Violent Grunge

Hello my field daisies!

Recently I had the lovely opportunity to work with Lorenz Angelo, a Bay Area free lance photographer. We took a trip to SF, and shot three outfits. I don’t know if other bloggers do this, but I usually take multiple outfits for one photoshoot, storing them away for a later time, much like a squirrel storing acorns >.<

Because I don’t have a nice DSLR camera, I usually have to find a bunch of random people to take my photos. I find getting someone to do an all day shoot is easier than trying to find someone everyday to take a picture of my outfit.

It was such a pleasure shooting with Lorenz. I met him through BareStage Productions , a student run theater group at Berkeley. He’s taken the photographs for both shows I’ve been in, Macbeth and 12 Angry Men.

Forever 21 Leggings

Forever 21 Drape

H&M Tank Top

CiCi Hot Sunglasses

Asos Shoes

I titled this look Violent Grunge. One because it is an all-black edgy look, and two because it is a play on words. This look could have easily been titled Violet Grunge, but I think violent sounds more impactful.

Sidenote: Googled grunge. Apparently WikiHow thinks that “Nothing signals the grunge look more quickly than a lumberjack-style shirt and a pair of work boots.” I think that is more of a hipster look. To me, grunge is more of a dirty, gritty style and most definitely all black. (or at least monochrome)

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know I’ve been obsessed with lilac for almost a year now. I didn’t have the courage to dye my entire head purple, but I did decide to try out my tips. Dip dying hair is the best way to experiment with color. It’s super easy to do, and if it looks haphazard or uneven, that’s the point. Whenever I start my big girl job I can just cut my hair and presto! Color gone. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9_UT56Fug

Now I’ve never dyed my hair before, and admittedly when I first thought of this idea, I was daunted by the task. But I watched a few YouTube videos and felt proficient enough to try a little DIY. One video in particular that I followed was by YouTuber  Claudia Sulewski. It was her first time dip dying as well, and although her opinion wasn’t professional or licensed, I felt more drawn to her steps because she was winging it like a true novelist. And the look turned out great for her, so I figured ehh why not? So I went to the description portion of the video, clicked all the Amazon links Claudia provided of the products she used, and then I waited restlessly to receive the package. I’ve provided the same links below.

The Products I used:
Hair Dye: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001…
Bleach: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000…
Developer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000…
Toner: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001…

Additionally I bought this 5 piece color tool kit. It included a frosting cap, gloves, a tinting brush and stirring stick. But now I think I could have just gone with buying a tinting brush. First off, they included each glove as one item in the 5 piece set, which is pointless. And the gloves were super thin too. All the stuff was pretty cheap material, but hey it was $6.

Since my hair is so dark, the process took a couple steps. First I had to bleach my hair and tone it. I did this step twice to get the orangey blonde look out. Then I mixed conditioner and purple dye and put that on my tips. If you follow Claudia’s video, she did do one step a bit wrong, which she explains at the end. The problem was she didn’t put enough purple into the conditioner. I found that after a few days the color washed out. So when you do mix it, try to get more of a neon purple color. It’s better to dye it dark purple and let it fade out to lilac. You could also just leave your tips in the neon purple for like 1-3 minutes. That will produce a lighter purple too.

On Black Friday, I decided to stay in and cyber shop. It was sooo much better than waiting in lines. Unfortunately all the items I’m wearing were on clearance, so I can’t seem to find them anymore. I love how this Forever 21 drape flows behind me like a cape. It’s a bit hard to describe, sort of a mix between a long sleeve shirt, a cape and a high and low skirt. The way this thing is shaped means I always have to wear something under it or else I’ll be oddly naked. But that’s never been a downside. I’ve come to realize that this drape can turn any outfit into grunge.

My leggings are also a Black Friday purchase. I get compliments every time I wear them, which sort of stuns me because I think of these bottoms as just leggings. What makes these leggings so special I guess is the mesh panelling. I’ve seen mesh in a lot of high fashion brands. It started when Khloe Kardashian was spotted wearing the Alexander Wang S/S 2014 Parental Advisory white mesh shirt. Now fast fashion stores are coping this trend too, with knock offs and variations of the Parental Advisory shirt appearing everywhere, even Amazon.

My shiny black and gold oxfords were a gift from my dear friend Amanda. I love these things to pieces. Literally every time I wear them I get compliments on them. They are a little tight though, but I think that’s just because of the material. I am usually a size 7, and I bought these online not knowing how they fit. If you were to get these I would maybe considering rounding up from your normal size.

Click here for a link to the shoes on Asos.

And there is an interesting story behind these shoes.

So Amanda has the cutest dog in the world named Bear.

https://instagram.com/p/xUbrS5M-Af/?modal=true

You can’t say no to this face. I mean seriously. I’m never was much of a dog person, but watching Bear grow up from a puppy to now has made me a dog person. You converted me Amanda!

Anyway New Year’s Eve I am getting ready at Amanda’s house, and I have these new black and gold heels I bought from Guess. They were adorable.  I don’t remember the exact details, but I think we left for a moment and when we came back there was Bear chewing on the end of my stilettos with a big dopey grin on his face.

Afterward Amanda apologized profusely and said she would rebuy me the heels, but I wanted these oxfords instead. So like the best friend she is, she bought me the oxfords and then express delivered to my place.

But then there was the nightmare of tracking the package… Blah but that’s another story that’s way duller.

My watch is from Casio and I bought it from Amazon. I should have put it in my description, but honestly I forgot. And I don’t feel like re-photoshopping the description, so ehhhh sue me.

I’ve bought this watch last August after a feverish online search. If you know me, it takes me forever to buy something especially if it is over $50 dollars. I wanted to get a nice, fancy looking watch, so I was looking at higher end brands. For a while, I really had my heart set on a rose gold Michael Kors watch. It got to the point where Amazon was sending me weekly emails about newly reduced luxury watches. But I couldn’t find a design I was willing to pay big bucks to have.

Besides all I really wanted was a fashionable, decently priced, small, light, water proof watch that I could wear always with any outfit. I mean that’s not too hard right? *laughs sarcastically

Finally I stumbled across this little Casio beauty. It has a gold face, which is fantastic, and its strap is made of this sort of rubber material, meaning I can wear it when I go swimming and when I shower. I literally wear this watch everyday. I feel weird when it isn’t on my wrist. I’m one of those people who has to know what time it is.

And for less than $10, I think I’ve found my new watch forever. If I ever lose it or it breaks, I can just buy a new one.

Also another sidenote: The Apple Watch was released in SF recently. I am eager to see how it does on the market. I’ve read a few critical reviews and watched a couple of mesmerizing Apple ads, and I really like the design. But I do think it is way over priced, and other companies have better designs already out, which is something I never ever say. This is Tim Cook’s first project he’s done alone, so I think its success will make or break him.

Love ya’ll and thanks for reading!

Hope you have a daisyish day!