Tattoos define you as a person...Wait, what?

Rihanna. Cheryl Cole. Fearne Cotton. Angelina Jolie. Megan Fox.

Beautiful women.

Talented women. 

Successful women. 

Women adored by millions around the world.

Women looked up to.

Women with tattoos.

These women have all, at times in their lives, been criticised by the press. Pretty much every woman in Celebville is hounded by the paparazzi, criticised for every move they make and judged for every word that comes out of their pretty little mouths. It is to be expected. However, with Cheryl Cole's new, ahem, rear tattoo making headlines worldwide, tongues have wagged everywhere about the whys and wherefores of women getting tattoos. The question of 'Are tattooed celebrities bad role models?' saw sparks flying on ITV's This Morning as reality star and professional bitch Katie Hopkins laid into pop star Katie Waissel about the 'graffiti' she chooses to adorn her body with. The Twittosphere went wild at Hopkins' latest controversies, but her bold statements were nothing new.

In January 2012, Lisa Khoury wrote an article for The Spectrum, in which she made her views on tattooed women clear: tattooed women lack class. You only have to type 'women and tattoos' into Google to find page after page of Daily Mail-esque articles, filled with a predictable and monotonous rhetoric about how women with tattoos are promiscuous, 'skanky' and unattractive. 

As a woman with eight tattoos, and someone who does not consider herself to be promiscuous, skanky or ridiculously unattractive, I feel as though I could write a book on the issue. Before I begin to work my way through the various 'anti-women-with-tattoos' arguments that I've read and heard, however, I would like to draw attention to a fact that is often overlooked when people are in the middle of a debate about women with tattoos: it is ridiculously sexist to assert that it is okay for a man to have tattoos but not a woman. We say that we are a country of equal rights and opportunities, but when a man covered in tattoos waxes lyrical about how women with body art aren't women of class, it doesn't sound very equal to me. My ex was covered in tattoos, but made no secret of the fact that my own body art was a massive turn-off to him. Why? Because I am a woman. 

More to the point, women with tattoos are perceived as being more promiscuous but why on earth does it matter if a woman is promiscuous? I fail to believe that there is a great correlation between body art and promiscuity in this day and age, but even if there was, would it matter? It certainly isn't seen as a bad thing when a man sleeps around. But I am not here to delve deep into the murky waters of feminism. If you are reading this blog and are not a total bigot, then you qualify as a feminist anyway so there is no need for me to continue pointing out the obvious hypocrisies in the argument.

(Note: the purpose of this article is not to tell people that they are wrong if they do not find tattoos attractive. It is a matter of opinion. It is aimed at those people who think that external appearance defines character in some way.)

So, here we go. 

#1 People with tattoos will never be high achievers

Central to Katie Hopkins' argument against tattoos is the fact that she personally would not employ somebody with tattoos. She says 'If you have a tattoo, you will never be a high achiever.' Now, ignoring the hundreds of successful celebrities with prominent tattoos (including some of the best footballers, actors and musicians), I would like to draw everybody's attention to a Facebook group: Tattoo Acceptance In The Workplace.

Mike, Emergency Room, RN.
Source: Tattoo acceptance in the workplace

With 1.7 million Likes, this group is growing in popularity everyday, and its page is full of photographs of people, covered from head to toe in tattoos who happen to boast extremely impressive CV's. Scroll down for just a few minutes and you will find chemical engineers, medical examiners, accountants, fire fighters, nurses, television hosts, university professors and much, much more. There are people with doctorate degrees, servers in expensive restaurants, people who work with children and care for elderly people.

Successful people. 

With tattoos increasing in popularity every day, said employers are going to have to change their outlook one day. Like it or not, it is becoming evermore acceptable to have tattoos in the workplace. In fact, some places are actually more likely to hire you if you have tattoos. And who says you cannot find success in those jobs that actively seek people with tattoos to enhance their edgy, hip vibe? Katie Hopkins, that's who.

