2011 has been one incredible adventure. I took hundreds of photos in Europe, wrote thousands of words, conducted my very first Kickstarter project that sent me to teach and make art in the Amazon jungle, debuted as a spoken word performer, made time to model for Stephen McClure, Allan Amato and Lydia Hudgens, was featured on LA Weekly – several times, released the 6th issue of Coilhouse Magazine, created my first iPhone cases with Izozzi, auctioned off a hand-painted denim jacket to benefit the Tor project in Egypt, designed custom tattoos, collaborated with Plastik Wrap on my first mini-collection and finally began painting again.

All this in addition to every manner of life event imaginable, of course. This was also the heart-wrenching year my father and one of my grandmothers left this world, the brain-zapping year I left Coilhouse, the phenomenal year Ales and I evolved at a breakneck pace – together.

It was the Emotional Bootcamp year, a year of extremes, but it ends in a state of emerging balance. I anticipate great things. Bring it, 2012.

                          

It’s been a fun-filled, illuminating, topsy-turvy rocket ride, but over four incredible years since we launched Coilhouse, the time has come for me to move on. The need to focus on creating versus curating has been nagging at me for the duration of this endeavor, first softly and then louder, until it grew into a din which could no longer be ignored. And why should it? It’s been an amazing four years and six issues – years and issues I’ll always be proud of, especially now that our fated Constructivist installment is out in the world. Listing all my fond Coil-memories would take ages, but here are a few that immediately stand out:

                          

Enter the code “HT MCBR” at checkout to reap the sleek, tailored, supervillainess-worthy rewards. Because we love you, that’s why.

Click here for a large slideshow of the entire Half-Light Beach editorial, featuring GHST RDR, or check out a 520-px one below.

Photogaphy: Lydia Hudgens // Featured: GHST RDR jacket and skirt , AllSaints gown // Model & styling: Zoetica Ebb // Most accessories: Miyu Decay

                          

[Image source]

You may have noticed that I’m slowing my blogging roll to focus on art. Though I will continue to post articles as time allows, I also plan to increase my creative output. This could mean stuff like little flash sales just for dedicated readers, last-minute announcements and other news – which is why I finally created a mailing list. If you’re interested in receiving occasional updates, sign up by entering your email and clicking the button below!

And, of course, I promise to never share your email addresses or spam you.

[Image source]

                          

Starting now and until the end of 2011, you can acquire this print set, featuring my art from the Constructivist/Futurist/Expressionist issue of Coilhouse magazine. The collection, printed border-free on ultra-premium velvet stock, contains an alluring Metropolis-inspired robot, a hammer-wielding revolutionary, one sultry silent starlet and will make an excellent gift or conversation piece at your holiday party. It can be yours for a celebratory $66. Each print is also available individually for $29.99.

A closer look at the belles of this ball:

MARIA’S GHOST [Shop link]

SILENT STARLET [Shop link]

GIVE US MORE HAMMERS [Shop link]

                          

That’s right, folks! For a very limited time you can get up to 20% off the collection, in all its strappy, badass glory. GHST RDR is perfect for these cooler months, and will keep you warm without sacrificing style, diminishing curves, or adding bulk. Rah!

And if you’re feeling extra-lucky, enter the Plastik Wrap mash-up contest - the winner gets a $200 gift card.

                          

Join the black and white and red parade as we march through an angular Constructivist/Futurist/Expressionist landscape where originality and oddity rule.  There are interviews with the ultra well-known and loved, and with the scrumptiously subterranean. There are (literally) sharp and edgy fashion editorials; there’s a never-before-published Bauhuas-era play; there are origami revelations. You’ll view tons of exclusive, made-just-for-the-magazine content contributed by all manner of wondrous human beings. At 113 pages, Issue 06 is substantially longer, bigger and thicker (hurr!) than any previous incarnation of the print mag. Let’s take another look at that die-cut cover, designed by our brilliant art star, Coilhouse Creative Director Courtney Riot:

                          

This is IT. The home stretch, the final 4 days of the fist D4RT Kickstarter. If you were planning on backing/blogging/tweeting/Facebooking/can-and-stringing about this, the time is now. We’re at $7,233, which means D4RT Yantaló is in good shape! My shopping list is ready, I’m consulting with several child educators, talking to representatives of the Yantaló school, and all other related wheels are in motion. I met with Luis Vaszquez of the Yantaló Peru Foundation over the weekend and am more excited for this adventure than ever before.

