notacoolgir1

[notacoolgir1]

Nothing matters, but it kind of does.

An increasingly popular take on the human experience is the nihilistic idea that nothing matters; we are simply on a floating rock in space, and all the things we worry and care about are mundane and amount to nothing.

I think that this is not true, and more specifically, I think it’s a rather lazy way of coming to terms with our existence as a species, and I'll explain why.

A study suggested that the chances of our planet forming were 1-in-700 quintillion. Whether you believe our world was formed intentionally or for a specific reason, it doesn’t matter. Realistically, we will never know why we are here. We just are.

Like all species on earth, we’ve been created to be inherently selfish; we’re self-serving and live to keep on living. We fit in amongst everything else, and naturally or not, we’ve found ourselves at the top of the food chain. What we do creates a ripple effect within our ecosystem. Despite the fact that when we die, perhaps no one will remember who we are 100 years from now, that does not diminish the importance of us being here now.

The world around us and the universe are full of unknowns, unknowns that the average person will probably never come to know or understand. That is why I believe that what matters is not whether we leave a lasting impact on the universe or not; it is being fulfilled as individuals that is important.

This may sound incredibly selfish, and it is, but that’s why it works. It’s not to say that we should never try and think bigger than ourselves and our own existence. What I mean is that the human experience is something special in itself, and it places meaning in our creation.

Perhaps the point of all of this is not to find out why we are here but to find out why YOU are here. Living to find purpose, experimenting, loving, learning, and creating—these are all things that put purpose in our lives. A world full of people individually thriving and finding what their purpose is will always be something that matters. Our worries, mistakes, and troubles are all part of this experience. As I said before, we are inherently selfish, but we need to be. If we can’t find meaning in how we personally experience the world and what we believe it all means, we’ll allow ourselves to be controlled by what we don’t know, even living in fear of it.

So truthfully, everything matters.

Peace and love xoxo

[notacoolgir1]

Existing

Are you fox pretty, bunny pretty or deer pretty? Here’s how you can remove your buccal fat for a snatched face! Taxes explained for the girls using girl math! Dairy and grains are inflammatory foods cut them out!!! Here’s how to make tiramisu with yogurt and a rice cake! Clean girl aesthetic, ballerina aesthetic, hot girl aesthetic! Here’s how to be strong, but not bulky. Heres how to be slim, but keep your boobs. Your partner is probably cheating on you, this is a sign. I want to be a low waist girly but i want to be able to eat in my jeans. This spell will make any man obsessed with you! Repost this video or Aphrodite will take away all your beauty!

Being a woman online is an extreme sport. We want to put the phone down yet we’ve become addicted to the constant stream of entertainment. It’s fun, it keeps us connected and yet it’s killing us. We feed ourselves constant commentary, critiques and ideas on how to be a better girl. Rather that than be faced with the task of growing into yourself and becoming your own person. Because what if who we really are is wrong? What if we’ve forgotten how to be truly ourselves? We view photos of other women and their lives, fizzing with excitement as we create mood boards, to do lists, anything to be that girl. Don’t you want to be that girl?

[notacoolgir1]

The ‘Alt’ to ‘Basic’ Pipeline

(what was going on)

2020 saw the rise of TikTok, causing a surge in microtrends and a general shift in what young people considered trendy. The word ‘alt’ was suddenly being used more and more to describe a certain style. This style was not limited to just clothes but makeup, social media posts, and music too; being ‘alt’ was like a way of life at this point. The ‘alt’ style boomed into popularity in 2020, and suddenly everyone had adopted this look.

Thick eyeliner, Monster Energy drinks, highly saturated photos, and a generally slightly dishevelled look were all defining factors of this ‘alt’ style that had taken teenagers by storm.

The only thing I can compare this style to is the character Effy from the 2000s show Skins. She was wild, wore funky outfits, and always had a party girl look about her. This was very much what the 'alt' style was trying to encapsulate; the only issue was that no one could go out and do all the crazy things that gave Effy her iconic look.

