Channeling my inner burlesque dancer.

Some phone pictures of an attempt at Dita Von Teese's signature look. I'll redo this with better pictures at some point. Out of good lighting for the moment. :(

Now it's time to try to drag the boyfriend out of bed so we can go somewhere (AND EAT) while I look like a boss. 

I am happy to report that the lipstick, a Bite high pigment pencil in Pomegranate, has some sick lasting power. There's a Milani Brilliant Shine lip gloss in Red My Lips over it, and while I can't vouch for staying power just yet, so far I'm impressed. This gloss smells like awesome and has really good pigment, plus the applicator is a flat doe-foot style, which makes application a lot more precise. I think I paid a little under $7 usd for it, too. 

While the pictures aren't great, I feel pretty good about the likeness here, and I'm finding that I really enjoy doing little "look-alike" makeup looks. Who should I do next?

Now for something slightly different.

I spent a good bit of today trying to make my first video. Got through it only to realize that I probably can't use it... so there's that. Live and learn, eh? It's progress, at least, and I'm feeling a lot more confident about eventually posting tutorial videos.

So as not to waste my work, and as not to waste the light outside aaand because I'm trying to be good about posting weekly... Here's the look I did for it. Jaclyn Hill's natural makeup tutorial was lot of the inspiration for this, so if you want to know how I did it, she does have a very good video on a look very similar to this.

The idea was to have a very natural, almost "glowing" look. Not necessarily a quick look to do, but one that ideally will have people saying "Wow, you look so good without makeup!" 

Though my seemingly-bright lipstick doesn't really help with that. Regardless, I'm likin' how this foundation applies and photographs... Kinda glad I impulse bought it after all. I've done two more dramatic looks so far, but generally I either wear no makeup or something more like this in daily life. It's kind of because I'm stuck in the retail doldrums, but also because I went through a period where I felt weird wearing any makeup at all - and I'm still trying to break out of that.

By the way... it's no-buy July for me. No new makeup products unless I use up something.

As usual, products:

Face:

-Same old Smashbox primer sample

-NARS Crystallized powder

-Naked Skin foundation in shade 2.0

-Tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer

-Nyx blush in Peach

-Maybelline Dream Lumi 

Eyes:
-Urban Decay Eye Primer
-Urban Decay Naked Palette
-Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
-Nyx Dewy Finish setting spray
-Anastasia Dipbrow in Chocolate
-Covergirl clump crusher mascara... which is not as cool as everyone said it was.

Brows:
-Dipbrow in Chocolate. Come on. I'm predictable.

Lips:
-Bite Beauty in Rhubarb

STAY TUNED FOLKS. Videos are comin'.