I also conducted a Twitter poll asking my readers for recommendations of the best in children’s comics [my own childhood comics experience accidentally began with a discovery of my parents' racy French comics, then went straight to Sandman – advice was needed], and, if all goes well, will spend a day introducing the concept of sequential art and inviting the class to create their own comics strips. If you have your own kid-safe comics suggestions, please add them in the comments section.

As promised, I’ve uploaded more outtake videos from the original Kickstarter video. Behold:

This was on my Tumblr last week.

This footage of our house was shot as potential filler, but never used.

If you’re just catching up with D4RT, it’s a mobile workshop that aims to bring art education, supplies, and public art projects to impoverished communities worldwide. The first installment will take place in a few weeks in Peru.

Several months ago, I met a small group of filmmakers working on a documentary piece about Yantaló – a Peruvian village in the heart of the Amazon jungle. As I watched their raw footage, I fell in love with Yantaló’s people and the close-knit community they’ve managed to cultivate despite harsh economic strains. I was especially impacted by the struggles of the local kids and learning that there is just one school in Yantalo, offering a bare-bones education with no art programs whatsoever. Children spend their free time working in fields with their parents and finishing their homework, stuck in a mundane routine with no creative outlets to nourish their emotional development. Art education is essential in stimulating cognitive skills as well as vital life skills, such as critical thinking, self-confidence and self-discipline – that’s where D4RT comes in.

We met my original goal of $5,000 within the first few days of the D4RT Kickstarter launch. If we’re able to spread the word and raise another $5,767 in the next 4 days, it will cover a second installment in this Cambodian orphanage.

                          

When making my video for the D4RT Kisckstarter project, videographer extraordinaire Josh Gibson and I shot hours of footage, much of it consisting of long takes we ruthlessly chopped into bite-sized chunks for the final cut. Going through the footage this week between work and Yantaló-trip-planning, and will be posting some of it here for the curious.

And while we’re at it, if you have a Vimeo account, add me, yes? You know, just in case I ever get my own video camera.

                          

If you’re tuning in for the first time, I’m in the process of creating an international mobile art workshop aimed at bringing art education and public art projects to struggling communities all over the world. This September, I want to bring D4RT to Yanlató – a village in the heart of the peruvian jungle.

Some time ago, I met a group of documentary filmmakers working on a film about Yantalo. This meeting instilled an idea in my mind, and, over time, the idea became D4RT. I want to bring D4RT to Yantaló and teach a 5-day kids’ workshop in everything from understanding materials to an introduction to portraiture.

I’m crafting a fantasy-based lesson plan that will allow total creative freedom, while instilling basic principles of representation.

For the first three days, we will explore our tools and work on exercise projects. The remaining time will be spent working on a special final assignment: we’ll work together to create a mural celebrating the imagination. Because there are no art stores anywhere near Yantaló, I will provide every student in my group with an art supply kit. My ultimate goal for this trip is to begin planting the seeds of a future, permanent art program in Yantaló.

Your contributions will allow me to develop a comprehensive lesson plan, pay for mural supplies as well as extensive art kits for each of my students, and get me to the Peruvian jungle alive. I’ll be documenting my experience and turning my photographs into a postcard set, offered on Kickstarter as one of the incentives. There are a bunch of fun incentives, actually, you can see them all here on the right-hand side of the page.