#2 Women with tattoos lack class

This was an opinion voiced by Khoury in the article mentioned above, and though it seems to be a pretty popular consensus in our society, it does make me question just what exactly is class? For me, 'class' isn't something defined by the images that one may or may not choose to have inked into one's skin, but the way in which one conducts oneself. 'Class' is not about writing horrifically judgemental and patronizing articles, condemning anybody who chooses to adorn themselves with body art. It is having manners. Intelligence. Maturity. Grace. Respect for others. Dignity. Quality.

It is nothing to do with ink on skin, and anybody who professes otherwise is lacking that thing that they apparently deem so important. What is not 'ladylike' and 'elegant' is not necessarily body modifications, but bullying people from behind a computer screen, purely because they look different to yourself. I have tattoos. I bleach my hair. I wear make up and I have piercings. Yet I have class. Do you know why that is? Because I have manners. I study. I never reduce arguments to unnecessary name-calling. I would suggest that the anti-tattoo brigade take a look in the mirror before they insinuate that somebody else possesses less class than they do.

#3 Women are beautiful without tattoos

Another of Lisa's arguments is that women are naturally beautiful creatures and 'guys drool over us' anyway, so what is the point of getting a tattoo. Now, ignoring how incredibly patronizing this is, it is ridiculous to base an entire argument against tattoos on your opinion of what is beautiful and what is not. I don't think that Lisa is particularly beautiful, but I won't go around arguing for the banning of Plain Janes from our campuses.

 If you don't find tattoos aesthetically pleasing, good for you! I don't expect everybody to. It's human nature for us to have vastly different ideas of what beauty is. However, what Lisa terms as 'vandalizing' the body, somebody with tattoos would term as 'decorating' or 'illustrating' their body. It is not fair to presume that just because one person may see tattooing as a mutilation, everybody else sees it in the same way. I am quite sure that people actually getting tattoos don't see themselves as 'vandalizing' their body, but enhancing it.

However, Khoury isn't against all forms of beautification. She is absolutely fine with girls getting their nails done, wearing high heels and experimenting with different hairstyles. This is something a lot of people against tattoos spout out. 'Dye your hair pink instead, that's crazy!' Or 'Get a piercing, have a manicure!' Well, if you are one of those people, shame on you. Having bright pink hair or a facial piercing is exactly the same as having a tattoo. They both damage your body (dyeing your hair is one of the worst things you can do to it), and they both make you look a way that a lot of people will detest. 'But tattoos are permanent,' people cry. Well, nope, actually they're not. Yes, having a tattoo removed costs money, but it isn't impossible. You are not scarred for life when you get a tattoo. 

#4 Nothing is gained from having a tattoo

Khoury's final, and perhaps most ignorant argument, is that 'Nothing comes out of getting a tattoo. You get a tattoo, and that's it.' She does then go on to say that styling your hair differently and buying new clothes are the things to do when one craves a change in one's appearance, but personally I feel that if nothing comes out of getting a tattoo, then there is even less to be gained from wearing your hair differently. What do I know, eh?

Her opinion that nothing is gained from having a tattoo doesn't personally offend me, but I am offended on the behalf of the millions of people who have tattoos for very beautiful reasons. See, some people choose tattoos because they want to honour a loved one, or remember something. Other people choose tattoos that have no meaning per se, but look beautiful and turn the person into a walking work of art. Sometimes elaborate make up isn't enough and people want to express their personality in the form of ink on the skin. Who is anyone to judge?

Tattoos are not a new thing and they are certainly not exclusive to Western society. To imply that people just get tattoos to look 'cool' and 'fit in' is demonstrating Lisa's ignorance of the topic. Across different cultures, tattoos can serve as rites of passage, marks of status, symbols of religious devotion, pledges of love or marks of patriotism. To assert that people only get tattoos for cosmetic reasons is just wrong. There are no two ways about it. People get tattoos for artistic reasons, sentimental, memorial or religious reasons. People get tattoos to symbolize their affiliation with a particular group (including criminal gangs, and even the tattoos that people get to show that they belong to a particular fandom such as One Direction and Justin Bieber fans). Some tattoos are used for protection against evil and to increase luck. The Ainu people of Japan tattoo girls entering womanhood. Do these girls lack class because their society uses ink as a beauty standard?

