No stink, just ink - Southgate Ink and my tattoo

Tattoos used to be something of a polarising issue, growing up my grandfather had a few faded ones from his days in the Navy and they always fascinated me. It was rare that you would see someone in the street with a tattoo unless they were a biker, a former guest of Her Majesty (a convict) or a member of the armed forces.

Nowadays they are everywhere and it’s socially acceptable – footballers have full sleeves, Mike Tyson has his faced tattooed and the range of breadth of designs is mind-boggling.

My parents being somewhat traditionalists were not in favour of me getting my body inked, but this didn’t stop me. At the ripe old age of 18 and somewhat sickly I thought it would be a good idea to get an ironic inking – the result was the Japanese symbol for health on my right upper arm. A few years later I added another Japanese symbol, wealth.

All was not well with the second tattoo, it became infected and the ink actually faded so that I was left with an unsightly scar. A very painful re-colouring followed. The picture below shows the final result of my youthful folly.

Fast forward 18 years and I’d grown tired of the tattoos I had and gave serious consideration to finding a way of covering them with a new design. After seeing some really cool half and full sleeve tattoos I started badgering for one.

It took 12 months to finally work up the courage but I took the plunge at the start of 2014, and after speaking with friends and doing some research both Beautyqueenuk and I stepped into Southgate Ink, a small tattoo parlour based, yes you guessed it, in Southgate, North London.

Stepping through the door my eyes were assaulted by an array of pictures, drawings and designs. You immediately enter into a small seating area/waiting room where you can browse until your heart is content – at the time there were a number of sketches on the wall that had been drawn by the two resident artists and wow, they were amazing.

I’m not a big fan of hard sells and at Southgate Ink you don’t get this – the owner, a larger than life heavily tattooed Turkish guy leaves you to browse and consider your options. This I found refreshing.

In my head I really wanted either a Maori or Aztec tribal design but after browsing the books couldn’t find something I wanted. After asking for advice I showed him my arm and he made a suggestion of a Japanese garden with Koi carp. The justification was that the rich colours in the design would act as a good cover-up for my existing tattoos.

I explained what I was looking for and he suggested that one of the artists – Sonad, could draw up a design for me to review. I noted down the kind of tattoo I was looking for and what to include on a piece of paper to give Sonad an inkling of what to aim for.

We then started to talk money.

For an initial one off design and drawing the cost was £40. This is also their minimum price for any tattoo no matter how large or small.

The price of the drawing is deducted from the cost of the first sitting, but at £100 per hour* a full sleeve design I had asked for was estimated at around £700-£800. Not bad I thought and money was exchanged.

*As they have reached their fifth anniversary Southgate Ink have reduced their prices to £60 per hour, however its always best to get an estimate before starting any work.

An outline of my arm was taken using a large sheet of tracing paper and my existing tattoos outlined. Given that the artists draw and tattoo I was advised to come back the following week.

On my return I was presented with a full A3 sheet of paper – the sketch was out of this world. All of the artists at Southgate Ink are incredibly talented and to be honest I’m slightly jealous.  The only issue was that the drawing included three faces, a Mayan priest, a candy skull and a female priestess. I didn’t like the idea of having them tattooed onto my body.

I could see the look of disappointment on the faces of the guys in the studio, but with some guidance (I showed them the Mayan calendar, a massive intricate piece of carved stone that was found in Mexico City) I was asked to come back and they promised to have another go.

On my next visit I was even more amazed with the resulting sketch. The Mayan calendar, including the Mayan god of sacrifice had been added as had a rather sinister looking smiling face. I’ve included a picture of the sketch below.

Being slightly OCD I still didn’t like the candy skull and asked for the sinister face to be mirrored onto the other side. Symmetry – ahhh that satisfied the OCD. Their response at the request? No problem at all, it’s your body and your choice.

Nothing was too much trouble for the guys and they treated me to perfect customer service. This didn’t end there, throughout the entire experience, and I spent a lot of time in the studio they were kind, thoughtful and kept me well hydrated.

The first sitting was to start the cover up and was for five hours – the photographs below show some action shots. Oh the pain….

Tattoos are painful – it isn’t roll around on the floor pain, more of a stinging, but boy after a few hours and after my arm had started to swell it felt as though my skin was being ripped from my arm.