Those of you not familiar with the Kickstarter model should know that if I don’t reach my goal within 30 days, I will not receive anything. With that in mind, I’m asking you guys to contribute what you can, and to spread the word of D4RT as far and wide as possible. We only have 30 days to raise the money needed to make D4RT a reality!

Massive, heartfelt thanks to Josh Gibson and Nathan Taylor for expertly filming and patiently editing my video. Also thanks to Daniel Hengeveld for the music!

                          

D4RT is a mobile art class that brings workshops and public art projects to impoverished communities all over the world, with its first installment to take place in September of 2011 in Yantaló.

Yantaló is a village with a population of less than 3,000, nestled in the Peruvian Amazon jungle. I’ll tell you more about how I came to love this place and more about D4RT in my video, currently in post-production.

I’m developing a program which I’m immensely excited about – a lesson plan aimed at engaging kids’ curiosity and centered around fantasy, starting with several days of varied exercises and ending with me and my class working together on a very special final project.

We don’t have an exact Kickstarter launch date just yet, so stay tuned!

                          

As a huge (silent, lurking type) fan of your various artistic endeavors, this is really astounding for me. How do you feel about people other than the commissioner having your work tattooed on them?

A timely question! Since I’ve been on a tattoo commission kick lately, I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback from my readers. Awesome! I’ve also run into a curious ethical issue: folks asking if they can also get art created specifically for others tattooed. The short answer is a resounding “Hell no!”, and here is why.

When people ink my existing artwork -illustrations, art in the shop, paintings- onto their welcoming flesh, I’m absolutely honored and delighted, every time. By all means, get yourself a competent artist and go for it! Send pictures, too. As a matter of fact, someone’s getting one done right now!

But when I create a tattoo design for a specific person, it is theirs. We talk about placement, I often request photos of the body part the piece will go on, I find out about the client’s inspirations, I do megatons of research – all with that particular client in mind. And, the clients, they pay me – let’s not forget this. They pay for an original design that’s just theirs. I don’t offer prints or any other merch of tattoo designs for that very reason.

While I love sharing work online, I want my readers to respect their fellow art enthusiasts and what “commission” means. Is this a unrealistic aspiration, considering no technology can stop an unscrupulous person from yanking an image off the internet for their own shadowy purposes? My only option is to stop posting commission work, and I hope not to find myself feeling like I must. Instead, if you want something drawn just for you, I suggest you email me and we get started on a piece of your very own.

                          

Today is my first Father’s Day without a living father.

When he died in March, I received an outpouring of comments and emails and calls and offers of support, a flood of positive words and energy. These things, coupled with my memorial trip to Denver turned the entire ordeal into a beautiful, life-changing experience. I put together some thoughts on the subject back then, but it was tough to focus – I was still absorbing everything. In the past few months, my mind has often turned to this experience.

Regarding the aforementioned wordflood: there were caring, insightful, warm words that demonstrated how many of you actually read this and pay attention. Honestly, I was surprised; it’s often hard to fully grasp the level on which people relate to each other online, especially as a curator and owner of a blog that’s not always traditionally personal [more thoughts on this later]. Readers -some of whom I’d never exchanged a single word with- reached out, sharing stories of loss: past loss, recent loss, impending loss, their ways of dealing with loss. All these intense, heart-breaking and, seemingly, deeply personal experiences – experiences no one but the experiencer is really expected to relate to. Words ordinarily accepted and thanked for and filed away like old postcards. I half-expected this type of a reaction from myself, but, instead, I held on to these words and together they’ve woven a detailed map of grief and pain and compassion and camaraderie, and, ultimately, love. A palpable reminder of our interconnectivity as a species.

Perception equals reality – if you’re feeling alone or sad -and even if you’re feeling just fine-, I encourage you to think about this interconnectivity and see what happens. It may feel extraordinary, but it isn’t – not really. It’s a notion that some people are not only philosophically, peripherally aware of, but also able to carry within themselves day to day, letting it impact their every action. Perhaps not something I can readily, consistently embody and exude, but, man – those people, I suspect they might be on to something.

