Rant: Inferior Cosmetic Packaging

Morning all! Hope you're all well. Sorry to start your day with a rant. =P

Recently, as in since I've been buying some higher-end make up only in the last few years, I've been becoming increasingly frustrated with inferior packaging when it comes to cosmetics. Particularly with the brand that I actually do love, Illamasqua, well, because the only other High End brand that I buy is Kryolan, and that is so expensive I can barely afford anything.

Anyway, there have been at least three instances where the product's actual formula (the actual make up I mean) has been amazing, out of this world, phenomenal! And yet, the product container has been so rubbish the product can no longer be taken anywhere due to potential leaks.
This has happened with both my Precision Inks (I have had two so far, both have broken in the same way. A crack along the side of the lid/wand, and it is too easy to over extend the lid when closing.) and my Pure Pigments (All four of them, despite the lids being on as well as possible, product has leaked out or build up along the edges only to create a huge mess, and wastage, once opened.)

Now, I probably could forgive a manufacturer for releasing products with inferior packaging if they were a cheaper brand, but when you are paying top dollar for frankly a great brand with fantastic formulae it is so disappointing, and honestly unforgivable, to see that they continually release poor products (I figure that I haven't continually purchased duds) when good, functional packaging is not that difficult to design and still be aesthetic, just some thought needs to be put into it and proper testing.

Another gripe with this brand I have is that I have an Intense Lip gloss by Illamasqua that is actually amazing, but the brush-tip applicator that comes built into the wand has some kind of gunk, or hard plastic on it. The bristles are synthetic, so I figure it's just some build up of the brush material, but honestly it is scratchy and impossible to apply neatly. In this instance I feel it could just be my product, as I only own one of these. Now, I know that I can easily use a lip brush for this, but that's not the point! If a product is going to come supplied with an applicator then it should be idealised for the product. Not to mention that Illamasqua have a perfectly good lip gloss tube already for their Sheer Lip glosses ( different formulation) and that functions well, so I don't see why they couldn't use that or a variation. Again, this is something you see with cheaper brands; the come with those awful sponge applicators in eye shadow sets, but really now, quality (and advertising) is what differentiates the cheap cosmetics from the High End cosmetics.

Have any of you ever had similar experiences?

xxx Lilly

Goth in a Box

Hey my darling readers, sorry for the period of inactivity; university was getting very stressful with exams and assignments, but thankfully now that is all past. Thanks to everyone who wished me well! I've been on my summer break for about two weeks now, and so far things have been good, although the weather has been heating up more than I would like...

I am excited for this summer in regards to this blog, as I have lots of interesting content coming up, so stay tuned for that!

If you can remember in an older post by The Green Fairy, she mentioned having won a subscription to a beauty box. We were all pretty much unanimously wishing that there was a similar beauty box that was more suitable to darker or alternative tastes. And that got me thinking, I wonder what items I would include if I had my own Gothinabox beauty box, in a jokingly serious way; legitimately these would all be my real choices. I also don't want this to be a Just-Add-Water Insta-Goth set, but rather key items that many Goths would use regularly and consider them favourites. Of course, I'm going to have to carefully skip over the logistics of a beauty subscription box, as that is not my area of expertise, and just focus on the 'what if'...
Enjoy!

• SPF 500+ to block out any of the disastrous and icky rays of the Yellow Hurty Thing.
• Mattifying pressed powder. Because dewy, glowing, healthy 'I just spent the day at the beach' skin is not desirable.
• Liquid eyeliner in black. With a felt tip to achieve a wickedly razor sharp point.
• Blood red lip stain. To create a freshly bitten look....
• Wine coloured lip liner. To sharpen one's Cupid's Bow to a Siouxsie-approved right angle.
• Matte black eyeshadow. For smoking one's eyes and chiselling one's jaw to taut perfection.
• Extra-Strong hold Hairspray. When Regular-Strength hairspray just won't do.

Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a comment below with what you would put in your own Goth Beauty Box.

xxx Lilly

Update

Hey everyone, just a quick update to explain why I've been M.I.A lately... Firstly I had some computer issues and I wanted to wait until that was all sorted before I got back to blogging, and now I have just had a crazy few months filled with many assignments for university and now I have exams very soon so I won't be able to get back to proper posting until that's all done and dusted and I have the summer off!
Thanks for your understanding! Love to you all

xxx Lilly

Terraria 1.2

Most of the gaming community both online and in Real Life have been anxiously waiting for the release of GTAV. Not me...
Instead I've been patiently waiting for the release of Terraria 1.2, which a new update/overhaul being released on PC on the 1st of October. This new update is so detailed it is almost like a Terraria II!
If you've never seen Terraria before, it is essentially a sandbox crafting game in 2D pixels with lots of enemies, loot, bosses and craftables so you can dig, mine, chop and build your little heart out. The game was inspired by Minecraft, but IMHO Terraria is better. That's just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to one.

Even before the new update, the game is incredibly detailed. The Terraria Wiki is full of interesting information with some spoilers obviously (please ignore the comment section though; it's just full of arrogant n00bs), and really helped me out when I was a newbie to the game (that was a few years ago mind you)...

You can see the trailer below, and the official Terraria YouTube is here.


It looks fantastic. I love the dragon statue that is built, and I am so excited for the bee and ice biomes...
If you're interested, below is also a new Music Spoiler, and it really sounds so fantastic!



If you've never played Terraria before, that is no reason to disregard the update or the game as a whole. I am sure that the updated game will be just as user-friendly (although much much harder XD Yay!).
Now, this is a special release for a few reasons. The update is being made solely by one person, out of the goodness of his heart, for free. That's right, if you've purchased the original game you legally will be able to play 1.2 without a worry. And that is so exciting.

https://www.facebook.com/TerrariaOfficial Built by a tester

The official Facebook page is found here.
Another great (Not Official) YouTube channel is ChippyGaming. He has found all of the spoiler images of 1.2 so far and essentially nutted out all of the potential changes/ additions in the game. That is actually an incredible amount of work, as sometimes it's difficult to understand what a 12 pixel object is actually meant to be when seen only on a low-res Facebook photo...

I've been tempted to write a rant/post about my dissatisfaction with the Terraria Fan community for some time now, but I think for the moment I'll just prefer to focus on the positives.

Oh, and sorry for the belated blog post. Uni has been every colour of crazy lately. I still have mammoth loads of assignments to finish, not to mention all of the reading and exam preparation I still need to do. Hope you understand. All my love,

xxx Lilly

Old Photo of the Day

Long term readers here will remember the post I made a long time ago on my blog's previous incarnatio on Piczo when I was 17 in 2010, about my first meeting with the one and only Voltaire during his epic beard stage, who remains to this day my idol and inspiration. Anyway, I didn't have a camera that day so I didn't manage to get any photos. 

