Colin Christian

Colin Christian is a sculptor of the twisted and creepy, with his work shown in art galleries and museums all over the world, and his distinctive style of work of taking human anatomy, and turning it over on it's head, by making it non human, creepy, and something out a child's nightmare, when you see Colin Christian's work, you'll instantly know he's the artist behind it. Colin and his wife Sas started a small business of making and selling latex rubber costumes for fetish stores around the world, and have been featured in Penthouse and Two Skin magazine!

Taking his knowledge of clothing manufacturing, and combining that with his love for movie special fx makeup, Colin began to produce fiberglass figures and sculptures, which has brought him to where he is today! At this point in his career, he has worked with so many big names, and is exhibited all over the world, including exhibitions in London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Rome, New York, Tokyo, and you can usually find some of his work at the ever so popular art fair Art Basel in Miami, Florida! He was even commisioned by Kanye West to produce artwork for his "Glow in the Dark" tour, back in 2009 (shown below!)

I first saw Colin Christian's work on Tumblr a few months back I believe, but couldn't find any kind of source for who the artist was, so for awhile I just sat with this image of teeth pushing out of flesh, on a face... I then found him on Instagram not too long ago, and just spend so long just scrolling through his feed, and was so hypnotized at the work he produces. 

Follow Colin Christian on Instagram: @ColinChristian

XO
MELANIE

Longboard Girls Crew

The Longboard Girls Crew started in Madrid back in 2010, and their whole message was to get more women into the sport. They started to film videos and post pictures though YouTube, and their Facebook Fan page to get it out there like, "Hey, we're doing this, and you ladies can too! Send us your awesome pictures and videos of you guys doing this too! Grab a board, and get to it!" The really cool thing about how they started this, was that none of them at the time were really pros either, so what these girls were doing was really just supporting girls beginning the sport, and encouraging them that this sport isn't just for the boys, which is a message I can always stand behind.

I've wanted to learn to longboard for years now, but I didn't know anyone who did it, and I was too scared to try on my own. Once I met my girlfriend, and found out that she longboards, it was seriously the best thing she could ever tell me, because I started begging her to teach me instantly! She had a mentor of sorts before, who is a girl named Gloria, and now she's a mentor for me! I picked up a longboard that my mom's boyfriend was given from our neighbors before they moved out, and he wasn't using it, I recently gave it new parts, and I'm ready to really learn!

So basically, just 5 years later, their following expanded so much, making Longboard Girls Crew the biggest longboard community in the world, and one of the biggest in the Action Sports Industry, acknowledges in more than 180 countries with official crews, and ambassadors in more than 70! They have a very acknowledged presence in social media, and have over 14 million views around the world! So, I guess you can say they reached their original goal right? So, what are they working towards now, you may ask?

Now, after all this social media success and attention worldwide, the LGC is working relentlessly to have women in action sports recognized, and not only reinforce their role in the sport industry, but also in society in general. They're working towards making it known that women are under exposed in the action sports industry, and female athletes aren't being marketed when talking about these sports, but the sports industry would rather put a model who doesn't participate in the sport, or they do use an athlete, but have her in very little clothes. LGC is working towards change in the industry, and focusing on being role models for other girls who want to skate, or have just a spark of interest on the subject.

SUPPORT THESE WOMEN. I'll be buying some merch from them very soon, and knowing it is going towards a good cause, because what these ladies are doing is so kick ass, and makes me want to jump on my board right now, and go for a ride. Thank you Longboard Girls Crew for raising awareness in the skating community about girls who skate, and being motivation to every girl who want to begin! You ladies have seriously inspired me to keep learning, and not give up!

Visit the LGC website to learn more about these dope girls! 

Follow Longboard Girls Crew on Instagram: @LongboardGirlsCrew

Watch the video below, and I definitely recommend watching some of their other videos as well! 

XO
MELANIE

Melanie's Monthly Favs~

I really am so happy this year is closing, and a new one will be starting in just a few days! It's been a roller coaster of a year for sure, and I'm definitely happy to have a fresh start.