The outline was done with a single needle, however the shading, and there is a lot of shading was done using a series of needles. The ink was mixed with water and the needles dragged to create shadow effects on my arm.

Watching Sonad at work was truly an experience I’ll never forget – it was awe-inspiring to watch such a talented artist enjoy his craft.

Breaks for cigarettes were plenty, coffee was on hand and banter was in abundance.

I found it fascinating to watch the comings and goings of a studio. All manner of people from all ages came and went, some were tattooed, some pierced and there was always friendly chat to be had. I actually enjoyed my time in the chair despite the pain.

The first sitting included the Mayan calendar and the cover up and I was impressed.

The second 4 hour sitting resulted in the first of the faces being inked onto my arm. I didn’t find the second sitting that bad. I’ve attached more photographs – yes my arm is red but it had been through a serious level of trauma.

The third sitting didn’t hurt at all, until after I’d walked away from the studio. As the tattoo got closer to my armpit and the inside of my arm the pain was horrific. It genuinely felt like I’d been skinned for a few hours after. The pain subsided though.

After sitting in the chair for over 12 hours it was an interesting experience to see how the studio worked. The owner was brutally honest with those wanting to get tattooed or pierced, even if it resulted in lost business.

Sound advice was dispensed to those who when just passing that popped on a spur of the moment. At one stage I saw him recommend medical intervention for a young girl wanting to have a stud removed from her finger. She was desperate to have it removed no matter what but he stood by his guns, it wasn’t a procedure he could carry out safely – nor indeed could any studio.

I have taken a break from the tattoo for a few weeks – mainly to save up for the second section. As it’s difficult to transfer as arm sizes differ Sonad will be drawing the design for my forearm direct on the skin. He’ll do this in pen first obviously but I have no doubt that whatever he draws will be amazing.

Aftercare advice was dispensed in the form of a leaflet and a 10 minute chat. I’d heard that Bepanthen baby cream was the best to use. I was advised that yes, it’s good to use, but mainly after a range of colours are used. It makes them more vibrant by all accounts.

As my tattoo is grey and black Sonad advised that I use Vaseline and keep it covered with clingfilm.

Advice on washing a few hours after to clean off excess ink was given and regular changes were needed to avoid infection.

Yes my arm ached for a few days but I think it was well worth it.

I love my tattoo and can’t wait to get the entire arm covered. Most of all, I can’t wait to go back to Southgate Ink, they have made the experience and the result so  much better than I thought and every time I look down at my arm I smile.

If you are looking for sound advice, great artists, a relaxed atmosphere and a tattoo that will have you beaming you should head down to Southgate Ink.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Southgate Ink

96 Crown Lane

Southgate

London

N14 5PA

Telephone: 0208 920 2517

The studio is located just behind Southgate Underground Station on the Piccadilly Line.

You can see the inside of the studio, my design on the wall and shots of their sketches and tattoos by visiting the video here at Youtube and their page here on Facebook.

In the hours since finishing this post I've learnt that Sonad has left, however I'll be staying with Southgate Ink and passing my arm over to one of the two other talented tattooists who are still there. I've seen their portfolios and watched them work already - I wouldn't go anywhere else.

TOP TATTOO TIPS:

• Don’t be rushed into having a tattoo – a good tattooist will not rush you;
• Review the portfolio of the artist;
• Ask for them to draw the design for them to trace;
• Don’t let someone tattoo directly onto your skin without an outline;
• Cleanliness cannot be understated – Southgate Ink was spotless and they cleaned around the clock;
• Always make sure you see the tattooist unwrap fresh needles that haven’t been tampered with;
• Always follow the aftercare instructions;
• If you have even the slightest of doubts don’t do it – wait until you are 100% sure;
• Relax and try to enjoy the experience.

What are your thoughts on tattoo's? Do you have any and if so where?

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Calvin Klein Eternity for Men

If you were to buy a bottle of Calvin Klein Eternity you can expect to pay in the region of £30 for a 50ml bottle of the EDT. All Calvin Klein products are widely available from all good perfume counters in most major supermarkets, but you will find it cheaper online, where you can find this scrooge finding new aftershaves for his collection.