                          

When we were tasked with providing lunch sandwiches for day 2 of Hicksville, I knew I’d need to step it up. I rarely eat bread and loathe most sandwiches, with the rare exception of tea sandwiches and fancy gourmet fare. Because I suffer from an acute case of the fancies, you see. The only experience I’d had with preparing this sort of thing was the time we made cucumber-goat-cheese sandwiches for our housewarming party, so this was a fun challenge.

What makes a gourmet sandwich gourmet? High quality ingredients and optimized flavor and texture combinations. In this case, there were two more stipulations to consider: 1. The sandwiches could not be made in advance 2. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options were required. For the non-veggie version, I decided to go simple, with a  tea-sandwich-inspired –

Curried Chicken Salad with Arugula, on Fluffy White Bread

This wouldn’t have been so simple had I made the chicken salad from scratch. Fortunately, a local Gelson’s store makes a mean curried chicken! All I had to do was chop it to a salad-y texture [messy and fun], and pack it up in an air-tight container. The arugula was sealed and packed separately, as was the bread.

This is a fast and tasty solution if you’re planning a picnic and don’t have a lot of time to devote to the task of food. The arugula ads crispness and zest to the chicken salad – nothing more is needed. Ideally, I would have made these with croissants, but 20 croissants cost more than I had budgeted for the trip. Next time!

With the meaty sandwich dilemma solved, I turned my attention to –

Apple Sandwiches with Fennel, Cranberries and Caramelized Onions on Rye

This is an incredibly delicious, light, crisp sandwich that’s perfect for summertime lunches and picnics.

Ingredients

• rye bread
• Granny Smith apples
• dried cranberries
• 1 fennel root, thinly sliced or shaved
• 1 pound sliced onions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons diced fresh rosemary leaves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp citrus balsamic vinegar – you could use a mix of regular balsamic vinegar and OJ
• Cheese: we used provolone on some, and brie on others

Method

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over moderate heat. Add onions with rosemary and cook until translucent and golden – roughly 10-15 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper and vinegar, then cook until vinegar evaporates. Set aside and let cool.

If you plan on preparing ingredients ahead of time as I did, you can pack up the caramelized onions, bread, cranberries and cheese, as well as sliced fennel – it keeps well for a while. There’s no pre-slicing apples, though – this has to be done right before construction and consumption.

They weren’t actually open-faced, but I was too busy eating one to get a shot of the complete thing. Mmmf.

                          

Last weekend, a bunch of friends and I packed our finest bikinis, meats and libations to spend a weekend in Hicksville – a desert “trailer palace” in Joshua Tree. Now, Hicksville is my new favorite place for glamping – that’s glamour-camping to you.

Why glamping at Hicksville is good: you get the desert, a fire pit, s’mores and cooking under the infinite stars, but you also get a salt water swimming pool, a rooftop jacuzzi, WiFi, plumbing and adorable themed trailers, each with its own design and story.

We stayed at The Sweet, a psychedelic, chromed out Airstream:

Check out these other wonder-buggies up for grabs.

My favorite aspect of this trip -besides being in the desert, which I have loved long and hard- was, by far, the pool, where I spent actual hours. Verdell liked it, too.

As did everyone else.

Ales got in touch with his inner cowboy,

and scouted the desert terrain for snakes and anthills,

between hot tub sessions and grillin’.

We also made gourmet sandwiches, about which I will tell you in the next installment of Mmmf!

And lost goth points by languidly roasting in the sun.

But gained a few back by burning the midnight oil alongside marshmallows. That counts, right?

