Happy Samhain 2015!

Like the dead, I rise to write again. What kind of goth wouldn't post on All Hallow's, anyway?

Samhain (or Samhuinn) is the Gaelic festival to mark the end of harvest and the beginning of the darker months; as with all transitions, it's an open threshold, where the boundaries between worlds are thin as paper - which has both benefits and dangers. I'm going down to Edinburgh to join in with the pagan celebrations this evening, and to remember departed loved ones (coincidentally, my gran's birthday would have been tomorrow. I clearly got the witch gene from someone). I might even dook for apples!

Though I've really missed posting on here, I've found it difficult to find a suitable place to take pictures in my new flat (in part due to the fading light), and thus despite wearing a lot of on-point outfits I've not been able to chronicle them. I'm loving this split skirt, however, and my brother got me one amazing hat for my birthday.

So I hope that, regardless of how you're celebrating - or even if you're not! - you stay safe and happy, and your winter is even better than your autumn. Here at An Honest Drug, I've got a lot of exciting things lined up, including the blog's first interview, so stick around for that.

And if you're out after dark, make sure you look scary enough to frighten the monsters!





Fiona C.

Life: Opening Windows

New hair, new course, new glasses. We're halfway through september and at the start of the academic year - and having moved flats (photos to come) and just started a year's research project, I was feeling like somebody had opened a window for some air.

I haven't had hair this short for years now, and if anything I'm excited to cut it shorter. I've also been growing my nails out, and the contrast between the two aspects of my appearance is interesting (even if I spend every waking moment terrified of breaking them). Playing with femininity and how I appropriate that has been fascinating me for a while now, and I've been influenced significantly in this by hard femme identity in lesbian culture; androgyny is great too though, hence the hair cut.

This year I'm taking a break from medicine to do some clinical research; it's a big change for me and I don't know how I feel about all the statistics yet, but I'm excited to learn how to incorporate evidence based medicine into my practice, and contribute in some small way to the research community. Between this and settling back into university life however, it does mean life will be somewhat hectic and blog updates might be spotty for a while.

As for the glasses, the stars aligned and I found the frames by chance for £30 in my optician's sale. Cat's eye frames are something I've fancied for a while now, but that doesn't mean that there was any forward planning. 

Has anyone else had changes in their life recently, big or small? How is autumn (or spring, depending on hemisphere) going for everyone? Let me know below.

Fiona C. 

Style: Cosmic Pioneer

Ah, personal fashion posts. How I've missed thee. As much fun as it is doing shopping picks and talking about gigs, I made this blog to post my own style, and I've not done so in a long time.

I received these Alien Botany leggings by Zoetica to commemorate surviving my teenage years and making twenty, and they've become the intergalactic cosmonaut equivalent of blue jeans - by which I mean they're worn constantly, with everything. I have a few criticisms - they were very late in arriving, and the pattern does not match up properly at the inner leg seam - but ultimately I am extremely happy with these, and always get compliments on them.

Lots of things are in motion right now. I've moved flats, started work on some exciting blogging collaborations (watch this space), made a lot of art, and am considering starting selling some of it online; new ground is being broken every day.

Stay strong and fruitful, followers!



Fiona C.



What have you been up to recently? Do you have any clothing items that are in constant rotation? Let me know below!

Personal Style: Dry Your Eyes

The results are in; for those not living in the UK or keeping up with its news, Scotland voted in their referendum on independence on thursday, and the vote was a no. I've been a yes supporter for a long time, and I was gutted; this issue means a lot, and I spent a fair chunk of the morning crying. Between this and a backlog of work, I've not had time for blogging. 

I took these photos maybe two weeks ago, but due to my disaster of a schedule haven't posted them until now. I'm a big fan of this jumper with everything in my wardrobe, but Dundee has been surprisingly warm and unsuitable for autumnal clothing, so it's been relegated to the top shelf for now. Maxis are also a favourite, and I've since picked up a skirt to sit beside this dress. 

When I was taking these photos, I could hear high pitched bird noises, and found that some pigeons seemed to be stuck behind a girder attached to the wall. I took pity on them and called the SSPCA, but when they arrived and called me apparently the pigeons had left and it must have been a nest I'd heard. Oops. 

