Getting Started with Makeup

One of the most requested topics I get, both online and in workshop requests, is for makeup tutorials. Makeup takes a lot of experimentation and can be frustrating at first, especially if you have never or rarely worn makeup in everyday life to begin with. Everything seems so intimidating! Garish! SCARY!

So here is your invitation to play. Explore. Build up your courage and confidence. And go forth and make your face glamorous!

Here are some videos I like:

A bare beginners lesson in makeup. Not dramatic enough for stage, but is great for helping you understand the steps, what shades of a palette go where, etc. I think her "newbie" tutorial cred gets ditched right around when she decides to do WINGED LINER, so I say skip that business if you're not ready to rock that.
http://youtu.be/vo1HggTYeJk

TheMakeupChair has lots of great videos. This is good, close-up, simple. You can put so many colors in where she puts the golden yellow color.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLhm3u94qo

Wayne Goss has a fantastic "mistake-proof" method that works with any color range and is a great introduction to some simple blending skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEAYXm3ezNg

ATS / Tribal Bellydance Makeup Tutorial and Walkthrough

Here is Part 2 of my tribal bellydance hair and makeup tutorial. If you missed the hair video, part 1 can be found here: http://www.deeprootsdance.com/2014/04/dramatic-hair-for-tribal-bellydance.html

If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. Without further ado...AWAY WE GO!

Fabulous Tribal Styling for Super Short Hair

Anyone in the bellydance world can attest that tribal style hair is an exercise in excess!  It's about bringing together a variety of elements, laying them one atop another until you reach the perfect balance of glamtastic (yes, that's a word) details.  It is a common misconception that one needs lengthy locks to set the foundation for such grandiose beauty--how else will it all stay in place?  Deep Roots Dance is here to bust that myth.  As a short-haired gal myself, I preach from the mountaintops that even short-haired dancers can enjoy glamarrific (also a word) tribal hair, and here's the proof.

In this video, student troupe member Arya Pretlow walks us through her process of styling her hair for an ATS / tribal bellydance performance.  And get this, her hair is even shorter than mine--pixie cut no less!  Watch as she takes us through each step, showing you that with just a little practice and patience, you too can learn to have fabulous, stage-worthy tribal bellydance hair.



YouTube description: A bellydance hair tutorial from Deep Roots Dance, appropriate for ATS hair and tribal or tribal fusion hair. Student Arya Pretlow walks us through her routine for styling her pixie-cut hair for fabulous tribal fusion bellydance performances! Shay videos and interjects a few personal suggestions as well. Note that unedited, this video was only 19 minutes (not too shabby for amazing hair, right?!). We simply had to cut it down to under 15 to fit the YouTube format; so apologies for any abrupt cuts, but really only a few minutes more was all it took to complete this look. You can do it, too!!

(PS Oops, Typo alert! An extra "t" found its way into "occipital shelf". We'll just pretend it stands for "TERRIFIC!")

For more ATS / tribal bellydance tutorials, and articles, as well as class and workshop information, visit http://www.deeprootsdance.com

(PPS Audio was a little odd since we did this in a bathroom. Hope you all can follow along! If you have any questions, get in touch.)

Dread Falls from Acrylic Yarn

Like the author, I too am not a fan of falls that look like hanks of yarn. That's why I always liked the Colinette .5, because from a distance, it looked more like dreads. But how about making some falls from some other acrylic homespun, to the length, thickness, and variation you like? Here is a great tutorial on just that!

http://randomsome1.insanejournal.com/35637.html#cutid1

Stretching your ears: my experience and brief tutorial

As many of my Twitter followers know, last year I decided to start stretching my ears to accept larger gauge jewelry. I did this for two reasons. The most obvious reason to many is the fabulous ethnic jewelry we tribal bellydancers love to indulge in. Large gauge hoops, wood and bone plugs, the works. I of course adored these aesthetics and wanted them for myself. But even before that I had considered stretching to accept simple tunnels for a reason not everyone would know about.

