Todays outfit

My hat week continues!

I'm wearing a hat made of designer Ruby Rouge of London. It was a custum made gift <3

Hat is a perfect goth item. Most of us have pretty, pretty well designed hats - but we rarely take them for a stroll. Poor things.
All beautiful and noone to admire them.

When I have newly colored hair I don't want to wear crowns or hats, because I want people to see the perfect result, but as the growth keeps showing, the more I tend to wear stuff in the hair.
Hats are just delightful and covers up a nasty growth so you can wait another two weeks to bleach.
I should bleach every 6'th week, but I always try to wait until 8 weeks have passed by, just to be nice to the hair.
And having an official hat week is just so smart (I'm so smart, I'm so clever), because now many of them comes to use a bit more often than just a few times a year. Whihooo, my hats says!

And yes, I know I should paint my neck as well to avoid this "mime-face", but I don't really give a rats ass. I want to be pale in the face, that's it. I do think people might have an idea about the fact I'm not really that pale anyway, so I have no urge to try and fool them. Otherwise I'd have to cover my whole body in make up since I'm often wearing less clothes.

Lovely fingerless gloves with a heart shaped hole. Swedish E-Bay.

I love heartsy stuff!

What is this for a stupid burlesque pose? I'm goth, God dammit!

Fantastic necklace by Pinkabsinthe $25.00. Buy here.

Hat: Ruby Rouge (she's no longer active as a designer. So sad...)
Necklace: Pinkabsinthe at Etsy.com (lots of fab things)
Lace linen and shorts from H&M ages ago
Stockings: German Stockings from BatBrat webshop $18

My Music Monday: Nitzer Ebb

As I was getting to know more people in the electro genre the next step was to listen to this other english band with a total unique and agressive sound.
Exactly what you needed when you were an angry teen (I was never that angry..).
The songs were built on repeating, shouting, moaning and pounding things as hard as you could.
This was EBM - Electronic Body Music.
Of course I'm talking about Nitzer Ebb.

Adding a total new look on how a synthare (electro kid) should look they won a huge crowd in my town (as in all of Sweden). Depeche Mode that was considered to be dark, black and hard all of a sudden sounded like a church choir in comparison.
This was sooo cool!

Memorizing the lyrics was easy, shouting is what a teen does best, and lurking about in shorts, linen, suspensers (up or down) and 10 eye doc's on your feet was all you needed to nail the Nitzer Ebb look.
The real invited also had on a pair of pilot glasses, undercut (well, most had it anyway since it was the Depeche Mode hairstyle as well) and stopped wearing make up (too bad..).
This was very masculine and rough - no UCG here!

Playing the record That Total Age made my mum not so happy. She acctually liked Depeche Mode and had no problem with me listerning to the records over and over and over.

But when she heard singer Douglas of Nitzer Ebb singing "Fire, fire, fire, aughh!" She ran up to my room and told me I could not listen to music where they sang they were about to kill people!

I tried to smooth it over saying they sang about fire "fire". And burning churches...don't think that had the right effect.. thus was I forbidden to listen to Nitzer Ebb when they were at home. Bummer.....

A few of the girls in my crowd had the cool undercut, but not me, I was far too skinny to wear my hair like that. And after having boy-short hair since I was a child I had finally started to grow it out and had decided on to grow it as long as I could. Think I succeeded :)

1988, when I went to my first concert ever, the one with Depeche Mode - almost as if you can't believe it, but Nitzer Ebb was their support!

It was so agressive and mind blowing it was a hard act to follow for Depeche Mode. But Depeche Mode was best.

Last time Depeche Mode played here in Sweden (2009) they also had Nitzer Ebb as support, and this time I think Nitzer Ebb kicked the shit out of Depeche Mode!

I did miss out on a few Nitzer Ebb's concerts but I always got the full story afterwards, who f*cked Douglas, who did Bon...  ;) What can I say, it was the 80's!

