Planning an Outfit

I'm turning 30 this December and I'm planning to have a big party, just because I can! I already have a venue reserved and most things figured out. But naturally the most important thing is for me to find something fabulous to wear ;D

My other half promised to make me a mini crown, which will be totally awesome, but the rest of the outfit is still a bit vague. I'd like to buy something that I've wanted for a long time, because giving b-day presents to yourself is fun. But then again I wouldn't want to spend a huge amount of money. There's Christmas coming, a trip to Stockholm and I'm dreaming of renovating our kitchen some day, so I'll be needing some cash in the near future.

Something like this one from Pearls & Swine perhaps!

If teleports had been invented and I won the lottery, I would be getting a Sweet Carousel Corsetry piece. But since they are in Canada (Canadian post is notorious for being slow)  and have a long turnaround time, I don't think it's possible any more even if I did have the money. They have gorgeous designs and a made-to-measure corset would be a dream come true.

A fabulous rhinestoned corset by Sweet Carousel Corsetry.

For a cheaper option, I'm looking at Draculacorsets and decorating a corset myself. They offer a imitation of one of the Sweet Carousel designs, which I adore, but it's a bit shady to be making knock-offs. Then again, I would customize the corset, and I most definitely would not do that to the Sweet Carousel one! It can be a pain to find an off-the-rack overbust that fits nicely, but the cut looks like one that could work on my body. I just hope is actually has a nice curve, there are no pictures of it worn by anyone else than the model RazorCandi, and anything looks gorgeous on her! Some off-the-rack corsets don't have a dramatic waistline and make you look like a tube. I'm quite slim, so my corsets need the shaped waistline to actually cinch something in.

Draculacorsets Skeleton Corset. Suspiciously alike to a Sweet Carousel design.

After I've chosen the corset, there's the bottom, since I might want to wear something below the waistline, too ;D If I go for the skeleton overbust, it's so long that I definitely need a skintight bottom to go with it. I was thinking of a mermaid skirt with some lace and a hem that's high in the front so I can show off what ever shoes I decide to wear. Currently I'm planning to make the skirt myself. I just got a new sewing machine and I'm pretty sure I have a pattern for a mermaid skirt lying around somewhere.

Both the corset and skirt could have some extra bling, so I'm planning to buy some heatfix rhinestones. My other half got a heat gun for working with Worbla and I could use it for the rhinestones. I haven't done much with rhinestones, but it doesn't seem too complicated to add them. I could use the same type of stones to decorate the crown and the corset and the skirt so they all match.

Something like these babies from RhineStonesWarehouse on Etsy.

I'm pretty certain I can find suitable shoes from my own closet, there are so many! And plain black pumps might be a good option to go with a sparkly outfit. I've been downsizing my shoe collection to have only shoes that are nice to wear and also look good. I've done a pretty good job because I can basically grab any pair and stand all night in them. Maybe if a very nice pair comes up I could consider buying something new, but it's not likely.

Any tips on rhinestoning things or what type on skirt would go well with a long-line corset? Or how to face the big 30? ;D Many of my friends are getting married and having kids, and I just pet kitties and go to parties, but that's what I like to do, so I plan to continue as long as I feel like it!

Pretty Zombie Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick Review

I came across pictures of Pretty Zombie Cosmetics' liquid matte lipsticks a while ago. I'm a big fan of long-lasting matte lipsticks, they are very easy to wear, but sadly mostly come in boring normal colours. Well not Pretty Zombie's lipsticks! They have black, blue and a few shades of purple!

I got Three Witches, dark blue-based purple, Black Cat, plain black, Purple Poison, medium red-based purple, and Blue Moon, a bright blue.

I have to mention that some people have had experienced very long delivery times with the company. I only became aware of this after making an order, so after I waited until the end of their turnaround time (10 business days) I immediately emailed the company asking for a shipping confirmation or an explanation for the delay. They shipped my order the next day. If you do not wish to try your luck but want the product, you can try this shop that stocks Pretty Zombie lipsticks.

Purple Poison with contouring on the edges with Three Witches.

I tried Purple Poison and Three Witches. Both have a very nice texture and apply thinly, which makes them comfortable to wear for a long-lasting product. The shades are amazing, very bright and work well with my skin tone. The product dries fast, so there's not much time to blend if you want to do contouring. I resolved the problem by applying a thin layer of Purple Poison on the edges of Three Witches, which let the darker color show through a little bit but still made the edges fade nicely.