BEAUTY

I know last month's beauty favorite was red eye shadow looks, so this could be slightly redundant. But recently, I've gotten to use my Kat Von D METAL CRUSH RAW POWER eyeshadow, that I got from Sephora a few months ago, but only used subtly on the eyes. I did this cute red eye for Christmas Eve for work, and for when I went to my girlfriend's family gathering for the holiday as well! I love the way red shadows look on dark eyes, and this eyeshadow is perfect for getting that look! All of Kat Von D's Metal Crush shadows are so gorgeous, but there was something about the red one that when I first saw and swatched it, I knew I would fall in love.

FASHION

I've been really into caps the last couple months! I've bought at least 4 new hats, including the fact that I literally just ordered one while I was writing this post...... ugh. Also, if it's not just buying hats, I've also been very into making basic hats a little cooler, and original by sewing patches onto them! It's a very affordable, easy, and fun way to transform a hat, or anything really, just by adding a patch, or pins!

MUSIC

This one is SO IMPORTANT TO ME. I have been SOOOOO obsessed with Pandora Radio's new THUMBPRINT RADIO!! They added a station, that's basically only songs that you've thumbed up over all the time your account has been made! Thumbprint radio has been the only thing I've been listening to. It's littttttt.

INSTAGRAM

I first initially found Isabel through ShopTunnelVision's page I believe. That was quite awhile ago. I've been seeing her all over the place ever since. This girl has a DOPE style, she's a plus size model, with a beautiful message that she always spreads, about loving yourself. She really is a unique unicorn. I love this girl, seriously. Her Instagram feed is really awesome as well, because she works with companies like ShopTunnelVision, and UNIF!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

XO
MEL

Look Human Clothing & Accessories!

Yesterday, I was getting my hair cut, with my girlfriend, and when I hopped out of the chair, she said she found this website that she knew I would want everything on. When she showed me what she was talking about, she specifically was on the "Feminista" page, with a million feminist shirts and accessories. Instantly, I was hooked. 

"At HUMAN, we believe that every printed object can be a mechanism to declare identity and belonging. We work every day to create compelling clothing, accessories, and home decor for trendsetters and pop culture nerds with a bold sense of humor. Everyone on the HUMAN team has their own unique voice and personality, but we all share in our mission to enable self-expression through exceptional design. Dress Yourself To Express Yourself."

I wish I would have found this website earlier this month, and I would have done a lot of my Christmas shopping from here, because there's really something for just about anybody, on LookHuman! I really just have a general appreciation for witty, funny t shirts, mugs, home decor, and things of that nature, so this website was definitely a really great find on the behalf of Sarah!

XO
MELANIE

Fashion Blogger Duo LOLA AND LORA

Lola and Lora are the girl gang duo from my dreams. Lola aka Flamcis (Left) and Ellen V Lora (Right), are two fashion bloggers who are based out of California, who really are taking over the fashion scene, all via Instagram! They've been featured by Maybelline NY Cosmetics, Lime Crime Cosmetics, they've been featured in the Chris Brown music video for AYO, this list could really go forever honestly.

These ladies travel together, model together, and even design together! They have their own collection on MYVLCLOTHING.COM, a clothing company I've been following for so long, so I was really happy to see they were partnering up in the LOLAXLORA collection!

This duo really is taking over the fashion scene, all via Instagram it seems!

Follow Lola on Instagram: @Flamcis
Follow Ellen on Instagram: @EllenVLora
EllenVLora's Personal Fashion Blog: http://pureevl.com/

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2015

I've been able to watch the VS Fashion every year for the last 5 years, without fail UNTIL THIS YEAR (dumb work..) When I was younger, I would put on these lady bug wings from an old Halloween costume, and do a runway in my room like I was one of the angels!

I'll watch it online tomorrow on my day off, but I looked up the looks and wasn't particularly floored with anything I saw, but I was definitely impressed with a few of them! Here are a few of my favorite looks from the show! 

XO
MELANIE

November Favorites!

November to me just screams BLACK FRIDAY, so as soon as it started, and I started my job at H&M again, I started to prepare for that nightmare instantly. 

BEAUTY

Red Eyeshadow

Something about red eyeshadow looks just screams, "idgaf about your natural beauty standards, I'm a boss bitch," so obviously, I'm into it. I did a red eye like the one above, for Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house, but of course was too concerned about stuffing my face with home cooked Puerto Rican food, that I didn't get any pictures unfortunately.... But it's not something that I won't be doing again, so I'll get a picture eventually.