I've seen them lots of times since and they have always served first class EBM and Douglas is a very good performer. You can't take the eyes out of him when he moves around, he's got some very signature moves. I had the fortunate to talk with him after a concert 2009 and he was SO nice - and he still looked as if he was in his 20's.

Highlight moment:

seeing them play at the M'era Luna festival 2008 when Douglas came out wearing this (hot) outfit and for a few seconds I had to fix something with my camera, and when I looked up again his shirt was missing (!), but he still had the leather band on (what the hell is it called in english? Help, please).

Amongst Swedish synthare this is considered a very hot look, and we do like the fashion of military uniforms (without any political activity to it), me included.

I have never had a party without a Nitzer Ebb song. It's a must. They are still going SO BRIGHT, SO STRONG.

And yeah, my husband's got a perfect Nitzer Ebb tattoo <3 I just loooove it, and want one for myself, but it will look stupid if we both had the same tattoo, like some kind of trailer people.

A very typical Nitzer Ebb song that will get any party started:

This is one of my favorites: Lightning Man

Todays outfit

This is hat week! I like any reason to wear hats, and having a nasty growth is as good as any. I will be a total UCG in my little hats all week. Here's the pillarbox with spangles from H&M.

I'm sneaking around like a spy

 It feels funny around the buttons, it tickles me

 Didn't it get cold all of a sudden?

 Ahhgg! Scary shit! My jacket disappeared out of the blue! Huh?

Shoes from China

Stockings Shock.se

Skirt: altered by me

Top and linen: H&M as Cubus

Gloves: Lindex

Face: me

London plans

A week and 2 days left until I leave for London!!!
Today I was searching for something to do at night when attending this fun city.
I came across Tortue Garden we visited last year and found this picture of us:

All I can think about when seeing this picture is *hahaha* the fact that my sister's not wearing any panties! We had a blast at that the whole evening, joking around she's being like Britney Spears or getting pregnant just by sitting down, or that I could smell shrimps "Oh, it's just you".

She was so afraid the pantie monster would show on the pics :)

But no, she was shy this evening!

Me and Celebrities

Spot the celebrity!
This is what I found coming out from the boys room at Berlin club K17, 2006 01 05.
He was both cuter and shorter than I thought. Very nice too (at least by that evening).

One of us looks super-duper cuddly and the other one as well!..

Friday Special: Iva Insane

I've seen that a lot the people who read my blog thinks that Sweden is a lovely country because it's accepted to have your own style, without other people says mean things about you.
Sorry to say it... but you're so wrong!

I don't think it's any country where you can be yourself on the street and don't meet people who's stare at you or give you lowered comments.
It's still wierd for them to not wanna "fit in" and be like other "normal" persons, and I'm afraid it will stay that way.

I've never become sad or angry about the (not so friendly) comments I get from people everyday. Why should they direct me how to look, when I don't care about their ugly jeans!? It's up to them what to wear as long I don't need to put those pants over my legs and little butt ;)
I was hoping that more girls and boys would see through my (and all other goths) make up and accept me as the person I am. I don't need to be a devil worshiper just because I wear black clothes all the time, right?

I'm living in the second biggest city in Sweden, but it makes nothing better.
Folks here can be really evil and yelling at me on the streets as well. Most of the time I ignore what they're saying, and just thinking "Haha, you never know when you need a haircut next time and book a appointment at my salon " *evil grin*
It's for your own good that you stay nice and friendly to me so not any "accident" will happen ;)

" I've got the same skills as Benjamin Barker ;)"

Next time someone debases you, try to say something back that they not expect (in a friendly way), and I'm sure they will be very surprised and keep their mouths shut.

I wanna see more friendly and happy goths out there! Cheer up EMO-kids ;)

Love/ Iva Insane

*******************************************************

Adora here!

Thank's again pretty sister for your wonderful thoughts. And might I add; you look SO astonishing on this picture!

