Face of the Day: Eyebrows on Fleek

I love the feeling of cutting your fringe, grooming your overgrown eyebrows (fringe=low eyebrows maintenance) and drawing them carefully for the world to see. 

I pluck out half of my eyebrows in order to draw it higher. Drawing them on again actually looks natural, so no awkward super sharp black liquid liner for me. I also don´t really like the full grown bushy eyebrow look. Probably will make me look very Uzbek-ish like it does to my mom XD

I used a brown pencil on the beginning and drew the rest with a black one. I usually use only brown though.

I love how my eyebrows look

I can give you a smokey eye tip, if you are not tired of reading about smokey eye tips yet: smudge a little of black pencil on your eyelid, then cover it with a ton of transparent powder. It will not move, it will stay dry all day and won´t gather inside the crease and ruin your good mood.

You know what, here´s another tip: apply black eyeshadow on the lower lash line. It doesn´t smudge like pencil, and won´t look droopy after a couple of hours. Black eyeshadow will look dramatic enough on your lower lid, it also feels less heavy than pencil or liquid eyeliner.

Fun Fact: I actually say "on fleek" a lot. After I learned that this is what the cool kids say today it would make me feel very old not to overuse the expression...

Now to have my vacation at last! We are going to Copenhagen for a week on monday to see a dear dear friend. More adventures to follow as we get back.

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

N. Finsternis

10 Songs That Changed My Life

Last year I did a post about 10 albums that changed my life. It took me this long to think about only 10 songs, which is more difficult. How can you sum up such a great influence on you with just a few songs?


Here are ten, for now:

1. Led Zeppelin / Stairway To Heaven

Sorry you guys, but I´m afraid it´s going to get only more cliche from here. Not much to say- it´s fucking Led Zeppelin, it´s the most amazing song in the world, you discover life, universe and everything when you listen to it, and the younger you are exposed to it the better.

What has the song changed exactly in my life? I don´t know, what has it changed in the lives of millions other people?

2. Queen / The Prophet´s Song

You know how I love A Night At The Opera, and this is perhaps Queen´s most underrated song. The arrangement and composition of this song is insane, this is basically classical music level. I can still listen to this song a thousand times, lipsyncing for my life.

A thought came to me while I listened to the album not long ago: it could be so cool to make a musical out of the album, like Jesus Christ Superstar- every song is like a happening in the plot of the film featuring different characters. That could have been so cool.

3. Bauhaus / The Passion Of Lovers

Yet again another cliche pick. I am in my first year of high school, I am walking to my bus station and listening for the first time to the freshly downloaded Bauhaus. My eyes widened and I couldn´t believe how it spoke to me. This song has incredible energies, mystery and elegance and represents for me that new thing I was exploring back then- post punk. It still moves me greatly today.

4. Opeth / Bleak

This is one of my favorite songs from Blackwater Park, their most famous album. Opeth have been with me forever, but this was one of the first songs by them that I listened to.

5. Sopor Aeternus / The Sleeper

This was the first song by SA that I listened to as well. This band was a huge revelation for me in my babybat years, and this song has captivated me ever since. It still echoes of scenes when I was sitting at my table alone at night, writing poetry or drawing, communicating with the goth world of the internet.

6. The Doors / End Of The Night

Another mysterious song. Everything by Th Doors reminds me of our first time together with Boris, as he introduced me to so many classic rock bands. I need to have another "special psychedelic" listen to The Doors again one day (hey, it worked with The Beatles´ Sergeant Pepper!).

7. The Birthday Party / Mutiny In Heaven

Either the song, or the entire album with the same name. This is me and Boris wanting to roam Berlin, play and hear cool music and meet Blixa Bargeld on the street while doing so. Berlin was a dream in black and white like a scene from the movie The Wings Of Desire which inspired us so greatly when we were 16 & 17. It still does. 

8. The Mars Volta / Teflon

This incredible band was associated with unpleasant memories for a long time, until just recently when I managed to replace that feeling with something better. TMV are powerful beyond words and always draw new emotions from me with time. First time I gave them a lesson was a very weird time in my life.

