What's in my makeup bag

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I thought I'd talk a little bit about makeup today. I'm no makeup artist, but I've been using makeup to experiment with different looks for about 10 years now.  

 

I often get asked what products I use, and how to get the most out of them. These are my key items!

 

Foundation

Foundation is a tricky one, and unfortunately there is NO magic foundation that anyone other than a makeup artist (preferably one that is unbiased) can suggest. Everyone has such different skin, and even those of you that have fairly middle-ground skin such as mine might find that my recommendation isn't right for you. Trial and error may end up costly, but hopefully once you have found a foundation that works for your skin (without clogging your pores) you won't have to hunt any longer.

Foundation is one of THE most important parts of your makeup bag. Some of you may be lucky enough in that you don't feel you need to wear it (and never let anyone pressure you into believing you should), but unfortunately I feel (and have done for years) far more comfortable with it on. A good base foundation will also allow you to experiment with stronger eye makeup. 

I use Lily Lolo's Mineral Foundation. You may have heard of mineral foundation, which was first made popular by american company Bare Escentuals (called Bare Minerals in the UK). Mineral foundation is created without the nasty chemicals and perfumes that other foundation may have, and is supposedly good for oily or acne-prone skin. Now almost every makeup brand has their own line of mineral makeup, which I'm dubious about. I would rather support a small brand, that have a much more affordable range than Bare Minerals, that also allow you to buy small sample pots to test your colour.

I've always hated liquid foundations, and since using mineral foundations, have found my skin is particularly happy. The coverage lasts all day and you can control how much foundation you put on incredibly easily, as you build up the coverage in layers. I can honestly say that wearing this foundation is like wearing nothing at all. If you are hunting for a good foundation for oily skin or mid-range skin, try this out.

I use two colours, Blondie, then Porcelain. I also use their concealer in Blondie and blusher in Rosy Apple.




Eyes

Eyeliner - I swear by Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner. Not only is it extremely cheap (£2.99) but it lasts for over a month (using it every day) and is a strong enough black to create a bold line.

Eyebrows - Rimmel's eyebrow pencils are perfect for what I need. You probably weren't stupid enough to shave your eyebrows off at age 14, but unfortunately I was. Despite my complaints, I don't really have any urge to grow them back as it allows me some flexibility. I draw my eyebrows on slightly higher than my natural brow bone, plus it allows me to do crazy eyebrow shapes (most often, the John Galliano/Pat McGrath 1920's wobbly-brow that I fell in love with a few years ago). 

Day to day, it takes me about 1 minute to draw each brow, if that, and I draw them on fairly thickly reminiscent of real (well cared for) eyebrows.

 

Last year I shot a few images of Amelia Arsenic, one of which was used for a Sugarpill flyer, and they were kind enough to send me over a selection of their gorgeous makeup. Now I'm hooked! I love the vibrancy of their pigments, so I use them pretty much every time I DJ or shoot. 

 

 

Wearing heavy makeup means you must look after your skin both before and after. Before starting your makeup routine make sure you have moisturised your face and used a good primer (any suggestions?), which will help the makeup stay and keep it's vibrancy. 

You will also need to pay attention to removing your makeup also. Personally, I use baby wipes and then Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. First, you massage the cream across your face, without trying to rub it into the skin too much. Then use the soft muslin cloth dipped in warm water to remove the cream. 

 

 

For this look I used Goldilux and Asylum from Sugarpill as well as a cherry red from Ben Nye.

Lipstick is a dark red Urban Decay with Goldilux pigment spattered across the middle.

 

 

 

Club etiquette: How not to piss off the DJ*

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*This post requires a pinch of salt and a sense of humor. 

You may or may not know that I'm part of a DJ duo called The Roustabouts. We currently host and co-curate our own club, and have played many awesome places. I love it, and I love people telling me they also love what we do. Unfortunately not everyone, usually after 3 or 4 drinks, seems to care much.

Now, I'd like to assume that the majority of these people aren't rude and careless in their day-to-day lives. In fact, dear reader, you may have also succumbed to the perils of alcohol and found yourself being a bit of a prat. I know I have. I remember, when I was a university student and clubs were a NEW THING [to me], all I wanted to hear was Prince. Not "Kiss", but something a bit less obvious. I imagine there are a few djs that can recall being heckled by a drunk girl. Now I know their pain.

So here's a little list of things to memorize just in case you happen to get drunk and feel that the DJ really needs to acknowledge your existence.