I really like the product, I'm just a bit disappointed with the company not notifying me when their stated TAT didn't hold. It's only natural to occasionally have things delayed, but especially if there have been problems, they should notify customers.

Full face, I was lazy and just applied the lipstick on no eyeshadow.

Lips before applying a second coat of Purple Poison to fade the edges of Three Witches.

My Favourite Perfumes

I have to say I this time of year is the worst for blogging! When I leave for work, it's dark, and when I come back from work, it's dark. So I ordered a set of lights, lets hope they make things easier. In the mean time, I wanted to tell you of my favourite perfumes.

I recently purchased a lot of 36 Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume samples and have been enjoying them for a few weeks. A few were not for my liking, so I gave them to a friend, but it's been fun to try out a new perfume every morning!

A little coffin shaped box of wonderful smellies!

The ones in the box are the ones I've already tried, the upper pile is the ones I haven't and the lower is the ones I absolutely love.

Playing around with the samples made me want to dig deeper into my perfume stash. Perfume is for me usually the final step in my beauty routine and I easily forget it. Putting on perfume makes me feel feminine and a bit mysterious, so I definitely should do it more often!

I don't have a large collection of perfumes, but I have a few specific types I like. Mostly I wear musky, dark scents with hints of sandalwood, rose, incense or such. But then I also adore light, crispy scents that might have some citrus, green apple or flowers.

These are my current favourites.

Dolce by Dolce & Gabbana.

I believe this is the most expensive perfume I own. I only have two other "brand" perfumes aside it. I won it at a raffle and was unsure if it would suit me, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's light and sophisticated, makes me think of the perfume department of a posh department store. I use it for formal parties where I feel I should appear less alternative than usually.

Raspberry Gingerale, I Smell Like A Witch, Love Oil #20.

The solid scents are by One Hand Washes The Other. I've ordered from a few Halloween collections and some are of the permanent selection. Rasberry Gingerale smells just like a sour candy might taste, and I love sour candy! It's very unique, I've never come across anything like it. Love Oil #20 is by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, it has a musky base and a very strong note of rose that lingers long on my skin.

The grey perfume oil bottle is I Smell Like A Witch by One Hand Washes The Other. The store description says it has "Red & White Roses, Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Smoke, Sandalwood, Patchouli & Vanilla Bean", and I think I can smell most of those in it. It has a slight sweetness to it, but not too overpowering, since patchouli, sandalwood and smoke tone it down. And it does smell like a witch!

Black Forest, Quoth the Raven, Horseman, Victorian Rose, I Smell Like A Witch, Toxid Lotus.

Black Forest is also from Black Phoenix. It's generally dark and musky, very soft and warm. I can't make out any specific notes, but it's very much for my liking. Quoth the Raven is a perfume oil by The Morbid The Merrier, which no longer exists. The bottle with the H is another perfume by the same company, it's called Horseman. Both have a unique depth and the most wonderful combination of musky scents. I use them very sparingly since I can't get more of those when I run out. I have to say Quoth the Raven is probably my all-time favourite perfume, it's just perfect!

Victorian Rose is a simple rose smell, with maybe just a hint of tea or something citrus-like. I like to use it in the summer for just a touch of scent. Toxid Lotus is a sample from One Hand Washes The Other, it smells a little bit like herbs and sandalwood with some sweetness.

Black Forest, Quoth the Raven, I Smell Like A Witch, Love Oil #20, Black Tea, Bitten.

Black Tea smells like its name - of strong, black tea. It has a slight sting to it, followed with a sweeter tea scent. Bitten is plain green apple, crisp, citrus-y and clean. It's one on my summer favourites along with Victorian Rose.

I have a lot of other solid scents, they are so easy to carry with you and have no risk of spilling ever. Perfume oils are my favourite type, since they go a long way with just a tiny bottle and last very well on my skin. Classic spray perfumes are nice, but I like to apply perfume to my wrists and behind my ears, and it's easier to do with solid scents and perfume oils.

Do you have favourite perfumes or certain scents you always go for in a perfume?