9. Radiohead / Paranoid Android

This song makes me incredibly emotional (lol like all songs on this list?) and besides everything is a fucking masterpiece. I hate the video, I don´t care how unconceptually conceptual it is, they have ruined the song with that video. I actually cannot listen to this song too often, I would get very fragile.

10. Grauzone / Träume mit mir

While we were at it, Boris and I thought that we were the only ones in Israel listening to this "obscure" music (nothing obscure when it came to the popularity of Grauzone in Europe lol). It was fun to understand bits and pieces of this song when we just began to learn German, and again there was something bittersweet in the air.

I always manage to link these kind of listings to my timeline or biography! Then again, it´s only the natural thing to do. Have you noticed that almost every song is associated with sad things? 

As if anyone even read what I wrote lol.

Also, every song mentioned was listened by me before the age of 20. I guess the music I´ve listened to in my teens has left a deep mark in me, and that is something I haven´t noticed before. What happened after 20? Have I died a bit inside?

N. Finsternis

Ankh choker by Twirly Trinkets- Etsy shop review

Looking at various online stores inspired by 90s fashion made me crave for a choker, but unlike usually I kind of wanted it to be more goth.

I was happy to find an ankh choker on Etsy sold by a shop called Twirly Trinkets. Little did I know that I´ve contacted the sweetest seller in the world.
Seriously, I have been very happy about how personal purchasing on Etsy can get, but I just had fun writing to the seller, Penny, back and forth and I really could feel the person on the other side caring a bunch about her costumer. Needless to say the item came in perfect condition and looks absolutely beautiful:

It was tricky taking a picture of the ankh when facing the window light.
Also, this is a black curtain behind me to have a decent background for selfies at last. I am giving you production value here, people!

I loved a lot of items in the shop as well, I think the various chokers can go great with different styles, I loved the velvet ones especially. Also the prices are just right.

I have missed some classical gothic jewelry, but I like how simple these ones are, most goth chokers have way too much detail for my taste. Here are a few of my favorites:

Link to item

Link to item

Link to item

Have a wonderful weekend!

N. Finsternis

Pride: face and outfit feat. Boris

Last saturday was our first time at Berlin pride. 2 years living here and we somehow did not have a chance to go until now. We were super excited and the parade was amazing, we had so much fun dancing around (for 5 hours, parade was huge!) and looking at all the beautiful people! The atmosphere was perfect.

Boris put on his crossdressing game and did his makeup, he was the prettiest of all the gender nonconforming people out there:

No, I do not have a good location for photos, but look at those legs!

Here is a better view of the dress. It is a very old dress of mine that I wore only once :P

Still trying to figure out if Boris looks like his mom when in makeup

I did not go crazy on my makeup, it is pretty much what I do to every party, only turquoise eyeshadow on the lower lid.

Here is a better picture of the hair. I have recently been trying out a new backcombing trick that a friend told me about.

 At some point we were in a hurry, so there was no time to talk an outfit picture of me. But there is an upper half picture:

I am very pleased with how my roots blend in with the uncertain color of my hair.

 This is indeed a transparent lace bra (best bra ever) and a cut out t shirt. Lower half were shots and teal tipped stockings, but my boobs have not graced the blog yet, so there you go.

I wish everyone a LGBT* week and a happy July!

N. Finsternis

Face of the Day: absolutely nothing special

This is a very basic look that takes me only 15 min. I have missed the brown shades and I love pairing this look with a dark brown lipstick, which in the pictures seemed to have worn off. 

Thought including a close up might be interesting for you to see how little I actually did. 

I just put dark brown on the outer part of the crease, the inner upper corner of my eyes and along the lower lid. This and gel liner on the water line gives depth to my eyes (aka fallen eyelids issues). 

I have no idea how this would look on you.  Foundation only under my eyes to hide dark circles and bronzer + lots of powder on face. 