Eternity, in keeping in line with other Calvin Klein fragrances comes in very minimalist packaging that is easily identifiable.

The bottle itself is nothing special, made from glass it’s a sign that this fragrances doesn’t have to do anything special to attract attention to itself.

The notes to Eternity describe it as a fresh, yet warm fragrance containing lavender and nutmeg combined with tobacco!

On first application the aftershave smelt extremely overpowering, heavy and musky with delicate spicy undertones. Personally I could smell a combination of the lavender and tobacco and to be honest, the fresh smell did nothing for me.

Due to the strong nature of the fragrance only a tiny amount is required.

The saving grace for Eternity is the fact that the smell changes dramatically after five to ten minutes. It becomes slightly lighter; the hints of tobacco disappear completely leaving a more spicy citrus scent that is very easy on the nose. Lavender and lemon become more evident and a woody undertone lingers.

Although it does become lighter the fragrance is still evident to the wearer and those standing down wind!

Personally I’ve received compliments when wearing this mainly because it has such a lovely long lasting fragrance that lingers for well over 8 hours. Even though I’ve received compliments when wearing Eternity I would class it mainly as a daytime fragrance or one for a more formal occasion, but definitely not for that special date or night on the town. There are better fragrances to get the ladies swooning as you pass by.

A 50ml bottle of Eternity will last an absolute age, making a purchase at £30 very good value for money and the perfect gift for that man in your life.

Eternity was one of the first fragrances launched by Calvin Klein and over the years the successful formula hasn’t changed one bit. It doesn’t need to. Eternity is for those men who appreciate a mixture of fragrances that combine to produce a consistent and long lasting smell.

Not a pulling fragrance but it is recommended.

RECOMMENDED 

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Diesel Zero Plus for Men

Diesel Zero Plus for Men - an aftershave I picked up on impulse when buying the ill fated Gucci Rush for Men. In terms of an impulse buying, this shopping trip it was a disaster!

Why did I buy an aftershave I’d never heard of nor indeed smelt? Simple really:

• Diesel is a pretty well known brand;
• It was cheap;
• The packaging was unique;
• I’d never tried it before and was curious

When I think of a Diesel product the first thing that springs to mind are jeans! Until I spotted it on the shelf I didn’t even know that Diesel had any fragrances on the market for men. Their marketing must have completely passed me by. Curiosity struck me and I bought a bottle for £7.99, yes that’s right, it was only £7.99 for a 50ml bottle. Alarm bells should have starting ringing but they didn’t…

Since buying my bottle I have seen this on sale all over the place and online. If you like it, don’t pay more than £12.99 for a bottle. Anything more than that and you are being taken for a mug. It can retail in some shops at up to £27.99.

Apart from the price and brand name the actual bottle and packaging does look rather funky as the pictures show.

Source

The male and female versions come in the same style bottles with the only difference being feminine and masculine written on the side.

The actual bottle is a deep red colour and comes enclosed within a clear plastic capsule. It looks good and doesn’t look out of place on a shelf with more expensive rivals in the fragrance market.

Launched in 1995, Zero Plus is classified as a refined, oriental woody fragrance which should blend to give a manly masculine fragrance suitable for eveningwear.

On first application the first thing that struck me was the actual grip I could get on the bottle rather than the fragrance. It is easy to grip, even with wet hands and the atomiser released a healthy amount of the fragrance with a fair amount of force.

As soon as the fragrance is released from the bottle it was like there had been an explosion of smells in my bathroom. This is one spicy fragrance. It quickly became evident that it’s a very heavy fragrance, the spicy fragrance became less obvious and yes it did have an oriental feel but the overriding smell after ten to fifteen minutes was that of an oak tree. Woody is an understatement; it was like sniffing a freshly chopped log at close quarters.

As the fragrance mixed with my skin over time the woody smell also became less obvious but it was still the strongest of the notes by far closely followed by a spicy assault on my nostrils.

As the smells changed and settled the first thing that sprang to mind was that I had smelt this somewhere before. I wasn’t imagining it, and after further investigation I realised that this is nearly identical in smell to……….Old Spice……..

The actual fragrance lasts for well over 8 hours as it is exceptionally heavy and it seems to cling to clothes.