My mother was a lover of chunky gold jewelry in the 80's. She was always wearing some large, heavy earrings of some ilk every day. And as the years wore on, it took its toll on her lobes. The hole continued to stretch, looking somewhat like a cheese-cutting wire slicing downward due to weight and gravity. Finally, several years back, one of her earlobes split, and she had to get surgery to repair it. It was at that moment I started taking a closer look at stretching, because now I, too, wear some pretty heavy jewelry regularly (not every day, but frequently). My ears would often ache after performances from the weight of the jewelry, or even the simple act of wearing a slightly thicker wire than my regular fashion jewelry earrings. And finally, there was the mixed metals and materials these items were made from--some of which when worn in necklaces can cause dancers to suffer rashes or greening or blackening of the skin. I already have a mild silver reaction sometimes with earrings and nose rings, to boot. Putting these metals into the enclosed channel of my ear piercing was surely asking for continued issues down the road. So I was inspired to work toward wearing some smaller tunnels, to reinforce my lobes against the "cheese-cutter-syndrome", as I now call it, and to keep the mysterious metals from direct contact with my skin.

On being an artist: is it this simple?

From http://www.geocities.com/debverhoeven/beinganartist/artist.htm

Contrary to a previous post and link about what it takes to be an artist, this web page asserts that if you think you are an artist, you are. It takes nothing more than messing about with whatever medium you choose. Even just being a slob on a regular basis makes you a "slob-artist"?

"You Are an Artist

You may think you are not an artist at all, but here's the good news--we are all artists. I'm not just talking about painting, drawing and sculpting artists, either.

* If you write you are a word-artist
* If you make music you are a music-artist
* If you make wonderful dishes you are a food-artist
* If you make messes you are a clutter-artist "

You Suck at Photoshop...

A hilarious tutorial on how to retouch images in Photoshop, with a sardonic twist. If regular tutorials bore you to tears, have a laugh and learn a few tricks!

"Warp it up...ya know, like my marriage..."

Mineral Makeup, for those interested

This is a re-post answering some make-up questions I have been asked in the past about my mineral makeup tips!

"Question time: What is your 'foundation primer' versus 'shadow primer?' I know you had talked about the Smashbox primer, but I don't know whether that is a 'foundation primer' or a 'shadow primer' so I am not sure what you mean here, and I am dreadfully curious. I'm also curious about the 'spritz of lavender water.' What's this about?"

Okay, so SmashBox's Photo Finish primer is the foundation primer I was talking about the other day. That is Here It gives you a really smooth start to your foundation, and makes it last longer.

Shadow primer is usually a neutral colored creme-based cosmetic which you put on your lid only. It keeps your shadow longer, keeps it from slipping or separating, and intensifies the color. I only use it for performance, because I don't need that level of lasting and intensity for regular everyday wear.

I just saw this cool little number from Smashbox: a lip and lip primer stick HERE, where each end is one product, though they also sell just a liquid shadow primer. But I personally use Mac Paints in Bare Canvas or Stillife, which is HERE
, which isn't specifically a lid primer, but worked great as one for me. I hear the paint pots work the same way.

Anyway, my favorite thing about using a good primer is the intensifying and lasting power added to ANY shadow. So frankly, a lot of my shadows are cheap-ass brands like Maybelline, Cover Girl, etc. Sure, I like to invest in some favorite colors from Mac and Stila, a little Nars, too. But I don't have to, and using a good primer/cream base can open up a world of more affordable and easily accessible drug store brands for longer wear and performance-worthy color and staying power.

As for the water spritz: Among mineral make-up users, there is a belief that a fine spritz of water after applying all your make-up helps to "set" it. Usually, as the moisture of your skin imbues the foundation, it settles in to your skin (not into the pores, but just blends into your skin visually). By spritzing, you are helping the process along, and helps all the ingredients of your look "melt" together. I have a finishing spray from Aromaleigh (with cucumber and chamomile) that I very much like, but have misplaced recently. My backup is an atomizer with filtered water and a drop of lavender essential oil. You can use whatever scent you like. Most people seem to like rosewater or lavender water.

Now for the record, looking at all the info I have given as of late, it appears that I am some kind of high maintenance make-up gal! I'm not! I resist most of those conventions, and maintain that I am a tomboy at heart. :) I only do the full meal deal for performance or nights on the town. For everyday, I just prep my skin with moisturizer, sometimes primer (but not always), kabuki on my foundation, brush my cheeks with a little warm color, and I am good to go. I usually only set it when I feel like it (or for particularly humid/hot weather where I think I will sweat it off), or for performance or nights out. And only do any eye, brow, or lash color when I am in a whimsical mood or for performance, etc. So mostly a little foundation and done. Ready to go in under 10 minutes, hair and all. LOL

If you want to read some previous posts about my forays into resting various mineral makeups and side-by-side comparisons in photo evidence, check out my compiled tags list of entries for mineral makeup