Excuse the crappy lining on the upper lid, I was in a hurry and normally you cannot even see this part of my eyes lol.

This is as natural with makeup as I can get.

Hair is getting long and looks gorgeous in these pictures.
I am happy to be a part of the world again as I can almost fully walk after surgery! I am happy to go to uni again, but more so happy to have the semester over next month to go on vacation!

Pride makeup pics are coming soon!

N. Finsternis

Interview with Virgin In Veil

I am happy to enlighten you about subculture happenings again after being asked to do an interview with Virgin In Veil.

Virgin In Veil are a new deathrock/ dark punk band based in Helsinki, featuring band members from Secular Plague and Masquerade. They are currently gaining popularity in the scene, and you should be informed!

Official Website

Official Facebook Page

Youtube Channel

VK 

N: You guys in Virgin In Veil play in other bands like Masquerade and Jacques also plays in Secular Plague, both are well known in the scene. What drove you to start another project?

Jacques: I created Virgin in Veil in January, while I wasn't yet playing in Masquerade. I've always loved deathrock and wanted to create a band of that style... I bet that's the problem of being too much eclectic with music tastes...

Suzi: I joined Virgin in Veil very recently, my first gig with them was in Moscow last month. I actually started to rehearse the synth parts only a few days before we left for Russia. It made more sense to me than staying on the sidelines until I'm a virtuoso. Before joining the band as a full-time member I did backing vocals for the songs.

2. You are currently based in Helsinki, how would you describe the scene there (and in Finland in general), in comparison to the rest of Europe?

Jacques: I haven't even been here for a full year, but I like it so far. There's many punk bands, many gigs... On that point, it's way better than where I previously lived. The problem of the Finnish scene is those fucking strict Finnish laws, venues must close at 4, no alcohol can be sold after 9 in shops, blablabla. This is complete bullshit.

Suzi: The scene almost everywhere is being infected by people who have barely nothing to do in their lives beside of gossiping. They wallow in jealousy and try to excrete their own misery on others, but fortunately that kind of people always end up making complete fools of themselves, unwanted by everyone.

3. Do you feel like the local scene is supportive of Virgin In Veil? Was it different with your other bands?

Jacques: We already have a lot of haters! Which is good, because only the unnoticed don't. Finnish audience is cold. You can play a fucking gig, move around, give everything you have... and they stay 3 meters away from the stage looking like fucking statues. But it doesn't mean they don't like it. 

It's weird from me as it is quite different in France, but yeah, I'm getting used to it!

Suzi: Rather than investing money on shows, goths seem to get stuck at their homes, saving up for a victorian dress and drooling over online videos of the Cure. There's a lot great bands playing live to discover (like us), and as time passes you will regret you didn't see them when they were having a show just around the corner.

4. You use (anti) religious imagery in your artwork and songs, what is the motive behind it and what would you like to say with it?

Jacques: I'm not anti-religious. I don't see anything wrong if somebody believe in a god or whatever. I'm not even an atheist myself, rather an agnostic... 

But yeah, I'm extremely pissed off at people using their faith in whatever cult or religion to harass those who are different or simply don’t subscribe to their so-called truth. Our song "In the Name of God" isn't anti-religious, but rather against religious violence and bullying. 

It's not against people having faith in whatever they choose, it's against people who think that their faith allow them, for example, to harass women who want to have an abortion. Those homophobic pro-lifer bigots can suck my cock, really.

In The Name Of God played at VIV´s recent gig in Helsinki

5. You are now planning a tour in the US. Do you think the support from the scene there would be different than in Europe?

Jacques: People from the US and Mexico are extremely enthusiastic about both Virgin in Veil and Masquerade and have been extremely helpful to us, finding gigs, offering to drive us from city to city, etc. We are really looking forward to it and I'm sure the support will be amazing.

6. Are there any other places/ events where you would most like to play?

Jacques: The more unusual the better. With my previous band Sleeping Children we almost played in Morocco and I'm very pissed off that it finally didn't happen. I'd love to play in Africa, fuck yeah. No bands go to Africa, while there's a real underground scene in several countries. 