Steampunk Samhain

Sorry for the tiny break! There was so much work in arranging the Samhain party that I just had no time to write. But finally here are some pictures of my costume, I was very happy with it! All pictures taken by Ari Rantanen. I was supposed to take some pics of my look myself, but after finishing setting up the venue, I still had to print and cut 200 voting tickets for the audience, eat, finish painting the headdress made by my other half and let it dry, do my hair and make-up, and do the finishing touches to my playlists, so there just was no time!

Headdress - By my other half

Sleeve - Red Queen's Black Legion

Shirt - Second hand

Harness - Red Queen's Black Legion

Corset - Draculacorsets

Brown top skirt - Self made (it used to be a butt-ugly wraparound skirt)

Bustle skirt - Fan + Friend

The evening was great, people had truly awesome costumes and the venue looked really nice and worked well with the amount of people there. I played two sets and only managed to empty the dance floor once (apparently not many Lebanon Hanover fans around!), so I call that a success ;D

The only downside was that I was so busy running around that I didn't have enough time to chat with people, but next time then! I feel like it's been ages since I've seen friends when I've just been at home, working or studying. It was great to go out, even if it was a busy evening, and all the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves too :)

Costume competition winners, just look at those cool outfits!

Samhain is Soon!

I'm getting ready to celebrate Samhain! Like on a few previous years, I'm organizing a goth club with a Samhain/Halloween theme and a costume competition. Last year I made my costume early because I came across a nice and cheap second hand wedding dress. This year I'm pretty late, I just got to know I'm going on a business trip on Thursday and returning on Friday, so I don't have many nights before the party on Saturday.

If you are hanging around Tampere on Saturday, come and party with us! There's great prizes for the competition and you can also win in a raffle just by voting for your favourite costume, so everyone can win. Here's a link to the Facebook event Club Underworld and Bella Morte Release the Bats III!

I originally planned this costume for the Fetish Factory event, but I couldn't go when I got sick. Good thing there's many possible events to wear costumes at! Here's a few snaps of my steampunk themed outfit.

I'm using the bustle skirt I got from Fan + Friend a while ago, but wanted to make it look a bit different. The brown overskirt used to be a wraparound skirt, but I took it apart and sewed it to have pleating in the back and strings for tying in the front. I'm planning to gather it up to get the bustle even bigger, in the pictures it's still just hanging loose.

When finished it will gathered a bit like this! The shirt is from a second hand shop, the harness and sleeve are from Fantasmagoria and the corset is a dramatic points corset from Draculacorsets. I was planning to wear it as underwear, but the shirt didn't have enough fabric in the back to sit nicely on the bustle, so this way it had to be.

Details of the Fantasmagoria sleeve, it has a cool high collar!

And my tired face when trying on the outfit ;D

These thingies are going to become a head dress for the outfit! My other half wanted to make one, I'm quite exited!

I'm really happy with the outfit so far, it might be a little bit hot to wear, but it's still otherwise easy and looks surprisingly good. The only things I bought for it were the skirt and the shirt, and both were discounted second hand garments. I also got to try out my new sewing machine which works like magic after I'm used to fighting with the old one that was so worn down it hardly worked. It's so pleasant to work with good equipment, I should do it more often!

Horn Project

I came across some very nice looking plastic costume horns and decided to buy a few pairs to re-paint them. They were originally glossy with a sloppy red finish on a black base. My other half did the matte black base paint and I'm planning to add some purple and maybe a pearlescent finish or some glitter. The horns looked so nice even after just the base coat that I wanted to take some pictures with them!

The horns have a very nice shape and the texture on them looks good and is an easy surface to paint on. I really like their curve, they look realistic but are still so compact that I don't have to worry about getting stuck on doorways or poking people.

The horns came with a clear silicone ribbon to secure them on your head. I think I have to ditch it and go for a coated rubber band or a headband, since the silicone has so little stretch that the horns seems to slide around a lot. It might just be the fact that the silicone would get a better grip if it didn't have to sit on the shaved side of my head, since it does stay in place under my hair.

What do you guys think? Glitter, shimmer or are they best just as they are now?

Tattoo Post with Bones, Lilies and Lace!

When the tattoo artist who worked on my sleeve asked if I had any good pictures of the finished work, I realised I had not really taken any pics after the background of the moth in my upper inner arm was finished. Here's a few snaps finally in the fading autumn light!

The upper arm and shoulder were done in by a different artist 2012, here's my post of that part of the tattoo.