On the way home after two days of sun, water and grilled meat, we stopped in Yucca Valley to visit a novelty and comic book shop called HooDoo. I made off with a vintage Alien Sex Fiend T-shirt, an ’87 edition of William Gibson’s Burning Chrome, and a beat-up Tank Girl #2, thus officially making the trip a success.

Mhmm, loved and needed this mini-vacation, and want to do it again, soon. A ton more photos await after the jump!

                          

Today’s eye makeup is inspired by nebulae and the tropics; a scorching mix of hot pink, orange and bright yellow, which I’ve been wanting to showcase for a while now.

Shooting Haute Macabre’s new collaboration with RockLove Jewelry made for a good enough reason to do this. Besides, it’s summer, and a section of my hair is a complementary purple at the moment – all stars aligned, so to speak. This dramatic look is easy and fast, because we’ll be using a large eyeshadow brush for max coverage and blending power.

Makeup, styling and photos by me

Yes, this is the third tutorial featuring warm eye shadow colors. Not in a row, but still. I vow to do a series of cool palette looks, starting with sea foam greens, next. Onward!

TOOLS

• Sugarpill eyeshadows: Dollipop, Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Goldilux
• Mac eyeshadow in Contrast for the brows. Not pictured: an angled brush for eyebrows
• Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara
• A large eyeshadow brush
• Eyeshadow sponge applicator

METHOD

1. After your base and brows are on, begin by applying Dollipop to the outer edges of the crease and eye with the large brush, blending outward, and contouring the crease.
2. Shake off excess eyeshadow, and with the same brush apply Flamepoint to the middle of the eyelid, blending upward toward the brow and a bit over Dollipop, too
3. Apply Buttercupcake to the inner corner of the eye, blending a little with Flamepoint and pushing the color up to the inner edge of brow and down around the inner eye corner, about 2/3rds of the way around the bottom of the eye
4. With a damp sponge applicator, dab a small amount of Goldilux under,  and in the inner corners of the eye. Pull a bit of this color along the upper lash line.
5. Mascara, 3 coats

I topped the look off with my trusty clear Glassy Gloss on the lips. Done!

                          

IPHONE CASES
My iPhone cases are coming. I can’t show them to you yet, but these are the featured designs, though they won’t be released at once.

TRAVEL
Still catching up on freelance while attempting to plan my trip to Europe. It’s a quick jaunt through Rome, Florence and Pompeii, as well as a couple of days in Paris. It’s going to be a fairly full schedule for me, but if you have suggestions on things I absolutely must do this time around, let me know anyhow!

SKY
The sunsets have been especially breathtaking lately.

ARTZOOM
I’m in the process of creating a Kickstarter and web page for my new project, ArtZoom. I’ll be traveling to the Amazon jungle to teach a children’s art workshop later this year, and will need your help to get me there. Hope to have all this ready to go within two weeks, time permitting.

FOODS
This is much too easy to deserve a post in Mmmf, but if you have access to Trader Joe’s simmer sauces, I highly recommend them. They’ve been life savers in this busy time. Try making your own basmati rice by adding a handful of slivered and peeled almonds and few of teaspoons of cumin to your pot/rice cooker, then mix in some butter, or butter substitute when done. Here’s is mine, with chicken marsala.

ART
Absolutely dying to finish a massive painting before I leave for Europe on Sunday. Time is decidedly not on my side at the moment, but I’ll try to at least put in a few more hours.

COILHOUSE PDFS
You have until April 21st – a little over a week, to purchase Issues 01 – 05 of Coilhouse Magazine in PDF format.

The PDF effort took several months to come to fruition. As dedicated lovers of tangible Print Objects, we deliberated long and hard about making downloadable issues, but eventually agreed that this was indeed the correct decision. You can read more of our thoughts on print vs. digital here.

For $5 USD a pop, you can download And Other Curiosities (01), Beauty Is A Choice (02), The “Hold My Gold” Issue (03), Onaim, Perantes, Rasonastos (04), and Let All the Children Boogie (05) as individual digital issues, or at a discount price of twenty bucks for all five. Also, should ye be feelin’ flush and generous, you’ll have the option to pay a bit more, because this is an important fund raising push for us.