1. If you want to request a song from the DJ, think about it before-hand.
Here's a checklist: 
Is the club themed, say, a cabaret club? 
If yes, do not request Rihanna. 
Is the club currently playing a certain type of music that doesn't work with your request?
If yes, do not request it. 
Is the club currently just winding up/just winding down?
If yes, do not request that dancefloor tune.
Do you want to come across as a knuckle-dragging primate?
If yes, request Rihanna*

*I have no issue with Rihanna, we even play some Rihanna occasionally, but she is not the be-all and end-all of music. We get Rihanna requests multiple times a night (previously it was Beyonce, but I guess she's out of vogue). Requesting Rihanna at a cabaret club (or some other themed event such as a speakeasy) is like traveling to Rome, Paris or Barcelona and only eating fish and chips. The fish and chips will still be there when you get back to England.  

2. If the DJ doesn't take requests or doesn't have the song you'd like, do not say any of the below:
  • But you HAVE to have it.
  • You aren't a proper DJ then.
  • You've got a computer, right (if they are using a laptop in their set-up), so can't you download it?
  • I've got it on my phone, can I plug it in?
  • But I've paid £XXXX amount here tonight!
Any of the above makes you sound like a vile human being. Harsh, but true.

3. Never, unless you happen to be particularly knowledgeable about the subject, assume you understand what the DJ is doing at all times. Sneaking a quick look at sticking your nose in the way of a laptop, seeing something spinning and assuming the computer is doing all the work is extremely naive. 

4. Never tell the DJ how to do their job. 
How would you enjoy us hovering over your shoulder while at your work, probably as a data analyst, pointing out everything you've done wrong? Sorry middle-aged gawky white guy, but we dropped our beat in perfect time, but I'm so glad that you and your friends feel the need to sit and critique the music we've been playing for the past 7 hours straight.

5. We like seeing you enjoy yourself, but waving your arms around (with a glass of drink loosely in your clutches) near our equipment is incredibly unnerving. Please wave the drink over your friend's head instead. Buying them a new shirt will be far less expensive than the £1000+ it would cost to replace a piece of our gear. 

6. Leaning your back against the DJ booth is just fucking rude. If the venue has walls, which is likely, this will suit your needs just as well. Would you turn your back against a live band? Probably not, so don't do it to us. There are plenty of other places, such as NOT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE BOOTH, that you can look bored or try to have a phone call (I shit you not, I shit. you. not.)

7. The DJ booth is not, and will never be, space that you are able to enter uninvited. Especially if you are naked (Again, I shit you not, this has happened to me - it was a fetish club, but still).

8. Those headphones I have clapped to my head? Yeah, those are actually working and I am actually doing something. Interrupting me to ask menial questions such as "Where is the bathroom?" is about as irritating as an irritable bowel (which I assume you have, due to the desperation of your question).

9. The DJ booth is not a cloakroom. The incredibly limited space behind us and under our feet is reserved for FRIENDS or people that ask especially politely and have small items. Handing us a huge bunch of flowers and expecting us to pull a fucking vase out of our collective arse is obviously going to result in a facial expression that reads "are you fucking serious?" 


(via No Breasts No Requests)

10. If you stand in front of the booth and mouth something, I CANNOT hear you. When I gesture for you to come around to my ear hole, it might be because I CANNOT hear you. Moving one step to the left and mouthing again will not make it any clearer. Sometimes I can't hear people even if they are shouting into my ear hole, but that may just be an automatic defense I've built up against stupid requests. 

11. And finally.... When the DJ has been playing for a long time, long past the stated closing time of the night in order to keep you entertained, some appreciation wouldn't go amiss. Cheering and clapping is AWESOME. Booing, demanding they play for longer and sneering at them when they don't rebel against the very large bouncer (who you can clearly see is telling them to stop) is NOT AWESOME.

Remember, politeness goes a long way. 

New Photos: Janet Fischietto

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 A few months ago, the gorgeous Italian burlesque star, Janet Fischietto was over in London and also performed at our club, The Burning Beat. It was so lovely to finally meet her!

I've loved Janet's look for so long, and was so excited when she asked to shoot!

We started off with some shots of her snake charmer costume.

 

 

We also did a different look with a gorgeous vintage dress she had found in London!

 

 

New Photos: Lewd Alfred Douglas

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A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting two amazing fellas, on their visit to London. 

 

Fyodor Pavlov and Lawrence Gullo are an incredibly talented couple from New York. Both of them are artists (and we commissioned some drawings of The Roustabouts from Fyodor) that have collaborated on a marvelous comic, among other projects. To say their work is an inspiration to me is an understatement ;)

 

Lawrence also performs boylesque under the name Lewd Alfred Douglas, with some historically-rich and varied acts. He asked if we would be able to arrange a quick shoot while he was back in London, which I was very happy to do!