Live your life

If you follow this blog you know I like to get up close and personal in here.

This is my sanctuary, my safe space, my diary.

I sometimes have to censor myself, or delete things, after I realise that other people do visit my blog and read my articles, they're public anyway.

But not today. Today I'm going to be forward because I have an urgent message for y'all.

Live your life!

Yes, so simple, yet so hard, isn't it?

I'm a person who has several health issues, so over the years I have been stuck in inertia. I've probably spent over 5 years of my life stuck in bed.
During that time I was literally doing nothing. And unfortunately, again, I am doing nothing.

Many people may say "Life is what you make it to be" etc.
But it's easy to say those things when you're healthy.

And when I was healthy, I didn't realise how privileged I was. I didn't realise that I had to exploit that time to do the things I wanted to do. I mean, I still went to uni, got a job etc., but I didn't do the things I really wanted. I thought I had time. But then I started having health issues, and I realised I didn't have time anymore.

So if you're young, healthy and able to chase your dreams, please, do it.
Now is the time, because you don't know if you will have that time in the future.
And time doesn't rewind.

Colourpop Swatch & Review

So sometime I go I made two orders from Colourpop. 

Apart from the customer service drama that I spoke about here, I decided to actually swatch and review the products for you. 

Stole the show

The formula feels like a mousse. It's like a wet powder. Very pigmented. VERY!

Love it! But it can be tricky to learn how to apply at first.

8.5/10

Little Weapon

Stricky. Very. Looks amazing on pictures and camera, but not that nice in person. Clings on every imperfection and it's very runny. 

5/10

Lumiere 2

Amazeballs! A beautiful cool toned mauve nude colour. Dries very quickly though so you have to work fast.

9/10

Beeper

A lovely warm toned brown nude colour. 

7/10

Trap

Another pretty cool toned nude. More on the grey side rather than mauve. 

8/10

Viper

A dark berry colour. It's absolutely stunning.

8.5/10

Sauce on top of Viper Lip Liner

I have to say that I prefer Sauce by itself or the lip liner by itself, as combined they create kind of a dull colour. 

Sauce by itself is very similar to Viper, but slightly lighter I believe.

Sauce: 8/10

Viper Lip Liner: 8.5/10 

Final thoughts:

They're all long lasting and they can dry your lips. Matte finish does that.

But you're not supposed to put anything on your lips before application, which I don't like due to the drying quality they have.

Most of them dry quickly so you have to work fast. 

Overall worth the money if you don't have to pay for shipping and customs.

Βοήθεια για την ψυχική υγεία στην Ελλάδα

Μερικοί αριθμοί που μπορείτε να καλέσετε όταν χρειάζεστε βοήθεια:

• 197 (γενική ψυχική βοήθεια) 
• 1034 (κατάθλιψη) 
• 210 72 22 333 (γραμμή SOS Αιγινήτειου) 
• 210 88 40 712 (κέντρο άμεσης ψυχολογικής στήριξης) 
• 116123 (Ευρωπαϊκή γραμμή ψυχικής στήριξης ενηλίκων)

Μερικοί σύνδεσμοι με λίστες και πληροφορίες:

• Λίστα με πληθώρα αριθμών που μπορείτε να καλέσετε
• Ερευνητικό Πανεπιστημιακό Ινστιτούτο Ψυχικής Υγιεινής
• Γραφείο Συνηγορίας
• Λίστα με συνδέσμους για την ψυχική υγεία
• Η Ευρωπαϊκή Τηλεφωνική Γραμμή 116123
• Τηλεφωνικές Γραμμές και Υπηρεσίες Ψυχολογικής υποστήριξης και συμβουλευτικής!
• Εθνικό Κέντρο Κοινωνικής Αλληλεγγύης

HSP

• A Ted Talk on HSP 
• An older video of mine on being sensitive

A must watch.

I've always said I'm an HSP and I'm proud of it.
Being sensitive isn't a flaw, it's an extra tool that helps you be in touch with your humanity.

Yes, in today's capitalist society being an HSP is hard, but only because the ones in power want to make it hard.
Sensitivity leads to awareness, awareness leads to action, and they definitely don't want you to take action. They want you to be a money making machine without further thoughts and feelings.

As an artist, being HSP has urged me to express feelings and situations that wouldn't normally be explainable.
My sensitivity has inspired me to create on another level.