Same goes for the Middle East... To make it short, we'd play anywhere.  I would play in fucking North Korea if we get the chance. 

Bands who boycott specific countries for political reasons are losers. Yeah, Russian government sucks, is that a reason to say to Russian punks and goths that they can go fuck themselves? People aren't responsible for the actions of the government of the country they live in. If someone like our music, he or she is welcome, whatever the place you live in, your gender, age, skin color etc.

7. What makes Virgin In Veil stand out from other bands of the contemporary deathrock and dark punk genre?

Jacques: Haha, it's quite hard to answer that question ourselves, you should ask our audience! But well, I think Virgin in Veil has punkier sound and attitude than many other contemporary deathrock bands, so it can be a turn on to some people. Also, unlike many deathrock bands, we don't give a shit about singing about vampires or witches, we prefer our lyrics to be either perverse poetry or politically oriented. Seriously, some actual bands have great songs, but their lyrics stink shit.

You can listen and download Virgin In Veil´s EP on their bandcamp page, or here:

So if you are thirsty for deathrock and lots of attitude, stay tuned and follow these guys for future releases and gigs!

Any more bands out there interested in making an interview? Write me an email to deusexmachina.blogspot@gmail.com.

Or if you guys know any interesting bands tell me about it in the comments.

N. Finsternis

Return To The Batcave Festival- an interview with Tomas Woodraf

In October last year I went to Return To The Batcave, a festival in Wroclaw, Poland. I had a ton of fun, and wanted to make a zine about the old school goth scene including an interview with the organizer, Tomas Woodraf.
The idea of the zine did not came to realization unfortunately, but I did make the interview and Tomas recently poked me to post it, which is great since I completely forgot about it.

So if you are interested about the DIY scene in Poland and the festival in particular, here is the interview. Return To The Batcave takes place in October again this year and I hope this interview will urge you to buy a ticket and celebrate with us all!

N.: Tell us about Return To The Batcave, how did it start, what was the original idea? 

Tomas: Since the beginning Return To The Batcave has been strictly related with Bat-Cave.pl webzine which was launched in 2006 – the main idea behind this webzine was the promotion of some not much known underground music genres like deathrock, gothic-punk, old school gothic, “batcave”, post-punk, cold wave and similar with direct origins in the 80’s and of course with some touch of art – there is soooo many ass-kicking music around that shouldn’t be forgotten and is just waiting to be discovered so as madcaps we had to do this and help a little bit to make our beloved sick music undead. 

Our second goal was to build the “batcave” community here in Poland, somehow with other folks at Bat-Cave.pl we hit on an idea to arrange Bat-Cave.pl parties in several Polish cities - to meet each other, dance, drink and have fun together during gigs organized by ourselves - it’s better to organize something yourself than complain about the lack of events. 

I was in charge of Wroclaw’s edition of “Bat-Cave Tour” – I called it “Return To The Batcave”  - it was in 2008. My editorial friend Mike “Mss” joined as a DJ from the first edition. I had some experience with organizing gigs during grammar school years and I’ve been a DJ since 2000 or something – so I knew what it looks like in terms of organization, it was quite natural for me. We had a lot of fun during the first Return To The Batcave, so we knew we wanted to continue it.

N.: How do you find the organization of such a relatively big event? Do you feel like the people from the scene are supportive?

Tomas: I think that organization of events like Return To The Batcave Festival is really cool, it’s a great opportunity to meet with people from many other countries – with music’s maniacs - people who think in a very similar way. It’s not really important where they come from – there are no borders – we are one big crazy family and should keep this spirit alive. 

It’s also a chance to meet artists, bands who perform music close to our hearts. A lot of people from the scene support us – they offer help with promotion, share their ideas and want to be a part of this event. They really care about it - that’s the point! It’s also some extra motivation for our crew. 