But I will have to disagree though. I mostly get sweet comments! So the people who writes in your blog and thinks Sweden is a lovely country to be alternative in have probably been told that by me! :)

Both kids and elderly ladies seems to have a flair for me :)

Sure, I've had my fair share of the "Is it Halloween already?", "Look at that witch" and other not so innovative sentences from those common people without imagination, but all in all I get many, many more compliments on my look in a positive way than the other way around.

Mostly kids and women, especially elderly women, seems to like my style and give me sweet smiles and telling me they light up when they see me and that they used to be a rebel (?) too in younger days. Haha, well, I can't really agree on being a rebel of any kind, I'm just born like this, but if it makes them happy to think I have an agenda with my look, let them think so :)

But I have to agree with my sister on one point. A bigger city is worse!

In my town with about 70 000 residents I don't cause that much commotion (well, not that I pay attention to anyway), but when I travel to bigger cities like Stockholm, Malmoe and Gothenburg people just walk into each other/lamp posts and straight into doors because they can't stop staring!!!

I'm not offended by the staring because I understand.

I am a rare thing to be seen, almost fictional looking, and I would probably stand and stare at myself with my mouth open if I ever saw me out in the streets. I tend to stare at alternatives, other beautiful people and extremly ugly people. And as long as I'm a starer myself I can't really complain.

BUT I've been a real bitch too.

Many years ago two teens were standing in front of me in a queue (we were the only ones) as one of the boys said, you know, bit too loud to make sure I heard it: "God dammit she's ugly."

Then I took a step forward, leaned over him and said:

"-You will look very ugly with my footprint on your face?"

I thought he might have pooped in his pants a bit because he and his friend immediately begged for forgiveness and said it was just kidding around.

I let them off with a warning!

I had a very wicked tongue as a teen too, so wicked that people only tryed once to be nasty, because I was soooo evil in my reply back I think I might have given them all hang ups for life ;)

It worked out fine! I just pointed out their "faults!; a curved nose, sleepy eyes, ugly teeth, big ears, fat ass (I have always been able to pull out the "fat-card" because I'm skinnier then most and to say something about a girls weight always hits hard),

I've done other stupid things too, but I'm not gonna say. In short I was no angel.

But then I changed and started to meet evil with a smile, so when someone out on town called me a witch I just walked up to them and asked them to repeat what they said and tells them it's very un-polite to say something like that about someone you don't know, and that it's better to try being nice.

They get very chocked when I'm answering nicely.

I'm better then them!

Sickness!

I'm having two kids down with fever :(
Fairlight and TeeBee is not on top today, and that is so sad because we had a Friday surprise planned for them, and on Saturday we'll go to a water park again.
I'm so hoping they will feel better tomorrow...
Me tired of all care taking, must sleep.

Adora BatBrat having party

I am so not the fastest person in the world, but this video is from October 2009.
Better late then never...

M'era Luna festival 2011 - Day 2, part 1

Got up, all feeling just as happy as usual.

Put on our game faces, and some kind of clothes.

We had no special outfit for Day 2, just to be mostly black to wash off that unfaithfulness of wearing white yesterday.

Is it party yet?

Wonderfully beautiful Hanna and her sweet mum Marion came for a visit.

Our favorite Italians. So cool looking and so friendly :)

Our favorite Swedes! Crazy but kind of cute :)

Day 2, part 2 will follow.

My Music Monday: Depeche Mode part II

Follow up from My Music Mondays: Depeche Mode.

I spend the whole summer listening to my Depeche Mode cassette.
My favorite song were (still is on the top list):

I can't believe how good this song is on my ears still.

I've wanted to wear make up since I was 7 I think, but the mother forbid it.

In the 6'th degree I actually wanted to wear make up so badly I painted on black lines on the outer side of the eyes with a felt pen when I got to school...

Well, for some reason I figured out the style of a "synthare" (that's what electro goths are called in Sweden), don't ask me how, but I understood that black was the thing that made me a real synthare.

I also bleached my hair, by this time cut like Annie Lennox.

By this time many people told me I looked a lot like her, and I can't say it hurted to hear :D

You might not know how I look with eyebrows, but this picture just underneath is very close to the original.

