Saturday 8 October 2011

to pull off a Goth outfit

Fact: Goth outfits are hard to pull off. I've seen some pretty bad Goth outfits in my day, and it's really easy to screw up a Goth outfit if one does not know how to coordinate, do their make-up, or use cheap and gaudy items. But once you get the hang of it, you rarely look bad!



1. NO THEMES.


This doesn't go only for Goth, but for any style in general. An outfit shouldn't have a subject repeated more than twice. For example, using an oval-shaped pendant with an oval-shaped bracelet and an oval-shaped headpiece. Another example: using a piano purse with a note-patterned dress and treble-clef shoes. So don't go around wearing a bat necklace with a bat purse, bat shirt, bat earrings, and bat everything. It's like #1: tacky and costume-y

2. A little bit of black, please?


A Goth outfit can have colour, you don't have to go completely black (Especially considering Puerto Rico's hot weather).  But I believe a Goth outfit is not complete without black, even if it's as a small detail. There are 4 levels to the Goth colour coordination spectrum:

Complete black

This coordination is as the name says. It may have 1 tiny detail of colour, like eyeshadow, lipstick, blush or a small accessory like earrings or a ring.













2:1 

This coordination has details of coulour, but black is still predominant. The colours usually reside in the accessories or in a detail in the garment. 













2:2

This  coordination has equal proportion of black and colour. The colours and the black are divided equally amongst the garment and accessories.













1:2
This is a reversed version of 2:1, with the colours being predominant and the black being in the details.
Mostly Colour (A.K.A. Hard to pull off) 
Of all the Goth colour coordinations there are, this one's definitely the hardest. This one is as the name says, with barely any detail of black. The black would reside either on your make-up or on a small, understated accessory. I do not suggest this for Goth fashion beginners. You need a lot of creativity to make a barely-black outfit Goth. But after observing many pictures of Goth festivals, you can make a mostly-colour outfit Goth using what are considered "Goth" items in colour; like corsets, platform boots, dread falls, goggles, fishnets, etc...The way you do your make-up when barely sporting any black is crucial.

3. Make me pretty!

Make-up is essential for a successful Goth outfit. You could be wearing just simply pants and a shirt and look breathtaking if you have nicely done make-up. Now remember: the make-up your favourite Goth model wears could look astonishing on her/him, but look horrendous on you. For example, I remember watching Adora Batbrat's first video tutorial and saying: "Wow! I want to wear make-up like that!"
...Then I tried it on myself. First of all, I have a rounder and fuller face than Adora, not to mention I have big cheeks; so the drawn-on cross didn't look good on me. Second, I've had very few moments that I looked good with black lipstick. This wasn't one of them. And third: I don't have shaved-off brows, which means less space for the dramatic cat-eye. Yeah.

But alas! You have to look for inspiration! Google Image is your friend, deary. Take inspiration from models, or use YouTube! Soon, you'll adopt a style that will suit you and will be unique. And you will look gorgeous.

Also: practice, practice, practice! My God, how many Hot Topic wanderers I've seen with horribly applied eye-liner! You have to start with baby steps when you're Goth. Start simple and progressively get more dramatic on your make-up, or else you will look like a hot mess. I suggest starting off first with a simple black eye shadow with a black eye liner on your water line. And in the privacy of your own bathroom, practice dramatic looks.


Hot mess I commonly see: USING LIQUID EYE LINER OR PENCIL EYE LINER FOR BIG DETAILS! If you're going to do a dramatic cat-eye, don't do it with liquid or pencil liner. Why? Liquid eye liner cracks, and pencil liner is the equivalent of a crayon on your eyes. It gives messy coverage and it looks cheap and ugly. Use liquid and pencil liner for small details only. Liquid should be used for lining your upper lids, while pencil should be used for lining your eyes, lining your water line and making the outline for dramatic designs. NOT YOUR WHOLE EYELID. Instead, use cake liner or gel liner if you're going to fill in your dramatic cat-eye.    
Dramatic cat-eye is the one at the top. Outline with pencil liner, and fill in with either cake or gel liner. The one at the bottom is very easy to pull off. Just add some black eye shadow and intensify it more on your crease. Finish off with lining your eyes.
4. Your skin colour is ALWAYS perfect. 