                          

I like this photo because my arm looks weird

I’m Zoetica Ebb – artist, photographer, writer, magazine editor, style technician and cosmonomad. I believe in making life extraordinary and beautiful through all means necessary. I can be hired to write, photograph or draw – simultaneously, if the price is right.

You are reading [or staring at, or licking] Biorequiem.com – my webzone since 2001. In 2006, after years of traveling, doing things too strange to describe here, and running this site’s several incarnations, I began writing a successful online fashion column. In 2007, I co-founded Coilhouse Magazine with Nadya Lev and Meredith Yayanos. Coilhouse is a thriving web and print publication dedicated to alternative culture. In addition to editing the 6th issue of Coilhouse, I’m currently working on a variety of projects, including my first limited edition fashion experiment.

I can be reached at zoetica [at] gmail [dot] com. If you want to snail-mail something that won’t cause physical or emotional harm, do request my mailing address via email. If you’re shy, you can ask me an anonymous question on Formspring, but, for the love of god, make sure it hasn’t already been answered in the Interrogation Station blog feature or the FAQ.

READ + SEE
Coilhouse [sometimes]
Haute Macabre [rarely]
Chinashop [event coverage and urban exploration]
zoetica.tumblr.com – a general dump, likely to be turned into a sketch blog
36fail.tumblr.com - an irregular, seemingly eternal self-portrait project
The usual suspects: Flickr | Twitter | Facebook

BUY
Incrrredibly soft shirts I designed at Wiloh
Art in the Biorequiem shop
Ads on Biorequiem
Limited edition items created with collaboration with Plastik Wrap coming very soon.
So are iPhone cases. Oh shneep.

EXPLORE
Interviews, etc.
Art Portfolio
Commission original art!

                          

Two-pages of obituaries for my dad in Vestnik Herald newspaper

It’s not about high dramaz or some pseudo-elevation-via-tragedy, however, facts is facts: I’m different. Though I have no intention of sharing overgenerous amounts of personal details or ineffable epiphanies, I do think that saying something about my father’s death is in order, because so many of you offered words of support, and because death is a part of life we all have to face, sooner or later, one way or another. Maybe this will help someone, sometime.

Dad, second from left, and his band, Tin Soldiers [Olovyanniye Soldatiki]

Truth is, my father died suddenly, at 60, seemingly without a preceding illness. Those around him may have seen it coming, but I certainly did not. We hadn’t lived in the same state in over a decade, and I wasn’t aware of his declining health because no one, including him, told me. To me, his death was a complete shock.

Dad singing with Tin Soldiers

I have come to accept death and am not especially phased by it, usually. I’ve lost my grandfathers, several friends and former lovers under various circumstances, some natural, some not, and have handled each instance with sober understanding. However, this news resulted in a bona fide collapse. After years of a fairly distant and strange, though tender, relationship with my father, I had to face not only the relationship itself, but his entire life, as well as the qualities I’ve inherited and the mistakes I must never make. A lifetime of rarely accessed, but hardwired information, suddenly flooding every circuit.

Dad during training at the Soviet Military Academy

Coming to Denver for the funeral and staying in my father’s home meant being immersed in his world and Facing Stuff, head on. Ales offered to join me, but I knew this was my pilgrimage to make and my shit to deal with, which is exactly what I did. As surreal, unhinging, and devastating as it was, the trip turned into one of the most valuable experiences of my life. In addition to undergoing the vast cognitive journey in regards to my father and myself, I, completely unexpectedly, reconnected with my no-longer-little stepbrother, my half-brother, and my closest friend, none of whom I’d seen or spoken with in many years.

