November Favorites

Hello my darling fudgies

Many of you seem to enjoy it when I post about my personal life once in a blue moon, so here are a few things I've been loving recently, non body politics related:)

1. A Clockwork Orange

I am currently reading this morbid classic by Anthony Burgess for AP Senior Lit, and no I'm not done, so don't spoil it or I shall punch you square in the rot. The fact that much of the vocabulary is actually not english, but a made up language called Nadsat is difficult, I'll admit, but incredibly stimulating. Makes you think about the use of language as a theme on its own, like languageception. Mind blowing. Violent as all hell, but even as a squeamish girl, I'd recommend.



2. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am a die hard makeup addict. Some would say it contradicts my position as a body positive feminist, but I'd argue, and will in a post soon, that it only compliments my ideologies of men and women taking their beauty and self-expression into their own hands, not giving the power to others to define their beauty.

Anyway, as I was saying, I am all about that rouge life. I don't get to do very dramatic looks whilst at school, but at home, watch out neighbors! And there is no better tool to help me create dramatic cat eyes than the kat von d tattoo liner in trooper. Smudgeproof, long wearing, super thin and precise, it's the bomb.com

Here are a 2 of my creations!

3. My Septum Piercing!

Yes, I know, I won't shut up about my damn septum piercing. But
1. it makes me feel 1323242x more like myself
2. the healing has been divine
3. i can hide it
4. deal

4. Kati Morton, the queen of Mental Health on Youtube

Kati Morton, a licensed MFT, devotes an insane amount of time helping those struggling with mental health issues, or people who simply have questions about such topics. She is always a sunny ray of sunshine, promotes beautiful and healthy habits such as self-care, provides free workbooks for EDs and Self Harm, and is overall an amazing person.

Props to you Kati! Here is a good example of what she does:

5. http://destinyboswell.tumblr.com Destiny Boswell

It seems I've made a new Tumblr friend;)

She's nice, her blog is filled with hilarity, social commentary, and overall wonderfulness.
Plus she has survived depression and is always reblogging my stuff, so props to her for being such a great blogger.

I think my mom believes that online friendships are weird, but in a world where social media is everywhere, and social anxiety is rampant, why not use the resources we have to communicate and share and create a smaller community in a way that makes us comfortable and not have a panic attack. just my 2 cents!

Let me know what you think of Tumblr friendships in the comments:)

xoxo

Gabby

My Septum Piercing (the importance of self-expression)

Hello my darling fudgies,

Today, after months of vying and piercing jealousy, I finally got my septum pierced!
(pics below, slightly crooked, but still badass)

The experience (3 Ps): 

Pain: Honestly takes longer than most piercings, so I can't give it a 1/5, but maybe a 2.5/5? 

You do cry like a loser afterwards, because the nose is connected to the tear ducts so there's that. 

Parents: No, they don't like it. My mom tried to bribe me out of it, but there was no stopping moi. Good thing is you can flip it up and hide it from jobs and school, so your future isn't on the line with this simple piece of metal. 

Price: Obviously depends on where you go, but I always go to XS tattoo and piercings in Pointe Claire, QC, CA, and it cost me about 70 odd dollars. 

The importance:

Piercings might not seem like a big deal to you, or maybe you don't understand the hype. 

To me, they are an integral part of my being. 

I left my high school to attend a preppy, shmancy prep school in CT, where piercings are certainly not cool (or allowed).

I felt as though I was losing my identity; my alternative, modified, "edgy?" identity. 

This piercing allows me to be within dress code, when it is flipped up, but also be my own self, once the last class bell rings. 

Best of both worlds!

I think what I'm trying to say here is that the goal of the FP is to promote body positive ideals, but it can be hard, nay impossible, to love yourself when you don't feel like yourself. 

For me, tattoos and piercings help me express who I am to the outside world, but mainly and most importantly to myself.

My message is that you should always do what others tell you, except never. 

okay?

xoxo

Gabby

Size: A Poem

Do you know that she diets everyday
Fights everyday, is hungry everyday,
So that one day she can burn her size blank dress
And wear a bikini to the beach,
Do you know?

No, you don't.
You think she eats candy day,
lays all day, is full all day,
So that one day she can rely on the government
To take care of her diabetes-ridden size blank dress
Do you know?

Do you know she clutches her fat in the mirror
Cries in the mirror, smashes the mirror
So that maybe the reflection will change right before her eyes
And she can finally see beauty smiling back at her
Do you know?

No, you don't.
You think she's never seen a damn mirror
Doesn't know her size, doesn't know she has fat
So you have to remind her every day,
And watch her smile fade away.
Do you know?

Do you know that one day she'll be done
Done hating her body, done hating herself,
So that she'll break out of societal chains
And scream Fuck You, I'm beautiful
Do you know?

No, you don't.
You don't think she deserves that.
Deserve self-respect, deserve any respect at all.
So next time you call her ugly and she whips around
choking you out with her size blank dress,
Then you'll know.

Confidence Without Makeup!

Whether it's concealer for your "pores as large as Jupiter" or inky black mascara for your "non-existent blond eyelashes", makeup can be our most trusted ally, helping us face the brutal days in full confidence. But as much as we'd like to deny it, makeup can also be an enemy. 

