Random Thoughts XXXXXVI

TV: The safest form of escapism.

I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't party, I don't go out, I literally have close to zero social life at this point...

If I didn't have TV series and the Internet, I don't know what I'd do.

Έλα στη θέση μου 2

Μηνύματα που έχει περάσει αυτή η σειρά μέχρι στιγμής:

1. Αν "αγαπάς" κάποιον έχεις δικαίωμα να κάνεις τα πάντα για να τον "κερδίσεις" (συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της σωματικής κακοποίησης)
2. Το να λες ψέμματα είναι λάθος, αλλά αν λες την αλήθεια όλοι πρέπει να σε συγχωρήσουν ό,τι και να τους έχεις κάνει (συμπεριλαμβανομένης και σωματικής κακοποίησης)
3. Το να την πέφτει ένας 29χρονος σε μία 17χρονη, να την κυνηγάει και να τη stalkάρει είναι φυσιολογικό
4. Αν πας να χτυπήσεις μια γυναίκα, μετά αυτή θα τα φτιάξει μαζί σου
5. Αν κυνηγάς μια γυναίκα, ακόμα κι αν δε σε θέλει, αν επιμείνεις αυτή θα τα φτάξει μαζί σου
6. Αν κάνεις κακό σε μία γυναίκα, σωματικά και ψυχικά, δε θα τιμωρηθείς ποτέ (ακόμη κι αν η πράξη σου είναι ποινικά κολάσιμη)
7. Γενικά οι παρανομίες δεν τιμωρούνται
8. Πρέπει να έχεις καλές σχέσεις με την οικογένειά σου, ακόμη κι αν σε έχουν κακοποιήσει ψυχικά ή σωματικά
9. Όσες μαλακίες και να κάνεις, αν είσαι άντρας οι δικοί σου θα σε συγχωρήσουν και θα σε έχουν στα ώπα ώπα (ακόμα κι αν οι πράξεις σου είναι παράνομες και έχουν δημιουργήσει τραύματα, ψυχικά και σωματικά, σε άλλα άτομα
10. Το να ουρλιάζεις, να φωνάζεις, να προσβάλεις το άτομο που "αγαπάς," ακόμη και το να πας να χειροδικήσεις εναντίον του είναι αποδεκτό

Έχω δει πάνω από 130 επεισόδια, ελπίζοντας να δω κάποια στιγμή να αποδίδεται κάποιου είδους δικαιοσύνη.
Αυτό που βλέπω είναι ανακυκλωμένα σεξιστικά πρότυπα σερβιρισμένα μέσα από μια κρυόκωλη "κωμωδία."

Και τρομάζω με το ότι κάποια άτομα θα δουν τη σειρά, και θα νομίζουν ότι αυτά που βλέπουν είναι φυσιολογικά και λογικό να συμβαίνουν στην πραγματική ζωή.

Κρίμας, είναι και νέοι άνθρωποι που συμμετέχουν στη σειρά, δεν μπορούν να προσπαθήσουν για κάτι καλύτερο;

Why I will never order from Colourpop again

A few weeks ago Colourpop offered free international shipping.

Since I've heard so many good things about this company I decided to place 2 orders.
One for Greece and one for UK.

I kept both orders under £15/€22 so that I wouldn't have to pay customs, Vat or any other charges (as stated by EU law).

It took them 4 days to ship my Greek order and 6 days to ship my UK order.
My Greek order arrived 5 days after being shipped.
My UK order arrived 10 days after being shipped.

Weirdly enough, my Greek order arrived in Athens first.
My mother received it, no issues.

My UK order on the other hand...
First of all the USPS tracking service showed the order as delivered, when it was not. Secondly, Royal Mail showed the order was held at customs. I contacted Royal Mail and they said the order was going through customs.
I thought, hold on, why is this happening?

I will not go through the details, as you can imagine there was a lot of phone and email ping pong to find out what was going on.
Colourpop did not respond to my emails, and when they did it was either automated emails, or their attitude was informal, and not responding to my questions.
Unacceptable.

In the end, I found out they put the wrong price on the parcel. I had paid $18 for my parcel, but they put $24 not including the discounts that I got.

So, I had to pay £14 for Royal Mail to hand me my parcel.
Needles to say this is the price of the actual parcel, so I had to pay twice!!!!

I cannot begin to tell you how upset, how enraged I am!