I'm still feeling low post-result, but it not time to give up; 45% of Scotland is not happy, and I have to dry my eyes and join in. Yesterday was a day for mourning, but today we demand our politicians prove their accountability and give us our powers. Then, next generation, we try again. 

Fiona

P.s. I realise both my header and sidebar have gone down, and I apologise for this. This is clearly my fault for being a useless coder and will try and fix it today. (Edit: header is fixed, and I'll do the sidebar later today!)

Sophistique Noir's monthly theme: make up

Hello all! As is evident by the title of this post, I'm taking part in Victorian Kitty's monthly themed blog challenge, which this month is on the topic of make up. Make up is something I'm utterly fascinated by; it has a kind of power in how it can so utterly transform one's face, which feeds so heavily into our concepts of beauty and self-perception. Though I enjoy make up and wear it most week days, I'm happy enough in my relationship with it that I don't 'need' it whenever I leave my flat, but I also don't think that those who do are worthy of disdain, or indeed that any all or nothing opinion is the best. My only advice would be to understand what you're using, I guess.

 I'd considered featuring my key make up products, but due to a) losing my favourite lipstick and b) needing to change my current foundation badly, that went out the window. I also considered a tutorial, but time constraints due to life events made this difficult.

Why hello there, natural hair texture.

Though I've expanded my make up repertoire significantly over the past year or so, I do have a bad habit of falling into the same comfortable styles; whilst I like my make up and know those styles suit me, recently I've been feeling like experimentation .

Adora Batbrat's make up is usually far beyond not only my skill level and lifestyle, but also what suits my face; this eye look was heavily inspired by one of her facebook posts, however, which attracted me because of the black, grey and dark red colour scheme (my favourite for make up). I've always been a fan of dots along the line of the eye (and have been incorporating them heavily into my make up recently), though the shape and block colour of the eyeshadow was very different for me.

Ben likes this one, though I'm not so sure.

The line of dots is very 'tribal' (god, I hate the use of that word), but the dark cat's eye called for some femme fatale glam to match; my earrings were a christmas present from my parents, and I will never get tired of a sleeveless polo neck. Illamasqua's liquid liner Scribe is fast becoming a favourite in my make up bag, and using it in the corners of the eyes is incredibly effective at opening the eye and stopping them looking too small, even with a very closed dark eye such as this. The lipgloss seen here is a temporary and disappointing replacement for my treasured Lord and Berry black-red, which I managed to lose in or around Edinburgh at the fringe. Rest in peace, baby.

Although I like this, I'm not 100% sure that it suits me; the eyeshadow should have been extended out from the corners further, and some white perhaps could have been used to highlight my brow. Nonetheless, it was fun trying something radically different from my usual, and I might reuse it. Obviously, it's more of an evening look; being me, I wore it during the day time anyway.

 

Has anyone else wondered about trying something radically different to what they're used to? Any foundation suggestions for a greasy blob like me? 



Fee

Outfit: The Dog Days of Summer

I finally made an adult decision.

I admitted that wearing all black in the middle of summer is excessive. 

It's been the hottest summer we've had in Scotland for a fair few years; after mostly cool, rainy summers, I'm delighted, but not really designed to cope with this heat. Those closer to the equator will probably laugh at how poorly I cope with the rather meagre increase in Fahrenheit, but in a cloudy country which receives 4577mm of rain per year, this is sunbathing weather for most people - and exhaustive for me. The quality of light in summer is incredible - not to mention the length of it, which lends itself perfectly to sitting outside till late - but considering I nearly suffered from heat stroke when I visited St. Andrews several weeks back, I am forced to agree that to properly enjoy it one really shouldn't wear leather boots and black velvet.

Dressing for the heat is a delicate balance of colour, skin exposure and fabric type. Drinking lots of fluids is also important, and something I'm terrible at remembering even at the best of times. Though black can be okay to wear if you pick something breathable, I like how much cooler white makes me feel, and this dress is great for when I feel like wearing something more vintage inspired - in this case twenties. I love how popular sandals have been recently, and picked myself up a pair of elastic ones from M&S. Why don't more sandals use elastic? It's so much more comfortable than straps and doesn't rub.