I so wish I had pictures to show you, but when I was a teen there were no digital cameras and taking pictures with a regular and develop them costed a fortune at the time. I do have pic's somewhere (paper copys) and if I ever find them I will make sure to share :)

Finally, when entering the 7'th Degree, I was allowed to wear make up, and I started off with just a little black on the water line the first day, and then I added some more every day untill I had white powder, blue rouge and black lips and black eyes. Now the me I've always been was born!

I had the fortune of growing up in the 80's when there were no limits, no shames, and being spectacular was hoorayed upon. Everyone was their own superstar with elaborate hairstyles and make up.

I immediately moved on to new friends in my parallel classes, all dressed in black and with the same music interests as me: Depeche Mode and Boy George (NOT electro music, but I LOOOOOVED him!!! He's my make up hero in my young years).

I've always knew I wasn't like everybody else, and now I felt like I found my klan. The one place where I was considered "normal". It was a wonderful time.

We formed a big girl group with 7-14 girls hanging out together, buying records, shopping for make up and black clothes, buying fabric and tried to alter and make our own outfits (that was only sold in Stockholm and Malmö at the time), and having dinner parties.

NO drinking and NO drugs (I've never tried drugs even!!! Unless my doctor prescribed me after some surgery), we were very proper and UCG-like :)

1988, I was 15, me and two of my best friends went to Gothenburg to see Depeche Mode play at their Music for the Masses tour. When they played:

we were in extacy! It was all so surreal! My first concert ever and it was a Depeche Mode concert in a full Scandinavium (the arena).

All the guests were looking so cool, and I fell in love with every boy with make up and high, black hair I saw.

Darn, this Depeche Mode love story will never end, since it's just a fantastic band...but I have to say I do NOT like their "newer" sound where they use live drums and guitarrs, that's just not what I signed up for....

Depeche Mode will always be my house Gods and have a HUGE impact on my life <3

I've been to every tour they've had in Sweden ever since, all super, except the last one.

It was awful and I felt very sad after since it was so much "rock" and not so much synth.

All my friends I have is because of Depeche Mode as well as my husband, so you see, I have DM to thank for a lot!

Here's another favorite:

I could ramble on for ever about the impact Depeche Mode had on my life, but I think you've got the general idea.

London memories

It's almost been a year since me and pretty sister Iva Insane were in London spooking it up.
And we are going back for more so the memories are piling up...
Here's some shoots from the club night at Torture Garden:

I really liked this look, although it feels so wierd with these "normal" brows.
I look like a Neanderthal, but slightly cuter and less hairy.

The finished product:

(we are being sponsored by Naucler Design's latex)

In the studio: Black Religion

In the car over. Fairlight and Synthia are hilarious!

Been to the studio at my friends house to sing in a new version of Black Religion.

I'm supposed to sing it together with my sister, but since she couldn't this time, I did the whole shebang and she'll just do her parts later.

Man - I sing badly! I have the strangest voice, or as my darling husband says: "You don't have a nice voice, but it's kind of cool."
I can live with that...
My sister on the other hand has got a very nice and soft voice.

Inbetween verses I made a "Today's outfit" shoot.

I got asked how come my pictures can't be magnified anymore - and I must say it baffles me as well.
I have no idea what changed? I must have done something wrong. Ideas, anyone?

Nature Goth

Today in pictures:

My ordinary Saturday routine is to wash and re-color my hair (I add a bit of Directions semi color to my conditioner) and then I cut the bangs.

Sweden had the most beautiful fall in store for us today, so we gathered the little ones and prepared to do a "Hanzel und Gretyl", but without the evil ending ;) We acctually love our kids <3

We packed some cookies and drinks in my 50's inspired picnic basket and headed for the forest.



I had a blast today! It was so much fun playing about and the weather made it feel like a fairytale.

We found the same place as we visited this spring to have our cookie break on and stuffed us with freshly baked cupcakes. Super nice <3 Pure pleasure.