I have been describing this experience as “emotional boot-camp”, from which I returned with every bone broken and rebuilt from superior stuff. All of my muscles actually hurt by the time my boots touched LA soil again, the soil from my father’s grave still wet under my fingernails. I cried the last of my dad-tears that night, and woke up to a new reality the next morning.

Dad on the right, on a boat

Truth is, the two weeks since his death have felt like a gift, and that’s no hyperbole. A gift and a giant push toward that metamorphosis I keep talking about.

Thank you, to everyone who left a note here, or reached out in any way, and especially to my husband, Ales, and my homedawgg, Courtney. Your support helped get me through these strange days and I am forever grateful.

                          

“Psoriasis is a sign of an overactive immune system”
-
I think of my father – he’s had this flaky skin disorder, once a cause of adolescent embarrassment during introductions to my friends, as far back as I can remember. I’m relieved that my old man’s got a powerful defense mechanism, even if we haven’t spoken in a month.
-
Micron lays her paw on my arm and gazes into my eyes with those black oceans of pure dog love, then begins to urgently lick my face.
-
The phone rings.

“Hi, grandma!”

“Hi. How are you?”

“Pretty sick, actually.”

“Oh. Your father died.”

The delivery is so dry, I ask if she’s joking.

Dad, 1950 – 2011

                          

It’s Day 2 of Biorequiem Beauty Week ™, and I have doggedly scrolled to the very beginning of my Formspring questions page, selecting all the non-overlapping beauty questions I could manage to respond to in a relatively sane and timely fashion. Having done so, I realized that there are still too many and decided to make hair today’s topic, because, well, that covers over 65% of the beauty questions I’ve received in the past year. Not answering hair questions for at least one year, so I hope you get your answers here.

I’ve always wanted to dye my hair, but I’m afraid that it won’t suit me. How do you decide whether a color will look good before you go ahead and dye your hair?

There are a few ways to approach this decision. You might be tempted to try testing hair colors in Photoshop, but don’t. It’s actually the least accurate method of matching color to skin tone, because no photo will capture your skin and all its nuances correctly. Instead, try on a few wigs at a costume shop, or hold up a few of those little hair color swatches to your face, and check yourself out in the mirror.

Additionally, there are certain ground rules I’ve learned to stick to over the course of mine and my friends’ adventures in hair science. Here’s a super-basic breakdown of what to avoid in rainbow hair colors, organized by four skin tone groups. Of course there is a vast variety of skin colors out there, but this system covers quite a few.

Cool pale
Avoid: cherry or candy reds, as they will make your skin ruddy.
Embrace: “Natural” and orange reds, very dark cherry reds, blonds, grays, greens, especially emerald and blue-based greens, all blues, purple, pink, bright yellow, orange.

Medium-pale with olive undertones to Medium-dark
Avoid: yellowy blonds, yellowy greens, “natural” reds, orange reds, candy reds, and turquoise-based blue.
Embrace: white and ash blond, cool silver, cobalt, violet, purple, cherry and other blue-based reds, emerald green.

Dark
Congratulations, you can get away with anything!

Could you point me in the direction of a very easy to understand, step-by-step hair dye tutorial? It’s going to be my first time dealing with dyes and I’m going dark brown to blue.

You’re in for quite the experience, but are also in luck, because once you get there, the maintenance will be less painful, than if you were going light.

1. Bleach
I suggest Sally’s 40 Volume Creme Developer and L’Oreal Quick Blue powder bleach. Mix them together in a non-metallic bowl until your bleach has the consistency of cake batter [not frosting]. Wearing latex gloves, use a tinting brush, and brush on bleach, root to tip, in sections, starting at the back of your head. Do not rub into scalp, and expect your scalp to tingle anyway. Leave bleach on for 45 minutes, then rinse with warm water, and shampoo well. Do not condition yet. Is your hair this color?

If so, it’s light enough to dye. If not, repeat step 1, leaving the bleach mixture on for no more than 30 minutes. Check it at 20, just to make sure – sometimes that’s enough.