If we get used to seeing the flawless, perfected version of ourselves in the mirror, the sight of our naked face can be a tad traumatic. We know we should let our skin breathe, and be content with with what we were born with and blablabla, but sometimes it feels like that advice is clearly coming from a man who doesn't know a darn thing about our self-acceptance struggles. 

So for all of you who need a bare face confidence booster, here are my 3 tried and true tricks to being confident without makeup:

1. Practice Makes Perfect

Once upon a time, I could not imagine leaving my own room without makeup on! But if you want to reach makeup-less nirvana, you have to put yourself out there, literally. Start with baby steps: 

First, if you don't already do so, go bare faced to the gym or to any active activity. No one on this earth looks good while working up a sweat, so why should you? Then you can slowly work your way up to grocery stores, malls, dinner with friends, the sky is the limit! 

What you will realize is this: nobody cares about you. Obviously, this might sound a bit harsh, but it's true: whether or not your eyebrows are plucked, people will go on with their day. Don't live your life in fear of other people's judgements, do what's best for you. So if your pores need a break from their camouflage, set them free!

2. Rediscover your face

Ladies, take out your compact mirror:  it's time to get reacquainted with your pretty face! 

We are so eternally focused on the bad that we don't take the time to enjoy the good. In a world where everything must be as big, wide, bright, glossy and perfect as possible, simplicity can be a new beauty concept we are not so used to. 

You don't need the entire Selfridges makeup department to be, or feel, beautiful. There is so much going on already; your eyes have just become accustomed to all the wonders!

3. Redefine Your Beauty Ideals

Let's just make something clear: all the ads you see on TV or in the magazines that portray a "natural" look are in fact more artificial than plastic. 

Hours of makeup, lighting, editing, and retouching have been put into the final product. Unless you plan on walking the streets toting a Photoshop editing program, a team of stylists and a few dozen spotlights, you should probably give up on the idea of replicating the image. Even the model doesn’t look like that when she stumbles out of bed!

So next time you see a spread in Harper's Bazaar and you wonder what kind of magical cream this young girl uses, look at it with new eyes. 

Imagine her with bags under her eyes, flyaway hairs, wrinkled clothing and a few other flaws here and there. Because that is what this picture would look like had it been taken in the realm of reality. 

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Don't get me wrong, makeup is an absolute blessing! 

But there are times when we need to be comfortable with what's underneath it all. 

The people who care for you can (should, or else they can walk themselves out of your life) appreciate all your intricate layers, so why shouldn't you? 

Have a lovely week!

Gabby

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Freckles: The Comeback Poem

Hello my sweets!

This poem I wrote was chosen among thousands and will be published in Teen Ink Magazine. How lucky am I?!
To celebrate, here is the illustrious piece of creative writing. 
Enjoy<3


I stare at her freckles, and I just don't understand;
I don't understand why she stares down her reflection,
blaming a mirror that will never tell her what she wants to hear.
Won't these miserable spots ever leave her be?
She asks, she pleads, she begs, as a long drawn-out sigh escapes her lips.

I don't understand the toxic chemicals with which she scrubs her face.
The home remedies, the beauty creams, the crackled layers of foundation –
they can barely fade the defiant freckle spatter.
Perhaps she will never stop scrubbing,
in hopes of peeling off her treacherous skin.
And I don't understand,

Because I love her adorable little freckles,
sprinkling the tops of her nose and the apples of her cheeks.
I find it adorable the way they dance around the crinkles of a timid smile
or a burst of laughter.
I use to draw little brown dots on myself
to imitate the lucky ones.

And perhaps she will never know,
And that would be a shame.
Because when she looks at my naked nose,
She thinks the same.

So tell her now, tell her loud,
Tell her to be proud!
And the world will be a little better
As she goes to sleep tonight
Thinking of your voice's sound.

Renee Zellweger's Face: Hypocrisy

Hello my darling fudgies

One of my favorite pop culture expert Michael Buckley @buckhollywood was the first person to point out the obvious transformation Renee Zellweger's face has gone through. This picture doesn't lie: some work has been done.

Actually, it might be lying a bit. To be fair, lighting may have a great deal to do with the way features look on camera. Don't tell me you've never taken a picture in bad lighting and looked like you'd been run over by a train.

I've written about plastic surgery before, and my stance is quite clear: if it doesn't affect me, or hurt anyone, knock yoselves out. 

So clearly Renee's decision isn't what's bothering me. However, if you happen to google something along the lines of "Renee Zellweger new face", you will soon find out what makes me angry.

Renee destroys her face!
Crazy before and after!
WHAT A SHOCKER!

...Really now.
A woman in the film industry, in the epicenter of Hollywood pressure, starting to age and lose roles because Hollywood is about that young life, who is constantly judged and criticized for her body, her face, her eyes, her left nostril...
You're going to tell me that this woman would consider going under the knife to fit into society's mold? Shocking!

This blatant hypocrisy infuriates me, because this is how the media gets away with body shaming. Perez Hilton and TMZ devote their entire lives to poking and prodding into these people's lives, pointing out every single flaw, but as soon as someone has enough and caves into the pressures of the industry, suddenly it's a scandal!

Never accountable for their actions, never responsible for the damage done!

Look, this is not a criticism of Renee. In fact, in her position, lord knows what I would do.
This is simply a platform to jump off from, to discuss the hypocrisy of the dialogue regarding women's issues.
Speak now, my loves!

xoxo

Gabby