FASHION

Corset / Underbust

I've been wearing my corset a lot more recently, and falling more in love with it every time I put it on. Hand in hand with this part of my favorites, goes body con dresses and skirts. I've never really liked wearing dressing and skirts that hugged my whole body because I don't have a lot of shape in my mid section, but with my corset, it's literally all I want to wear ever. 

MUSIC

BANKS

I've been really into Pandora recently, and my girlfriend put me onto Marian Hill, and their radio station on Pandora because that's what she usually has playing when she gets ready for the day, and I loved everything I heard, so of course, I added it to my Pandora, and a bunch of music by Banks came up! I've listened to her a bit before, but never was committed or added any of her music to my playlists on Spotify. I. AM. SO. ADDICTED. NOW. THOUGH. I can't express enough how perfect she is. My favorite songs would have to be Better, Brain, and Bedroom Wall. I'm hooked.

INSTAGRAM

@BRETMANROCK

Where do I even start..... The first video of Bretman's that I saw was his HOW TO CONTOUR VIDEO . I remember being in tears watching it, because it was seriously, the funniest shit I'd ever seen. Bretman is hilarous, adorable, and can beat a mug for DAYYYYYYYYS. What a queen.

XO
MELANIE

Orchard Corset Steel Boned Corsets!

Looking like the most "naturally pretty" girl has never been my thing. Obviously, the way I do my makeup, I don't strive to look like a "natural" beauty. I've always wanted to look other worldly, and something more fun! I've had colored hair, I've cut it all off, I've gotten tattoos, I've modified my body, and that is exactly what I've decided to do when it came to the decision of getting my first corset! This past Halloween I got my hands on my mom's corset, that she was wearing with her Mrs. Incredibles costume, and put it on, tightened it up all the way, and it was still very large on me, but pulled everything in, leaving a curved silhouette that I loved instantly! Another part of it was that some of my favorite drag queens corset really extremely, and that was definitely an inspiring aspect to me as well!

After doing some research, I came across OrchardCorset.com! They have tons of different styles or corsets, and they are almost ALWAYS having some kind of sale, so their corsets are very affordable, especially for the quality you're getting with these corsets! I have a couple friends who have gotten their first corset's from Orchard Corset, and they've all loved them as well! 

Orchard Corset has a customer service rep online to chat with you at any time you'd need them, to help you find a corset that will be perfect for you! I ended up going with the black mesh CS411 underbust corset! It's the perfect length for my longer torso, and it's great for wearing under clothes, which I what I'll be doing the most! I took a ton of pictures in different outfits while wearing my corset yesterday, check them out below! 

There are tons of videos about safe waist training, what not to do, and how to pick the perfect one for you! If you're thinking of getting your first corset, do your research first! Orchard Corset has tons of videos on their YouTube channel that can probably answer just about any question you may have! 
Happy/Safe corsetting! <3

XO
MELANIE

Thigh High Boots!

Thigh high boots have been a really big thing more recently, I've noticed. I've always loved the look of it, but never thought there would be a more casual way to style these kinds of shoes, without me looking too "dressed up." This past October I finally decided to purchase a pair of  thigh high boots from Forever 21 for just $50! I bought them for a Halloween look I was doing, never wore that costume, but I got some great boots out of it! I have looked everywhere online, and I've seen so many gorgeous pairs, but I never wanted to buy them anywhere online because I was worried I wouldn't be able to fill them at the thigh because I have thin legs, even though the pair I bought doesn't fit me all the way up, which is why I haven't worn them out yet. Adjustments need to made, when I decide to not be lazy. I would definitely suggest if you're going to get a pair of these, to try them on in store if possible, so you know they'll fit!

I love how versatile boots like this are, and I predict I'll be wearing mine a ton after I adjust them at the thigh! Here are some styles that I love that are worn with thigh high boots! 

XO
MELANIE

WCW: Kristen Lil Bambii // Fashion Blogger and Stylist

So if this post gets really wordy and ranty about how amazing this girl is, I'm apologizing ahead of time. 

Kristen aka Lil Bambii is a 21 year old fashion blogger of LIL BAMI ,stylist, and visual communications major student at  FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising)  based out of Los Angeles, California! I met Kristen a few years ago through Tumblr, back in the days when I was really into Tumblr, and had a ton of internet  friends! We were mutuals, and as time went on, we developed similar styles, and interests! She's always looked like a bad ass Baby Spice babe to me! I remember when I found out she went to FIDM, I was so jealous because it's seriously my dream school. I'm one of those people just does not like school at all, but if I lived in California, I would 100% go to FIDM. I've always wanted to be a stylist myself, so seeing a friend of mine get to do it, and do amazing with it as well, makes me so happy! 

She's been able to work with some really great companies and people like Nicki LIpstick and Gitsie Wood, ShopTunnelVision, and TiltedSole , and she has been featured on my UNIF's Instagram page, which is pretty major in my opinion! She's doing some amazing things, at just 21. She's very inspiring, stylist, and gorgeous. If we lived closer, I know we'd probably be the best of friends! Kristen is my WCW every day, let just be honest. 

Here are some photos from Kristen's blog, Lil Bambi, and a few pictures from shoots that she's styled!

Follow Kristen on Instagram: @_lilbambi

XO
MELANIE

October Favorites!

Since last week's post was more Halloween related, I figured I'd do this week's post about last month's favorites! October was a beautiful month for the most part, and nothing makes me happier than to see the change of color in the leaves, and all of the leaves on the ground. So, if there's a favorite at all for October, it's just the general visual change of season!

BEAUTY

L'oreal Infallible Foundation

I unfortunately ran out of my Born This Way foundation recently, which is a huge bummer because that stuff is amazing, but also good as well, because it gave me a chance to try something new! I like a full coverage foundation, because I have a lot to cover up unfortunately, but I didn't want to spend so much money again, like I did on my Born This Way foundation. I looked up some reviews of some drug store foundations, and asked my online girl gang, and this foundation was recommended a few times! I went out and got it the same day, and I'm in love with it 100%! I'll more than likely continue to purchase it! 

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Back in November I talked about the Sephora brand concealer that I fell in love with, and I found something that I like even better. It's cheaper, and I feel like it works better as well! It's not runny, sticky, and it stays pretty much all day, if you set it of course! I've been using it with the foundation I just talked about, and I love these two products together!

FASHION

Layering Season

I can online do my fashion part of my favorites by summing it all up into one fall trend, and that's LAYERING. Not only does layering outfits look great, but it's obviously very useful, now that the weather is cooling down. Simple looks like putting a collar shirt under a sweater, will amp up any outfit, that much more! 

I've learned a lot about layering from one of my favorite YouTubers, Ari Fitz! An OOTD selfie of mine was actually just in one of her recent TOMBOYISH styling videos, which is also pretty dope. I was wearing a layered look in the picture! HERE'S the video my OOTD picture was featured in! I did a whole post about Ari, awhile back. She's so inspirational, and stylish, ugh.

INSTAGRAM

@CAITMARKS

Caitlin Marks is so major, I can't even handle how amazing she is. Her makeup is always on point, and her fashion as well! She works closely with companies like Teale Coco (a brand I've mentioned here on WCW before) , and Dollskill, two companies that I love so so much! She's really sweet too! Go give her a follow!

XO
MELANIE

Pop Art Zombie Look for Halloween!

HALLOWEEN IS IN THREE DAYS CAN YOU BELIEVE IT DKSFJA;DKSLFJ;ADKLFJAF

My family had a Halloween party this past Saturday, and I didn't feel like doing my HIM costume because I didn't feel like walking around in pumps all night, and I felt like wearing my wig! I've seen SO SO SOOO many of these pop art comic book looking makeup tutorials, and it's no surprise that after finding a ton of those, it turns out there's also a TON of pop art ZOMBIE looks too! These looks are actually surprisingly simple to do believe it or not. I don't consider myself to be a makeup artist, painter, body painter, or anything like that. I like playing with makeup, and I thought I'd try something different. This was my very first go at this kind of makeup, and I think it went pretty well! I pretty much followed the tutorial that I have linked below!

