Author: Jose

Festival season has come and gone in a flash. At least here in the United States. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to next year’s festival season. When it comes to festival season you can never be too prepared. Ensuring you are buying your tickets well in advance to get the best prices. And, most importantly, ensuring you have everything you need to make each festival as magical as it can be.

Going to a festival is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Getting to see your favorite acts. Spending quality time with your friends and making new ones. The endless partying. But it requires a lot of preparation to ensure you have a good time. And it is all too easy to forget some key bits of equipment in the chaos of packing. So we have prepared this ultimate festival checklist for you. So you can be as prepared as possible.

Creature Comforts

All the pictures of festivals posted on social media often make them look extremely glamorous. This is by design. But the truth of the matter is festivals are an intense camping experience. And they get very messy. So you need to ensure you are packing as many of the creature comforts as possible.

The most obvious item you need is toilet paper. Festival toilets are notoriously messy and often run out of toilet paper far too quickly. So make sure you bring a fair amount. You will also want to bring plenty of wet wipes, a bottle of shower gel, and any other body cleaning products you want to use. You won’t always have time to grab a shower. So being able to give yourself a quick clean in your tent will be a life saver.

You should also make sure you are packing pain killers, sleeping pills, an eye mask and ear plugs, and plenty of sunscreen. We highly recommend bringing some multivitamins too. Chances are you won’t be eating as healthy as you should during the festival. So these will help top your body up with everything it needs.

Bring Your Own Food

Festival food is expensive. So it is essential that you bring along your own food stash. This doesn’t have to be a full grocery shop. Having a selection of snacks will do just fine. I recommend grabbing dried fruits, protein bars, yogurt tubes, nuts, and any other foods that travel well.

Festivals are also a time to let loose and indulge in some of the more carnal pleasures of life. Which is why I highly recommend getting some THC gummies or maybe some delicious psychedelic mushroom chocolate bars. A lot of festivals won’t allow you to bring in mushrooms or THC plants. So having them in edible form will allow you to still get your fix without having to stress at the security check.

Some festivals do provide a cooking area. If the ones you are going to do then you could also bring along some proper meals. Tinned foods are the best choice for this situation as they travel well and will last for the entire festival duration. On top of that they are quick and easy. Meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of time cooking and can focus on partying!

Festival Toys

One of the best parts of a festival is seeing all the amazing gadgets and flow toys people bring. You will have likely seen people spinning their staffs or twirling fire swords off the side of the stages. Or maybe you’ve been walking around and have been handed a small trinket by some lovely festival goer.

There are hundreds of amazing websites out there offering a huge selection of festival toys and accessories. Spend some time hunting through their catalogs and find the ones that really speak to you. If you do opt for a flow toy you will want to start practicing with it ASAP. To ensure you are ready to show off your skills by the time the festival season starts.

New Outfits

Festival fashion is what really sets a festival apart from a regular party. People go all out with their outfits. The freedom of expression you see during these events is second to none. So why not treat yourself to a few new festival outfits before next year.

Maybe there is an outfit you’ve been planning for a while. Now could be the time to finally make it work. Or maybe you were inspired by some of the outfits you saw this festival season. The sooner you start doing your fashion shopping the better. As it will give you plenty of time to figure out what accessories and makeup styles work best with the outfit.…

1. Half-Up Topknot

While a lot of the massively popular hairstyles this year have seen both extremes on the spectrum of lengths this is by far the best middle ground. This is a very casual hairstyle that says chill in the front and business in the back. Mixing up the top knot with the lengths of a shoulder-brushing bob allows you to not only have a nice, composed look but also do so in a very easy way. This is by far one of the ideal hairstyles for those who don’t want to spend too much time on their hair while still having a nice look.

2. Pin-up Ponytail

This is a mix of a middle-height ponytail and 60’s inspired curtain bangs. The style is primarily inspired by the French sensation Brigitte Bardot at the height of her career in the mid-1960s. As you can see a lot of the styles in vogue this year have a very carefree, messy look that makes them look especially natural. This style is not only about free flow but all about volume as well, this is why using curling irons and texturing sprays is ideal to get your hair looking luscious and rich. It’s all about getting your hair to frame your face in a light and natural way.

3. Wet Hair Look

One of the best signs that this look is going to kill it this summer is that it dominated the MET gala. If you’ve never attempted the wet look yourself, doing so can be quite a bit of work. The idea behind the wet look is that it is merely a look, while you start with your hair wet the look is achieved through the use of gel and glossing spray. Many people also use oil products to achieve this nice sleek look as well. Finding the right product for your hair is imperative so checking with a hairstylist is ideal. They have batana oil available for your hair or other products with coconut extracts that can achieve the same look.