Taking the opportunity I would like to thanks for all our supporters for any help, for all the kind words, basically for everything – without you it would not be possible to organize this mad circus!

N.: How would you describe the alternative scene in Poland?

Tomas: If we talk about oldschool goth / dark / post-punk scene I have to say with regret that’s not so big and popular – it’s underground like probably everywhere! :) Alongside of the ocean of shit we happily have some active treasures like Wieże Fabryk, Alles, Już Nie Żyjesz, Hatesory, DHM, Chaplin&Chapman, The Proof, Kandahar, Hyoscyamus Niger, Augen X, Nacht Und Nebel, Ukryte Zalety Systemu, Schrottersburg, Cabaret Grey, This Cold, Deathcamp Project, Joanna Makabresku, 1984 or Psychoformalina (who are on hiatus now). These are not all the bands for sure since new bands also show up, but a lot of them die very quickly. 

There are not many regular events in Poland except the awesome Old Skull in Warsaw which is a real Polish goth-punk mecca for me, we are also quite active with Return To The Batcave events in Wroclaw. I also know about some other events in cities like Szczecin, Lodz, Poznan, Gdansk, Rybnik, Krakow, Lublin but these events aren’t regular, so if we’re talking about Polish “goth/post-punk” cities then these would be Wroclaw and Warsaw. 

A big “dark independent” (I don’t know who invented this stupid term :) ) festival having place in Bolków is also worth to mention – it’s the Castle Party Festival. It’s line-up is very varied and maybe not “killa” but it has an amazing, addictive atmosphere, it’s something like a dark carnival in the middle of summer – if you ever have a chance to come to Castle Party, don’t think twice – just come!

N.: What was the best moment for you so far in the festival´s history?

Tomas: There were a lot of fantastic moments – seeing and hearing fantastic gigs, meeting fantastic people – crazy and touching things I will never forget, but my favorite moment is every time I see smile on faces of all the people who come, often from various parts of the world. It’s a real honor to have them here and see that they really enjoy it.

N.: A lot of effort is being put in working behind the scenes, what is the hardest part for you when it comes to organizing the festival?

Tomas: I would lie if I said that it’s a piece of cake, organizing of a festival takes a lot of time – it’s logistics, promotion, agreements with bands, hotels, catering, venue etc. It all eats up a lot of energy and can also be stressful – you must be prepared for everything, for any worst-case scenario you can imagine, you have to keep an eye on every element and be ready to quickly solve any problems. Right now we have crystallized the Return To The Batcave crew – everyone here has his tasks and is focused on them – so it’s not that complicated at the moment. 

The biggest headache and heartache is with bands’ booking, it’s always a hard decision which bands to book – if it was possible I would book all these great bands contacting us about the possibility of playing at our festival, but it’s simply impossible. But when the festival starts there’s no time for cry – it’s party time! :)

N.: How do you see Return To The Batcave in the future, is there a vision you are aiming for?

Tomas: We are not planning any bigger changes in the future  – we will still spontaneously organize regular Return To The Batcave events with 2 or 3 bands from time to time - there is still a lot of ideas and great bands we want to bring to Wrocław. Lots of  new bands show up and it’s very pleasing – it’s good there is fresh blood because stagnation means death. 

Our crew is also in charge of oldschool afterparties during the Castle Party Festival in Bolków so you can join us there and feel the touch of the unique atmosphere of CP too. 

Of course have also started working on the next edition of Return To The Batcave Festival which is our main goal, it will take place in Wrocław on 16-18.10.2015 – I hope you will enjoy it, I want to see more and more happy faces there!  We will inform about our future projects at our page: www.return.to.the.batcave.pl.

I can tell you I am completely thrilled for October this year, since the festival will include bands such as 13th Chime, Masquerade, Elvira and The Bats, Kandahar, Frank The Baptist, Wieze Fabryk (fucking a!!) and many more. Here is the official FB event.

Hope to see some of you there (I am not talking only to you, Polish bloggers!).

N. Finsternis