Archive for June, 2011
Piercing Trends Gone Wrong – The Piercing of….Animals?
Posted by: | CommentsOccasionally, a piercing trend gets carried away… in the complete wrong direction! So when I realized that I was seeing something terrible related to trendy body modification, I just had to share. And here it is: animal piercings.
The world was astounded and appalled late in 2008 when a Pennsylvania woman’s home was raided and she was brought up on charges for the weirdest thing ever: piercing kittens. That’s right, she was piercing little kittens and selling these so called “goth kittens” for amazing sums of money. The kittens (pictured below), were pierced mostly in the tails, ears, and napes of their necks.
The really interesting thing is, it doesn’t end there. The internet is awash with photos and home movies showing owners who have pierced the ears, noses, and lips of their pets. Yowza!
Amongst the most prevalent pierced animalia are dogs and cats, followed by fish (who are also being tattooed, by the way), and rodents like rabbits.
So what can we do? Well for starters, check out anti-cruelty jewelry lines like Heart U Back. This company sells beautiful (mostly hypo-allergenic too) jewelry to benefit the ASPCA. It’s like two birds with one stone: wear the jewelry that sends a positive message about love for your pet, and see a portion of the proceeds go to helping stop animal cruelty. Bliss!
For those who want to send out powerful vibes about their love of the furry set and against the piercing of them, there’s also a great movement developing as an answer to the initial trend of piercing the fuzzy ones. Wearing body jewelry in your own piercings that sends a message of love, anti-cruelty, or positivity about animals.
Think Pink – Body Jewelry Focus for National Pink Day
Posted by: | CommentsPink, pink, PINK! Today is National Pink Day, and to celebrate, I’m breaking out a sweet and rosy tribute to that favorite feminine hue: pink. Pink is everywhere lately in the world of fashion, as a return to classic simplicity and fairytale romance dominates the stage. This punchy little color is even a macro trend in (would you believe it?) hair right now, with the evolution of carnation color hair starting slowly and working it’s way forward. Check it out: pinky, pinker, pinkest!
Perhaps the world has taken a cue from beauty behemoth Chanel, whose modern feminine styles with a hint of edge have strongly featured salmon tones from the beginning?
One thing is for sure; body piercings have snapped up the pink trend and certainly ran with it. Gone are the days of solid black gauges and clear, inconspicuous gemstones. It’s time in the here and now for something bright, beautiful, and blush. I even caught a glimpse of a guy rocking some seriously pinky plugs. Gutsy, and somehow just what the doctor ordered.
Navel piercings of course have been on the rose tone bandwagon forever, but with new styles emerging every day ranging from kawaii cute to red carpet chic, there’s always something fresh to brighten our bellies. (Is it wrong that I still love Hello Kitty?)
And pink gem labrets remain a solid body jewelry wardrobe staple. A gentle touch of pink sparkle to accent a feminine glossy lip? Yes please.
Then finally, nose rings. Pink has taken a back seat in the nose piercing world these past few years in favor of simple sterling and more opulent precious gems, but with the onslaught of septum mania has come a return to the femme, and traditional floral color palettes are back with a vengeance.
So whether pierced or needle hole free, if given the chance on this fine June day, pay some friendly homage, and remember to think pink.
Hot Summer Piercing Trends: Multiple Piercings
Posted by: | CommentsSummer is in full swing (today is the official first day of Summer, yahoo!), and all of that bare skin out there seems to have one thing in common: multiple piercings. The multiple piercings trend is going strong and bigger than ever, but a few mini trends within that scope are definitely standing out above the rest.
One of them is multiple piercings of the nose. Until very recently, multiple nose piercings were a rare and interesting commodity, but now adays the multiple nose piercings trend, especially when worn with a combination of hoops, has hit a high. For men, multiple piercings of the same nostril seems to be the hot ticket, while we females have been seen rocking up to five nose piercings at once, and still maintaining a delicate feminine appeal while we do it. Uber-thin hoops and a mixture of ball captives and studs worn in multiple nasal and/or septum piercings is evolving into a look that’s actually pretty aesthetically pleasing and showcases the beauty of the female nose.
Our next stop on the multiple piercings Summer express? Multiple ear piercings. Though piercing multiple parts of the ear is nothing new, the evolution of this trend seems to have gone to extremes (and we like it).
And surprise, surprise, multiple ear piercings can still be dainty, flirty, and understated as well. Just take a cue from Miley Cyrus and Scarlett Johansson. Both stars have multiple ear piercings and coordinate their piercing jewelry to stylish perfection for formal events.
Now we come to the funnest, wackiest new trend to hit the nearly mainstream: multiple facial piercings accented by contact lenses. Lenses with unnatural colors and designs have emerged from more and more major brands in recent years, and those with sets of several piercings in the nose, lip, eyebrow, tongue, and cheeks are going avant garde, mixing haunting new styles and hues for a look that’s out of this world.
Our final multiple piercings trend is a bona fide twofer; multiple dermal piercings, and multiple body mod styles. Yes, I’m talking about the trend of adding dermal anchors and piercings to tattoo art. Though some opt for a single dermal in representation of a jewel, the vast majority of dermal tattoo accents are seen in multiples.
The multiple piercings trend is definitely alive this Summer, with steamy weather bringing out the desire in all of us to show a little more skin, and to make that skin a little bit more interesting.
Don’t Panic – It’s Organic!
Posted by: | CommentsAs stretched ear holes get bigger, so does the market for plugs and tunnels, and one of the coolest most earth-friendly trends that’s blowing up this year is the organic plug.
Made from materials like bone, horn, driftwood, and natural stone, organic is the new hot trend for plugs of all sizes.