BUT, recently I did find this little gem of a photo... (I know it's super derpy, but I probably wasn't even aware I was being photographed until afterwards!) It was in a small Alternative Melbourne shop called Peril Underground and was a day time underage show, since at that stage I was too young to go to bars... 

Photo by Gerard Meehan

This was taken by Gerard Meehan, the Editior in Chief of Fiend Magazine, and has been with Voltaire on all of his Australian tours (which I have been to all of so far...) and I'm assuming he also works as a tour manager or something. I'm just speculating here mind you...

Anyway, I presently getting my brain organised for an exciting make up series for this blog. Details will be soon! XD

xxx Lilly

Extreme Make Up or Wearable Make Up?

Hi my dearies! I have just a quick post for you all. I was wondering if I could get some opinions from you? i have a few make up looks and tutorials lined up in my mind, with some trials already under way, but I was wondering if you are first interested in Extreme creative looks or more wearable, publicly acceptable looks first? Please let me know in the comment box down below!

Source: Tumblr

xxx Lilly

The Batman Chronicals

If your a follower of the Conventions scene in the USA, you may be familiar with a man by the name of Anthony Misiano.
He is an actor from America who also has a YouTube show, The Reel Butter, but he would be best known for his personification of the Joker, from Batman, known as Harley's Joker. In fact, some have attributed this man to be The Definitive Joker Cosplay.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/HarleysJoker

Now, personally I'm not a die hard Batman fan. My boyfriend James is quite partial to the young Miss Harley Quinn in her various personifications, and because of that I've been exposed to quite a bit of Batman in our relationship. I've also played Batman Arkhamn Asylum (before my game spat the dummy and refused to work...)

Source: https://www.facebook.com/HarleysJoker

Anthony Misiano describes his costume as inspired by the classic Joker and it took 9 months to fully assemble. He also spends 3 hours doing his make up with prosthetics before his costume is complete (I've forgotten the source for that sorry. I think it was in the SDCC interviews).

Anyway, the point of all this introduction is to highlight the fact that there is a not-for-profit webseries on the way, probably in post production now, and from the teaser trailers it looks so amazing!  I believe that the series is going to be something like how Batman and Mr. J initially met.



The summary of the project can be found here.



I actually cannot wait for this!

xxx Lilly

Spotlight on Klaire De Lys

Klaire de Lys has been one of my favourite YouTubers for quite some time now, for many reasons. Firstly, as with most of the YouTubers whom I follow, her videos are always high quality, both in content and definition, and this is important for me.
Klaire's technique and skill in make up and other fine arts is incredible. Her attention to detail is wonderful and every finished video is a work of art in itself. She posts both wearable and extreme make up videos, as well as art, DIY, giveaways and reviews. Klaire also has a second channel where she publishes videos on how she makes her props, art and other similar videos.

Here are some of my favourite videos by Klaire...










Her work with prosthetic make up is very creative and artistic, too!

Honestly, I could fill up an entire blog on how incredible this artist and YouTuber is, but instead I suggest you go and check her out yourself! Her website/blog can be found here...

xxx Lilly

Practical Make up Tips: Part One

If you're interested in taking your make up skills from newbie or beginner into an accomplished and practised person or even an artisan, there are a few things I have learnt in my experience that will help you immensely.
For the record, I'm not a professional MUA, all my skills are self taught. I think I remember telling you all about my acceptance into Swinburne University to study Special Effects Make up Artistry, but I instead chose to study at the Melbourne Conservatorium. I had my audition to the Con and my group meeting for Swinburne both on the same day, the day after I moved house and all of that was so hectic I can barely remember what it was like, but still, for a short while I was thinking of making make up artistry a part time career if I wasn't successful with my audition, but thankfully I was! No regrets as to the path I chose! So anyway, make up now is more of a hobby for me, something that I still take quite seriously.

Here are practical tips that I have learnt in my personal experiences. I could just say 'Be inspired!' but honestly, while it is true that doesn't really help anyone, so I figured that I could offer some practical advice instead.

- Invest in some brushes. Good quality brushes are preferable but there is no need to spend $90 on one Kabuki brush (I have actually seen this on sale in Myer though...! Gah it is outrageous!) , but cheap poor quality brushes are awful and a waste of money, so in general get what you can comfortably afford. Personally my brand of choice is currently EcoTools. For some reason, those little sponges are thrown into every eyeshadow quad or palette, and they're not worth using in my opinion. Don't just throw them out though, as they can be used for stippling on glitter or even nail polish, but seriously, get a set of brushes. If you one could buy say, five brushes as a start, I would suggest you start with a powder brush, an eyeshadow brush, and angled eyeliner brush, a foundation brush and blending eyeshadow brush, and then build your collection from there. Unless you mistreat your brushes or don't wash them they will last a long time before needing to be replaced, so they can be a good investment if you buy quality brushes.

Source: http://www.ecotools.com/4-piece-touch-up-set

- Put on your liquid eyeliner with *both* eyes open! Yes this is possible! I do it frequently. If you want, I could do a tutorial on how I do it if that would make things easier, but honestly, you will find that your lines are cleaner, sharper and closer to the lash line if you put your eyeliner on with your eyes open. Also, it is easier to get a tapering line (that is, thicker in the outer corner, thinnest in the inner corner) if that is a look you like. I can put on my liquid eyeliner in only a few seconds. Also, if you still haven't gotten the technique down of having eyes open, just remember to NEVER pull at your eyelids to get a straight line. the skin around your eyes is very delicate and can break easily. You could also be causing sagging and wrinkles, and while I don't have a problem with looking your age, premature wrinkles are something I like to avoid.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for this series, or if you have any questions about anything I've mentioned already! Let me know in the comment box below, or send me a message. Your feedback is always appreciated, and I try to respond to each and every comment I get on this blog! I love all my followers!

xxx Lilly

Sardines, Life and Eyes

Hi everyone! I just wanted to inform you all that now semester is already in full swing (after only a week 2) and I'm really feeling the pressure with all of the work. Each day I come home feeling very tired and drained, and have little energy to finish my uni work, let alone write some blog posts or do anything creative other than watch TV and play Terraria. =(
That being said, I do try. Often I take about an hour after my daily game of sardines (public transport) to just drink coffee and chill. Then I'll begin my ever growing amount of work, practice and assignments.

My recent Illamasqua order arrived today, so I think I'll be doing a review on that soon enough. There are some issues I have with it that I feel I should let you all know about, but trust be it is still a great brand and the makeup is usually high quality.

That's all for today, I'm already tired and it's only eight thirty!

xxx Lilly

Body Positivity: My Interview with Sary Walrus

Oh, so I realised that I hadn't shared with you my newest interview with Sary of Our Walrus Room. Sary is compiling a series of interviews of Goths and other Alternatives about Body Positivity, Plus-Sized beings and acceptance within the scene. I volunteered to be interviewed and my responses can be see here. Warning- Things do get a bit snappy on my behalf....

Oh, and for the record, as some of the comments on Sary's blog have been showing a bit of confusion about whether I would technically be called 'Plus-Sized'. According to my clothing label, I would be within the 'normal size' range, except for my chest-girls which technically would be plus-sized. I have experienced a large amount of prejudiced, hate and general rudeness in the past due to my body shape, and was interested in sharing my opinions with the Blogosphere.

Hopefully you enjoy reading my interview and the rest of the interviews in the series. Please share your experiences if you do so feel inclined.

xxx Lilly

Special Event Goth Maintence

So I'm sure you'll remember when I wrote a post on my 'Goth Maintenance' i.e. what and how I tend to keep up my appearance. However, my post tended to consist of 'well I don't dye my hair often enough and my nail polish is almost always chipped....'
But, with that in mind I actually do try to put in a little extra effort around special events, mainly because this makes them feel even more important and exciting. Also, who doesn't love a luxe spa day? It certainly does help blast away the cobwebs from my mind and body both literally and figuratively and can help me feel less blah in general.

So, when it comes to very special events such as balls, formal events, concerts and other After Dark events, what do I prefer to do to get ready?

If I need to I'll try to touch up or re dye my hair a day or so before, as often my hair frequently is in a state of faded unkempt. In fact, I think I only ever seem to touch up my hair before special events... ahem...

I prefer to at least have an idea for an outfit in mind at least a day before, as my room is every kind of messy and I sometimes really struggle to find my clothes and be organised in that department. I also often need to wear my shoes around the house for a few hours in the approaching days so my poor feet can be ready for the pain. (I have terrible feet and bad ankles. I almost always get aching feet when I wear heels. Like, without fail). Having an idea of an outfit can also help me decide what makeup and accessories to wear as well, and how much time I'll need to get that in order. (Sometimes it takes me two hours for hair and makeup alone if I do the whole curled lashes, glitter, rhinestones etc. etc. Eg. This makeup look took about an hour.....)

If I'm feeling really patient I'll paint my nails, which for me is a coat of clear, two coats of colour and then another coat of clear, with up to ten minutes drying time between each coat. That can take long while and I hate smudged nails, especially caused by impatience and cheap stingy polish. However, it really does tie in the look to be more polished. Lazy-Goth alert! Sometimes I am too lazy to remove my old chipping nail polish so I'll just paint on a lick of colour over than and hope no one notices! However, here we are going for luxe, and that is not luxe.

If I have the time on the day, I like to have a bath. I'll most likely have a shower the night before, and wash my hair then, but on the day I like to set aside an hour or so and have a good soak. Preferably with a Lush bath bomb or bath melt...! Of course, this does increase both the cost and time of my special event, so for example, if I have university during the day or other activities and am feeling tired or rushed I will sometimes skip the bath altogether and just have a shower. During this time I'll probably de-forest my legs, wash down with soap or shower gel (obviously a necessary step), and smooth on some moisturiser on my chronically bad dry skin. I prefer to wash my face in the shower, but I NEVER have more than one shower or bath a day (living in drought for ten years+ does this to you), so in that case I'll use the sink. Hopefully I'll use a face mask as well, because, well, they're nice!

Most likely I'll groom my eyebrows, which can get very messy and unruly even at the best of times. One I do try to do on a regular basis is tweeze my eyebrows, as they are naturally very dark and grow at an alarming rate.

I try to eat something decent and healthy before heading out, especially if alcohol is going to be consumed. We all know the awful 'I've had too much to drink now I need some food but there's nothing open except grease-ball takeaways' situation.....

Once I've eaten something I'll probably begin my makeup. I actually prefer to do my makeup while being half dressed, i.e. wearing stockings, underwear and a singlet, as frequently powder and other product can spill and spoil your clothes. You just need to be careful about putting on clothes over your head, as makeup can be ruined by the fabric. Button ups are a good option, but don't let this dictate your outfit choice. After all but shoes and corset is on I'll do up my hair, generally in something low maintenance and messy as I'm pretty rubbish about doing touch ups/restyling. Once I am satisfied with my hair I'll put on shoes and my corset (Remember shoes first, then corset. Let's make that our mantra!) and theoretically will be ready to head out the door and enjoy the night!


Hope you enjoyed!
xxx Lilly

Lush Review: Let the Good Times Roll

As many of you know, I have an unhealthy addiction to Lush. I am slowly getting back in to control over my Lush obsession, however two products I recently purchased were the Limited Edition Christmas in July products Snow Showers and Let the Good Times Roll. Snow Showers is an orange cocktail scented shower jelly and I love that.

But the product that I was more concerned about performance-wise was the Roll. LTGTR is a roll cleanser that reminds me of Angels on Bare Skin, but the texture is creamier and smoother. If you have used AOBS before you would sort of know what to expect, but in my opinion LTGTR is actually a lot better. It has a caramel scent that actually smells edible! If you have a sweet tooth (Ironically I don't really have much of a sweet tooth, but I adore salted caramel oh so much) then you would love the scent! Also, it's slightly cheaper than the usual roll cleansers for the same amount of product in grams.

https://www.facebook.com/LushAustralia

I find using this product in the shower is the easiest and least messy, as you need quite a bit of water to wash off the product. However you do need to be careful as this product doesn't have any preservatives, so contact with moisture will result in the growth of bacteria and possibly even moulds. Eeeek!
Anyway I actually wouldn't mind a product that was preserved as it would greatly increase the shelf life of the Lush cleansers...
Warning: Tangent/ elaboration! Currently I also have Dark Angels, which is a facial scrub that is too harsh to use every day, I use it about twice or three times a week. But the product is Best Before after only three months, so that's about 12 weeks. That equals around thirty six washes at most and you only need a tiny amount each time. So the product is going to go off long before it's even finished! Argh! That is so annoying and I actually feel like I've wasted my money when I see half a pot left over at the use by date.

I made sure I asked the Lush staff member about whether Let the Good Times Roll is suitable for everyday use before I purchased, and it is. It is even less exfoliating than Angels on Bare Skin, if you can imagine that, and for me this is a good thing. I feel like I am washing and polishing my face, rather than scrubbing it away.

The pot is filled with a few pieces of popcorn, which makes sense as this product shares the same scent as Popcorn Lip Scrub, which is also LE. (However I think Popcorn tastes really salty, and not in a good way) But the pieces of popcorn are pretty much just decoration rather than being part of the product you're paying for, and it's still really expensive. I thought they would be exfoliating, but honestly they just scratch your skin . It is not pleasant at all.

The product softens into a milky creamy texture with only a small amount of water and smooths on to your skin. I don't see quite as much product dropping into the skin or down the shower drain as much as AOBS, so that means more of it stays on your skin to be worked with.

So, the final verdict? I really do love this product. I am being very critical here, but that's because the product is really really good. I find this works for my dry/combination skin so well. I would recommend it if you are looking for a polishing cleanser to use daily.

Hope you enjoyed and found this review helpful. Please leave your responses in the comments below!

xxx Lilly

Holiday Happenings and Music Camp

Hello my dearest darling followers!

This morning (while I was awake but still in bed. That's holidays for you...) my Voltaire tickets arrived at the front door, so I'm now in a super pumped mood! XD

As I'm sure you've gathered, I'm now in the second last week of my winter holidays, and they've actually been really fun and rewarding. I spent my first week off in my home town attending a music camp that I used to attend while in high school. I also got to catch up with my dad which is something that I don't often get to do, so that was nice. This was the first time I attended since 2009, so I've been in total five years at this camp. I started in 2006, when I had only been playing flute for about 4 months (I was in the beginner ensemble then). That was so much fun and I learnt so much from working with suck amazing tutors and conductors. I was in the symphony orchestra (most advanced) on flute and learnt piccolo for this orchestra for the first time ever (well apart from once for a few minutes many years ago) which was really challenging to pick up in only one short week. I was also in the elective Senior Winds ensemble playing flute again, which was invitation-only to the most advanced students. It was also great catching up with all of the people I lost direct contact with when I moved to Melbourne.

Apart from that I've been playing too much Sims, playing flute a lot (So much technical work!!!) and trying to organise my semester 2 for uni in a couple of weeks.

I hope everyone else is having a good winter/summer as well

xxx Lilly

2013 Blog Challenge

I was tagged by both Steph the Green Fairy and Laura. (When I had completed this challenge I realised I was also tagged by 1666 X 30. Thanks! Thanks to both of these lovely ladies!

1. Thank the person who tagged you to this challenge and post a link to their blog.

2. Choose five blogs with less than 200 followers and pass the challenge on.

3. Wish them to pass the challenge onward.

Pass this on if you feel like it ^.^

http://vladrodricketernity.tumblr.com/post/54763721794/lady-morgana-vladrodricketernity

5 Things you need every day (apart from water, food and shelter)?

- Sleep! I sleep a lot, and am not a morning person at all. If I have to actually do something before 12pm then I consider that to be an ‘early start’. I probably need around 9-10 hours of sleep a night, if not more...

- Tea! I drink a lot of tea. My ideal cup is strong black Sri Lankan leaf tea (no teabags!) with a dash of low fat cow’s milk and no sugar. Perfect!

- Music! As a musician, I take a lot of pleasure and relaxation from listening to music. While music tends to mean a lot of hard work in practice for me, whether that is in performance or in a theory lecture (Chromatic mediants, anyone?), it can be so soothing, emotive and powerful to listen to.

- *Materialistic* Lip balm! I adore lip balm, and suffer from dry lips year round. My favourites are Burt’s Bees Pomegranate and Pink Grapefruit ones.

- Coffee! Yes, I am one of those people who love coffee and tea equally. If I had to choose between tea and coffee only I would choose tea as it is healthier and more hydrating, but I love coffee so so much. (I am currently dealing with a caffeine addiction that is not so fantastic.) I take my coffee the same way I take my tea, white with no sugar. My order tends to be just a skinny café latte, maybe extra hot, it depends.

5 books you would recommend (In no particular order)?

- Currently I am reading A Song of Ice and Fire, and while I don’t love the writing style and use of language, the author has a brilliant talent for storytelling.

- The Vampire Chronicles

- Atonement by Ian McEwan

- Grimm’s Fairy Tales

- The Steampunk Bible

5 materialistic wishes for Christmas presents?

- A good quality music stand! This might seem strange for some, but currently I have a really rubbish music stand and that has been causing a lot of problems for me, including eye strain and back pain.

- A good quality tuner; for intonation, obviously.

- Lush! (Isn’t that obvious? I think it is.)

- False vampire fangs, for dress ups and photoshoots

- These, my ideal, dream shoes. They are so so amazing, but apparently the quality is a bit 'meh', hence why I haven't raced off to buy them.

5 places you'd wish to visit?

- London

- New York

- Paris (or anywhere in France really)

- Vienna

5 adjectives that describe you somehow?

- Musical

- Vampiric

- Fey

- Spooky

- Romantic

5 things you'd say to people about life?

- Surround yourself with the people and things you love; don’t waste your life with things you don’t like or don’t enjoy

-Stay up to date on the news and current affairs as much as you can

-There is nothing wrong with sexy

-Never underestimate the healing powers of a cup of tea

Always have consent

I tag:

Minxie

1666 X 30

Tobii

CatacombXKitten

OddGhoulOut

xxx Lilly

A Hair Related mini post

Hello lovely ladies and fine gentlemen!

I realised I have not yet shared with you all a photo of my green hair!
In all honesty though, I am not the best at keeping my hair nicely maintained, so often my hair is faded to a shade of spearmint green or even back to the bleached straw-yellow! Ugh! Lets not even mention my roots that haven't been dyed since September last year...
After exams I aim to be more on top of my own Goth maintenance, including keeping hair dyed, rather than let things get to a state where I no longer revel in my own appearence. Also, I have decided it is time for a hair cut, as my lengths are now getting so long and dry it just isn't growing properly any more. I haven't cut my hair in about four years, so now really is the time...

Apologies for the derpy-ness and the complete lack of makeup (yep, totally natural except maybe some moisturiser), this was taken just after my hair was dyed and air dried. I dyed the under part of my hair so the upper section can cover it entirely if necessary. =D

xxx Lilly

When Music and Life become One

Hi guys, sorry for the unexplained absence... I currently still in the middle of exams! Gah! No one likes exams. So far I've completed two written exams and submitted my folio of creative work (for Poetry class) and so I only have a small amount of sight reading (the exam literally goes for five minutes, so it's really short but very difficult!) and a prac exam (flute) in just over a week, and then I'll be on holidays free to blog as much as I want!

Here's a preview of what I tend to see for most of the day... (kept small for reasons....)

Andante et Scherzo by Ganne. Here's a recording if you're interested. =D

My life is a music stand.

xxx Lilly

What is in my Bag? 2013

I thought I'd jump on the Bandwagon and complete a What's in my Bag post, as my inspiration for posts is a bit thin at the moment. Both Sary and The Green Fairy recently completed their 'What's in my bag' post as well. It's kind of silly of me, but I really love finding out what people carry around with them on a day to day basis. I think it really gives insight to themselves as a person and their personality.

I have an annoying habit of emptying out my bag after each day of being out and about or at class, so generally my bags are totally empty unless they're in use! Of course that's boring, I'm not going to take pictures of my empty bag, so here's a 'What I generally bring with me to each day of class/being out and about'.