Of my own tattoos, one is an extract from a poem that I myself wrote, and it is a constant reminder never to allow my emotions to control my behaviour to the point where sadness or anger tempts me to do certain things. Another is my grandmother's maiden name, 'Portelli.' She comes from a large family in Malta, but the story of her and her siblings is a tragic one, and I don't want her family name to die when she does, as her legacy deserves to be remembered. If somebody was to tell me that I was only marking myself in this way to look 'cool' and that my sentiments make me somehow less classy than somebody with unmarked skin, I would probably punch them in the face (because you know, classless, tattooed yobs tend to do things like that).

#Having a tattoo defines you as a person

Contrary to the way it sometimes seems, we are not still living in the dark ages. Tattoos are no longer exclusive to bikers, sailors and rock stars, but are a growing trend that, in my opinion, says nothing more about a person's personality than anything else about the way that they look.

I am working class. I am tattooed. But I am also a good person. I am at university getting brilliant grades. I am a published writer. I have done charity runs to raise money for Cancer Research. I always give money to homeless people. I have a settled relationship with my boyfriend and have a group of amazing friends that I would do anything for. I would say that considering I am not even 21, that makes me relatively successful. In the house that I live in, three of us are tattooed and three of us are not. Those of us with tattoos are studying English Literature with Creative Writing, Contemporary Military and International History and Aircraft Engineering with Pilot Studies. We are not criminals. We do not run around stealing money and raping women. We are respectful of others.

A person should be judged, not by the markings on their skin, but by the colour of their heart. They should be judged by the quality of their actions, their kindness and the way that they treat others. To judge somebody by the way they look does not say anything good about the quality of your character.

Does anybody know the difference between tattooed people and people with no tattoos?
People with tattoos don't care if you don't have any.

Thank you for reading!
xoxo

How to go blonde without losing your hair!

I'm sure this post will be incredibly uninteresting for the vast majority of my lovely readers but, having recently gone through the trauma that is bleaching hair, I genuinely feel for anybody else in the same position and thought I'd share some cheeky tips! When I was looking to go blonde, I found that the internet was of absolutely no help, and professionals weren't much better either, and so here's some handy hints that I would have killed to read six months ago. 

Okay, so, let's start with the basics. Anybody with a little understanding of hair knows that bleaching your locks is one of the trickiest, most damaging and unpredictable things that you can do to your hair. One of the reasons for this is that, unlike darker colours, which add colour to the hair, bleach strips it away. This means that the more red pigment that is in your hair, the more difficult it is to get pure white tresses. It's bad enough on virgin hair, but on hair that has been dyed every colour under the sun, it is near impossible to bleach your hair and be happy with the results. 

Bleaching your hair without fully being prepared for the consequences will almost always end in tears, and you may end up looking less like Miley Cyrus and more like Chucky!

Okay, so how do you avoid this? 

Well, fortunately, it is possible. 

My hair history is as follows: I'd dyed my hair brunette age 17. Each time I touched up my roots, I applied a full (permanent) head colour to the ends to keep them from fading. When I turned 20 and wanted to go lighter, I faced massive issues because of the huge colour build up in my hair. 

October '12

I sought advice from three hairdressers. The first refused to even discuss the possibility, saying that there was no way I would be able to successfully end up with blonde hair. The second did a strand test, and then told me that my hair had disintegrated within a few minutes of the bleach being applied, and so they weren't prepared to do it. The third, a mobile hairdresser who I've been going to for the past year or so, advised me to try Schwarzkopf Live Colour XXL. 

Now, it is imperative that anybody thinking of bleaching their hair at home reads the following carefully: please use this brand. Other brands with blonde models on the front often don't include bleach, and will only make your hair darker. Even if the dye itself is blonde. Strange I know, but to achieve much lighter locks, your hair must be stripped with bleach. Adding any other dye will only make your hair darker. Schwarzkopf does include bleach, but not as high a percentage as hairdressers use, so it isn't as risky to use at home. 