My theory is that because of young people's lack of socialisation, outings, and fun with friends due to lockdown, the ‘alt’ style was a way of compensating for that by making yourself look and seem as fun and interesting as you could while staying indoors; it was all a kind of facade.

I mentioned people expressing the ‘alt’ style through their clothes and makeup, but social media also had a massive part to play. Bands like 100 Gecs and Mother Mother had become extremely popular on TikTok, with teens everywhere using their music as a soundtrack for their posts as well as their lives. These fast-tempo, intense, and slightly chaotic songs perfectly encapsulated the slightly rebellious vibe the ‘alt�� style was trying to put out, and this trend went on for the better part of a year.

Another really big part of this trend was the constant competition and resentment towards people who were considered "basic". These were essentially people who didn’t participate in this trend, and there was definitely resentment on both ends in terms of who had the better style, etc. This was a consistent thing throughout the duration of the ‘alt’ era.

What happened? Now in 2023, it seems the ‘alt’ style of 2020 has pretty much vanished. We’ve seen the rise and fall of various other trends, but none have been as intense as the ‘alt’ era. I think the trend came hand in hand with a series of issues that became hard to ignore after a while. It’s hard to adopt this wild, edgy party girl persona without experiencing or acknowledging the negatives. This trend definitely romanticised things like substance abuse and deteriorating mental health and attributed them to being cool and wild. Although not everyone experienced these issues, the connotation behind the look was always there.

I think as people heal, they move away from this look. As the teenagers who participated in the trend grow and find a sense of self, the need to conform to a look that revolves around mental instability and being generally chaotic as a person lessens. Finding peace as an individual and how you are feeling mentally is often reflected in your clothes and other lifestyle choices, and naturally, that has led people away from the ‘alt’ look. Everyone is interesting in their own way, and physically presenting as "ordinary" does not diminish that. I feel that moving away from this trend has reduced some of the resentment between those who dress differently, which is definitely a positive outcome.

I’m sure there are still people who dress in the 2020 ‘alt’ style and feel that is the best way to express themselves, and there is nothing wrong with that. What’s important is not to participate in a trend that makes you feel detached from yourself and your true identity, which is what I feel a lot of people were doing when this style was at its most popular.

Your worth is not determined by what you wear; healing and presenting yourself differently do not mean you are no longer as interesting; being yourself is the best way to let people see how interesting you are.

Peace and love <3

[notacoolgir1]

Christian Girl Autumn

(It’s a state of mind.)

The phenomenon that is "Christian Girl Autumn" can only be described as a whirlwind of glamour reserved specifically for the colder weather. It stands out, remaining one of a kind; there can be no "Christian Girl Summer" or "Christian Girl Spring". Most popular from 2013–16, Christian Girl Autumn was almost like a cult, a completely different world that has had and will continue to have a resurgence.

What are the defining features of "Christian Girl Autumn"? Clothing wise, we’ve got snoods and UGG boots; these pieces were a stylish, comfortable, and chic way to dress up for colder weather. Moving on to makeup, "Christian Girl Autumn" was the time for warm-toned eye looks, and for this, the Urban Decay Naked3 eyeshadow palette was perfect, sporting warm rosy tones. We’ve also got the Too Faced Sweet Peach eyeshadow palette, which showcases more orange and bronzed looks. Accompanied with some cat-eye winged eyeliner, these palettes were perfect for creating an iconic "Christian Girl Autumn" look. Pair these two things together with some voluminous wavy hair and some sort of beanie or bobble hat, and you’ve captured "Christian Girl Autumn."

Why was "Christian Girl Autumn" so special? To me, "Christian Girl Autumn" was a way of appreciating and celebrating a season to the fullest extent. It forced people to slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life, like the changing of a season, and why stop there? Outfits, makeup, and hair were great ways to pay tribute to Autumn and just have fun. With the resurgence of Y2K, things like "Christian Girl Autumn" that were labelled as cheugy are now making a comeback, and why not? It’s just another way of appreciating the world around you and enjoying the changing seasons.

