I know it’s going to happen, and sooner rather than later), I’m not planning to quit being me.

And that’s about it.

 

Skin deep.

– But you already have a tattoo, why do you want another one? It’s not like you can rub it out with an eraser when you’re bored with it – my Mum said when she found out that I’m coming over in January to get inked by an awesomely good tattoo artist in my home town.

Well, she’s right about that. But isn’t that the whole point, though?

Tattoos, that until quite recently were thought of as an attribute of criminals and people living on the margins of society, have become so common that they hardly ever get noticed. But every once in a while, there’s someone who claims that if you have one, you’ll never find a decent job (false), that tattooed women are sluts (false, and don’t even get me started on slut-shaming in general), that you’re going to regret it when you’re old (that one may be true, if it’s a bad one). Generally speaking, though, putting ink under one’s skin doesn’t shock as much as it udes to. It became the norm, although there are people out there who claim that tattooed people just want attention.

I found a funny article the other day, and its author compares deciding to get a tattoo (bad!) to deciding to have a baby (good!), bringing up some of the arguments her Mum used. It’s all very ironic and superbly funny. Go on, read it, you know you want to!

I’m really looking forward to getting my next tattoo. And I know that when I’m old and wrinkled, it might no longer look the same, but you know what? It’s still going to be mine and I’ll still like it. And I will definitely not try to remove it with this: