Illamasqua

ODE TO MY ALTER EGO

MY ALTER EGO IS THE PERSON I WANT TO BECOME.

SHE'S DARKER, BOLDER, BRAVER.

SHE'S A MORE INTERESTING VERSION OF ME.

SHE DOESN'T HOLD BACK.

SHE DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN.

SOMETIMES, I LET MYSELF BECOME MY OTHER I.

WHEN SHE WALKS OUT AND TAKES OVER,

I FALL IN LOVE WITH WHO I AM.

Bindi Bliss

A bindi (meaning a drop, small particle, dot) is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia, usually a dot of red colour applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows, but it can also consist of a sign or piece of jewelry worn at this location. Traditionally the area between the eyebrows is said to be the sixth chakra, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Hinduism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck.

Many Celebrities have donned the Bindi, and personally i love when people embrace other cultures & their fashion, you don't have to have the same beliefs but as long as there's that acknowledgment and respect of the meaning, its a beautiful thing. So, i intend to make a trip to Soho road and make use of the many Asian fashion boutiques that are practically on my door step. 

But for now? some photographic inspiration of course! 

The oh-so 90s Gwen Stefani 

No Doubt - Just A Girl music video

The more recent Katy Perry, inspired by her trip to India.

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Clowning Around

So the fabulous JOEY VIVO and i made plans to meet up the other week and go shopping for props & costumes (which of course would double-up for day wear) and then retreat back to mine to get artsy and make some things. I had such a wonderful day! we browsed EVERYWHERE, from the vintage stores, to the highstreet stores, to the markets (oh such treasury treats in the markets!), so by the time we arrived back at mine time didn't want to be on our side. However, we did manage to squeeze in some 'Clowning Around', using various accessories around my room & those that JOEY brought along and our imagination/creativity we took some fabulous photos:

All in all, yet more time well spent.

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Topshop Wishlist

My wish list from Topshop's new stock:

1. beaded godet maxi dress by  £250  2. lace trim playsuit  £50  3. corsellete leafy lace  £32  4. duffle coat  £80  5. leopard fur collar coat  £85  6. knitted lace jumper  £35  7. yellow auto walker  £18  8. blue baxtar jeans  £40  9. red skinny jeans  £40  10. cap twist sleeve silk shirt  £35  11. lace leotard by RARE  £29  12. SUNFLOWER peep toe platforms  £70  13. large punchlock leather satchel  £90  14. premium check tweed shorts  £38  15. gina dress by MOTEL  £39  16. chain dress by YUKI  £55  17. bow button silk skirt  £38  18. skeleton wedding tee  £20  19. flocked frame purse  £22  20. duck stone  £20  21. LEXI chunky platforms  £70  22. articulated owl drops  £8.50  23. MEMORY almond boots  £35

www.topshop.co.uk

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Faux-Fabulous

Monique Jenkinson aka Fauxnique.

One of a kind female drag queen. I came across Fauxnique after being shown Silencefiction's Lipstique music video, of which she featured in both the song & video. Straight away i was taken by her character, so classy & elegant with a kick of that drag queen flair that we all love, then to top it off her final look at the end of the video was so fabulous i instantly looked her up.

 Her costumes and performances are wonderfully creative, in particular her continuously-changing paper dress in 'Poses', which you can see below:

Fauxnique - Poses

You can see more of her performances on youtube, these are some of my favourites:

Silencefiction - Lipstique

The Tale (skip to 1:30)

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Make(me)Up

Expect alot of posts on theatrical inspiration, especially circus & Clowns. Their makeup comes in all shapes and sizes and is always fun to look at & i would love to re-create a look suitable to do on a night out - it's certainly on my to-do list! 

Love the one on the left!

I can't get enough of how much character you get from this photo. Amazing!

Even the Queen herself likes to clown around!

Lets not forget about the mimes...

Here's a 'prettier' editorial approach:

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.

Another 'race' in the creative world that are known for their extreme makeup are the glorious Drag Queens. Below is a music video for Silencefiction's Lipstique, featuring female drag queen Fauxnique. I instantly fell in love with their sass and expression when a friend first showed me this. I also love Fauxnique's final look.

Silencefiction - Lipstique (featuring Fauxnique)

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Androgynous Retro

Following on from my wanting to re-create the Butch Walker look, i also took a shine to the classy style of the gentlemen pictured below. I was drawn in by the Jazzy blazers, smart-chic, cute bow/silk ties, boater hats and the overall clean/classy look. So I'm on the look out for a jazzy blazer, bow, basic braces & smart trousers. Lush.

Image taken from http://www.diaryofavintagegirl.com/

Image taken from http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Image taken from http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Image taken from http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

I then came across this image & loved the lady on the left; oozing with sass & style.

Image taken from Google

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