One of my absolute FAVORITE makeup YouTubers, Mykie of GLAM&GORE, did a video tutorial for the "ZOMBAE" look shown above. She's an absolutely genius SFX, glam, body painter, makeup artist. Not only is she talented, she's extremely relatable! I hate when I watch YouTubers and they feel so rehearsed, and I feel like I'm watching a programed robot. Mykie is so silly, and really fun to watch. I feel like I'm just watching a friend when I watch her videos! Follow Mykie on Instagram: @mykie_ !!!! The rest of these zombaes below are also, all Mykie! 

The video I followed more closely was the one shown below by Nicole Guerriero! I love the color scheme she used so much, I hope to try that color scheme next time I do it, or if I do it on anyone else! I did pink on myself because I really just love pink, and wanted to have pink skin for a night! Really, if you know how to make some basic shapes, outlining the shapes you make, color by number, and the basics of highlights and shading, then this is a VERY achievable look! When I did it, I wasn't sure about how it would turn out, but I stuck to it. What you put into it, is what you'll get out of it, as with everything you do! 

As far as tools, and supplies go, all I used was a pink body paint from the craft store that was about $10, some cheap paint brushes, makeup brushes, eyeshadows, and some black and white liquid liner! You don't have to follow these tutorials to a T, it's always good to look up some other picture references and pull different ideas to create an original look which is kind of what I did, even though I followed this one pretty closely! OVER ALL, this was a TON of fun to do. I'd suggest doing it with a desk top mirror in front of you. I didn't have that, so I had to use a small mirror from a contour pallet that I have. You'll want to make sure you've got plenty of time to do this look. I started at about 1:30pm, and finished around 5:00pm, threw on a tutu, a crop top, some tights, and my leopard print UNIF HELLBOUNDS, put some skeleton clips in my wig, and had to rush out the door!

XO
MELANIE

Halloween Costume Ideas for your Girl Gang!

Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday of the year, for obvious reason. You  get to stuff your face with candy, pumpkin carving, costume makeup, body painting, masks, blood, and seeing all kinds of characters brought to life! I love nothing more than seeing everyones different interpretations of tv show characters old and new, movie villains, and cartoon characters casually roaming the streets, and preforming every day mundane tasks. For me personally, picking a costume out can be really exciting, but also very stressful if you can't figure out what to dress as. Yes you can go to your nearest Halloween store, and just pick something off the wall, but when that's just not enough for you (like myself), sometimes you need some inspiration. But what if you want to go out with your fierce girl gang? GOOD NEWS, I think group costumes are easier to pick, than just individual costumes! So here are some ideas for your girl gang, in different group sizes!

Daria and Jane (2)

If your girl gang is you and your one partner in crime, that's 100% okay! Cheers to you guys! I love Daria and Jane so much, and they're definitely an iconic team. Also what's great about these costumes, is that a lot of it, you can probably find similar pieces in your wardrobe, or even your local thrift store! Once you've got your looks down, go celebrate over some pizza!

The Powerpuff Girls (3)

The Powerpuff Girls show was such a huge part of my childhood, and these girls mean the world to me. Personally, this year I've chosen to take a different approach with my costume, and decided to go as the evil villain "HIM" from this show. I would definitely be helpful to have the whole picture painted if there was a group of girls I knew going as Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup! Maybe I'll find them that day, and at least take a picture with them!

Also, can we just take a second to appreciate the girls below who did a warrior inspired take on the PPGs? I love it.

Adventure Time Princesses (2-limitless)

Adventure Time is my favorite modern day children's show, for it's sometimes dry, and adult humor that gets thrown in there from time to time! I love all of the Princesse characters on the show. Pick a few of your favorites, and do it up with your girls!

Spice Girls (5)

Need I say more? GIRL POWER. 90's style is ridiculously popular right now, and tons of retailers are releasing very 90's inspired clothes left and right! Crop tops, flare jeans, rhinestones, platforms, and scrunchies aren't hard to come by nowadays. But beware, if there are two blondes in your group, get ready for the debate of who should be Baby Spice, and good luck!

American Horror Story: Coven Witches (4-5)

I say 4-5 with this one, because you can decide to just be the student witches, or you can also add in Supreme Fiona Goode. These look REALLY great on just about everyone, because everyone looks amazing in black, and that is a fact. For these looks, just think black black black, pops of white, sheer cut outs, maxi/mid dresses, wide brim/floppy hats, boots, umbrellas, and gloves. You can watch the episodes of this season as inspiration! I'll probably do a look similar to this for one night of Halloween, but I'm trying to figure out if anyone will actually thing I'm in a costume, because this is kind of my aesthetic most of the Fall/Winter seasons.

♡ HAPPY HALLOWEEN ♡

XO
MELANIE

Dot Work Tattoos

Dot work, also known as stipple shading, is a shading technique that artists have been doing for many many years in tons of different forms of art, whether it's pencil, ink, paint, digital art, etc. I've never been able to successfully create something that great using stippling, because I'm an impatient person as a whole. When I say that this technique takes time.... It is such an understatement. It's definitely a tedious technique, that one must be very meticulous about where to place every little dot!

When it comes to tattooing, it isn't much different. Dot-work tattoos have been my favorite style of tattoo for quite some time now, I just wasn't been able to find a tattoo artist in my area that I would trust with such a task, until I came across Alan Lott of Dogstar Tattoo Co. and I fell in love with his work instantly! There are tons of artists who do dot-work, and do it well. If you're thinking about getting some dots done, I wouldn't just go to any tattoo artist. I would find someone who has done it quite a bit, of course! I found the guy who did my most recent tattoo, through a page of tattoo artists all around North Carolina! I feel like a lot of states have pages like this on Instagram, so search for one for your state! One of my favorite dot-work artists is the lovely Hannah Pixie Sykes. It's a dream of mine to get tattooed by her for sure!

XO
MELANIE

DUPE THAT!

I've been very into makeup recently, and trying out new products, and finding things that I've really been loving! But with that, I feel like I'm spending SOOOO much money just to keep up with this new interest I've developed! 

I was at a drag show, when I ran into a friend that I don't ever get to hang out with, and she was alone at this show, so I hung out with her, and we started girl gabbing about everything from clothes, corsets, drag queens, and makeup! I was telling her how much I've been spending on makeup, but not in a bragging way. More like a "IHATEMYSELFFORSPENDINGSOMUCHONMAKEUP" kind of way. She asked me if I had ever heard of DUPETHAT, and she pulled their instagram page up, and told me to scroll through!

Dupe That is a website / Instagram (@dupethat) that finds you damn near perfect dupes for makeup and beauty products, such as lipsticks, eyeshadows, bronzers, concealers, and even makeup brushes that are typically on the pricier side! You would really be surprised at how many amazing dupes out there, that you probably wouldn't think you'd be able to find an almost exact match for, and at a really affordable price! If I can find a deal, on something that's already really great, I'll absolutely go for it, and Dupe That has definitely changed the way that I'll be shopping for makeup now!

XO
MELANIE

SEPTEMBER FAVORITES!

2015 needs to slow down, because I feel like I did my August favorites yesterday...... LETS GET RIGHT INTO IT!!!!!!!!

BEAUTY :

Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum

Contouring is still the huge make up trend still this month it seems, and earlier this month I told myself I'd stop using my Kat Von D foundation that's too light for me, as a concealer (IT'S FULL COVERAGE DON'T JUDGE ME.) I wandered into Sephora on a mall visit that I shouldn't have been buying makeup on, and saw they had just came out with a new concealer, and BOOM. I asked an associate at the store about it, and she said it was a dupe for the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (which I love but it's too expensive for me to justify buying) so I was instantly sold. It's definitely not as full coverage with the first layer, like the NARS concealer, but it's definitely buildable. The NARS concealer is $29, and the Sephora one is only $14 and pretty comparable, so it's definitely a new favorite! It blends easily, it comes in 20 shades, it's affordable, and is perfect for a highlight! I'll be repurchasing when I run out for sure!

FASHION:

Warm Beanie

This seems like such a basic thing, but where I live is in a ridiculous in between weather kind of thing right now. It's really warm during the day, and it gets really cool at night, and having a mostly shaved head, I always need to keep a beanie nearby to cover my head and ears. It's easy to throw on, be warm, comfy, and beanies look cute with just about anything, in my opinion!

INSTAGRAM PAGE:

@StudioMucci :

I came across this page through my explore page, and it caught my eye because of a bright pink colored picture like most of the pictures on Amina's feed! Amina Mucciolo is the founder of Studio Mucci Luxury Handmade Goods, a shop of home and party decal! She's best described as a unicorn in human form.