The elephant in the room is that Christian Girl Autumn is not the most accessible trend; the name is literally "Christian Girl Autumn, which doesn’t really scream inclusive. A lot of the products that define the trend are expensive, and perhaps not everyone wants to or can wear makeup or style their hair in bouncy beach waves. That’s why the resurgence and modernization of the trend is important; 2023's "Christian Girl Autumn" is for everyone! As I said before, what makes this trend special is the appreciation of the changing seasons, and whether you choose to express that through fashion and beauty or not is up to you. "Christian Girl Autumn" is not defined by how you look, who you are, or what fancy products you own; it’s a state of mind.

Peace and love!

[notacoolgir1]

Romanticise Your Life!

Find the beauty in the little things...

(but only if you look good while doing it)

Social media has exploded in popularity over the last fifteen years, becoming more complex and intelligent every day. This social networking surge has affected the very core of how we function as a society and will probably continue to do so for years to come. Though we might think that technology evolves with us, the rise of social media has led me to believe that we are the ones who have adapted and will continue to do so. Diving deeper into this, the people who have had their perceptions of themselves and the world around them changed and distorted by social media the most are women.

Over the years, women have slowly become accustomed to the airbrushed perfection of runway models and actresses seeping into our minds while trying on an outfit or looking in the mirror. However, the clear distinction between reality and fantasy has become somewhat of a savior when desperately attempting not to slip into a pit of self-hatred as a woman. Though it still hurts deep down, we are at least aware that magazines, advertisements, and movies are touched up and perfected, and we cannot expect ourselves to replicate something that simply isn't real.

This is getting more complicated now. The lines of what is real and what is not are more blurred than ever, and the idea that to be a woman is to perform has never felt more real. Why? Where does this come from? As platforms like TikTok expand, there is a distinct rise in a particular type of content made to dress up and makeover the everyday into something glamorous and beautiful. One way of referring to this kind of content is "Romanticizing Your Life". While this idea of romanticizing your life is not harmful in itself, it has been totally warped and misconstrued when placed in the context of social media and content consumption in 2023.

I feel like there is a big difference between romanticizing your life in practice and showing other people how romanticized your life is. Practicing mindfulness to take notice of finer details, making time for yourself and enjoying self-care, and showing gratitude for the smaller things in life are all ways I believe you can romanticize your life in practice. It's about feeling content, fulfilled, and happy. This is personal to you; you know the ins and outs of your life and what makes it great better than anyone. The message gets lost once you introduce social media to the concept, and most of us don't even realize it.

Social media, especially TikTok, instills this need to perform and show off, leaving a lot of people feeling unfulfilled and unhappy with their own lives. This is a problem for anyone who uses social media, but it varies depending on the media you consume. Aesthetically pleasing, romanticizing your life content is a lot sneakier in bringing about this need to perform, and it affects women in a drastically different way. These montages of the beautiful things present in everyday life are always accompanied by a perfectly made-up woman. Shots of beautifully blown-out hair and perfect nails, coordinated outfits, and outstretched arms posing by the beach

You are no longer romanticizing your life; you are romanticizing yourself. Are the simple joys in life still simple joys if you must look good while experiencing them? These videos are often consumed for inspiration purposes, helping to show people how joyful their lives can be, but this is overshadowed by the idea that you need to look beautiful in order to experience beauty.

This feeds into issues surrounding the male gaze and self-objectification; women are already conditioned to view their bodies according to how others view them because of their exposure to objectification. Trends like this only heighten that. This idea that romanticizing your life comes with looking beautiful while doing so only increases the need to self-objectify and arguably does more harm than good.

Life is beautiful; tiny things we take for granted are beautiful, things we never normally see the beauty in. You deserve to experience the world's beauty regardless of how you happen to look; it does not devalue the experience or make your life any less romantic. Experiencing the simple joys in life, embracing the moment, and exuding gratitude is the most beautiful thing of all; how you look while doing it, frankly, does not matter.

Peace and love <3