Pale skin is NOT a Goth must-have. Love your skin colour and embrace it, because you are fucking beautiful. You don't need to be pale to be Goth, you can be fucking purple and be Goth. Goth subculture is open to all ethnicities and skin colours: black, Asian, white, Indian, Native-American, Latinos, Romas, etc... Embrace your skin colour and body the way it is. If some pretentious douchebag tells you otherwise, tell them to fuck off because you're fucking fabulous.

5. Leave the tackiness behind, please. 


"This shit's so fucking goth."
Hey, that design on your right is awesome, right? Perfect for a t-shirt!

*Slaps you*

NO!

ANYTHING that includes dark angels, wolves, dragons, wizards, or whatever else you see on World of Warcraft is an immediate trip to Tacky Town! The only people that wear that are overweight pizza-faced basement dwellers!

6. There is a world beyond Hot Topic.

Hot Topic sucks now. It's not even a resuelve anymore for Goth accessories or clothes. All they have now are Justin Bieber shirts and they play Lady Gaga. Hot Topic is now for...
Normal people.

Forever 21
Here in Puerto Rico there are no Goth stores, but there are vintage stores! In a vintage store, you can find yourself some nice clothing and accessories (and if you have luck, a Goth Rock record or CD!).

The internet is full of wonders. There are a ton of Goth stores on the web that sell beautiful things. If you want something cheap, go on eBay. If you want something beautiful and unique, go to Etsy.

Use your creativity! Ditch the pretentious "I'm so Goth that I only shop at Goth stores because I'm Goth" attitude. I have found a lot of beautiful clothing in Forever 21 and TJ Maxx, like lace shorts, striped shirts and pretty dresses.


7. Steer clear of cheap quality!

If you were thinking to wear this for a Goth festival, God help you.
Clothes made of cheap satin, cheap lace, polyester, and cheap fabric just shows that you really don't know how to dress yourself.

8. Hair is heated, not fried. 


How much do Goths abuse their poor hair! With all the bleaching, dyeing, straightening, teasing, etc, it's easy to look like a scarecrow. Learn to take care of your hair, and keep it silky smooth. For expert Goth tips in maintaining your hair, go here and here.

9. Be creative!

I probably have said this many times already, but it's true! Don't be afraid of trying new things, and soon you will develop your own style!

10. Your inner Goth shouldn't be inner.

Your confidence will make you shine! ...Or dull. Depending on how it is. Confidence is the most important thing not only for the superficiality of clothing, but for everything in life! School, jobs, relationships, the list goes on! Let your confidence shine, because you're awesome! Unless you kick puppies and are a meanie. Then you just suck.

Well that's about it, folks. See you next time~! ♥

LINKS:
http://www.batgearbeyond.com/ (A great Goth store resource site! You will find there a ton of stores!)

YouTube channels that you should check out:
NosebleedBaby (Not a Goth, but very good "dark" make-up tutorials)
LarsBatula (Hasn't put up a few videos in a while, but it's good make-up tutorials)

NONE OF THE IMAGES BELONG TO ME.

Monday 5 September 2011

New York City

Before I went to Princeton, I stayed in New York City.
Before landing in NY, I saw this website called newgothcity.com that tells of all of the Goth stores and hotspots there (La Carmina's blog also gives NYC Goth stores and clubs). I printed the map they provided of Gothtown, and marked all the places I wanted to go to.
 The first Goth store we went to was Gothic Renaissance, which is pretty easy to spot due to the huge gargoyle at the entrance. GORGEOUS store. Their clothing looked high quality, they had a very nice variety of clothing and jewellery. The store was gorgeously decorated, and the music they played was very nice. I absolutely loved the clothing, it was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I cannot stress enough how beautiful the clothing is in this store! However, in terms of service, the employees were a bit gloomy. They would ask me with a sort of bummed tone if I wanted any help. Also, my travelling partner, S, was not in what many consider "Goth" attire... She was wearing some blue jeans with tennis shoes, and she and I noticed that one of the employees stared at her weird due to her ungoth attire. Not very nice! I suggest this clothing store to everyone, but the employees need to be a bit more friendly.