This month was pretty magical, because I got to see Purity Ring in concert, I went to my first Gay Pride festivities and meet some of my favorite drag queens! Overall, it was a pretty good month, but I'm excited to get into October, the spoopiest month of the year! I love Halloween so much, and my costume is going to be MAJOR. I'll probably do a video about that next month, so keep en eye out!

XO
MELANIE

A Few Quick/Easy/Affordable Room Decor Ideas!

In the last year I have moved around living spaces quite a bit, so I'm always decorating, then stripping it all down, and packing up and moving. Hoping that's all being put to rest now, and I can actually call where I'm living now, home for awhile! But with all of this moving around, I've learned quite a few things about making a living space cute, for very little money, and very quickly! Here's a few things I've done!

1.) Obviously.. String Christmas Lights:

This ones pretty obvious, because I know tons of people who have lights up in their house/rooms, year round! I've done this to every room I've lived in for the past 4 years, whether I snagged a few strings of lights from my mom's Christmas lights stash, buying them from a store around that time of year (lots of stores sell them year-round, in different colors depending on the upcoming Halloween,) OR even a thrift store, which was the last place I bought mine and they were just $1.29! To put these up, you can use tape, nails, or thumbtacks, which all take seconds to do!

2.) Pictures/Polaroid Shots:

I recently discovered this little decor tip myself as of the other night! I'm so bad at keeping all of my polaroid pictures together, and I don't have a little photo book for them or anything. So as I've been packing and unpacking this week, I've stumbled across a ton of pictures that I forgot about completely! I started to make a little pile of them, whenever I would find one, and I started to tape them to my wall in my room, with scotch tape, and I'm starting a border of them all around the door to the bathroom, from my room! If you don't have a polaroid camera, no worries! You can use any kind of pictures to do this! 

3.) Frame Yours' and Others' Art:

If you have any kind of prints, or original art pieces made by yourself, or others, get a frame for it, and hang that bad boy up! I refuse to put any kind of paper up on my walls, unless it's framed, (thanks @SkyHookSuicide for teaching me that when I came over that one time!) You can find frames for fairly cheap at your local thrift stores, or dollar stores! Also, tons of websites online have free printable images you can frame if you don't want to go out and buy prints!

4.) Display Shelves:

You can find shelves that are pretty easy to assemble and put up, at craft stores, WalMart, Target, Big Lots or sometimes even a dollar store! I took a little interlocked square shelf from my mom's house that she had for years, but never used, and put my Polaroid camera, a pink mineral rock, and a cute little Zine that I bought from one of my favorite artists, but you can pretty much pick anything you'd like to display, that look cohesive all together! This can also be a form of storage as well!

5.) Little Plant Friends:

As a moving in gift, my friend bought me a little succulent plant as a house warming gift, and we went to the thrift store and bought a little jar pot for him to sit in, and I feel like it ties my desk together! Beware where you sit your plant friend, because they obviously need sunlight to stay alive! I try to move mine from my desk to the windowsill throughout the day! We went to the local farmers market and picked my plant up for about $7, and the pot was just $4 from our local thrift shop!

All of these ideas and TONS more, can be found on Pinterest, if you just search "Home Decor on a Budget," "DIY Decor," "Cheap Home Decor," etc. I go through Pinterest from time to time, and get new inspiration, and ideas when I feel like things are getting boring again, and I redo everything, to keep it fresh! I don't have pictures of my current space, because it's still under decor-construction, but once it's complete, I'll post pictures!

XO
MELANIE

Trius Garments

I wear a hat every single day, so I'm always on the lookout for new hat styles to wear! I'm really into snapbacks and fitted caps recently! I have quite a few of them, so I can always match to what I'm wearing that day! 

Drake once said, "Text from a centerfold, I ain't reply, let 'em know I read it though," and I've never loved a lyric so much, because I can't tell you how many times I've done that. So when I first found Trius Garments, one of their most popular hats, went hand in hand with that idea, with their "I miss you read at 1:43AM," I got a good laugh out of it, and followed their Instagram for more! Trius has some tees, but I feel like they're mostly about their hats, and these hats are major!! I think they go very well with the whole 90's, internet, pale, minimal, style that's been very popular recently!