4. Baby Bubble Braids

This style is not only all about long hair, but it is also all about keeping your face clear. This style highlights the length of your hair by framing your face with nice long braids with a very unique and stylish shape. One of the best examples of baby bubble braids by far is the model Gigi Hadid who has rocked this style on multiple occasions. If you’re looking for a unique and braided look this is one of the best options available to you.

5. The Kitty Cut

You’ve heard of the wolf cut but the kitty cut is the new trendy look for 2024. The big difference here is that the wolf cut is much longer and way more layered than your typical wolf cut. One of the great things about the kitty cut is that while it does seem shorter you do not sacrifice any length to achieve this look. One of the great things about the kitty cut is the volume it has and the very feathery look it achieves through layering.

6. Slicked back styles

Whether we are talking about slicked-back with buns or slicked-back pixie cuts you will see that many celebrities have been sporting this style. Not to be confused with the wet look, the slicked side parts have been all the rage and give a very distinguished and severe look that suits the looks of many actresses like Chloe Sevigny or accentuates the beautifully sharp features of others like Zendaya. One of the great things about this look is that it has a very flapper-style inspiration while also achieving an almost futuristic look.

7. Accessories

Now this may come as a surprise to many, but the reality is that headbands are extremely trendy right now. A simple swept-back style accentuated with a large headwrap style headband can truly clear your face and give you a very beautiful and sharp look that emphasizes the shape of your face and the richness of your profile. One of the best examples we’ve seen of this of late has been Maika Monroe during her press run for the Neon horror film Longlegs. Using very simple and solidly colored outfits paired with a nice headband can help you elevate your hairstyle game for the summer.…

Canada has become quite the emerging force in the fashion world over recent years. Spurred on primarily due to the increase in tourism. Cities like Toronto, Quebec, and Calgary have become hotspots for influencers and adventurers from the world over. This has been a huge boost, not only to Canada’s fashion industry, but to the fashion scene as a whole.

But breaking into the fashion industry in Canada is no easy feat. Because with increased tourism and popularity comes an increase in competition. So, if you’re looking to make a name for yourself in the world of fashion, stick with us as we lay out 6 tips that will help launch your fashion brand to new heights.

Find Your Niche

Chances are you won’t be able to cater to everyone. Especially not as your business is first starting out. So the first step to success is finding your niche from a product point of view. What fashion item stands you out from your competition. Ideally this will be something unique and hand-made.

We aren’t saying you can’t stock a wide range of products. But you should have one big ticket clothing or accessory range that really draws people in. As you progress you will ideally want to expand your range. But it is important to never drop that product that made you successful in the first place.

Keep On Top Of Admin

While your product is an important part of your fashion brand, it is meaningless if you don’t keep on top of all of your business admin. This includes everything from processing new orders to handling returns and complaints.

You will get more repeat business from customers if you engage with them and provide a speedy and efficient service. You will also need to ensure you are keeping up to date with any correspondence with suppliers or business partners. Don’t be afraid to delegate a lot of these tasks to a personal assistant if you can afford one.

Get Legal Cover

No one thinks they will need legal advice or cover until they are blindsided by an accident or major complaint. And, if you aren’t prepared for the worst, it can cripple your business. So you will want to ensure you have adequate business and personal insurance.

I highly recommend seeking a legal firm rather than an independent lawyer. They will have far more resources and expertise. When I started my fashion boutique I used this legal firm in Canada called the Merchant Law Group. Firms like this will help you figure out all the potential legal issues you could face and lay a good foundation for preparing your business for the worst.

Utilize Social Media

The king of marketing in the digital age is social media. Especially in the world of fashion. If you aren’t making use of multiple platforms then chances are your business won’t succeed. You need to ensure you are using the different platforms in the right way though.

Instagram is perfect for showing off new products and highlighting the items your business is best known for. TikTok is great for giving a behind the scenes look at your business in an informal way, which is a great way to bring in new customers. Facebook is ideal for reaching the older demographic and keeping customers up to date with more technical changes to your business.

Collaborations

The world of fashion is all about collaboration. So your success will be determined by your ability to successfully network and collaborate. And this doesn’t just mean with other fashion brands. You need to connect with influencers, models, small business owners, and event planning groups.

Influencers in particular are going to be extremely useful in boosting your brand’s popularity. Don’t be afraid to send them some free items if they are willing to model your brand in their content. Or you could sponsor them and get a more direct endorsement from them.

Local Markets

People underestimate the power of local markets and events. But these are often the best place to build brand awareness, make sizable sales, and network all at the same time. More and more we are seeing people move away from online shopping in favor of local markets and independent small businesses.