Add a cardigan to stop my shoulders from getting any more burnt than they are (stay in the shade and wear sun cream regardless of what the sky looks like, kids) and a parasol (which you can see here), and I'm set for the last throes of sunshine. For the real dogs out there, I recommend a good hair cut and a cool bowl of water.

This post was part of The Curious Professor Z's Monthly Homework Assignment; photos by Ben, who I think really outdid himself on these ones (one day I'll become a model worthy of him). I may not have a wardrobe feature on the 1st, but I'm pleased at managing to take part in this challenge. Any other suggestions for summer?





Fee

Make Up: Lesser Spotted Goth

Psst - As a favour to an old friend, you can find me moonlighting on The Pop Culture Cynic this week discussing grown up geek and my pick of classy merchandise. Got to let the geek out somehow.


Second disclaimer: this was photographed after a full day of indulging in food, swimming, and a lazily done reapplication, but perfect make up wouldn't be an accurate portrayal of my existence.

Disclaimer: this is a short post, given that I'm on holiday and have more serious, important things to be doing (having saunas, sketching, working out how much vodka is in a White Russian) than writing blog posts. Regardless, I intend on keeping up with my update schedule, and I've been doing interesting things with make up recently.

Wardrobe Feature: DIY Spiderweb Leggings

I haven't even had a chance to edit my photos, as my internet is at rural speeds. Updated versions forthcoming.

First things first - apologies for not having this post up quite on time. I spent the weekend helping a friend move into their new flat, and had neither the Wi-Fi nor time nor energy to get it up sharp. On the plus side, I had a very pleasant few days, and discovered that Dundee charity shops produce far better finds when not being picked clean by students (haul post potentially forthcoming).

Several of you mentioned wanting to see more of my finished DIYs for my craft challenge, which I'm quite happy to acquiesce to - hopefully it will keep me motivated to continue finishing them! If you want real time updates on my progress, I regularly post projects on instagram and facebook as I complete them.

There is always one craft which outstays its welcome, and these leggings were it. I started these in first year of university, only finishing them at the start of this summer. This was mainly due to the pointillist style (though I'll admit there was an element of laziness there too); finish a line, let it dry. Repeat. There were still a lot of accidental smudges.

Included - everyday outfit for myself. 

I originally saw leggings like these in topshop, but couldn't afford the £30 price tag at the time. They're a good example of why you shouldn't always DIY everything - though they were theoretically easy, the time put into them probably negated that. Similarly, I've been bankrupting myself buying fabric for other future wardrobe additions, so whilst it's easy to say, 'I could make that', you may be forced to eat those words. On the other hand, I decided that the design stood out more when it only covered one leg, so DIY does have its advantages.

Is anyone else undertaking craft projects this summer? When do you DIY over buying?




Fee


P.S. Welcome to Night Vale is doing a European Tour! More info on their website.

Wearing: Esoteric Geometry

Over the past few months I've been really good with upholding my commitment to ethical fashion; most of my recent purchases have been from M&S and Noctex (both with stellar records). As a child of Scottish socialism, improving worker's conditions is very important to me, as well as supporting local independent designers (though, as previously mentioned, this isn't necessarily possible for everyone).

However, for all my gripes with it fast fashion is very tempting, and I was eyeing this jumper for a good few weeks before getting it on sale (huzzah!). The design is gorgeous, probably inspired by the occult trend (which I'm a raging fan of) and slots in smoothly with the rest of my wardrobe. It's a little bit like a tarot card - something I've been practicing reading recently - and also geometrical Islamic art. I like the environmental policies H&M have been implementing, but the conditions in their factories leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, if there's any change in fashion it helps to support it, and an occasional lapse can be excused.

Red and Black Week, Day 6: Red and Black Gradient Make Up Tutorial

I can't decide whether I should be appalled with myself or not; a whole year since I last did my two tone red and black make up for last year's R&B Week, and I still haven't purchased red eyeshadow. I'm not sure if it counts as lazy or thrifty, but it's probably the former. So before we start, I would like to clarify that there is probably a reason that they don't market lipsticks for use as eyeshadow, and I wouldn't recommend it for use on a regular basis for health and safety reasons.