Second store was Enchantments, a witchcraft store or as S referred to: "Una botánica chic". As I entered and quickly turned my head, I saw a tiny shelf in the corner with an inverted pentagram and Satanist paraphernalia. Though this made me cringe a bit, the employees were very friendly people and were always there in case we needed help. It had a wide variety of ingredients for your potions and, of course, the store had the very pleasant smell of incense. There were Ouija boards, many Wicca supplies, and lots and lots of herbs. The look of the store gave out a quite earthy and natural feeling. It felt like those magic stores you see in fantasy films. There was even a gorgeous white cat and another black one that for a moment S and I thought were fake. They were so nice and soft~. And of course, S and I will never forget the fertility candles in shape of penises.

The third store was Obscura Antiques and Oddities. How I loved this store! It was indeed odd, with many taxidermied animals and old pictures of strange things! The only problem would be that it was a bit small and cramped, considering that it had quite a concentration of people. But I do suggest this store if you want some good ol' weird furniture and home decor. 


The fourth store was Vampire Freaks. I have heard something along the lines that it was like a second Hot Topic. I completely and utterly disagree. First of all, even though the clothing's beauty and quality does not match up to Gothic Renaissance, it was WAY more pretty and higher quality than Hot Topic's clothing. It was actual Gothic clothing, no Justin Beiber or Lady Gaga t-shirts anywhere. Not a lot of brightly coloured clothing, and there was barely any clothing that would be considered normal or boring. The CD section did not have ANY mainstream music like 3OH!3 or Lil' Wayne. It was pure Goth and Industrial. As for customer service: EXCELLENT! The guy there was very friendly with me and S, he said he visited Puerto Rico and  he loved our cemeteries. He adored how all the headstones went all the way in terms of decoration and size, since NYC has only small tombstones. We chatted with him for a while, and he randomly gave a lot of VF pins! He suggested some nice restaurants that would fit my taste, stores and clubs. THAT is what made me enjoy being in the VF store more than Gothic Renaissance.

The stores I wished I could have visited but couldn't:

Trash and Vaudeville




Halloween Adventure

Sadly, I did not have the time to go to all the stores I wanted or go to any parties or clubs. I had to go to Princeton the next day... Still I enjoyed my stay at the Hotel 17. Hotel 17was wonderful. An ideal New York Hotel: it's homey and comfortable, but not too glitzy or expensive. If you're coming to a beautiful city that you're going to spend the whole day exploring, why are you spending so much money on a fancy hotel room?! All you need is a bed and a bathroom, and you're good to go. The staff was very nice and friendly, always there when you need them. Some people get annoyed because of the shared bathrooms, but I don't find it to be a problem, honestly. Since not everyone woke up, peed and bathed at the same time, there was no line to the bathrooms and there was barely any people in the hallways. Though I'm not suggesting that you walk around naked (Unless you're an exhibitionist, then whatever floats your boat).
 
So, in conclusion and cliché, I ♥ New York.

To any of you Goths out there that have gone to New York or live there: do you suggest any other stores? And what clubs and parties do you suggest also?  

Thursday 21 July 2011

A Haven of Neo-Gothic Arquitecture and Intellectual Friends

Uf! I've been gone for almost two months! Like a friend of mine says: "Ooh, rough." 

In case you've been wondering were I've been, I was at... 
 Princeton, New Jersey!


I know that you're probably thinking: "Andi, what the hell does this have to do with Goth culture?" Well, I was staying at Princeton University for a program called Centre for Tainted Youth (CTY). Princeton University is famous for its High Victorian Gothic and Collegiate Gothic Architecture. Once I stepped out of my taxi and feasted upon the dramatic archways, with the statues of  St.George and St. Michael watching over the dormitories. The two dormitories were connected by a bridge, in which you could access by exiting out a window (Which sadly, were closed by some screens. Boys were not allowed to enter girl's dorms and vice-versa for... obvious reasons.) The doors that led to the dormitories were of grandiose size, made from wood and bounded by ornate black metal. The inside of the dorms were nothing special. The walls were painted white, and the floors had some ugly old carpeting. The smell was old and musty, which told stories of the drunken nights, the tears of solitude, the sweat of long nights of mental and physical preparation with no air conditioning, and the moments of passion led by previous residents. Of course, there is nothing that  a little Febreeze and an electric fan can't fix.

