Effy

If there’s ever been something that I’ve yearned for in my personality, it’s the ability to balance intelligence, mystery and allure. This, I feel, is perfectly embodied in the fictional character, Effy Stonem, from Skins (UK version).

I’m not new to Skins, but its revival on Netflix certainly reminded me of my girl crush, Effy.

She’s the rebellious, dark, mysterious, yet has a dangerous charm and a lack of care in the world that enables her character to delve into experiences that are quite out of reach for most people. She’s seen things, lived, become consumed by dark thoughts in depression...all of which, no doubt, had a huge part to play in her character development, but not all of which are very attractive life experiences.

She has profound and deep understandings of people, probably from her silent and detailed analysis of situations and those around her. She has an almost detached sense of awareness, and that just adds to her charm. Really goes to show that there is truth in the old adage of having two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak.

“You don’t know me and you never will.”

And yet, it’s proven that Effy, who seems to bear the weight of total control of every situation she and her friends find themselves in, actually has no control at all. She falls at every slight emotional turn, supposedly because she fears that lack of control like one who doesn’t realise that nothing is controllable. Life is a game – Effy understands that perfectly well – but try as she might, she’s not the puppet master she believes herself to be.

I find Effy an incredibly multi-dimensional character, and I think her style and make-up shows that to the world, also. She goes from wonderfully natural, to dark and stormy eyes and blood red lipstick. She wears ripped fish nets and teeny tiny dresses to oversized t-shirt dresses and combat boots. She’s clever, she knows how to manipulate a situation, and she is (seemingly) always confident.

This was supposed to be an ode to Effy. In a way, I suppose it is, but in another way, it’s really just ramble. She made me rethink the world, though, with her unique and crafty view of life, and I think feeling and deep understanding, coupled with a touch of mystery, are things we can all take from Effy Stonem xx