This post has pictures of the forearm finished, but inner upper arm still bare.

And here you can see the upper arm still missing the background color and lace.

The 2012 parts were done by Hexa at Precious Tattoo and the new parts from this year by Tomppa at Halo Tattoo. I really enjoyed these latest sessions, Halo is a great place with a really relaxed atmosphere and Tomppa has just the sort of style I like! Also he really knows how to do lace, I'm very impressed with the technique.

Roses, lilies and lace. I love the ending the lace has at the wrist, the tattoo artist Tomppa
draw it free-hand right on my skin and it was just perfect right from the start.

You can see here that the flower patterns in the lace are actually not
pure black, they have a little texture that mimics they way thread would
look on actual lace fabric. Also the screaming cat skull, my cats are
very vocal so it's perfect!

The moth shows best from the backside. It's in an ornamental frame with
a deep purple background. The purple might need a little touching up,
but I've been too busy to worry about it much.

Backside of the arm. I really like the lace next to the moth in the frame, it's so
realistic and works very well in tying together the whole tattoo.

Raven skull with a lily.

Moth and lace.

Reverse French Manicure Nails and How To

I saw a wonderful nail polish style in Miss von Xtravaganz's blog and wanted to try it out with different colours. While she had a glamorous matte black and shimmery gold tones, I did mine with a deep, dark purple and bright turquoise.

H&M Capri Breeze on the bottom, Opi Ink on top.

I used Opi Ink, a gorgeous shimmery purple for the main color and bright Capri Breeze by H&M for the accent.

Here's how to do the look:

1. Choose your colors. I recommend having shades of the same depth or using the lighter one as the accent color to achieve a harmonious look.

2. Grab the accent color and apply it on clean, dry nails or on top of your favourite base coat. Paint right next to the cuticles and allow the polish to fade out towards the tip. Paint very thin layers and apply three or four, until you are satisfied with the colour right next to the cuticles. Allow to dry.

3. Take your main colour. Apply it on the nail by first putting the brush down in the center of the nails and carefully pushing it towards the cuticle until the distance is as you want the polish to be situated. By pushing the polish rather than brushing it you can control where it ends better. Don't worry if your cuticle line accent isn't perfect with the first coat of the main color, you can do little modifications with the later layers.

I did two layers of Opi Ink, but you should add until your shade looks as you want it to. If you still want to fix the cuticle line, take a small brush and dip it in the main color and fix the lines carefully with the brush quite dry to avoid accidents.

4. Add a thick top coat to hide any fixes or little irregularities on the nail surface. There can be some due to so many layers of polish. I use Seche Vite top coat which is great for smoothing the surface. With Seche Vite you should allow the surface to dry a few minutes to avoid the polish shrinking.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania Review

A while ago I ordered two Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream's from Cherry Culture. I got Copenhagen, a dark wine red, and this one Transylvania. Transylvania is a very dark purple-ish red. It's the darkest shade in the selection.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania

The color itself is gorgeous, but as you can see in my picture, it's hard to get evenly on the lips. This was my third attempt to take decent photos and even then you can see a weird dark line on the upper lip, right where the colour ended up from the lower lip when I smacked my lips. I've never been able to put on Transylvania without it going blotchy. The effect is a lot less obvious IRL, the camera pics up every tiny imperfection, but some blotchiness is visible.

The problem is that while one, thin layer is easy to apply, it's not nearly as dark as the shade could be, which for me was a disappointment. It's also nowhere near the site swatches with just one thin coat. Even if you let it dry thoroughly, the lower layer will melt when you apply the second layer.

For best results, apply a thin layer as evenly as you can, let dry for ten minutes, then pat another layer on. If it looks blotchy, don't try to fix any spot, you'll just end up wiping the lip cream off. Press your lips gently together and then let dry with your mouth open. Sounds tricky? It is! But Transylvania is such a pretty shade I think it's occasionally worth it :)

If you want to use Transylvania but don't have twenty minutes to spare on applying it, try it as an ombre with another shade. Copenhagen works very well for this, here's a link to my Copenhagen and Transylvania omber lips! The blotchiness does not show when there's another shade as a base.

Here's Transylvania with IsaDora Purple Prune nail polish. IRL they match pretty closely!