As mentioned above, my most successful post of last year was my two-tone make up look on the final day (see here), and I wanted to do another make up look for this year; red lipstick is a classic, but red eye shadow is more difficult to pull off. I don't tend to incorporate red into my club and night time looks, so this was a challenge on that level too, which I relished.

Excuse the frizzy hair. 

I'm overly pleased with this look! To contrast last year's effort, I focused more on gradients as opposed to colour blocking, and in honour of our wonderful host Ms. Kitty I included her signature black-lined red lips. This look can be split up into its components and each part worn on its own, but I've done a brief tutorial for you guys on how to do it for yourself.

Red and Black Week 2014, Day 3: Secretariat

Day three of Red and Black Week, and I have my first outfit post - perhaps surprising for someone who blogs frequently on personal fashion. As previously mentioned I don't have an awful lot of red in my wardrobe, which I'm considering changing for next year, but I have made one purchase since I last participated.

Foolishly, I got this skirt in preparation for university in the summer last year; it's far too tight to run for the bus in, and probably a little too femme fatale for patients. I wore it on the day these photographs were taken to a vintage fair with some members of the swing society, and ended up trying to dance rock and roll in it - trying being the operative word. I love it nonetheless, and really want more pencil skirts.

The concept of the femme fatale is an interesting one to me, partially because I've been studying Blade Runner; is her dangerous sexuality empowering or misogynistic? Blade Runner exposes the fallacy of the femme fatale in the character Rachael, and her vulnerability in the neo-noir dystopia makes her one of my favourite characters. For some reason the pairing of this skirt and blouse (very appropriate for the red, white and black theme today) also reminds me of Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, who is another supposed femme fatale who diverges from the archetype.

Who else is taking part in Red and Black Week? What's your feelings regarding femme fatales, or indeed pencil skirts? Let me know in the comments!

Fee

Outfit: Noctex Axis Dress

As previously mentioned, I've been experiencing the clothing equivalent of cabin fever for the past month or two, and though I'm still facing frustration getting dressed (and disturbingly discovered yesterday that I have less clothes than Ben) I have some wriggle room now after several strategic purchases.

I've been interested in the goth ninja trend for a while, and found out about Noctex Clothing by Negin Izad via tumblr (obviously). I had to own a piece of their collection from the previous season before it dissipated, and decided on the Axis Dress. Though all of Izad's clothing is very reasonably priced (even with international shipping it wasn't unreasonable) I feel incredibly privileged in getting to support a small designer, particularly one with such a passion for ethical production of clothing.

The dress itself arrived promptly and in perfect condition, and I love the lines and the multifunctional element included (you can see many of the different ways you can wear the hood here); I wanted to do it justice by not over-embellishing it, and decided on tall, military boots and my waist belt. As I go on, I want increasingly to pare my style back to tank tops, shorts and simple black dresses.




Fee

Modelling: Rainy Day Steampunk

Featuring the mandatory lace parasol, owned by goths everywhere.



Last semester I had my first official modelling gig, which I had forgotten to post about until now; I'm not seriously planning on going into modelling as career, but it's a skill I'd like to learn (plus it would be fun to be able to take on the odd interesting project). It was an enjoyable experience, though the miserable weather meant everyone's fingers went blue and lighting was a challenge.

The shoot was organised by a local photography student (I found out about it via advertisement in my student paper) andstaged at Camperdown House on a steampunk theme; I wore my go to outfit for steam related events (seen on the blog before here). I should state that all images have been heavily edited post-production. Editing is something I do myself for my own photography, but I have no idea if he's altered my appearance or not, which I don't do on the blog.

Looking at the photos afterwards, I am most definitely not a natural model, and I need to look at make up which performs better on camera. Nonetheless, I've got a better idea of posing, and even if I don't become the next Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell (god forbid), it will help my own photography for the blog.



Have you ever had experience modelling before? Are you a fan of steampunk? Let me know in the comments!