I did all this to make sure I wouldn't have to pay any customs, played by the rules, kept my orders under £15/€22 and due to Colourpop's incompetence I was charged in the end!

It goes without saying that I will try to get a refund from customs, but Colourpop is not co-operating and getting a refund is a long and very complicated procedure. Which I shouldn't have to go through in the first place!

I will never order from them again, and I am completely put off from using their products.

Also, one of the lipsticks I had ordered had been opened and used. You could tell if you compared it to the other ones....

Coincidentally, Colourpop has made the comments on their facebook page hidden, but if you manage to find them, all of them consist of complaints...

I'm blaming myself for falling into the trap of IG products and buying from them.
But I will never make the same mistake again.

Frustration

Why can't I have a fucking break of bullshit happening to me?
Seriously, even when I seclude myself and don't step outside the house for months, shit still happens to me continuously!
What am I supposed to do, live in a fucking cave without any type of communication?
But I'm sure that even then something bad would happen!

I don't know for how long I can remain sane if things don't change.

Target audience

Who is my target audience?

For anyone who follows me on social media, you know I'm on blogspot, youtube and other social media platforms.

But who do I aim to reach with my pictures, articles and videos?

Mostly lgbtqai+ persons, persons with disabilities, persons who suffer from mental health, and other marginalised social groups.

Every person who is on social media with the intention to reach people has a target audience in mind.
E.g. a youtube channel on video games targets mostly white or asian males.
A beauty blog targets femme persons.
An instagram account about fitness targets people who go to the gym and enjoy exercising.
Etc.

So, my channel, blog, and other social media profiles are aimed towards those who are open minded, who aren't judgmental and who are accepting of others.

I talk a lot about body issues, about human rights, about mental health; I also discuss the news sometimes; I even create beauty videos; and of course, I share my art in different forms (image, sound and writing). There is variety.

But all of my social media profiles and all of the things I have shared have always had one thing in common: Trying to inform, and promote equality and acceptance.

Therefore, if you're someone who discriminates against others for any reason, if you bodyshame people, if you're a misogynist, sexist, racist, bully, cyberbully etc. please, do not follow me on social media, and stay away from my posts.

In the past, unfortunately, I had been targeted by people who had no place on my social media accounts. Thankfully, the police were very helpful and collaborated with me on the matter.
These days there are laws in place to protect us from cyberbullying. And even though police may not take immediate action against a cyberbully, they start keeping an eye on them, and the websites that allow them to thrive.
And once you're on their list, well, you just don't want to be on their list.

To sum up, I hope that one day my social media accounts will be able to reach more people (people who belong to my target audience) and make a positive change in the world.

Finding a safe space for the things you love

Anyone else who gets discouraged from certain things due to the people supporting them?
E.g. I was a member of a fb group for Atheists, and some people were such bullies, lgbt+phobic and misogynistic that I could not be a member anymore. And that put me off trying to find fellow Atheists online for good.
Another example is the anime community (especially online) which consists of a lot of bullies, ignorant bigots and misogynists. I'be had so many cyberbully me on anime websites and that put me off watching anime altogether...
Or for instance the rave/dnb scene or the tattoo scene... They're both filled with machismo, misogyny and sexism. Which of course put me off going to events relevant to either.
Even within feminist circles I have been attacked viciously -by feminists- and had to stop following most relevant pages and block certain people to protect myself.
I have yet to find a community/scene where I feel safe, comfortable and accepted.
And I wonder if I ever will...

Random Thoughts XXXXXV

Life is way too short to care what other people think about your life and your choices.

Every spring I try to let go of all that which isn't good for me. Including withered relationships, bad habits and toxic situations.

Why spring you may ask...

Not sure.

Maybe because the blossoming of flowers marks a new beginning.

Don't fall into the illusion

Always remember: Don't base your self image on what you see online and on the media. Those images are edited, hence not real. Also, many of the people on those images have spend thousands, if not millions, on looking the way they are. Breast implants/lifts, nose jobs, cheek fillers, chin fillers, lip fillers, fat transfers, butt lifts, ab implants, ass implants, botox, etc... Which is fine, no judgment at all, but it means they weren't born looking 'perfect.' So don't feel bad for not looking like them. They also have teams of people to make them look good. Nutritionists, personal trainers, stylists, hair stylists, makeup artists etc. If you're the average person you cannot compete with that, nor should you try to. Don't waste your time and money into chasing the illusion. Do what you want to do, for you. Don't try to look like anybody else. Fuck what society tells you. Fuck what society shows you. Fuck those who try to force their validation upon you.
Peace.

