Starry, Starry Night...

I opted for my starry-eye look for Step Up For Autism: Benefit for Autism Speaks.

Each performer in the line-up donated their performance to help raise money for this important cause.  Additionally 100% of the proceeds were donated to the cause.  The entire event was planned, managed and emceed by Kate "Sebastian Las Vegas" Versage, who also performed in the line-up, which was filled with some familiar faces in the Chicago scene including Zander Mander, Mid-Tangent Productions, Yuri Lane and Angelique Munro.

More to come ...

Inspiration for tonight's performance...

Still gathering inspiration for tonight's performance. Think: Japanese / Cabaret / Circus.
I wonder how the look will come out?  These pics are not mine, just inspiration, my will follow soon...

This one is from Doe Deere's Blogazine which, if you are into costume-y makeup, you must check out :)

Gaga Monsters...

Midori, Emily and Danielle (Jim McKenzie behind the video camera).

In response to the Lady Gaga "call-for-entries" we chose to create our own video submission. One of the things I love about her as an artist is the way she and her team continue to create unique concepts and material.  As a part of her current Monster tour she is accepting video content from the public which is incorporated into her tour video as an ongoing, ever evolving group project.  Amazing!

Emily, Matthew and Danielle. (Photo by Jim Mullin).

We shot the video in December and with the help of our amazing videographers (Jim McKenzie and Matt Cornelison) we were able to transform the interiors of my apartment into a surreal and urban backdrop.

Emily, Danielle and Midori. (Photo by Jim Mullin).

The theme Lady gaga chose for this project was "Apocalypse", so our costumes and makeup reflected a futuristic and urban look influenced heavily by, of course, Lady Gaga.  We were lucky to work with Emy CraCra (of Tres Jolie by Emy) and Angel Romero for hair and makeup and Jim Mullin supplied the wardrobe from his JM Couture line.  I will upload links to the final video once its edited, but for now, here are some "behind the scenes stills"!

Midori, makeup and hair by Angel Romero.

Here are some details of the makeup and hair concepts created by Emy Cracra and Angel Romero.

 Midori, makeup and hair by Angel Romero.


































Emily, makeup by Emy Cracra, hair by Angel Romero. (Photo by Jim Mullin).
















 





















Danielle, makeup by Emy Cracra, hair by Angel Romero. (Photo by Jim Mullin).

Matthew, makeup by Angel Romero.

This was such a fun project from beginning to end and came out even better then we expected.  It reminds me that sometimes we just need an excuse to round up or friends and fellow artists and get creative!  So get to it! For those interested, there is still time to submit your entries.  Just go to her link and upload your material: http://www.showstudio.com/project/ladygagasubmit/.

Benetton, I Blame You!

I've always been inspired by creative make up artistry.  Art you can wear, that transforms you as a person.  It all began with those Benetton ads in the 80's that I took waaay too literally.  I haven't been able to find some of the ones I remember, ones that had bright, tribal-esque or theatrical inspired colors in geometric shapes painted asymmetrically on fresh faced models.  If you find them, please, please forward them my way!

 Makeup and Photo by Panda Cat Baby on Flicker

In junior high I remember going to school with my hair in a side ponytail with a neon orange stripe painted on one side (I think it was supposed to be a lightening bolt).  Once I wore a mime stripe over one eye and another time it was a black cross, again, only over one eye (matched my Madonna inspired rosaries). The most avant garde look I came up with involved one green eyebrow and pink eye shadow with little "seeds" painted on the lid.  It was supposed to look like a slice of watermelon... I know.  This last incident may have been the one that inspired the Principal to call me out of class to ask me if "everything was ok at home".

Sadly I don't have pitcures of those early attempts of my own, but I did find these lovely images on Flicker by Panda Cat Baby.  She did the makeup and photography for the image below and the one above.  I still haven't gotten through all over her albums, but already I'm all "Rachel-Zoe-I-Die" over her.