- Wallet, keys, bottled water, train ticket and phone. These include my ID, Uni student/access card, bank card and my many coffee loyalty cards, money (when I'm not totally broke) and any receipts I haven't dealt with yet. I frequently bring bottled water with me as I tend to drink heaps of water each day, about three litres. Also, my flute playing each day is very dehydrating as well, so it's important for me to carry water around with me.

Here is some of the trinkets I cart around with me. Kindly note the ancient phone and .mp3 player.

-Diary, notebooks and text books, sheet music and other uni related books. My bag is mainly weighed up with many books, as I prefer to not take my laptop to school with me but I can't avoid taking notes (that would be unwise in my lectures on Chromaticism and Counterpoint Theory!). I also like to bring a book or novel to keep me occupied on long train rides or when I have a long lunch break and don't want to be studying...

-Pencil case with pens, HB and 2H pencils, a small Flash drive, a rubber and a sharpener. Again, this is obvious as I need to take notes, but I'm also constantly editing and making notes on scores and so I need quite a few writing materials on hand. All contained within a cute black fluffy pencil case! XD (from Smiggle a few years ago)

One of my notebooks, a folder for loose notes, my diary and current re-read, Poe

- Lip balm, eye shadow palette, perfume, compact brushes, mascara and eye liner  This tends to be what I bring to uni, if I'm going out somewhere a little less ho hum I'll bring some more make up but often I tend to keep things simple. If I want to wear foundation or BB cream I will apply that before I leave the house and not worry about touch ups. I also tend to pack one of my Lush solid perfumes with me, as they are not able to leak everywhere, a problem I've had with a few other bottles of liquid perfume in the past. They can melt in very hot weather though.

- My umbrella. Melbourne weather, in case you didn't know, seriously sucks. The phrase 'Four seasons in a day' is often quipped, paired with rolled eyes and a 'no longer funny' expression on many locals. The weather often changes three or more times in one day so if you don't have an umbrella you will most likely get soaked with rain. And no one likes that.
I actually have two umbrellas; one expensive one that is frilly, black with two white parallel stripes. It has plastic bamboo look for the handle. Of course I would like real bamboo, but that would probably not be quite as long lasting due to the water. I also have a small black compact umbrella that has a protective sheath (no laughing) keeping my books and other possessions dry when I want to put it away in my bag. This umbrella is smaller and cheaper than my other one, but is more suitable for everyday because I don't have to worry about it taking up my entire arm for a day.
Oh, and I recently purchased a lovely lacy black parasol from  Kirjoittannut Bella Vampira but sadly the weather of late has not been appropriate for such folly sun-related activities. XD
xxx Lilly

My Self-Imposed Style 'Rules'

I don't actually believe that there is such thing as clothing rules that must not be broken, if they are you're a fashion failure type of thing. That silly. Anyone can wear whatever they choose to wear.
However, with this in mind I've noticed over the last few years I've began to develop certain ideals about what I do and do not like to wear, or wear in combination. This is just personal aesthetics and my own taste and should have no impact with anyone else's taste in clothing. It could be that these self-imposed restrictions   are actually limiting my ability to express myself through my clothes.
But, here we go.

http://mererecorder.tumblr.com/post/48703501268/by-wan-mei

- Only one set of stripes. If I'm wearing striped socks or stockings, I feel a bit silly if I also wear striped gloves or a striped shirt. I actually don't know why I feel this way. I think that it just looks too same-y or something. Oddly enough I'm a huge fan of those striped dresses; I don't feel that these are Stripe-Overload at all.

-No bare legs with short skirts. This is due to my very destructive sense of self and body image. I am (finally) confidant enough to show my legs under a short skirt, but only if I have a pair of opaque or lace tights as well.

-No hoodies/casual jackets with maxi skirts. I adore maxi skirts, long skirts and circle skirts. I tend to live in them, however I feel that casual slouchy and comfy jackets look foolish with these. I think it's because it's the concept of fullness with fullness in regards to the volume of clothing doesn't do it for me, which makes sense due to my  hourglass-ish shape. Also, I tend to think that maxi skirts have a touch of elegance to them, at least mine does, and the casual teemed with elegance just doesn't work for me.

There we go. Please tell me if you have strange style 'things' or choices that affect your outfits, or if you agree/disagree these are restrictive or allow for more structure within a wardrobe.

xxx Lilly

Illamasqua Paranormal Black Carpet Event

I recently went to the Illamasqua Paranormal Launch Black Carpet event in Bourke Street Myer. The event had an appropriate black carpet, professional photographer and lots of pink bubbles. XD

It was my first make up launch and it was invitation-only, so I actually felt quite special for being there! My boyfriend James bought the purple UV reactive nail colour to use for an Invader Zim jacket he is currently working on, and I purchased some Pure Pigment in Zeitgeist, which is not part of this collection.

Source: http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/collections/paranormal/

The collection, in case you haven't seen it yet, can be found here. What I'm most impressed with is the eye shadow quad. At the event, I swatched some and said aloud 'Wow, so it's a cream shadow?' and the MUA sad 'Actually no. It's a powder shadow.' And that really is amazing. It has an ultra refined texture that feels as silky as cream yet it is actually a powder, which is what I prefer. I am actually frustrated that the colours of the quad are not sold individually as $50 is still a lot of money just for eye make up.From what I've seen in photos and on models, I have not seen anyone use the green colour, Possession, at all. This would be one of the colours that I would actually love to have individually.

And here is one of Illamasqua's tutorials using this eye quad. There is no green used in this tutorial, even though anyone recreating it exactly would have the quad at their disposal.

The UV reactive nail colours are really creative and interesting and would be perfect for a Cyber look at a club. Considering however than not everyone spends their whole day under black lights  makes me think that these are not really for everyday. If you're interested, Stargazer has a dupe of the UV colour in Geist, which is a clear top coat the glows with a blue hue. 

Here is the Behind the Scenes video from their promotional shoot. It really is so beautiful, and has a Haunted House feel which is so amazing. I actually adore the shoot, but notice that there is no green to be seen on the models...