Even though I've never entered the chapel during my stay, I observed its captivating exterior, complete with ornate and Neo-Gothic Architecture. I passed by it each time my group went to the library (which was a lot!) The library was also Neo-Gothic and had some Latin phrases carved on the archway. 





Два очень привлекательным россиян. 
Кто не хотел бы заниматься любовью 
с этими двумя?
Besides the architecture, I wish to discuss my experiences in the Centre for Tainted Youth. It was grand. I met some sexy Russians, met again with my contortionist partner, befriended three ravers which consisted of a hot belly button-less Russian, a Mikutard, and a very sexy girl, and I made sisters. The rest of this post will be very not-Goth related. But please bear with me.

Princeton was the Goth CTY, because all of the non-math courses were depressing and were supposed to make you cry and mope around all day. My course was Global Politics, in which we discussed genocide, rape, human rights violations, amongst other depressing topics. We'd go outside and cry under the shades of weeping willows, while I sang Gloomy Sunday.



Ha, just kidding. Although the part about our courses being depressing, and us discussing about human rights violations and the foulness of humanity in general is true, these distressing subjects would be contrasted with amusing activities, in which we would laugh and share with others. These activities would prevent all of us from crying ourselves to sleep, so it's all good. We would play games, draw, and spend 45 minutes watching videos of kittens.


There was so much diversity! People from many states and other countries (including me). Some would come from California or New York, and some would come from as far as Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong! Best of all: nobody judged you, and nobody criticised you. Nobody would come up to me and say: "Oooh, why do you dress like that?!" "Why do you wear so much black?" "You're weird!" Of course, they would ask how did I manage to wear so much black in the heat, and I would just smile and reply: "I'm from Puerto Rico."

There's nothing more beautiful than this.
CTY has a tradition in which in every day in the last week has a theme. These themes were CTY Shirt Thursday, Crossdress Wednesday, Prep Tuesday, and of course, Goth Monday. Sadly, we didn't celebrate all of them, except Crossdress Wednesday. And I was looking forward to Goth day. I: Oh well! Crossdress Wednesday was hilarious. Boys did their make up and put on brassieres. One dressed up as a prostitute, and others were VERY convincing at being girls. But of course, you have a nice day, and somebody has to come and screw it up. We were all fine and dandy until some football players (STEREOTYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL MOVIE, OMG!) apparently had a problem with men wearing skirts. The coach came to the CTY staff to complain, and from what I've heard, he used some very harsh and offensive words. The football players would talk loudly amongst themselves so we could hear them, and they would call us bundles of sticks. The staff told us not to reply to them, or fight, etc, but I'm wasn't going to sit there and take all that crap. I took an indirect way of giving them the middle finger: each time they would pass by, I would grab my nearest lady friend and loudly say: "ISN'T IT GREAT TO BE GAY? I JUST LOOOOVE BEING A HOMOSEXUAL! LIKING PEOPLE OF MY OWN GENDER IS WAAAAY BETTER THAN BEING STUCK INSIDE THE CLOSET!"

We would have dances every Friday, which were the highlight of the week. Most of the girls would prep themselves and get pretty, most of the time not taking in consideration the theme. But who cares. The dances were great. EVEN if they were very ungoth and would play very "normal" artists such as Katy Perry or Soulja Boy (Seriously, not even electronica like Deadmau5 or Kaskade?).  I would show of my dance moves, and so would others. Some were HARDCORE DANCERS, and some, like I, were sexy dancers. I saw grinders, awkward dancers, people who couldn't dance, self-conscious dancers, people who didn't give a fuck, and sexy ravers. ♥