Pros

+Large selection of shades

+Very comfortable to wear for a long lasting product

+Easy to apply with the doe foot applicator it comes with

+Can be layered for a darker look

+Only minimal smudging

+Very long lasting

Cons

-Takes some time to set

-Hard to apply evenly when layering if lower layer isn't totally dry

-Availability, Nyx is not sold in Finland to my knowledge

-Transylvania is really tricky to apply, it wants to go on blotchy. Copenhagen does not have this problem

Island Chic Fabulous Look

Inspired by Luna's gorgeous look, I shopped at Glamour Doll Eyes. I had a few samples by them that I had bought years ago, but other than that the company was new to me. Here's a look done with two of their eyeshadows, which sadly look like just one shade because I blended them so much ;D

I used:

Glamour Doll Eyes - Fabulous! (medium turquoise with slight shimmer, on the lid)
Glamour Doll Eyes - Island Chic (dark turquioise with a hint of shimmer, in the crease and blended up, on lower lid)
IsaDora - Highlands palette light champagne shade (in the inner corner)
Mac Fluidline - Blacktrack (black get liner, on upper lash line and waterline)
IsaDora Volume & Curl mascara

IsaDora Purple Prune Nail Polish

I pondered long on buying this nail polish, but now I'm happy that I did! It's by IsaDora and called Purple Prune. It's a very autumn-y shade, a dark purple. I was afraid that it would be too close to something I had but luckily Purple Prune is unique in my collection. It's a dark purple with a slightly brown undertone and muted shimmer. In natural light (as in the pictures) it leans to purple, but in artificial light the brown tone comes out and the polish has a wine red hint to it.

The shade is very easy to wear and works with many other colours, adapting to them by looking more purple or brown. I like IsaDora's formula, the polish is easy to apply and dries in a reasonable time. I apply Seche Vite top coat when the polish has dried to plump it up a bit, my nails have a natural texture that shows through a bit otherwise.

Oh and that pretzel? My friend Nina brought me the most awesome nail stickers form Germany: Essence Oktoberfest collection stickers! What a great country Germany is to have make-up collections that have an Oktoberfest theme ;D And the shade goes so well with the polish!

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Halcyon and A Flush

I'm very fond of my MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer in the shade Kooky, so I wanted to try out their new shades too. These babies are only 3 pounds apiece, which I think is a very fair price for a great matter lipstick. The formula is liquid to matte and they come with a doe-foot applicator.

Funk (of the older colour, not reviewed here), A Flush and Halcyon.

A Flush is a very bright pink. With my skin tone it's almost neon. It applies well and stays on my lips for 6+ hours. After six-ish hours the wear in the middle becomes noticeable, but it's easy to carefully apply a bit more there.

I don't recommend applying more than one layer, the product can then feel very heavy. It does not smudge but comes off in little bits. Feels a bit dry on the lips, but doesn't actually dry them too much, so once you get past the weird feeling, everything is fine. Needs to be removed with a oil-based make-up remover.

A Flush

A Flush

Halcyon is a mauve by my definitions. It's a reddish, brownish earthy tone that I can imagine suits many skin tones. On my it's almost a my-lips-but-better -shade, just makes lips look more defined and adds a little bit of colour, but not so much that it would be noticeable when the lipstick starts to wear off. I had thought based on swatches that Halcyon would be more brown and lighter, but I like it more as it is. A great shade for everyday wear, goes on smooth, not too bright or flashy, and lasts ages on your lips. 

The formula is the same as in A Flush, a second layer makes it feel a bit too heavy for my taste, but one smooth layer is enough and it's easy to get the product go on evenly. I like the doe-foot applicator, it's easy to do sharp edges with it.

Halcyon

Halcyon

The packages a simple and elegant. The product is in a frosted plastic tube and the cap has the same texture. The cap has the company logo in golden lettering. The products generally look a bit lighter in the tube than on lips, as you can see from the picture below.

Funk (not reviewed in this post), A Flush and Halcyon.

Pros

+Good applicator
+Package looks good
+Product is easy to apply
+Lasts on the lips well
+Easy to remove (with an oil-based make-up remover)
-Halcyon is a great shade for many skin tones

Cons

-A Flush is hard to wear as a shade (too neon for me!)
-Availability (MUA is not sold in Finland, I order it through their UK site and pay around five pounds for shipping)