Headphone Reviews

I've been throwing away faulty headphones without ever reviewing them, but I think it's time to start keep a 'headphone diary'. Every time I'm ready to throw headphones away, I will write a review here.

This way I may be able to help one of you as well.
I will keep updating this post.

So here we go:


Volcom Posso (2017 review)

I got these a long time ago. Probably around 2014.
This isn't a picture of my pair, as they're worn out and not pretty at all anymore.
I ain't getting technical on characteristics.
Imma keep it simple.
They're good looking, stylish, have decent sound, do alright with bass, but don't last long.
In less than a year I started having problems with them, and the shop I got them from was super sketchy and didn't replace them, even though I had a 1 year guarantee.
I don't recommend them at all.








Skullcandy Hesh (review 2017)

 

I've had these since 2008/9 and they still work!
Not picture of my ones as they're quite rough.
They even survived a stupid girl who was lapdancing and decided to use them as nipple covers, twisting one headphone and breaking it.
Ever since, I got tape around it, but somehow it still works.
Good sound, awesome design, does alright with bass, but after a long time sometimes the sound flakes. Not sure how else to explain it. I just think it's a cable issue, which happens to most headphones, but it took a pretty long time to happen to these ones.
I definitely think they're worth buying.

NYX lip swatches

Here you will find swatches and reviews of the following NYX lip products:

Liquid Suede: Stone Fox, Softspoken, Sandstorm, Brooklyn Thorn. (£6.50)

Liquid Lingerie: Embellishment, Exotic, Ruffle Trim. (£6.50)

Lip Cream: Stockholm, Cannes. (£5.50)

It has been really hard for me to find lip swatches of NYX lip products from people with pale complexion (or as pale as mine), so after buying 9 shades, I decided it was time to do my own lip swatches and reviews.

And who knows, maybe they'll be useful to some of you! 💜

ps. I bought these off Boots, but NYX has its own website where you can buy them. I do find Boots is cheaper though. 

Stone Fox

This is one of my least favourite shades, unfortunately. It's a dark blue grey and I think it has a green undertone. I was urged to buy this when I saw Jeffree Star wearing it. But I forgot he films in studio lights and he has bigger and probably nicer lips than mine. This colour can get a bit patchy, and it can look or bad depending on the light. It's not a great colour to wear somewhere dark. Unless you're really into black lipstick.

6/10

Softspoken

One of my favourites. It's a warm shade (which could be nude depending on your skintone). It's kind of a brown dark pink -if you could say that. I think it goes well with so many different eye looks. Love it!

10/10

Sandstorm

I have been wanting to buy this for sometime now. It's the perfect light moka shade. In my opinion it can work with both a dramatic look (as long as it's on the nude side) or with an everyday look. This lip colour compliments earthy eyeshadows. Absolutely adore it!

10/10

Brooklyn Thorn

I'm still not sure about this one. Even though I like how it looks on pictures and on camera, I'm not sure I love how it looks in person on me. It's a greyish dark brown colour. Very cooltoned (which I'm not mad at at all). Thing is, I think I'm too pale to pull it off. Maybe during winter time...

7/10

 Embellishment

Another shade that looks great on camera and pictures, but I'm not so sure about in person. I have to admit though, this is a unique grey mauve colour that I'm happy to have in my collection. I think this is one of those colours that can look amazing with a very simple eye look, but can also support a dramatic eye look. 

9.5/10

Exotic

This is a lot darker in person than it looks on pictures (at least on me). It's definitely a shade I want to wear during the day, otherwise it looks like a vamp red. It's a brick red colour with some softer pink undertones. 

8/10

Ruffle Trim

I've been wanting to buy this for sometime as well. It does look more orange in person and on camera than in pictures, and again, it all depends on the light. It's a beautiful colour, and I can't wait to use it on monochromatic makeup looks, as orange is one of my fav colours to use on eye looks. It's a light brick colour.

9/10

Stockholm

This is a bit too light for me I feel, even though it's a beautiful peachy nude colour. If you're pale you have to be careful with light peachy shades, otherwise they may wash you out. This can definitely support some warm smokey eye, or even an everyday summer look. 