Love. Oh lovelovelove. ♥ In the Centre for Tainted Youth, love was forbidden. But that didn't stop some people from doing "laudry". ;) Amongst CTY's 10 Commandments were: "Thou shall not enter into thy opposite gender's dormitory" and "Thou shall not make out". Breaking of these laws led to expulsion and condemnation to Hell. People would break the second one all the time, and the first one was broken by only ones who had the immense balls and stupidity. Still, it is not always about sex. The majority would just flirt, hold hands and kiss, which was very cute. c: Sadly, a lot of people would feel as third wheels in the middle of these lovefests and thus feeling FOREVAR ALONE. Most see CTY relationships as summer flings or brief romances, but I know of romances that have lasted more than just three weeks... Some were romances that lasted for over a year, or possibly more...  *Fangirl Sigh* ...But of course, when there's love, there is drama. And drama is not good. But I do not want to go into detail of this drama, because then I'll get involved in more drama. You know where I'm going at?
A true portrait of love
But the absolute BEST thing about CTY is: NO. STUPID. PEOPLE!!! Everyone in CTY thinks deeply, they question society, and use their brains. I found poets and musicians, along with some philosophers. I've met people that have gone through the most interesting experiences, and know about many, many things. I could finally hold an educated conversation with somebody that actually uses their brain! It's great... Smart people. Ahh, the great experiences...

Next week's post shall be about my stay in New York. There shall be more Goth related things on that post. But I just wanted to share this with some of you guys. :)


Friday 27 May 2011

Delicious Goth Videos

Gothic Charm School Series

 

Sophie: A Dark Angel
 

Iman being awesome


Goth Heineken Commercial
The Cutest Evil Dead Girl


 My Immortal: the Live Action Series

Thursday 19 May 2011

Goth Lulz: My Immortal


My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie (also known as XXXbloodyrists666XXX or goffikgurl666) is a Harry Potter fan-fiction that is such a grandiose piece of literature, that it should be passed on for generations because of its sheer genius. The main character, Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way should be considered a Goth icon for being the most GOFFICK of all GOFFS. The writing, is like looking into the eyes of Satan (geddit coz Im goffick). The language, is complete utter beauty. When you read My Immortal, you will be reborn.

Let's start off with the main character, Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way (Also known as Enoby, Eboby, Egogy, TaEbory or Tara). She is a 17-year-old Goth vampire witch with long ebony black hair (that's where she got the name) with purple streaks and red tips who is an absolute beauty. She dons Hot Topic clothing, hates preps and posers, and listens to very Gothic bands such as Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan, Marilyn Manson, Linkin Park, Evanescence and Green Day. She is Draco Malfoy's girlfriend, but still manages to make out with everyone else in the story. Throughout the story, she has sex with Draco and some others, flips off preps, does drugs, travels back in time, makes almost every male in the story infatuated with her, cuts herself, attempts suicide with a "steak", rambles on how hot X lead singer of Y band is, etc...

THAT, my friends, is GOTH.

Anyway, the story doesn't have a concrete plot line and constantly stops just to describe someone's clothing or make-up, comment on how hot someone is, or some other random thing. I mean, what is this story actually about? It just goes on and on and never ends. There are so many spelling and grammatical errors that it would make anyone's Spell-Check explode. The sex scenes are just plain unnecessary, laughable and not sexy at all.

And the canon... No, it wasn't raped. No, it was much more than that. It was raped, mutilated, chopped up, eaten and vomited. Almost all of the Harry Vampire Potter characters are Satanist bisexual vampire Goths. Muggle bands are allowed to performed in Hogsmeade, an all-wizard village. Draco and Harry Vampire love each other. Hedwig is no longer Harry's Vampire's pet owl, but Voldemort's bisexual ex-lover.
What............
The............................
Hell.

Oh, and did I mention Marty McFly from Back to the Future makes a cameo in this story? Yeah. Here's some Don Q and a noose.