Hopefully you're just as inspired by this new collection as I am. Please comment with your inspirations!

xxx Lilly

Cyber with a Drop of Pastel

Normally when one thinks of Pastel Goth images come to mind of wanky pseudo Goth dressing that is similar to Soft Grunge. I'm sure you can tell from my previous sentence that I'm honestly not too enamoured with those particular styles.
However, I have discovered a beautiful photo of a style that actually represents the words Pastel and Goth. Pastel Cybergoth!!!

http://laura-aurora.tumblr.com/post/48299516173/pastel-cybergoth

Isn't she cute? I think this is a really interesting combination of cyber aesthetics and pale colours. I adore that icy blue eye make up. It's refreshing to see a proper application of the term Pastel when referring to Goth! XD

xxx Lilly

Cruelty-Free Beauty

Hello my Freaky Darlings

Here's a secret for you all. Slowly, as I refuse to waste perfectly good products, I am trying to convert my beauty, skincare and cosmetic routines into Cruelty-Free products exclusively. I have often used products that were cruelty free, but I didn't really become aware of the impact of not using cruelty free products meant for my fellow animals until recently. Now I am trying to purchase my new products cruelty free, and even better vegetarian products. (Ethically I still have some mental work ahead of me in regards to whether I want to cut carmine from my cosmetics and other similar issues.)
Disclaimer: I am not a vegetarian as I eat fowl and shellfish currently.
It's going to take time because, as I'm sure I've mentioned on this blog in the past, I have extremely sensitive and dry skin and am often allergic to products that contain ingredients such as salts, cheap fragrance, SLS and ethanol.
So far much of my routine is comprised of Lush, Kryolan, Palmers, Illamasqua and ELF products. XD

Oh, and This delightfully dark blog is my new favourite Tumblr. Please enjoy!

http://gothic-art-style.tumblr.com/post/46547824512

xxx Lilly

Emilie Autumn and Green Hair

Greetings, mortals!
A brief catch up? Well, uni is going well, on Monday I'll be in my second week of 2nd year, and beginning my private lessons on flute as well. Things have certainly been getting busy!
Oh, and, did you notice? I'm twenty now! Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! XD
Now it's time to celebrate my Un-Birthday!

So what's been happening in my rather uninteresting life?

(A month later when I remember that this post was unpublished)

We earlier I dyed the side parts of my hair green! I used Stargazer product. (Review may be in the start...)
Also, I purchased my first ever piece of clothing from the wonderful Australian brand Gallery Serpentine! A pair of adorable bloomers! XD

And just on Friday night I saw Emilie Autumn and the Bloody Crumpets live! =D The show was amazing. I could be more critical of her show (remember I am a classically trained musician and a dancer so I am very aware of what goes on on stage!) but I think that can wait. I purchased a poster of Captain Maggot (Signed) and EA's Fight Like a Girl CD.

So actually things have been quite busy for me lately. Moar posts soon!

Now I'm enjoying my token 70% cocoa chocolate mini eggs for Easter. I tend to not care much about Easter but good quality chocolate is always appreciated.

xxx Lilly

My Relationship with Lush

If you've spent any time around me, both online and in Real Life, you would know that I'm a fan of Lush. Ok, maybe 'Fan' isn't the best word to use. I'd even be tempted to use the word Lushie.  But I don't like that word so much as it tends to mean 'loves all of Lush and doesn't hate a single product', and for me that's not the case. I think it would be fair to say that now I have a love/hate relationship with Lush.

So I discovered Lush around 5 years ago. That's not all that long ago I know, but please remember that I lived in a small, remote country town for 12 years and didn't get to the city often.

The first product I purchased was Goth Juice, now discontinued. I still adore this lovely purple pot of moss-scented goodness. I recently had to turf the dregs of my 2nd last pot that had expired and turned gray, so now I am using up my last ever pot.

Since then I've spend hundreds of dollars on their products, often purchasing something once or twice a week. This is a problem for someone like me who is a full time student and doesn't work.

Also, I'm not totally sold on some of the ingredients used in Lush. I recently became aware that they use parabens in their products, and have only recently been changing their recipes to limit plastic glitter that ends up in the oceans.

As of sometime in February this was my collection, not including any empties or dregs of products. Naturally my collection of Lush has expanded considerable since this photo was taken. Also please note that some of these products are samples. Some of my additions since then include Dark Angels, 9 to 5, Shimmy Shimmy, The Godmother, Breath of God Toothy Tabs and Charity Pot.


The Bath Bombs wrapped are Phoenix Rising and So White.

I've became aware that I really need to stop wasting my money on cosmetics from Lush and start saving my money for other more valuable things. Hopefully this blog post will have helped me with my addiction to Lush.

Please share your cosmetic stories!

xxx Lilly

E.L.F 144 Palette

So, for Christmas/holiday season my lovely mother dearest purchased for me the ELF 144 piece Ultimate Eye Shadow Palette that can be found here.

This palette is amazing! There is a range of matte, sheer and glittery hues and almost a full spectrum of colour.
Already I've been using the blacks (obviously), the purples/plums and the neutrals a lot and experimenting with the reds and greens. There are a few unwearable shades in this palette, but I believe that they can all be used to creative character works or something like that. My biggest complaint about this palette is that it is so large it is not really portable, but honestly that's not really a complaint, more of a comment. I only use these shadows with the ELF eye primers, but some of the colours are not really pigmented enough for my liking.

Note: the flash doesn't accurately capture the colours. =)

xxx Lilly

Goth Quiz- Romantic

I've always had a soft soft for silly online quizzes, as I'm sure you would know if you read some of my earlier posts. Lately, we have been doing this quiz, by MalakronikMausi.

Here are my results!

You Scored as Romantic Goth

You are a romantic goth, better known as a traditional goth. You are probably quickly identified as a goth by outsiders. Black lace, bats, and moonlit cemetaries are just a few of your favorite things. Click on my name to take my other tests if you liked this one.

Ethereal Goth

100%

Romantic Goth

100%

Old-school Goth

96%

Perky Goff

63%

Fantasy Goth

50%

Death Rocker

50%

Industrial/Rivet-Head

50%

Anything-Goes Goth

46%

Cyber-goth

25%

Confused Outsider

8%

Understanding Outsider

0%

http://una-combi.tumblr.com/post/36234011038

I should note that this quiz tended to lump in vampire aesthetics in with Romantic aesthetics. While I can see their logic here, and it does suit my personality and aesthetic choices to a T, not every Romantic Goth is going to be enjoying the vampire culture and aesthetics as much.

xxx Lilly

The Goth Challenge 2013- Parts 11 and 12

• Three trends I wish would come back

This is difficult to answer as Goth doesn't really have 'trends'. (Remember that this challenge was originally Lolita, which seems to have trends coming and going)
Many local Goths in my scene continue to wear their own personal fashions for years and years, obviously with variation, but the key trends remain consistent.

-Number one would be the trend of wearing a black velvet, or similar, ribbon around ones neck or wrists. Being a fan of vampire aesthetics, this accessory is from the notion that you were hiding a fresh or healing bite mark from other members of society. For people who aren't vampire fans, this trend also nods to the film Orphan, and other similar films. If you haven't seen it, I won't give it away, but watch it. I love that movie.

-Fringe-less hairstyles. I don't have a blunt fringe. I adore them completely, but I don't think they suit me and am too scared to try it. I just that the absence of fringes were seen a bit more often.

- Maxi skirts. Ok, so this has never been unpopular with Goths, but I want things to stay that way!