Fee



Outfit: Marie Laveau Wants Your Bones

It's a relief that all the work on my blog is beginning to pay off; organising my own domain name is still a work in progress, but it makes such a difference, reorganising and redesigning - more than you would expect. This, combined with the spring weather, is making me feel more and more upbeat, which is a boon for my upcoming exams.

Style wise I've been inspired recently by Mexican (specifically Frieda Kahlo) and South American cultures, as well as the Creole dress of Voudon Priestess Marie Laveau. I can't understand people dressing up 'Voodoo' for Halloween; it's tacky and offensive, but I feel that's it's okay to take inspiration from the most famous practitioner herself.





I want to find more ways of incorporating this into my normal macabre inspired wear, but that shouldn't be hard; Dia de los Muertos art and some of the darker imagery in Haitian voudon would be interesting to borrow from. I've been losing interest in gothic fashion proper recently, though I'll probably return again at some point; nu goth, mainstream fashion, minimalism and even pastel goth and vintage have been lingering in my head more recently, though I can't do anything without a dark twist.

 



Eye make up.

 

What are your opinions on cultural appropriation and taking inspiration from other cultures? Do let me know!

 

 

 

 

 

Fee

 

 

 

(P.S. Blogger is seriously beginning to irritate me, as posts keep scheduling and appearing before/after they were supposed to be up. This one wasn't supposed to appear until the 11th - derp. I'll leave it up, but I'm not sure what to do about blogger.)





Wardrobe Feature: Coffin Bag

I'm not really a bag person - I'm somewhat baffled by how some people can obsess over relatively plain, expensive bags, and I don't always even carry one. My work horse for the past two years has been my brown leather satchel - not very goth, but it's the only bag that can cope with the amount I lug to and fro from uni. I have lots of plain black bags for going out, which are sufficient for money, my phone and keys, but none of them are particularly exciting.

Not actually a great photo (I was having major problems with my hair that day, and Ben is still struggling dealing with my camera), but it was too cute to resist.

My one true goth bag has always been my coffin bag, which I finally procured last summer off eBay; it's a good size, with a removable internal pocket (strange, I know, but useful) and a cross body strap - though irritatingly doesn't come with back straps to allow for use as a back pack - and instantly makes any outfit Goth As Fuck.

Sadly, it's not so appropriate for taking to lectures at the hospital, so it tends to be reserved for out of hours use.

One of the interesting things about owning an wardrobe item that is so ubiquitous it has become a cliché is the different ways of styling it. I actually really enjoy seeing them on fashion blogs, just to view the wildly different looks they get incorporated into. I'm still playing with what to wear it with, but maybe you'll see it more on the blog.



Fee

Sophistique Noir's Monthly Theme: Outerwear

Since I first listened to Bauhaus and considered wearing all black, I've been drawn to the style of the eighties goth. Even before that (since I was thirteen, perhaps), I've loved the confrontational and angry punk spirit, and though I do indulge in the occasional ruffle or mutton blouse (as you can see in some of my outfit photos, such as this), my heart has always belonged to the DIY, rough and ready roots of goth.

Considering for the past few sophistique noir monthly themes I've focused on the vintage half of my wardrobe (which I tend to wear to swing events and when dressing smart is required), I wanted to look at my everyday/going out goth wear which hasn't featured nearly as much on this blog, and so for this month's theme of outerwear I decided to feature my long term project - my post punk jacket. 

It's still a work in progress - I've only got three patches on it thus far, all hand painted (the most recent being my Siouxsie eyes, seen below), but I don't want to put too many more on as I value simplicity. Maybe a March Violets patch?

The joy division patch is affectionately called my 'volume control' by a friend.



Ben was my photographer for the day, and the poor thing struggled to get the hang of using my camera, resulting in many blurry photos. He eventually got used to it, though. Photos were taken behind the Dundee Record Shop Groucho's, where it's a veritable post-apocalyptic wasteland.



Hello - yes, I would like my punk card punched, please. 

It's nice finally getting to post more recent outfit photos; despite this being a fashion blog it doesn't really feature my current personal style that much, which just feels inaccurate. I also like getting an opportunity to take photos in different locations - this was going to be done underneath the Tay Road Bridge, but construction at the waterfront hindered that plan. Exploring will have to be done.



Stay safe. :)

Fee