My Immortal was originally posted on Fanfiction.net from 2006-2007 by the user XXXbloodyrists666XXX. It is no wonder that this beautiful work of art caught the attention of many people around the interwebz and spawned many flames, parodies, trolling and lulz. It became one of Fanfiction's most read and reviewed (Over 10,000 reviews) works ever, and caused much debate in the fan-fiction community. Before each chapter, Tara would give a very badly-spelled preface telling all the prepz and poserz to stop flaming her work, and that she would not post another chapter until she got an x amount of "revoiws". In fact, let me quote a few:
AN: wel ok u guyz im only writting dis cuz I got 5 god reviuws. n BTW I wont rite da nxt chapter til I git TIN god vons! STO FLAMING OR ILL REPORT U! Evony isn’t a Marie Sue ok she isn’t perfect SHES A SATANITS! n she has problemz shes depressed 4 godz sake!
AN: stop flaming ok! I dntn red all da boox! dis is frum da movie ok so itz nut my folt if dumbeldor swers! besuizds I SED HE HAD A HEDACHE! and da reson snap dosent lik harry now is coz hes christian and vampire is a satanist! MCR ROX!

Everyone was all bonny and gay, until... Late 2008. Fanfiction.net was deleting various stories from its website and My Immortal was one of them.
Main reason for removal: "Disregard for proper language: grammar, spelling, punctuation, and etc." The above story has been removed because it violated the guideline detailed on the upload page.
I think it's because FF.net is filled with a bunch of preps that listen to Hillary Duff and Avril Lavigne.

Many have tried to re-upload the story on FF.net, but alas, no prevail. Since it could not be uploaded on FF.net, the story finally got hosted on an stable external site "to ensure that the world could still follow its #1 pastime of laughing at retards" (Encyclopædia Dramatica). Still, there is a petition asking for My Immortal to be put back online here. Also, you can try and upload it on FF.net in protest.

My Immortal is indeed a milestone in the history of the internet. It paints a portrait of beauty, stupidity and lulz. It is absolutely necessary to read this if you want to be Goth. And I assure you: when you start reading this story, you will start out with about 4 billion brain cells. When you finish: 4.
"My Immortal has since become a sort of 'internet pilgrimage,' a journey taken willingly by those wishing to become more at one with the lulz. It's a harsh journey, and many have fallen along the path. But if you persevere and manage to read the story the whole way through, you'll be a stronger person because of it."  
-Encyclopædia Dramatica


 Related stuffs:
My Immortal drinking game (Play it at own risk)
A magnificent dramatic reading of My Immortal
My Immortal the live-action series
My Immortal Fan Club on Facebook


*I do not own any of the pictures nor "My Immortal".

Sunday 8 May 2011

Goth Culture and I.

Andy Sí looking pretty. c:
When I was 11 1/2, I got interested in Goth culture. Okay, that was an incorrect way to phrase it. I decided to be Goth. And my darlings, I was far, far from being the Goth chick I was today. I listened to Linkin Park and Evanescence. I didn't know how to apply eyeliner. I thought that a studded shirt was the most GOFFICKEST of all GOFFICK stuff. I thought Hot Topic was the most AWESOME and GOFFICK store to ever come to this freaking planet. And I still. Wore. Blue. Jeans. My God!

Let's start off with my low self-esteem. Without a good self-esteem you don't glow, you don't look good. It doesn't matter if you wear the best clothes or best make-up you will always look like sh*t if you have a low self-esteem. It's just like Derek Blasberg said:

"You might have the sexiest outfit on, but if you hold yourself like a timid granny at a rock concert, you won’t look nearly as hot as the confident girl in the turtleneck."
-Classy
I had a low self-esteem because I was a victim of bullying. The kids at my school commented on how I was ugly and weird, they constantly insulted me (sometimes beat me up), accused me of doing things I didn't do (thus getting me into trouble) and sexually harassed me. It didn't help that the teachers barely did anything and scolded ME each time I reacted to the little demons. This brought me down to the point I felt like a piece of worthless shit that nobody loved, will never be loved and deserved to die. I wanted to become Goth as a form of rebellion, because I was fed up with following the stupid girls at my school that acted like whores, listened to horrible pop music and watched soap operas. I remember the first time I first dressed -to my standards of- Goth. I wore some blue skinny jeans, a studded shirt my mum gave me, my mum's studded platform sandals and piled on some black eyeliner (I didn't know how to apply it though). I felt confident. I never felt that good in a long time.