As I only used two sprays from the atomiser I have to say in it’s defence, it would have been good value for money had I been able to wear it again as this would last for a number of months even if used on a daily basis.

I found Diesel Zero Plus for Men a cheap and nasty fragrance that left me feeling very self-conscious about how I smelt.

I’ve worn this once, and that was to smell what the fragrance was like and I won’t ever be wearing it again.

Designed for eveningwear my a**e, it’s designed to repel all known forms of life more like.
At £7.99 for the bottle I should have expected a nasty fragrance but I didn’t. I must have been having a ’senior’ moment in the shop.

Had I paid more for the bottle I would have been most upset but it’s true what they say. You get what you pay for, and in this case you most certainly do…….

To summarise:

• NASTY 
• NASTY 
• NASTY

NOT RECOMMENDED

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Pantene Pro-V Classic Care Shampoo

In our house as a child the choice of shampoo was staggering (taste the sarcasm), it was Vosene, Vosene or Vosene. Eurgh, just the saying the name brings back horrid flashbacks of the smell and sends a shiver down my spine.

Thankfully, as more and more brands came onto the market and I managed to start to control purchases I was firmly converted to Pantene Pro V Classic Care shampoo.

After first having my long hair cut and styled into short spikes, my use of gels and waxes resulted in a scalp that had dried significantly - worst of all, dandruff was beginning to appear. Oh the horror and shame!

I’d tried Head and Shoulders but it didn’t remove the hair products I was using completely so no matter how much I used it my hair never felt entirely clean. You can usually buy these on special offer but you can expect to pay around £1.89 for a 250ml bottle.

Pantene Pro V Classic Care shampoo claims to leave your hair healthy looking and manageable from root to tip.

As this is shampoo application is easy, simply wet hair and apply the product as necessary. With my hair short only a small amount of the shampoo is needed which means that a little goes a long way, and for the purchase price it offers good value in comparison to other brands. Squeezing the shampoo, roughly the size of a two pence piece produced enough lather to wash with.

The shampoo itself is white in colour and has a fresh clean wonderful smell that is very easy on the nose. It has an overwhelming apple fragrance that I personally adore.

After lathering the shampoo in my hair for a few minutes the shampoo rinsed easily. Whilst rinsing I noticed that my hair felt really smooth to the touch. After drying my hair with a towel and then blowing it dry I noticed an improved shine to my hair and instead of looking limp and lifeless it had body and seemed slightly thicker/heavier than normal.

On inspection of my scalp there were no noticeable traces of dandruff and I’m happy to say that after using this product for years I haven’t seen any dandruff in my scalp or on clothes.

In addition to this my hair is shinier, more manageable and stronger than before I started using Pantene.

As stated earlier, the smell of the product is very clean and fresh but not too overpowering. After my hair had been dried the smell of the product became more subtle but lasted for hours after.

Would I recommend this product?

Yes, I would - Pantene Pro V Classic Care really is a classic. It will leave your hair dandruff free, shiny and full of extra body.

RECOMMENDED

I wouldn’t say that I highly recommend this product. I have been trying out a few other brands recently and living in London in a hard water area, I‘ve found something that leaves my hair so pliable and easy to style I can only reserve the rating for it. More on that one to follow soon!

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Gillette Fusion Proglide Shaving Gel

Every time I pick up Gillette Fusion Proglide I have to say I chuckle to myself in a kind of schoolboy way. Probably a reference to first ever seeing a tube of lube called ultra-glide as a kid.

Anyhow I digress; I’m here to give my thoughts on a shaving gel not my adolescence!

Every since entering the world of shaving (and mainly bleeding as a result) I’ve never been a fan. Maybe I’m a sensitive soul (thousands who know me are now laughing themselves to an early hernia), but no matter what I used in my formative years I always ended up with dry skin after shaving, red blotchy marks and usually a face looking more akin to Freddy Krueger than the soft smooth finish I was looking for.

Gillette back in the day offered a few products that really helped - my skin would always feel dry but the red blotchy marks were less noticeable.

Ever since I’ve been hooked. The products and range on offer has expanded and apart from King of Shaves I’ve rarely ventured further, I’ve never needed to.

My current favourite is the Proglide. The marketing blurb says that it “makes it easy to get the look you want”.