Schwarzkopf comes in three shades of blonde: Ice Blonde, Max Blonde and Absolute Platinum. For people with darker hair, I would recommend the Absolute Platinum as it has the highest bleach content, but for those only looking to lighten by a couple of shades I'd suggest the Ice Blonde as it will do the least damage to your hair. 

Okay so two days before Christmas (risky, I know) I applied two boxes of the Absolute Platinum to my head, and the results were as such:

Not exactly the results I was hoping for! On a serious note, though, it worked better than expected. I would have been naive to think that I could have gone blonde overnight. The next step I took was to seek professional help. A bubbly hairdresser promised me that for the lovely sum of £50, she could turn my tresses white within the hour. I was a little hesitant, as I'd paid about £6 for two boxes of Schwarzkopf (Superdrug and their wonderful offers), but I decided to put my trust in her because she had a nice smile. 

I sat down and was given a 'bleach bath', which basically consisted of applying peroxide to my head and then washing it off straight away, and then a toner, which is essentially just a violet or silver shampoo designed to take out any brassy tones. However, after being subjected to these 'miracle' treatments, I left the salon looking exactly the same, except for a sad face and an emptier purse. 

However, never one to give up on anything, I decided to continue on my quest to go blonde! From that day I have continued to use Schwarzkopf at home, doing a 'roots & refresh' whereby I colour the roots of my hair and then use any remaining product on the ends. Thankfully, it's an approach that's worked and now, six months later, I am most definitely a certified blonde. 

So please do ignore anybody who says you must never bleach your hair at home, as it is just as safe, far more cost effective, and even better than having it done in a salon. Trust me! 

Here is my progress (please excuse the crappy webcam quality):

So what else?

Of course, it isn't all about the amount of bleach that you put on your hair. Hair care products make a massive difference to the colour and condition of your hair. There is no way that my hair would be this light (or this long!) without using the following:

Shampoo

Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo

This stuff is priced at £3.09 (Superdrug) and comes in a small, unassuming little bottle. I actually bought it by accident as Superdrug didn't have my usual toner in stock, but I am so glad that I did! Within just two uses my hair was noticeably lighter, and actually looked grey when it was wet! You only need a tiny bit of this shampoo twice a week to see the effects, and it really is a gem. When on my annual holiday to Spain, my hair became discoloured due to the sun and sea, but just one application of this when I got back home made my hair a shiny white again! I cannot recommend this enough. 

Conditioner

L'Oreal Hair Exp EverStrong Nourishing Intense Mask

£4.66 from Superdrug, this is a must have for anyone bleaching their hair! It is not enough to use a standard conditioner when you go blonde, and you really need to be using a deep conditioning mask weekly to keep your hair in good condition. It says on the tub to leave this on for around five minutes but I leave mine on for up to an hour, sometimes even sleeping in it to really give my hair a good condition. 

After conditioning

Phil Smith Total Treat Argan Oil Hair Transforming Cream

Now, I am sorry to say I don't know where to find this stuff but it really is brilliant! The RRP on Smith's site is £10.99 but Cosmopolitan gave away a free 50 ml sample (above) earlier this year which I've been using for the past couple of months. You're supposed to apply it to wet hair before drying, and I can honestly say that the results are instant. As a bleach blonde with naturally thick, curly hair, my hair usually feels very dry to the touch, but with one application of this, it felt like a silk curtain! Lots of people commented that my hair looked shinier and healthier, and I did notice a lot less breakage on using this product. I'm never one to splash out on anything but I genuinely think that this is worth the money. Brilliant. 

Leave-in conditioner 

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner

Reasonably priced at £4.49 for 250 ml, this conditioner smells gorgeous and is great for using daily. I don't like to wash my hair too often as it isn't healthy but this is something I can just spritz on in the morning with minimum hassle. It's great for the beach and it's also really good for getting knots out! 

Do's and Don'ts 

This stuff seems really basic but it's really important to know how to look after your hair when you're going blonde!

1. Never sleep with wet hair

Hair is at its weakest when wet and more prone to breakage. Sleeping in wet hair, even tied up, can cause damage to the hair, so always try to sleep with dry locks. 