• Combining other fashions with Goth

I am a fan of vampire aesthetics, fairy aesthetics and many Japan trends, but honestly I think that a Goth wearing any creative and expressive outfit is wearing a Goth outfit, as their penchant for Goth will probably shine through. So yeah, it is all down to individual inspirational pictures, pieces and outfits rather than a set style. Just my opinion of course!

xxx Lilly

The End of the Teenage Years

Monday week, so in nine days from now, I will be twenty years old. I actually cannot believe this is happening to me. I've been a teenager for nine years, and it's has felt like thirteen years due to the whole acting/being older naturally.
However, this can only be a good thing. My teenage years haven't really been the best. There has been some good points, obviously, but I've dealt with more drama, heartache and isolation than anyone wants to experience.
Not to mention that being an 'Adult', rather than a teenager (because, let's be honest, I've been Adult for the past 4 years.), has it perks. I'm still very very young, I understand that completely. But there is a vast difference between nineteen and twenty for someone like me. Also, on the VERY SAME day I'll be beginning my second year of university, which is fun... Things won't be so scary and new. High school is now far behind me.

And hopefully strangers will stop patronising me when they find out my age, or criticise my relationship with my boyfriend and I will no longer have to deal with all of that bullshit any more  (Who am I kidding? That won't stop. I just wish things will ease up a bit...)

Its time to get a job and start being more professional. Not that I'm not already professional, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Now is the time to rethink my appearance as well. I won't stop the striped stocking and socks, because I love them. But I will be retiring some of my less loved articles to op shops or charity donations, and to try and make more of a completed wardrobe.

xxx Lilly

Vampires and the Mainstream

Disclaimer (Just in case it's not already obvious): I do not believe that vampires exist in reality. I do not believe that I am a vampire. XD

This was touched on briefly on our Facebook forum while we were discussing the impact of mainstream culture on Steampunk, and I used this example...

'I didn't stop loving Vampire-culture just because it was mauled and mangled by the mainstream, I just waited for things to simmer down, which they did.'

And that got my mind working. I mean, I like Steampunk a lot, but I love Vampire aesthetics the same way hardcore Steampunkers and Steampunk fans do. It is a part of my soul and something I've been attracted to my whole life.

http://crazycrafters.tumblr.com/post/35243061402

For me, vampires represent something deep within my mass of grey matter that resonates with me.
Honestly, I'm not sure if now is the time to write about that, as it's nearly 3am and I am getting sleepy. Perhaps that will be a post for a later date, if I'm feeling brave enough. 

So vampire legends, belief and stories have been part of human culture for thousands of years, with many different civilisations having their own interpretation of a creature that, at the most basic level, feeds off human blood. Some crafty writers, such as Bram Stoker, noticed this legend that was capable of creating real fear in people, so he wrote a story about it, Dracula. What is even scarier is that he based the character off a real, violent person, Vlad Tepes. Not to mention that there are real human beings that have possess vampiric qualites throughout history. Erzsébet Báthory, for example, was a woman who believed the blood of virgins kept her beautiful.

http://godessofhell.tumblr.com/post/42826783436

It is clear that vampires have been part of culture since for ever, so why is now at all different? (Contiued to be edited at a very reasonable hour when my brain was no longer slush) Well, in some ways it isn't. Vampires have still been used to scare people, but they've taken on a romantic illicit appeal. Think of the grandeur of Christopher Lee or the sex appeal in The Lost Boys.
In the last 10 years things took a turn for the worst however, with Twilight essentially making vampires 'Tame'. They were no longer exclusively scary, dark and evil beings. Not to mention that they were essentially immortal and had no weaknesses what so ever, except multiple other vampires. So relatable! (Sarcasm.) Sure there were a few evil-ish ones, but the main characters were 'vegetarian' and SPARKLED! NOT SCARY! (Enough allcaps...)

Vampires were now squeaky clean for a few years, with people asking me every day 'Have you read Twilight? I think you would like it.'
The answer is 'yes' I have read Twilight. I've read each of the four books, and I don't like it. Most Twi-haters, however, have not read the books. I don't see how anyone can hate something they haven't experienced, but I guess prejudice is all too common in society at the moment.

I actually believe that despite the Twilight-mania that we all had to suffer through is dying down, Twilight has impacted vampires for evermore. We wont ever get back to how things were before, but now mundanes who normally would roll their eyes, shudder or even avoid me, now show slight amounts of interest or at least don't mutter expressions of 'freak!' to their friends.

http://zemidnighthour.tumblr.com/post/35476237030/sadie-frost-in-bram-stokers-dracula-1

I don't think all vampires need to be scary, but I do think that vampire lore is important, an if an author is going to remove/add/change or vary vampire lore they need to do it right! They need to make it believeable. Anne Rice did this. She reinvented vampires and vampire lore and it worked oh so well. Stephanie Meyer also did this, by removing every single piece of vampire lore (Even fangs! Shock horror!), and replaced it with glitter. Not to mention the ultra-conservative views that are not so subtly injected into the book, many which conflict with my values and personal choices... ahem.
So I spent a few years fuming about the destruction of vampire culture. At that time I hated True Blood and didn't want to watch the show or read the books by Charlaine Harris. (That changed...) I refused to buy any of the shirts that had fangs printed on it or slogans such as 'Most girls want to be a princess, I want to be a vampire'! And honestly, I do regret that, not because of the cheap clothing with the wanky print, but to cut up and to mod and customise into new stuff. Especially because nowadays you don't see those sorts of pieces anywhere.

Anyway, last summer, when I was finished with high school, recently separated from my first serious 2 year relationship and waiting for uni to start. I was pretty bored and upset, so I spent the time watched True Blood season one and a bit of season two, as well as lots and lots of other junky shows and movies. And yes, I got hooked on True Blood. I liked the sexy vampires, the large quantities of blood, the booze, the fact that the show deals with lots of real issues such as sexuality, drugs, religion and racism. Finally it seemed that the mainstream had gotten it right! These vampires represented everything I wanted in a vampire TV show. Real fangs (although it peeves me that they are not the incisors. I'm a purest!), an aversion to sunlight and silver as a weakness. These vampires were vulnerable and actually in a lot of danger due to their addictive blood. Not to mention I loved Harris' new interpretation of vampires and the acceptance of vampires within society. 'Coming out of the coffin'. That's just great. It's new and fresh, but enough lore to be faithful to vampire legends.

http://monsters-and-stuff.tumblr.com/post/42914741763/vampires-part-2-of-3

So I'll continue to watch vampire films, read vampire novels both tasteful and trashy, and wear vampiric attire on ocassion. I don't really care if the mainstream have another vampire-fad, I just hope that it is not so squeaky clean. That these beings are capable of creating a lot of harm if necessary to the plot.
I'll continue to indulge in thick red drinks and lots of red wine, red lip colour and pointed nails even if every single teenager is doing that very same thing, or vampires vanish into obscurity. And I won't stop loving (almost) everything vampiric any time soon.