Not only are these materials all natural and eco-friendly (no waiting for enamel or silicone to biodegrade here folks), but the more porous organic materials are also, you guessed it: better for your ears. The tiny uneven pores in most natural material allow oxygen to pass through, keeping stretched piercings healthier by improving circulation to the skin and preventing nasty piercing odors.
And best thing about this earthy trend? Availability of organic body jewelry items is finally becoming more widespread. Bone, wood, and stone aren’t just for ears after all!
Plug In and Stretch Out – Wild Gauged Piercings
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s the next step when a piercing trend has gotten stale? Stretching of course!
Plenty of prominent celebs have stretched their ear piercings (the most commonly stretched piercing worldwide), especially those in the music biz. Just look at your favorite alternative, pop, and hardcore singers and bandmates like Brandon Boyd from Incubus, Adam Lambert, and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.
But hold the phone if you think that stretching of the ears is just a boys club extra-curricular, because in today’s day and age, flocks of beautiful women are right there in the mix.
Though fun and interesting things are constantly coming about in the wonderful world of stretching or gauging piercings, the idea of stretched modifications is actually nothing new. Tribes from all over the world have been engaging in this practice for hundreds, and some even thousands of years. Just check out the examples here: Apatani tribal nose stretching from India (a practice which is now becoming extinct), Mursi lip plating from Ethiopia, South American tribal septum stretching, and a tribeswoman sporting traditional Thai ear modification.
In fact, if you look closely, you’ll notice several highly recognizable deities from many different world cultures are depicted with stretched ear lobes. Amazing, huh?!
While in the modern era the stretching of ear lobes, noses, labret piercings, and tongues has been taken to new heights and extremes…
…ask some of the surviving nomadic tribes thriving around the globe and you may just find that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
New Piercing Trends – Give Your Piercer a Hand
Posted by: | CommentsYou recently may have noticed that surface piercings are becoming a commonplace body modification, but what do we do once standard body piercings start to become old news? Simple. Put them in the most interesting places possible, like the hands. Hand, finger, and lower wrist piercings are becoming the neatest, most interesting trend in years, and surprisingly enough, the most versatile as well.
Starting with piercings of the fingers, this new piercing style quickly moved from standard surface bars, onto dermals that emulated diamond solitaire rings, and finally to…
…well, I’m not really sure what this is called, but I like it.
As a contrast to the more mainstreamed look, some even started piercing the underside of their fingers instead, usually worn with a horseshoe that fits around the finger like a makeshift piece of adjustable fashion jewelry. Then it was piercing of the thumb rather than ring finger or middle finger that had it’s day.
Now the funnest thing seems to be piercing of the hand “webs,” the areas of flesh between your fingers. Web piercings first started showing up in the large, thin area between thumb and forefinger, being pierced with either a barbell, horseshoe, or BCR.
Then they gradually made their way to the remainder of the finger webbings, and even upwards onto the area of skin between the knuckles.
Piercings at the top of the wrist or back of the hand followed as well, and there you have it.
Wanna rock the hand piercing trend without the pain and healing time? Go for the next best thing: fingernail piercings. Whether the nails are real or fake, a nice coat of lacquer and some small, cheap captive rings, and you’re in business. No trip to the piercer required.
Chain Gang: New Piercing Jewelry Trend – Chains
Posted by: | CommentsPiercings with chains in them are officially everywhere!
The nose chain is one of the hottest new celebrity trends, with the flashy and famous stepping out in this traditional Indian wedding adornment at every turn. Some celebs who have rocked this style: model Nyne, singer Katy Perry, and Hip Hop star Kelis.
For a less dramatic turn at the traditional Indian nose jewelry trend, it’s also in fashion to wear the Hindu style large diameter nose hoop with or without embellishments.
Another unbelievable piercing chain trend? Nipple chains. For those (like Janet Jackson, now known for her Super Bowl slip) who have nipple piercings, owning at least one nipple chain is becoming a must. Check out this cute one with little sets of dangling cherries. This fruit is definitely NOT for eating.
Next we have the old classic: the belly chain. For those of you who thought that the belly chain went out with the nineties, I’ve got some exciting news: it’s on the way back with a vengeance. They even come in unpierced, for those who want a flirty beach accessory without going under the needle.
And last on the top chains list, the threader earring. Threaders are for pierced ears only and basically look like a long chain with a solid piece in the middle and a decoration on one or both ends. These little beauties are a friend of the A-listers, appearing on Beyonce, Rebecca Romijn, and countless others.
How many more will join the chain gang? Only time will tell.
Temporary Contemporary – The New Evolution of Temporary Body Art
Posted by: | CommentsEver since early 2010 when Chanel unveiled it’s upcoming line of temporary body art at the Spring runway show, the temporary tattoo has been in the throws of a comeback.
The Chanel line, including fifty five separate tattoo art elements, was made to look something like sophisticated jewelry, but improving upon the trend with characteristic panache, Miss Beyonce Knowles and company teamed up later that year with legendary airbrush artistes Temptu to create a signature line of edgy stick-on art for Dereon.
From face painting, to the avant garde, and back again, temporary body art has seen its share of ups and downs.
Gone are the days of water soluble pigment-laced papers snatched from the bottom of Cracker Jack boxes.
The contemporary nature of skin art is painted, airbrushed, stuck with hypo-allergenic glue; this new breed of brilliant body adornment is full of possibility, and best of all looks real when attempting to.
Although temporary staining or pigmentation of the skin is certainly nothing new, even the ancient Indian art of mehndi has experienced an artistic resurgence, with more Westerners indulging and more intricate designs being developed by new imaginative henna artists worldwide.
Can you tell which ones are real? Then neither will she.