2. Never brush wet hair

Loads of people, including hairdressers, do this, but it's actually really bad for your hair! As I stated above, hair is at its weakest when wet, so stubbornly trying to tug out knots will stretch, and ultimately break the hair. 

3. Don't wash too often

Girls seem obsessed with washing their hair every single day but, contrary to popular belief, this isn't actually good for your hair! Two of my hairdressers have told me that they only wash their hair once a week, and while I can't go that long, I can't say that I'm one of the 'wash every day' brigade. Washing hair too often can actually cause it to become more greasy, as well as causing dandruff and potential hair loss. I was my hair probably every fourth day and it never gets greasy. 

4. Don't expose your hair to too much heat

I never, ever use a hair dryer for the simple reason that it's exposing your hair to so much unnecessary heat. I do use straighteners but I try not to use them every day and often favour the natural look if I'm not doing anything too special. 

5. Always use heat protection sprays/serums 

Sounds obvious but so many people put heated appliances on their hair without protecting it first. This seems so stupid to me! Would you take something out of the oven without wearing oven gloves? Of course not! Apply the same logic to your hair. 

6. Avoid swimming pools like the plague

We've all heard the rumours of chlorine turning bleached hair green, but I found out the hard way one summer that this was true. I was around 15, and got a bit cocky one year when I decided to go in the swimming pool for hours, ignoring my mother's advice. Well, when my hair dried it had a distinct green tinge to it that was very noticeable. I can't even remember how I got rid of it. So, shower caps or no swimming I'm afraid. 

That's just about all I can think of for now, but thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed

xoxo

Celebrity Crushes

Celebrities aren't usually the kind of thing I write about. Well, celebrity style and appearance isn't anyway. I've always been rubbish at anything to do with beauty and fashion but this year it's been hard to miss some of the world's biggest stars and their images. Something that's really making me happy is the amount of attitude celebrities are injecting into their style. The outfits still scream sex but they no longer give the impression of delicate little women being exploited in a man's world but instead they reek of a more aggressive sexuality. They are playing up to their sexuality in such a way that it no longer seems that they are submissive waifs but dominant leaders who swear like sailors, use men like giant dildos and let the whole world know exactly what they want in the bedroom. 

It is not for me to say what this means for feminism, or society, or even if this image of the modern woman is reflective of their reality (everybody knows that the music industry is ruled by men who probably control more than we can even begin to comprehend), but at face value, I must say that I am a fan of this new image and what it means for women. 

Here I discuss my top style icons/crushes of the summer. 

1. Miley Cyrus

Who else could it be? Miley, with her drastically changed appearance, edgy new song and what will almost certainly become a legendary performance at the VMA's earlier this week, has certainly made tongues wag all over the world as she asserts her grown up status and move away from the child starlet that so many people have seen her as for so long. Say what you will about Miley and her exhibitionism (and many of you have), I personally think Miley looks great. The hair, the tattoos, the body, and of course, the twerking, all combine to make an image that is part fashion, part sex, part defiance and part loud assertion that she is now an adult and can do whatever she hell she likes. 

2. Iggy Azalea

Until I went to Parklife festival in June, I'd never heard the name 'Iggy Azalea.' However, after being subjected to 'Bounce' and 'Beat Down' being played at 9am as my friends and I forced ourselves to drink Strongbow while we prepared for the weekend ahead, I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about this creature that sounded like the love child of Azealia Banks and Ke$ha. Well. Since that fateful weekend, Iggy has been a regular on my iPod, and I've lost count of the times that I've told people I want 'to be her.' 

Azalea is an Australian female rapper who, at the age of 15 ran away to America to try and make it big in the music world. Never afraid to say what she wants (lyrics include 'wetter than the Amazon, taste this kitty' and 'he went down and he kissed it, this pink pussy no lipstick, more like lip gloss when it's sticky, ain't no bitch bossin like Iggy') or shy away from attention on stage (really, if you can't afford a lap dance, go and see Iggy) she really is a breath of fresh air compared to all the Taylor Swiftee's we've had in recent times, and is definitely one of my favourite people right now.