Anyone else who is feeling disillusioned it whatever used to make their heart beat that little more, I say 'Please don't give up, yet!' Things will get better eventually, whether you're into games and the popularity of casual games has left a bitter taste in your mouth, or a passionate fan of Steampunk who utters a little cry everytime they see something like Justin Bieber attempting (failing) to do Sp and then have to watch in horror as all the little fiends want to cram cogs onto their school jackets. =(
Just stick things out, maybe take a little break if it really is depressing and making you loose faith in life, but rest assured that like all things in pop culture, people will get bored and quickly look for something else to satisfy their increasingly short attention spans. And then we can emerge, relatively unharmed and continue to revel in what we love.

Please, share any other experiences in the comments below!

xxx Lilly

The Goth Challenge 2013- Parts 9 and 10

• 5 keywords that describe my personal Goth style

Vampire, Romantic, Burlesque, Cabaret, Deathrock

• How I first found out about Goth fashion

I've been exposed to Goth fashion and culture all my life, seeing people wearing the clothes on the street, in editorials and protrayed in films and on tv, and always been facinated with it. Goth fashion was something that I slowly and naturally began incorperating into my outfits ever since I was able to make concious choices about my clothing, until it overtook everything and all of the 'non-Goth' clothing had all been sent to second hands stores to, hopefully, find a second (or third considering I've purchased 2nd hand clothes all my life) life in a new home. As I've said countless times my style is constantly evolving and changing so I think that even in a year or so I will have changed my personal style and some of my current outfit will be recycled.

Sorry again for another mini-post. Hopefully soon I will have something more substantial to post about!

xxx Lilly

Classical Music

Is is just me or does it seem odd to anyone that I am a classical musician who dedicates most of my day to the study of music yet I rarely post about music on my blog?

I think that this is because I find music an aural experience mainly, and that itself is impossible to express through text. Also, having this blog gives me the opporturnity to express and explore my interests that otherwise I wouldn't have the time for, considering I'm studying music full time at the Conservatorium. I don't post very often here at all, and that is sad. I have been making the effort to post more often lately, and I hope my loyal followers have been appreciating that. =)

Oh, and I've been featured on Dark Side of the Net recently. Seeing their little blurb about me made me realise that this blog doesn't really reflect the main interest of my personality and current focus and life goal.

So anyway, would anyone like me to post music related content? Such as beautiful pieces of music, interesting facts or posts on the musician's lifestyle? Please let me know! I would love to share with you all such a dominant part of my life even more.

xxx Lilly

Laced Eyeliner tutorial

This is a look I wear reasonably often out to clubs and the ocassional daytime event (like the recent picnic for example). I actually thought this look was pretty common place, seeing people such as The Green Fairy wear it out regularly, but while clubbing and attending events many Goths of all ages ( including ladies who have been dressing up for many more years than me) asking how I created the effect. So, I decided that it would be a great blog tutorial.

The makeup will look a little something like this... (these photos were quickly snapped while I was in the middle of getting dressed ready for bi-monthly Melbourne Goth night Requiem, and may have been a drink or two down already.... XD)

This was my makeup on Saturday night, before my hair and outfit was done.

 This look is simple enough. Begin with your regular foundation and powder routine. I would suggest that you completed almost as much of your chosen makeup as you can, leaving this as the final technique. Perhaps leave you lips bare for the moment though as you hands may smudge the lipcolour or the lace/net you use could very likely lift away and even transfer any product ruining everything. And, you don't want that. Really.

Depending on whether you want to wear fake eyelashes, or like me have naturally long lashes, skip the mascara until afterwards too. You'll know why soon enough...

Now, take an old pair of lace or fishnet tights and find part of the pattern that you like. Remember that the transfer on your face will be the reverse, so find a pattern with lots of space, rather than something with a lot of material. However, a good amount of material is important to create a contrast. The stockings I used this time didn't have a thick weave, hence the slight blending.
I highly recomend you trial this makeup before you do your final makeup, as the pattern you choose will affect the look you want 100%. I would also recomend choosing a regular pattern like fishnet, as I think uneven patterns (for example a floral lace) look a bit silly. But that's just me.

Find the crotch of the tights (please ensure they're washed!) and stretch that over your face with the pattern lining up to wherever you want it. It needs to be quite taught to follow the contours of your face, so keep your hair up and in a bun if it is long. Most likely it will be up for your makeup anyway. Once you've begun, you can't really change it, so make sure it's right before you start.

Now, take a flat foundation sponge or flat powder puff. Trust me, don't use a brush, even a Kabuki brush, as the bristles flick the product around and under the lace and it just doesn't work at all.

Having yor hair styled over your temples will make this look more blended and less 'suddenly prints on the face' XD

Dampen it ever so slightly and then liberally press it into your desired pressed powder eyeshadow or blush and lightly tap off the excess. Press it firmly onto your face with even pressure as desired. Here you can be creative, creating a gradient or even multiple colours. I personally like this technique on my temples fading around my higher cheekbones ands forehead, similar to contouring. I found that pressing firmly but not excessive dabbing achieved the best result. Going crazy with the dabbing of the sponge just made a blur of pigment similar to using a brush, but too light pressure looks silly or fading.

Please excuse the bizzare eyebrows. Like I said I was still only half dressed =S

Once you believe you've achieved you're desired look, carefully lift the stockings out and then over your hair (finish your hair afterwards). You can use a brush to reduce the severity of this look or to blend the edges, just be gentle. If it is really full on I would suggest to use a makeup removing wipe and gently wipe off the sections you don't want, and then fill in with foundation or powder if necessary. This can also create a striking line across your cheek. XD

Something that I didn't do in these photos was choose stockings that have a thick weave, hence the slight blending.

In these photos I sealed the makeup with some sealing gel mixed with some cosmetic glitter using a coarse Kryolan sponge. The flash I used doesn't really pick up on the glitter, but there was a lot! This look can be bit fragile if you don't set it with something like a sealing gel or spray.

Other makeup for this look was hot pink and purple eyeshadow with gold, gold glitter and black mascara and liquid eyeliner, plus foundation, just fyi.

I hope you enjoyed this makeup tutorial. Please give me some feedback in the comments!

xxx Lilly

The Goth Challenge 2013- Parts 7 and 8

Why I wear Goth fashion? 

My personal fashion choices come naturally to me so if I wore anything else I wouldn't be true to my own heart and personality. However, my fashion choices do change with time as my personality and interests develop and mature.

Why don't I wear Goth all the time? 

Honestly, I wear simple Goth fashion every day. The ocassions when I don't I either have a performance, a super lazy day or just have nothing clean and suitable. I do enjoy dressing up on special ocassions though. I don't go 'all out' each day simply due to time restrictions in the morning, not to mention overall lack of interest when I know I won't be going out anywhere.

http://freak-party.tumblr.com/post/42335198967

xxx Lilly