7/10

Cannes

I got this after I saw my friend Milly wearing it. It's a unique rosy nude colour, perfect for spring. I'm not particularly into 'spring' or 'summer' colours, but I don't have anything similar in my collection, so it's always good to have variety. I think it can compliment any warm  light nude eye makeup or even a simple cat-eye. I feel both this one and Stockholm can also be worn on a bare face.

8/10

General comments:

Horrendous applicator.

Decent quantity for the price.

They all have a chemical smell apart from the lip creams.

The formula is a bit thick and applies a bit weirdly at first (apart from the Liquid Suede).

I strongly believe that they're worth the price and a great alternative to many high end brands (plus they're cruelty free!).

My favourite shades are Sandstorm, Softspoken, Embellishment and Ruffle Trim.

My favourite formula of the three is the Liquid Suede.

I hope you found this review and swatches useful!

Thank you for visiting my page! x

Real people

Real people are tall. Or short. Or any height.
Real people are thin. Or athletic. Or curvy. Or obese. Or any weight and built.
Real people have scars. Or not.
Real people have stretch marks. Or not.
Real people have cellulite. Or not.
Real people have acne. Or other skin conditions. Or not.
Real people have ingrown hair. Or not.
Real people have long hair. Or short hair. Or no hair.
Real people have curly hair. Or straight hair. Or any hair.
Real people have disabilities. Or not.
Real people suffer from mental health. Or not.
Real people come from all sorts of different backgrounds.
Real people are religious. Or not.
Real people have experienced trauma. Or not.
Real people can't be 'perfect.'
Real people are you, me and every other person on this planet.

Will you ever return back to Greece?

I remember a few years back when I was asked if I ever want to return back to Greece, I said 'No' without even thinking about it.
But back then, Brexit wasn't even a thought, the NHS wasn't a mess, the Arts hadn't been diminished and the prices weren't as outrageous as they are today.
Do I want to return to Greece now?
It's still 'No.' I left Greece for a reason.
Greek culture cannot 'contain' me; it has no place for me.
Greek people -in their majority- cannot accept or understand me.
As an outspoken Atheist, as a feminist, as a tattooed and pierced woman and as a plus sized woman I will always be the target of street harassment, ridicule and bullying.
So to return to that, that would be heartbreaking.
To think that UK fucked up this big that I am even considering the idea of returning to Greece for sometime...
Sad. Disappointing. Scary.

Life is unfair

"Life is unfair."

I've heard this statement since I was a child. And my journey in life proved that this statement is right.

But, why is life unfair?

Well, life is unfair for the following reasons:

1. It works for some people, and because those people are in power, they do all they can to keep life being unfair. Because millions of people suffering in poverty means a thousand people can live in villas and own expensive things. Life is unfair both ways. Some people have a lot, when they shouldn't, and some people have nothing, when they should at least have something.
2. It is like gambling. Even the ones that are suffering due to the unfairness always hope they can somehow climb up the social/financial ladder and be up there with the rich people who benefit from unfairness. So instead of working towards abolishing unfairness, they reinforce it in the hope of crossing to the other side.
3. Many people don't want to feel they're equal to others. They have a superiority complex, huge egos and will do anything to feel they're more important. E.g. be as rich as possible, so they feel they're better from the rest of the population. It's no coincidence exclusive clubs and members only places are so popular within the rich.

• Is there any hope for change?

Absolutely not in my opinion. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but look around you. Do you sincerely think the rich will give up on their power so that no one is poor?

Nope, they give no fucks. 

• So, what are we supposed to do?

I don't know what to tell you. Many people turn into drugs, alcohol, gambling etc. to be able to cope with that shit. 

Others find other ways to escape harsh reality.

• What do I do?

Nothing. Literally, nothing. There's no point at this stage to do anything, so I'm just trying to ensure I can survive somehow. (Spoiler alert: not doing a great job at it at the moment)

• What should you do?

Only you have the answer to that. 

Good luck. 

Έλα στη θέση μου

Ακολουθεί εκτενής σχολιασμός πάνω σε Ελληνική σειρά:

Αυτό το Μίμη τον απεχθάνομαι!
Είναι ο κάθε κάγκουρας μισογύνης Ελληναράς.
Όχι μόνο παρενοχλεί σεξουαλικά την Ισμήνη, αλλά είναι και παιδεραστής το καθίκι μιας κι η Ισμήνη είναι ανήλικη ενώ εκείνος κοντεύει 30.