But of course, my true evolution started at my 13th birthday. Mum and I found my 13th birthday to be a big event, for I finally turned into a teen. Mum took me to have a shopping spree in Hot Topic and I bought a black pleated mini-skirt with a black "corset" (Stupid Hot Topic.) with some black tights that had fishnets on the side. But still, my confidence needed some rebuilding. When I would go out in public like this, I would usually hide behind my mother so people wouldn't stare (And I dressed very "light" compared with how I dress now). But soon I realised: "Who gives a crap? I'm going to be myself and if people find me weird they should just choke on a Dick Cheney." Then I took my "Fuck it" attitude. This attitude is VERY necessary if you want to stop caring about what people think.

"You're so weird!"
Fuck it.

"You're such a freak!"
Fuck it.

"You look ugly!" 
Fuck it.


"Why can't you be normal?"
FUCK IT.

I looked up Goth, and read books about the matter. Am I serious about this? Does this suit me? Or was it just a simple phase? It turned out that I really identified with Goth culture, I loved the music (After of course, looking up the REAL bands), the literature, and I loved the fashion. I realised that Goth was not only looks, or a form of rebellion, it was a way of life. I stopped trying too hard and be myself. To not be ashamed of liking a pop song, but still adore underground bands and good ol' Goth Rock. To not be ashamed of shopping at Hot Topic, but still realize it should be burned down. And most importantly, to not give two flying fucks of what people think.

By the time I was in the middle of my 14 years I had matured dramatically not only as a Goth, but as a person. I was rocking out to Bauhaus and Siouxsie, and adored Adora. I had a more polished, yet dramatic look, instead of looking like I smothered my eyes with cheap eyeliner. And finally, I felt confident and happy. Being Goth made me stronger. It made me see the comedic in the tragic, the beautiful in the macabre, and the crazyness in sanity. And, like my great drama teacher Roberto Ramos-Perea said to me: "The [literary] Gothics believe there is something more than life."

It is a beautiful thing, Goth culture. So keep on being who you are! And remember:

FUCK IT!

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Goth gadget #1: Skull Kitchen Brush


I love Marshalls. They sell such fabulous things! And one day I was randomly browsing and came upon this! I found this brush so charming that of course I had to impulse buy it. This actually motivated me to do the dishes. And clean the kitchen. And the house. c:

This is the package it comes in.

Sunday 17 April 2011

Adventures in San Juan: The Goth Club

One day some long time ago, I was talking with my mother about a trip to Europe. We planned to go to England, France and Germany so we could go to Wave Gotik Treffen (We never got to do this, BTW). Of course, what's the first thing my 15-year-old self does?  I search for the local Goth clubs. And as I was searching in this website, I scrolled down to see that there was a GOTH CLUB IN THE OLD SAN JUAN. Of course, I start spazzing like an ADD-ridden child on cocaine, and I beg my mum to take me there, even if I had to use a fake ID (Which was a very contradicting thing for me to do, as I was/am a goody-goody who did not drink, smoke or party under age, unlike some kids I've met). Mummy obviously says no, but I tell her that at least we should look for it so I would know where it was and see it. According to the website the club opened every Saturday at 10:00 p.m., and it was located in Calle Cristo in front of the Hotel Convento. We start our search, searching high and low, left and right, frontwards and backwards; and yet, no club. My mother and I give up, and I say: 
"Pft, a Goth Club in Puerto Rico is like a Sushi Restaurant under the sea."

Then, I go back to the page. What details could I have missed? Is this web page lying? Did I misread anything? And then, I realized I have committed one of my biggest fails that sent my face directly into my palm:

The page has not been updated ever since 2006.




EDIT: So there IS a Goth club in Puerto Rico! ...Or Goth parties, to be exact. Two people have informed me of this place called Soprano's (The name ♥) in Cataño that has Goth parties every Saturday. ALSO,the girl working at the tattoo parlour next to my house informed me that San Juan has occasional Goth parties as well.


Friday 15 April 2011

Goth Beauty: Nails!

Goth nails, oh Goth nails~! How beautiful you are!
Who knew a little black polish could get you so far?
Goth nails, oh Goth nails, how pretty art thou.
Vampire of Rose, I must go to now.