Sign yourself up for as many markets and events as possible. This will be a lot of hard work but it is well worth it. Festivals are the big money makers for fashion brands. Start small with some small day festivals. Then, slowly, work your way up towards festivals like Veld or Shambhala.…

Most people assume cosplay is a relatively new concept. Made popular by the advent of comics and TV shows. But Cosplay has been a staple part of the culture of humanity dating back to some of the most ancient civilizations. For those that don’t know, cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction. Every Halloween millions of people embrace the idea.

But cosplay is more than just a once a year occurrence for a lot of people. Millions of modern influencers have made a career out of cosplay. And, in the past, cosplay was an integral part of many cultures’ ceremonies and festivals. Cosplay has been a huge driving force in the popular culture of human civilization for centuries. And today we are going to be unpacking what exactly makes it so important.

Ancient Cosplay

The term cosplay is a very modern one. It didn’t really appear until the early 1900’s, But the practice itself can be seen in many ancient cultures such as the Greeks, Japanese, and Egyptians.

There are many artistic recordings of rituals and ceremonies from these cultures depicting people dressing up as various monsters and characters of mythological fame. The Lion Dance is a great example of this. Often performed during Chinese new year celebrations, the dance is conducted by a group of dancers inside a giant lion costume. Their individual movements create a fluid motion of the lion as it parades through the towns.

The purpose of this dance was to bring good luck and to ward away bad spirits. The idea being that taking on the mantle of this creature would involve its power. And this was also a common practice in many cultures on a smaller scale. People in ancient China would wear animal masks to ward off evil spirits or to seek various blessings for their families and home.

This highlights the cultural power of cosplay. These practices were so vital to their cultures that they still survive to this day. But now they are more a vibrant celebration of a shared history and a time to bring people together.

Modern Cosplay

Modern cosplay is far more focused on pop culture than superstitions. People spend hours creating lavish costumes to become the characters they love the most. The first Star Trek conventions are what really brought cosplay into the public eye. Hundreds of devoted fans would don Starfleet uniforms or turn themselves into Klingons.

Over the years cosplay has evolved from a fringe hobby for dedicated fans into a thriving industry. Some of the best content creator costumes even rival those seen within big budget movies and TV shows. So much so that a lot of prominent cosplayers have ended up working in the costume department for various studios.

A lot of cosplayers now use platforms such as Patreon or Onlyfans to make their passion into a career. Providing tutorials, behind the scenes looks at costume progress, and spending time talking about cosplaying with their fans.

The Power Of Cosplay

So why is cosplay so important in our culture? And why do people gravitate towards it?

One of the most obvious reasons people gravitate towards cosplay is because of the escapism it offers. We have all dreamed about becoming someone else. Being Superman, flying above the earth. Or being the Doctor and traveling through time and space in a TARDIS. Cosplay allows people to get one step closer to living that fantasy.

Culturally speaking cosplay has become more of a community than just a hobby. Anime and comic conventions become social hubs for cosplayers to meet up and socialize. To be with their chosen family. But it has also become a platform for people to use in regards to making real social change.

Racial and sexual representation in modern media has always been very one sided. Cosplaying has been a huge way for people to show the world that people of any color, sexuality, or religion can see themselves in the characters they love. And the knock-on effect of this is that a lot more TV shows and movies are improving the diversity we see on our screens. A lot of people find that, when they are in costume, they feel empowered. They feel better able to stand up to injustice and say what needs to be said.

And this idea of invoking the characteristics of the characters you dress at comes full circle back to the ancient practices. Much like how the Chinese would wear masks to invoke the powers of animal spirits. So too can cosplayers invoke the power of their costume.…

Ever since restrictions have been lifted many people have found their return to work to be quite difficult. As many companies are trying to deal with the revenue lost during the pandemic, many of resorted to reducing staff or increasing the workloads of existing staff. So, it’s no surprise that many people are looking towards new alternative ways to make money not only as a second job but sometimes to replace their existing career. Now that remote work has been mostly rid of stigma it shouldn’t shock any employers that workers and new people entering the workforce are looking for these types of jobs. Since working from home gives a lot of people an unparalleled amount of freedom, we’ve seen a lot of people turn towards alternative jobs indeed the Internet entertainment industry. So let’s see a few tips on our to make your social media make you money and perhaps even become a career.

When it comes to maximizing your profits through your social media presence you will need to make sure that you have what it takes before dropping everything and putting your life into it. Becoming an Internet personality requires a lot of charisma and the ability to connect with people. Not everybody can truly be entertaining as a career so you should make sure that you try it out before you leave your actual job for it. When it comes to charisma you also need to take into account that being online all the time can be taxing as well on your person. This is why many content creators adopt personas so they can more easily separate from their content creation and their personal lives. The most important part of monetizing your content creation is to understand that while it can be fun it is still a job like any other and some days it will get hard and some other days it will be fun but it is a job. Since it’s a job it means revenue so let’s see a few ways that you can make money on different platforms.