Makeup and Photography by Panda Cat Baby on Flicker

In high school I only continued to get more... "creative" with my hair and makeup themes, which were frequently "conceptual", but I'll save those stories for later ;)

Obviously I still take every opportunity to play "dress up", whether its for a party or a holiday, (or just watching a period film).  My friend sent me this link to the MAC Facebook site that shows techniques for some of their outragous looks: MAC FREAKS OUT BEHIND THE SCENES.

One of my favorite looks from this collection is the Roy Lichtenstein inspired comic book heroine face, painted with little dots:

MAC FREAKS OUT BEHIND THE SCENES.

Roy Lichtenstein

Another favorite source of inspiration is Japanese street fashion.  A constantly evolving melange of western and asian influences, there is always something unexpected transforming there.  

I'm collecting images of my own MUA work for my portfolio... coming soon :)

When Life Hands You Lemons... take pretty pictures of them and rant on your blog!

Attribute it to karma, klutziness or abundant physical electricity but for some reason I seem to be one of those people who occasionally stop watches or seem to cause multiple electronic failures in a room. 

I am admittedly klutzy in that my arms and legs seem magnetically drawn to corners of walls, shelves and coffee tables. And I have been known to walk into plate glass windows and wall mirrors, sober, mind you. As for electricity, I sometimes transfer a shock when touching people or things, my electronics acquire mystery afflictions and the last time my watch suddenly died both hands were directly on midnight. Really.

But truthfully, its probably just karma. When it rains it pours, right? This weekend (after putting together my best, most extensive costume to date) both my cameras broke.



Science of the New Thought (Erastus Whitford Hopkins, 1904)

My video camera just stopped recording image and my still camera flew out of my hand when I tried to photograph a guy dressed as Michael Jackson (but maybe that was his karma ;).

The upside is that, since we marched in the parade this year, there are numerous pictures that other people have taken of us, so will compile an album of photos from various sources. In the mean time I have been playing with filters and crops on the photos that I took with my iphone, which came out more arty than snapshots would have anyway ;) so there.

I'll post more detailed images of the costumes and the parade soon. But for now, please enjoy these images: Halloween 2009: Marie Antionette and Louis XVI march in the North Halsted Street Halloween Parade, Chicago!


COSTUME / HAIR AND MAKEUP UPDATE: 

Costume: I made the costume from a vintage dress (strapless floor length light blue satin), a long crinoline, flowers and ribbon. 
Makeup: The makeup included a sheer layer of white under powder and star shaped beauty mark (women of her era often wore a beauty mark, sometimes in shapes of hearts).  
Wig: The wig was actually 3 wigs: 2 braids used under the main wig as a "bump", a long wavy silver wig that wrapped around a platinum bob wig (for extra height) in an updo.  I puled some of my own hair up and around the sides and into the ponytail to help anchor the whole thing.  I then sprayed down the whole thing in white and silver hairspray... and tons of glitter :)


I was still feeling bummed here because my camera had just broken, but I tried to pull it together for a bittersweet Marie portrait.

I love these portraits of David and me as Marie and Louis. Believe it or not these costumes were his idea.

I can't remember the name of this band, it might have been Chicago Red Line Cabaret (so correct me if I am wrong), so I am just calling them the Rabbit Band, which played music as they marched through the crowd.

This couple was one of the finalists for "Best Couple" in the costume contest. They should have won first place in my opinion. They are dressed as Queen Elizabeth and Walter Raleigh. The costumes were handmade by Kai Wallace (one of the revelers here). Stunning and inspiring!

I'm not sure what this one was supposed to be, but I thought it was a Dr. Seuss character. He stood on 4 foot stilts for extra height. Amazing.

I like pictures like this that have that moving memory feeling, like an unspecific dream or thought you just can't seem to articulate.

This one I am calling "Marie Von D", after Kat, the tattoo artist. If Marie were alive today I think she would take many brave fashion risks, like tattooing her face.

Actually, my aunt has a tattoo on her face, which was her homage to her female mentor, Vali Myers. I would get a tattoo on my face, perhaps. Maybe like the one I have drawn here, a star over my beauty mark.. but then I would miss my beauty mark, which I have named "Elizabeth Taylor" (She has one in the same place)... but maybe I'll save this thought for another post ;)