I had just found out of this wonderful Japanese website called Vampire of Rose! They make the most beautiful nails I have ever seen! They sell their nails at Alamode Market (a crafts store favoured by many Gothic Lolitas in Japan). Sadly, according what I have researched, they don't ship outside Japan. BUT! You can go to their website right here (I suggest using Google translate) and maybe get inspired and make some nails of your own. >:}
Of course, you can automatically Goth yourself up with just plain black nail polish.

It doesn't even have to be these expensive brands, you can just go to the local drugstore and buy some Bettina!
   
 Some people say that a Goth shouldn't even DARE to walk out with chipped nails, but some have worked it.
  
Emilie Autumn, back in her early Opheliac days...
Ah, now I want to go to the pharmacy and buy some cheap fake nails to decorate them as I please...

Sunday 27 February 2011

The Friday Bath

Guys! I have had a very long absence, I know! I kept forgetting to post, and procrastinating. ^_^; So I'm going to give you a nice post that at first you  may say: "Wtf. I was expecting moar than this crap." but after you try what I shall say you will go "OMFG I LOVE THIS."

The Friday Bath

"I don't care if Monday's blue, Tuesday's grey, Wednesday too. Thursday, I don't care about you, IT'S FRIDAY! I'M IN LOVE~!"

  You see, I'm a big Cure fan. I was heavily inspired by their song "Friday I'm Love". So I celebrate every Friday. And as I have seen, I'm not the only Goth who celebrates Friday. Besides The Cure, Electro Goth Queen of Youtube Adora Batbrat  also celebrates Friday. Friday marks the end of the work-week. Time to get out of school or work so we can relax on our beds or PARTY HARD!!!1!!!!11!!1!1!1!!one!! To me, this a day to be celebrated. It's almost like a holiday, if you might say. Bonus points if it's a Friday the 13th. The way I celebrate this is after I come from school, I go to the nearest ice cream shop with my friends, I put on some of my favourite clothes in the restroom, and put on my make-up (Which my friends make me to do in front of them). After that, at night, I take my Friday Bath.


Part I: Pale Facial

   Materials/ Ingredients:
  • Milk
  • Lemon Juice
  • Vitamin C tablets
  • Preferred Scrub
  • Witch Hazel
  • Something to crush your Vitamin C tablets
  1. Mix milk with lemon juice and Witch Hazel. Set aside. I like to use the whole lemon, because the more lemon, the better. Also, a nice tip: before you squeeze your lemon, put it in the microwave for a few seconds (10-30 seconds), that will keep the juices flowing, and will make squeezing the juice out easier.
  2.  Crush your vitamin C tablets (I crushed it with a pilón, a staple of Puerto Rican kitchens) until it is nothing but a fine powder.
  3. Mix it with your milk mixture, and add your favourite scrub (I used St. Ives Invigorating Peach Scrub and St. Ives Blemish fighting Scrub). Add more crushed tablets to make it thicker.

Part II: The Victorian Maiden's bath

This bath gently bleaches your skin (Hence the name), since it has lemon and milk. It's also GREAT for your skin, you'll walk out with skin softer than a baby's ass. Just don't let your hair touch the water, or you'll end up with crunchy oily hair.
  
       Ingredients:

          For bath:
  • 2 cups of Milk, or a whole can of powdered milk, to make it a Cleopatra bath
  • Liberal amounts of lemon juice
  • A little bag of oats
  • Oils of your preference  
  • Witch Hazel
  • Bubble Bath
  • Rose Petals (optional)
         For Setting:
  • Preferred snack (Make sure it's not something that gets soggy, like cookies or crackers. Try some fruits, chocolate or shrimp)
  • Candles
  • Incense
  • Music of preference
  1.  Lock the bathroom door, so nobody disturbs you. 
  2. Make your setting.
  3. Fill the bathtub with warm water.
  4. Throw all the bath ingredients. 
  5. Get in the tub, and relax while you listen to Mephisto Walz and eat a shrimp cocktail with chamomile tea. 
Hope  you enjoy this bath of wonders. It doesn't have to be taken on a Friday, it could be on a Monday, a Tuesday, when you feel bad, have a skin emergency, or every day! Now, have a nice week, my friends. 

May Goth be with you, 
Andy Sí