We struck gold as well, and found a place with lots of blueberries so we plucked enough to make some blueberry cupcake tomorrow.

Friday Special: Iva Insane

Hello again sweethearts!

Today I'm gonna continue to educate you how to treat your hair the right way.
I hope this advices will make you look more beautiful, and let me see less people with unsuccessful haircolors on the streets ;)

Bleaching

I've got a lot of questions how do I keep my hair in good condition, while bleaching it.
Read this blogpost and you will find out what's the underwork for having a beautiful and "healthy" hair (as healthy as you can get your hair when you bleaches it)

My natural haircolor is copperblond/strawberryblonde, so my natural haircolor is quite light but has a LOT of red pigments in :(
Remember that it's much harder to bleach a hair that have been coloured by artificial pigments from haircolor, than bleaching a natural hair.

I only bleach my roots everytime I start to see that ugly, copperblond, little line at my scalp. I use professional products, so I'm sorry that I can't give you any advice what kind of bleach you shall buy at the store.
I mix the bleaching-powder with the activator who has a strenght of "7 vol" or in Swedish terms "2 %"
Sometimes I add a bit of 20 vol/ 6% activator to my mix (Lower number= more healty to your hair, but the bleach need to stay in a little bit longer to get a nice result)
I'm very particular to not "overlap" the bleaching-product at the hair that already have been bleached before.
If you do that, your hair will sooner or later just be a memory laying on the floor.

When you've applyed all the bleach at the roots it's time to let it stays in for a while.
It's very different from haircolor to haircolor how long the bleaching-product must be in, and there's not any given time when it's time for you to rinse out the bleach.
Take your fingers and scratch away some of the lightning-product to see if your hair is white or
yellow as a chicken. If it's still yellow....let it be in for some more minutes. (I don't want to see yellow
chickens running around in town, ok?!)

The Swedish artist Robyn has a lovely blond color. Come on, go whiteblond don't be a chicken ;)

After you've rinsed out all bleach, make sure you treat your hair with good products (bought from a hairdresser-salon!)

You can use a toner to get more white/gray impression to your hair ect.
For me it use to be enough to just use the silver shampoo and silver treatment from Lakmé.

Using semipermanent haircolor

If you like to have a nice, extreme hair color there's a lot of brands that makes semipermanent hair colors.
I've used directions and Stargazer, but I prefer Directions as I think the package is a lot better!
You can mix all the colors together, and you can add conditioner or treatment to the color to get i lighter.
My blue hair has a really simple reciepe- a few teaspoons of Directions turquoise and then a looooot of conditioner.
I think that the haircolor turned out better, after washing my hair once, and got that "lightblue/turquise" color.

If you like to get rid of the semipermanent-haircolor you have coloured your hair with, my tips for you would be to shampoo your hair many,many times (I know that some people thinks that dandruff-shampoo is more effective when you want to wash out the color) If it feels like you still have a lot of unwanted color left in your hair, you can try to make a mix between lukewarm water, shampoo and some bleaching powder to wash your hair with.

If you already have a very damaged hair or you're not 100% sure how to bleach it. Please, go to a good hairdresser who can help you with it! *pointing at myself and force everyone to get tickets to Sweden to be treated by the best hairdresser ever!* ;)

If you curious about what I'm doing the rest of the week. Visit my blog http://www.ivainsane.wordpress.com/
***************************************************
Hi, Adora here!
Thank you, sweet little sister for this enlightening entry. Much appriciated as usual :)

At my (still not 100% working) web site I have a list of how to mix all the haircolors I've had and there used to be pictures attached. The pictures will be put up again, I'm just falling behind.

I have brown hair originally.
When I bleach, I bleach the "common people" way; I buy Swedens most bought home bleaching : Jane Hellen: Ultra Blonde that lightens 6 nuances. I've used the same since 1984.

My natural hair color seen at the top (I don't color when pregnant).

At this picture I have kind of a more natural blond.

Here's my bleaching procedure:

(I'm working on this right now...)