The shaving gel comes in a squeezable tube and is ice blue in colour. While a ‘clear’ shaving gel there is clearly a colour. To cover my beard in the gel a squeeze to release a blob about the same size as a 50 pence piece is needed.

As soon as you start to rub the gel in what strikes you immediately is the lack of lather - it’s actually like rubbing hair gel on your face. A bit weird at first, but it is easier to apply and doesn’t seem to disintegrate on contact with water.

A little goes a long way with this, so no need to be over the top. It might not seem like a lot of gel but really, you don’t need it. As the gel is spread a lovely fresh Aloe Vera fragrance fills the room. It adds a kind of clean and sanitised feel to the shaving experience in my opinion.

Personally I let the gel soak in for a few minutes and start to shave. The hairs on my face seem softer and easier to remove and after rinsing off my face my face is beautifully smooth. The acid test for me is the look and feel after about 30 minutes after drying. With Proglide I’ve never been let down.

My face is always smooth and even the morning after shaving there is an absence of dry skin. For the first time in my shaving life (22 years) I don’t get red blotchy skin after shaving. Rejoice people - rejoice.

£4.49 for a 175 ml tube is in my humble opinion well worth it. It will last for weeks if used daily and months if you like to grow a bit of five o’clock shadow now and again.

It stores well if you are a more infrequent shaver and if you fancy chancing your hand at a new brand or a different line of the Gillette range then you should look no further.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Lush I Should Coco

I had been mildly successful in avoiding Lush stores – while being able to smell them a mile away I've never really managed to get over the general sense of revulsion I experience when walking near one. I bit the bullet and actually decided to venture into their Manchester store a couple of years go (looking back, sadly for me it was actually close to a decade ago) – yes the hype I’d read about Lush overcame the rational (well I think I’m rational) thoughts bouncing around my noggin (that’s head for you non-Northern readers).

"I Should Coco" soap bar. I’d read about the "I Should Coco" soap bar online and saw it as too girlie to actually use. I bought a 100g bar and from the first time I used it I was hooked.

The pictures show the bar in all its glory and I won't be going into any amazing description of it. The only thing that you tend to miss nowadays when buying it online like some sort of subversive is the coconut on the top as shown below from my latest eBay purchase. For £1.95 for a bar weighing 100g it was never cheap soap by any stretch of the imagination. 

Layered into three shades of pink the topside of the bar was coated in flakes of coconut making it very easy to grip, even when wet. Basically the soap looked and oozed a very feminine vibe. It’s not something you’d be rushing to take into the showers at the gym.

The bar itself contains creamed coconut along with Orange and Coriander oil which smells almost sickly sweet. I wasn't never sure whether I should be washing with it, or indeed taking a sizeable bite from it. The mild coconut aroma is striking and blends fantastically well with the Orange oils.

After it is immersed in warm water, the aroma from the bar increases but never becomes overpowering on the senses. I'm now down to my last nub of the soap and actually worried about the day it is no more, deceased like a certain Norwegian Blue (if you don't get it reference 'Dead Parrot' by Monty Python).

The beauty of this soap is that that it lathers up superbly, with a little going a very long way. The coconut flakes act as a mild abrasive, exfoliating dead skin as you wash meaning that not only did you not need to use half a bar in the shower, but you also didn't need to use a different product to moisturise after washing.

The final results were and continue to be amazing, my skin felt clean, fresh and above all moisturised. Any traces of body odour after travelling on a packed tube train were removed and the soap left a very subtle but noticeable coconut fragrance that lingered for a few hours. What more could you ask from a soap?

I now regularly use this in the shower and haven't noticed any adverse effects at all. I'm actually quite tight with the use now though! The only problems apart from the actual price is that when used in the bath the soap does fall to pieces rather quickly. It turns the water pink, there is an oily residue around the bath and floating pieces of coconut seem to take an absolute age to remove when getting dried!

Overall I love this product and will not be returning to 90% of the major high street brands.

Using this encouraged me to try more from the Lush range. I’ve been converted – I’m no longer a Lush-o-sceptic!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

BeautykingUK needs you! 

I'm so in love with this soap that I think we should let Lush know how we feel. 

Show your support for the reintroduction of "I Should Coco" by clicking on the poll on the right hand side of this page - two seconds of your time could sway opinion.

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