Maybe but I’ve seen even young kids make millions of dollars by posting on TikTok or being YouTubers. But the question is how do you make money on Tiktok? Wild tick tock itself offers monetizing partnerships through its application and software most of the money made by tik tokers comes from sponsorship deals. So for example, if you are a man giving life advice you might be able to get a sponsorship from Manscape. If you are somebody who makes kids based on video games you might be able to be paid by Ubisoft to make a skid for their upcoming new hot game. The reality is that in most cases you need to have built a following impressive enough that companies feel that is beneficial to them to have you promote their brands or their product to your audience. Why many people do not feel comfortable selling out, is the best way to make a lot of money by creating the content that you like.

One of the most important things that come to mind when thinking about making your social media presence become a money-making resource is that you should not limit yourself to one platform alone. This is why most content creators are for example present on Instagram where do you announce their streams on Twitch and once they are done they post clips of their streams on YouTube. On top of that many people use TikTok to post highlights of their streams to reach a wider audience. Of course, many others choose to use Twitter as well to promote their new content or announce when they are going live. The idea when it comes to social media presence is to follow the people this is the best way to build a larger audience.

So as you can see there is a way to make money by simply creating content for social media. Although it might seem easy at first you need to remind yourself that it is after all a lot of work. Whether it is finding your niche and building upon it or constantly trying to reinvent yourself to reach wider audiences, the work is never truly done. You should also keep in mind that you don’t need a lot to get started. Do not get fooled by videos saying that you need this type of microphone or this expensive light to be able to make content. Most content creators started in their basements with cheap cameras and awful microphones making niche videos for a dedicated fan base. While many people think that the chances are one in a million to become the next big thing you need to understand that nowadays there is no one big thing there are a million medium-sized things. So don’t be afraid and get out there and create.…

Whilst the conflicts of the 20th Century was an absolute tragedy they have inspired many things today that you may not be aware of. Many popular video games have been based on the events of the 20th Century including games like rainbow siege six, if you’re currently playing this game and struggling then you can find rainbow six siege hacks online to help you with the game. Another thing that came, as a result, is the style inspiration, military-style clothing is a prominent trend. It has been in fashion a long time and it seems unlikely that it will go out of fashion anytime soon. If you’re wanting to achieve that military-style look then we have 6 great tips for you. 

The Trench Coat

The trench coat is by far the most iconic military-inspired item of clothing. If the military look is what you’re going for then you have to buy a trench coat as no military look is complete without it. Burberry was commissioned to create trench coats during the war as they needed suitable outerwear for the conditions that they were living in, after this he developed the trench coast as we know it today. There are many variations to the original trench coat long, short, or even colorful. 

The Bomber Jacket

The bomber jacket is a very versatile jacket that tends to go with any outfit you’re wearing. Many people don’t know that the bomber jacket was originally used to keep pilots warm in cockpits as many of the cockpits that they were flying in were so thin there was a chance of freezing. The original bomber jacket was made from leather and was much different from the lightweight bomber jackets that have been in fashion for the last few seasons. 

Chino’s

Chino’s now has the reputation as the perfect pants for any events you may be attending that have a smart casual dress code. They are most commonly spotted on college campuses so it may be surprising that Chino’s were originally designed for war. They were based on khakis and played an important part in helping to camouflage soldiers that were stationed in India. Chinos paired with either of the jackets mentioned above is a great military-style look. 

Desert Boots

Desert boots are another popular fashion item that is vital to achieving the military style that you want. These boots are popular as with the bomber jacket they are versatile and they are also made with high-quality fabrics. These boots were initially made for soldiers that were stationed in Burma in the 1940s as they needed more comfortable shoes and suede was the best material available.  

Cardigan 

This is usually one of the most surprising items that were originally developed for military use. It was developed for those soldiers who were fighting for Britain in the Crimean War, originally, they didn’t have sleeves but the designs were quickly changed to include long sleeves. Now cardigans are one of the most popular items of clothing from every age range from old-age pensioners to children at school. This is another great item to purchase if you’re trying to achieve a military-style look. 

Combat Trousers

Combat trousers are another iconic piece of military clothing that any person wanting to achieve a military-style look will need in their wardrobe. They were designed in the First World War as soldiers needed pockets to hold medicine and now they have become trousers that are worn on casual days. Combat trousers and a trench coat are the 2 most important items getting that military style.  …