Ελπίζω να μην τολμήσουν να τους βάλουν να τα φτιάξουν στο τέλος στη σειρά, γιατί τι μήνυμα θα δώσει αυτό στο κοινό; Ότι η σεξουαλική παρενόχληση 'αποδίδει';

Γενικά απογοητεύομαι. 2017 κι ακόμα οι Ελληνικές σειρές δεν καταλαβαίνουν ότι έχουν ευθύνη προς το κοινό τους.

Πχ. στην εν λόγω σειρά ο τρόπος που επέλεξαν να δείξουν τη γυναίκα με τα ψυχικά νοσήματα ήταν απαράδεκτος. Αναμαλλιασμένη, και γενικά ακολουθώντας απαράδεκτα στερεότυπα.

Επιπρόσθετα, ενώ υπάρχει αναφορά σε body issues -όλ@ έχουν κόμπλεξ επειδή δεν έχουν σώμα μοντέλου- δεν υπάρχει ούτε μία αναφορά σε body positivity. Πέραν του ότι σχεδόν όλ@ είναι πανέμορφ@ και αδύνατ@ σύμφωνα με τα 'πρότυπα ομορφιάς,' το οποίο φυσικά δεν είναι ρεαλιστικό. Το μόνο άτομο που είναι plus size προσπαθεί κι αυτό να μπει στα καλούπια της κοινωνίας. Θα μπορούσαν να τον κάνουν άτομο με αυτοπεποίθηση και να δώσουν και ένα θετικό μήνυμα στους plus size άντρες.

Και ο τρόπος που αποφάσισαν να δείξουν την ιστορία του Μίμη και της Ισμήνης είναι απαράδεκτος, εκτός αν στο τέλος επιτέλους μπει στη φυλακή και αποδωθεί δικαιοσύνη.
Είναι κλέφτης, παιδεραστής, και εν δυνάμει βιαστής (εφόσον τη στριμώχνει και την αγγίζει χωρίς τη συναίνεσή της συνεχώς) και φυσικά είναι και bully.
Κι ακόμα δεν έχει τιμωρηθεί ούτε μια φορά στη σειρά για τη συμπεριφορά του κι είμαι στο επεισόδιο 27.

Θα μου πεις, γιατί συνεχίζω να βλέπω τη σειρά; Ε, γιατί όταν είσαι ξενιτεμένη θες που και που να ακούς τη γλώσσα σου.
Είναι ο λόγος που ξαναξεκίνησα να βλέπω Ελληνικές σειρές.

Και ίσως κάποι@ να ρωτήσει γιατί το παίρνω τόσο σοβαρά.
Η απάντηση είναι γιατί ο κόσμος που βλέπει μια σειρά, θέλοντας και μη επηρεάζεται. Ειδικά τα νεαρά άτομα. Γι'αυτό.

Ουφ, τα είπα και ησύχασα!

Αγορά Xρυσού

Στην Ελλάδα έχουν φυτρώσει 'Αγορά Χρυσού' παντού, κι ο κόσμος δε γνωρίζει ότι η Εθνική Τράπεζα αγοράζει χρυσό με πολύ πιο συμφέρουσες τιμές για τους πολίτες. Αν βρίσκεστε σε οικονομική απελπισία και θέλετε να πουλήσετε κάποιο χρυσαφικό, τουλάχιστον μην πάτε σε αυτά τα 'Αγορά Χρυσού' που τα έχουν εταιρίες και ιδιώτες. Τσεκάρετε πρώτα την Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος πριν πάτε αλλού και σκεφτείτε το πολύ καλά πριν κάνετε την ό,ποια κίνηση.Παρατήρησα ότι στην εκπομπή της Πάνια έχουν χορηγό ένα από αυτά τα 'Αγορά Χρυσού.' Όταν ρώτησα τους γονείς μου τι παίζει με αυτά μου ανέφεραν την Εθνική Τράπεζα και πόσο ηλίθια κίνηση είναι ότι δε διαφημίζουν ότι αγοράζουν χρυσό, κι ο κόσμος πάει και πουλάει τα χρυσαφικά του σε 'Αγορά Χρυσού' που εκμεταλλεύονται τον κοσμάκη.Με αφορμή αυτό κάνω και αυτήν την ανάρτηση.