3. Lady Gaga

The only reason that Gaga isn't higher up on my list is because I'm shamelessly fangirling Miley and Iggy at the minute, but I'm well aware that she probably deserves the top spot. I don't need to say much about Ms Gaga because her appearance speaks for itself. Much like a geisha, she is a walking, talking, breathing piece of art. She is not merely a pop star, or a woman wearing a meat suit, but a whole mass of different things all rolled into one. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

4. Sallie Axl

Former Big Brother contestant Sallie's motto is 'tits, tats and beanie hats,' and I can't agree more with her style philosophy. Not afraid to embrace her tomboyish side with her body art and casual attire, Axl still oozes sex appeal, and why the hell shouldn't she? I hate the idea that beauty has to be restricted to floral dresses, pink lip gloss and blonde angel curls and that any guy who finds tattooed girls hot has some sort of weird fetish. Whatever you make of glamour models, I think Sallie looks great and I'm glad that she's making this look more mainstream in a way that is taken more seriously than past models that have endorsed the look (I'm talking to you Jodie Marsh).

5. Rihanna

I'm not the biggest fan of Rihanna as a person. I don't like her taste in men, her whole 'drugs are cool' rhetoric or the majority of the things that she comes out with on Twitter, but Rihanna was one of the first people on this list to change her image from 'good girl' to a more sexual, edgy look for her Rated R album back in 2009. She swapped her lyrics from singing about love and music to games of Russian Roulette and men with big erections, cut her hair off and started being overtly, crudely sexual. What can I say, she's never looked back! I personally find this approach to 'girl power' far more effective than the majority of attractive female singers' of today and, whatever my opinions on her lifestyle, I can't fault her 'fuck you' attitude. 

6. Nicki Minaj

Everybody seems to hate Nicki but I love her. I love her neon hairstyles, her insane make up and her magnificent bottom. I love the faces she pulls, the fantastically strange voice she has and the sheer amount of confidence she must have to do what she does. When Nicki came on the scene, there was (to my knowledge) nobody like her. Nicki made addictive, commercial rap songs infused with pop that were nothing like her female predecessors in the world of rap, creating an entirely new style of music that I can't help but love. She's also gorgeous.

 

7. Courtney Stodden

I know I'll probably get a lot of stick for this but I love Courtney's look and I think it disgusting that people despise her purely because she chooses to dress in a certain way. Being blonde or have plastic tits doesn't make you a slut, and even if she had slept with every man and his dog, who cares? It annoys me enough when girls are slut shamed for actually being sluts because there's nothing wrong with having sex, but when a girl has slept with one person in her entire life and is slut shamed for the way she looks, well, I think it's mean. I'd love to look like Courtney. 

8. Rita Ora

I've always been a fan of Rita's style and I think it so unfair that she's compared to Rihanna so much. In my opinion, Rita Ora is nothing like Rihanna, and aside from having dark skin and (once) having blonde hair at the same tie, I see no similarities. I love Rita's chunky necklaces, red lips and tomboy clothes. 

9. Jessie J

Not a fan of Jessie's music but I can't deny that she always looks great. From her striking make up in Do it like a dude to her recent hair transformation, she always manages to look unique, and in a world where everybody is trying to be different, that's quite a feat. I also admire Jessie for speaking out about having low self-esteem, being bullied and how she is just as capable as a 'dude' of doing something. It would be easy for her to sing meaningless songs about sex and partying but, aside from a few suspect lyrics, Jessie J always manages to convey a positive message to her young fans. 

10. Rebecca Williams

Okay, so I'm cheating a little bit here. I'm putting Becca as number 10 because she's not really, strictly, technically famous, and so I figured I'd let the celebrities take the celebrity spots but it would be impossible to draw up a list of my style icons/girl crushes without having her on it somewhere! Becca's got that effortless style that I just don't have and whenever I see her she'll have perfect make up, hair that she's copied from Princess Leia, and some amazing clothing with cats or naked ladies on it (I don't think I've ever actually seen her wearing a naked lady but her walls are full of them). Becca is the kind of person who will make a costume from scratch when going to a fancy dress party (see below), and spend hours perfecting various hair and make up styles. If I wasn't so jealous I'd fancy her but I'm too bitter.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

xoxo