2. Dye
Just follow the directions here. You don’t have to leave the color in overnight – two hours is just fine!

My natural hair is black. how do i reach white hair?

I mostly answered this here. Since then, I’ve also discovered all sorts of toners, beyond just toning shampoo, which do wonders. Wella’s White Lady and Silver Lady are amazing. The keys are to use a mild developer with your toner, and to wait  a few days between bleaching and toning, in order to let your hair recover. Brace yourself: having naturally black hair may require up to 5 bleaching sessions, lots of repairing hair masks, and saintly patience. Also, maintenance positively sucks, proceed with caution.

I absolutely adore your white hair and I was wondering how you managed to get the blue out. I tried to bleach mine out and it just went in further and further into my cuticles. I think I should give up.

Honestly, it took forever. Months!

I just let my hair fade, and fade, then I tinted it a frosty periwinkle, then I let it fade some more until I bleached the ever-living fuck out of it. It was quite faded by the time I picked up the bleach, so my advice? Patience, young padawan. Shampoo, condition, enjoy all the variations, until your roots are an inch and a half to two inches. Then try bleaching again, and so forth. I’m actually looking at undergoing this process again fairly soon, as I’m planing on transitioning into something very streaky in a month or two. Good luck!

Which leave in products / hairspray do you use to give your hair such volume?

My holy grails, currently: Big Sexy Hair Spray N’ Play for lots of control and volume + Schwarzkopf Professional Dust N’ Powder for texture without stiffness.

When you went from blue hair to silver, was it really damaged? What did you use to revive it?

It was, and I did lots of hot olive oil masks. Just warm up a few tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave, then get it all over your hair whichever way suits you best – just saturate it well. Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap, and then with a towel. Leave on for up to three hours, then shampoo and condition.

Also, I routinely saturate my hair with jojoba oil before shampooing, which does actual magic, and avoid blow-drying at all costs.

Is your hair naturally curly? Have you experienced loss of curl from bleaching and what would you do about it?

Yes and yes. See above.

You’ve had your hair in many colors; how do you keep your eyeglasses clear of stains?

I cover the rims with Vaseline when dyeing.

I’m worried about dyeing my hair in sections. how do you ensure your dyes stay separate if you’re dying more than one color?

See this and elaborate. Remember, if you’re using several vegetable/semi-permanent dyes, they will all bleed together a little during shampooing, unless you have the time and patience to wash each section separately!

The best hair straightener in your opinion?

I swear by my 1″ Revlon Perfect Heat ceramic straightener.

I’m a Korean male with a typical square head and exaggerated square jaw. Something atypical? I have naturally wavy/curly hair that rivals Mufasa, King of the Jungle. Do u have any tips on how how to tame the mane, or maybe suggest a decent haircut/style?

Could you please get the Eraserhead cut? I’m only half joking, actually. If a ‘fro or hobbit ringlets aren’t your thing, you might do well with a long undercut. Alternately, you could go short, clean-but-fun, or even dreadlocked! My suggestions:

I will soon be shaving my head for a cancer fundraiser to around this length, and I was wondering how you dealt with it when it reached 1-4 inches long? (thanks!)

That’s noble of you, congratulations! And there is so much fun to be had with short hair! So much, in fact, that I don’t even know where to start. Also, I’m zapped from answering all these other questions, so… Let Mia Farrow from Rosemary’s Baby be your guide!

                          

Meanwhile, in the spirit of renewal, I’ll be nixing three prints from the shop on March 1, so if you were planning on getting either version of Honeydrip, or Poke in violet, you have until Monday to get to it.

                          

Advance apologies to the gents in the audience – this is my first foray into Serious Fashion Design, and I gots nothing for you, yet. Ladies, a few pertinent details for your perusal: Pleats | Tailoring | Thumb holes.

Mwoohooheehooo. More to come, soon.