As a human, being HSP has caused me a lot of trauma and grief, but it has also made me experience happiness in a way that most people can't.
It has also advanced my emotional intelligence, to the point where I can look at someone for 5 seconds and tell you how they feel.

Throughout my life, I have helped numerous people. I have helped them with specific situations; I have helped them discover themselves; I have helped them identify the source of their true problems; I have helped them open their horizons and be more accepting...
And that I could do due to my sensitivity.

Invisible Disabilities

If someone tells you they suffer from a disability, please believe them.

There are many invisible disabilities affecting people's lives and wellbeing (both physical and mental), so diminishing and devaluing someone's suffering can cause severe trauma.

I myself am a person who suffers from certain things that cannot be seen, and many times even medical professionals did not believe me because I looked "fine."

Looking "fine" and being "fine" are worlds apart.

So if you're gonna do one thing today, let it be googling and reading about invisible disabilities for 5 minutes.

Φεστιβάλ Υπερηφάνειας Αθήνα 2017

Θα ήθελα να κάνω κάποια σχόλια για αυτά που συνέβησαν στο Φεστιβάλ Υπερηφάνειας το Σάββατο.

Δεν ήμουν εκεί, οπότε η εικόνα που έχω είναι καθαρά βασισμένη σε όσα διάβασα στο διαδίκτυο και όσα μου είπαν οι γονείς μου ότι άκουσαν στο ραδιόφωνο.

Καταλαβαίνω ότι ειδικά για μεγαλύτερης ηλικίας ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ το να δουν την αστυνομία να παρελαύνει είναι trigger. 
Κι αυτό γιατί πολλές φορές, όταν χρειάστηκαν τη βοήθεια της αστυνομίας, αυτή τ@ς χλεύασε, και πολλές φορές τ@ς κακοποίησε περαιτέρω, είτε λεκτικά, είτε και σωματικά.

Καταλαβαίνω ότι μία καταπιεσμένη κοινωνική ομάδα χρειάζεται χρόνο για να εμπιστευτεί και να δεχθεί μία ομάδα ανθρώπων που την έχει καταπιέσει, ή έχει συμβάλει στην καταπίεσή της. Ακόμη κι όταν η ομάδα ατόμων δεν αποτελείται από τα ίδια άτομα που μας έχουν καταπιέσει, και μόνο το τι συμβολίζει η ΕΛ.ΑΣ για τη ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ κοινότητα δημιουργεί πολλά αρνητικά συναισθήματα.

Όλα αυτά είναι λογικά, και αναμενόμενα.

Όμως, σε μία χώρα τόσο συντηρητική και τόσο οπισθοδρομική γίνονται κάποια βήματα προς την εξέλιξη επιτέλους!
Σε άλλες χώρες είναι σύνηθες η αστυνομία να παίρνει μέρος στο Φεστιβάλ. Πχ. το έχω δει να συμβαίνει στο Φεστιβάλ Υπερηφάνειας του Λονδίνου.

Το να δεις την αστυνομία να παρελαύνει στο Φεστιβάλ Υπερηφάνειας, με χαρά και δική της βούληση, και με κίνδυνο της ζωής της (δείχνοντας δημόσια στήριξη στη ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ κοινότητα), είναι κάτι το οποίο θα μπορούσαμε να εκτιμήσουμε. Και φυσικά να σκεφτούμε πώς αντιμετωπίζονται οι ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ που είναι μέλη της ΕΛ.ΑΣ. Όπως είπε κάποιος από τους αστυνομικούς "Γιατί κι εγώ να μην μπορώ να πω ότι είμαι gay στο σώμα;"

Άκουσα ότι κάποι@ αστυνομικ@ που ήθελαν να παρελάσουν ήταν ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+. Και τελικά δέχθηκαν επίθεση -όχι σωματική- και άσχημες συμπεριφορές και απορρίφθηκαν από πολλά άτομα που συμμετείχαν στο Φεστιβάλ.

Το να φέρεσαι σε άτομα που προσπαθούν να σε βοηθήσουν όπως σου φέρονταν/φέρονται οι καταπιεστές σου, ΔΕΝ είναι λύση.
Γιατί στο τέλος θα γίνεις σαν αυτούς.

Καταλαβαίνω το θυμό των παρεβρισκομένων, και προφανώς δεν μπορώ να απαιτήσω ή να επιβάλλω καμία συμπεριφορά απέναντι στ@ν οποι@νδήποτε.