Definitely check out all of their merchandise, on the Trius website, but I also love their Instagram feed (@triusgarments) , so check them both out!

Trius on Instagram: @triusgarments
Follow the owners of Trius on Instagram:
@bobby_knight
@popenorwalk
@m.m.milhouse

Dead Lotus Couture

I've been on this random kick of obsessing over everything latex, and oil slick. I think it's from watching so many Violet Chachki videos, and consistently lurking her instagram, and watching Rihanna's "S&M" music video a hundred times.

I've always loved vinyl, and latex and I've been especially into it all recently, because I'm planning for my Halloween costume, because I'm going to be Him from Power Puff Girls, and wanted to wear a latex catsuit as skin instead of painting my whole body red. Yesterday, I stumbled across the London / Milan based company, Dead Lotus Couture, and immediately wanted basically everything.

"Dead Lotus Couture's identity is bourne of an emotional world, comprising sinuous, sensual shapes that reveal a dark spiky elegance with a sophisticated touch. Volumes and devious geometry are combined to bring out your foxiest alter ego."

A big part of what DLC stands by, is the way their garments hugs the wearer, so that every curve you want to see, is accentuated to the fullest, and shape your body to it's absolute best! A big part of why I love DLC so much is the photography on their entire site, including their product shots on the listings. All of the women look very powerful, and very sexy! 

Follow Dead Lotus Couture on Instagram:
@nange.magro_dead.lotus.couture

XO
MELANIE

Instagram Makeup VS. Drag Queen Makeup?

"My type of man is a man in a dress!" I always say.

With Drag Queens really coming to the forefront of media and pop culture, I thought I'd chime in a little. ALSO. Before you read any further, and are confused about the difference between DRAG and gender identity, please read this wonderful article I've provided HERE!

The MTV VMA's this past Sunday has been the buzz on everyone's newsfeeds on every social media, I'm sure, because I can't scroll even a second and not see something about Nicki Minaj dragging Miley Cyrus, or seeing #KANYE2020. If you watched the VMA's, or just saw at some point through social media, you probably know that as the 2015 VMA's Hostess' closing performance for the show, Miley Cyrus performed a song "Do It", off of her new album that I have absolutely no intention of listening to after this performance. I've always been sort of on the fence about how I feel about Miley, within the last few years, but I think I have a clear opinion after the VMA's. 

I LOVE DRAG QUEENS SO MUCH. I spend a lot of my free time keeping up with some of my favorite drag queens through their social media, and YouTube accounts, and I go to their shows when they're in town. Drag was introduced to me a few years ago, and I've been addicted ever since. It's inspirational for me in fashion, makeup, and style aspects of it all. I was really disappointed with the performance because the queens were literally used as props for SHOCK value for the mediocre song performance. EVERY single one of those women has a name, identity, and talent and not a single one of them was credited, even with a name. At the very LEAST, they could have been announced as most of them being drag super-stars from RuPaul's Drag Race, or ANYTHING for that matter. I won't drag this out any longer, and make this post more about me complaining about this performance, and let's talk about something VERY relevant, and talked about!

Is Instagram making girls into drag queens? I've been very interested in this topic for awhile now, because I myself follow tons of drag queens, and tons cis-gender female makeup artists, whose makeup  techniques are beginning to mirror each other, whether these women realize it or not. Am I saying it's a bad thing? Nope! Though, I think it's definitely interesting, and something worth talking about! I'm not here to clock the way anyone does their eyebrows, or highlight and contour their faces, but it's definitely good to know where these techniques have come from! 

Makeup artist Wayne Goss has had quite a bit to say on the topic, and as he put it, "We are using the exact same techniques with the same heavy hand..." and basically that these techniques were created to turn a male into a "heightened" featured woman, through the power of makeup, and aesthetics! I'd say I definitely agree with what he says, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I personally have tried some of these techniques myself, probably with a lighter, less experienced hand because I'm not a makeup artist by any means. BUT, if that's what you do with your makeup, and that makes you feel good, do you boo! It's just makeup, and it washes off and down the drain at the end of the day! 

I could talk about this a lot more, but I'll cut myself off right here for now! 

Watch the video below to hear more if you're interested! AGAIN. I'm not telling anyone how to do their makeup, do what makes you happy! It's your face <3

XO
MELANIE