Αλλά όταν η συμπεριφορά μας είναι επιθετική όταν δε μας επιτίθενται καλό είναι να προβληματιστούμε.

Το Φεστιβάλ φέτος είχε τον τίτλο "Θέμα Παιδείας."
Αλλά αυτό δεν αφορά μόνο τα ετεροφυλόφυλα και cis άτομα.
Αυτά μας αφορά όλ@ς.

Cruelty free makeup in Europe

Please remember that you don't have to be vegan/vegetarian to go cruelty free on your makeup.
I know that most of the major companies test on animals and it can be hard to find cruelty free companies that work for you and your budget, but animals are being tortured daily for no reason.In 2017 there is absolutely no need to test on animals.
But unfortunately, China forces any brand that wants to sell beauty/skincare products there to test on animals. And since China is a huge market and companies are greedy, they sell there and test on animals.
The more of us go cruelty free, the more affordable and available cruelty free makeup will be.
Of course you can't be perfect all the time and you may make mistakes along the way as it's impossible to always know if a brand is cruelty free or not. But making the effort to find out and not supporting brands that you know test on animals is a huge step forward!
I understand that in some countries it may be harder to find cruelty free makeup than in others, but if you look into it there are options!
Here are some cruelty free brands available in Europe:
-Gosh
-B.
-Collection
-Sleek
-Makeup Revolution (Revolution Pro & iHeart Revolution)
-Neve
-Caked Cosmetics
-Nyx
-Urban Decay
-Milani
-LA Girl
-OCC
-Gerard Cosmetics
-LA Splash
-Sugarpill Cosmetics
-Kat Von D Cosmetics
-Jeffree Star Cosmetics
-The Balm
-Korres
-MUA
-Elf
-Golden Rose
-Barry M.
-The Body Shop
- Pixi
-Anastasia Beverly Hills
-Too Faced
-Eco Tools
-Real Techniques

Here are some places where you can find them:

• http://www.feelunique.com/
• https://www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk/
• http://www.beautybay.com/
• http://www.superdrug.com/
• http://www.boots.com/
• https://buyaboo.gr/
• http://www.sephora.com/
• http://www.sephora.gr/
• http://www.debenhams.com/
• https://www.muagreece.gr/
• https://www.muastore.co.uk/
• http://www.sleekmakeup.com/
• http://www.sleekmakeup.com/eu
• http://www.urbandecay.com/
• http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/
• https://www.barrym.com/

I'm sure there are other ones as well! Feel free to leave me a comment with more sources!

Websites with lists of cruelty free and vegan brands:

• http://voodoo-blonde.tumblr.com/cruelty-free
• http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/
• http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx
• http://www.leapingbunny.org/
• https://logicalharmony.net/
• https://veganrabbit.com/list-of-companies-that-do-test-on-animals/

There are so many other websites, but I included the most known ones and a personal blog.

Hope this helps!

x

ps. If at any point you discover that any of the above-mentioned brands aren't cruelty free anymore, please leave me a comment, to update the list. Thanks!

Financial Slavery/ News Outlets Misreporting

So, the Daily Mail just misreported an attack of a woman, making it look like a hate crime committed by muslim women.
1 day before elections.

All the sheep are commenting on fb that they're voting for May, and are making islamophobic comments.

HOW FUCKING STUPID ARE YOU?

I'm sick and tired of ignorant people who don't check facts, follow news outlets owned/funded by conservatives and are so fucking brainwashed they can't see that their country is close to the point of no return.

Most of UK citizens aren't rich. So why the fuck are you supporting conservatives?

Can't you see they're trying to create financial slavery so they can accumulate all the power?
Is it so hard for you to figure the fucking plan?
It's simple af!

Make people as desperate as possible, take their healthcare, take their education, take their rights, take their money. Make them angry.
Say it's the immigrants' fault. Blame anyone.
The people are so enraged at this point they need anyone to make an enemy of and take their anger out on.
But because they're uneducated, they don't have any money and they don't have their health, they're short sighted, don't have time, don't have the energy to look into it, and believe anything media feeds them with.
And... boom! You did it!
You successfully completed financial slavery.
Now they're all poor and stupid and fight each other whilst you use them and make money off them.

Is this so fucking hard to realise? Is it?