Exit Ritual
Kunoichi.
One part tactical genius. One part mistress of disguise. Portrayed as a nearly invulnerable killing machine in poorly dubbed camp flicks, conveniently located in the Asian imports section of your local video store. Oh, and then there are the porn spoofs.
click for full size
Not like they’re entirely inaccurate
I’ve had to take out many a mob boss by posing as the common whore. Detachment is key. Removing the obstacles that lie in the path of my family’s prosperity has always been the primary objective. The end perpetually justifies the means, and my body is an instrument of espionage and war. Yes, espionage. Along with sabotage and assassination, they were the holy trinity of women like me. Rumored descendants of the Black Dragon Fighting Society, protecting what’s ours ran deep in our blood. Adhering to a strict honor code has been an integral part of who I am since birth.
I feel no remorse for the lives I have taken, as the stinging taste of sorrow was only known to my kind upon failure to carry out our orders. Dressed as a geisha, I made fountains of crimson spray forth from arteries I slashed open using knives carefully stashed in my cherry red kimono sleeves which I’ve managed to keep hidden from view. Well versed in the fine art of the fan dance and traditional tea ceremony, I was the quintessential cultured woman. Truly a gifted entertainer, I have danced for, conversed with and shared the bed of the elite. I also enjoyed the reputation for being highly esteemed in my ruthless efficiency and my tea making skills alike. Rightfully so, as the tea I brewed was quite often the last cup my “clients” would ever drink.
Yet, there’s one flame I will not snuff, one whose blood I cannot spill. As irony would have it, my traitor heart beats for my clan’s sworn enemy. I have come to know his flesh so well; I could pull a poison dressed needle from my hair with relative ease and see this mission to completion. No need for seduction gimmicks and false pillow talk as I had gained his trust some time ago. Disobedience has never been a part of my vocabulary. I have never been the one to question my destiny… Until now.
An honorable death is more desirable than a life in shame.
Divided between love and family, I choose to betray neither. Alas, seppuku is so feudal Japan. Not to mention messy.
I sit on the shores of the river where I once sat with the one I love. The tides here are strongest at dusk. When the Sun has completely set beneath the horizon, the waters will carry me away.
And with this last fan dance, I take my final bow.
This is my exit ritual.
The clothing worn by the kunoichi depended on the situation at hand. Planning to entertain your frienemies at a cyanide lace tea ceremony? Trying to literally charm the pants off the boyfriend of a girl you can’t stand? A fetish geisha inspired look will keep you pretty as you secretly plot their demise.
A show stopping, richly patterned, statement piece such as Looks That Kill Toyko Rose Couture Kimono in the red/black colorway takes the elegance of a timeless piece and infuses it with a modern, sexy twist. [ed note: You can also get lethal kimono styles in the new Looks That Kill and Tokyo Trix groups.]
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A bold accessory for chicks who are so over wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
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When mixing patterns (rising sun detail on the kimono’s sleeve, kanji print on obi, floral lace tights) and textures (PVC and lace) opt for solid color legwear and shoes to avoid a total clusterfuck.
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Hair-a-kiri
To prevent looking like you just raided the craft aisle of Walmart select mixed media hair pieces where synthetic dreads are used as a base. Foam and tubular crin are best used as accents. Much like the addition of spice to food, a little goes a long way. Otherwise the end result tends to be slightly overwhelming.
- Gather your hair into a high ponytail on top of your head. This is imperative. Nothing is sadder than a limp hair fall just chillin’ near the base of your skull, because you confused the “tie my hair back before I go to the gym” ponytail with “I need to support a pound of plastic shit on top of my head” ponytail.
- Twist hair into a bun(think Princess Leia).
- Pin the shit out of the above mentioned bun with bobby pins. When you think you’ve pinned it enough, add 10 more pins.
- Lean forward.
- Grab the fall by the lace that is attached to its base and proceed to wrap said lace around the bottom of the bun.
- Pin it down some more.
- Throw your head back.
- Add more pins for good measure.
- Grab a loose dread and wrap around the base of the now fall covered bun in order to hide the tell tale pins.
- Sneak in a few more covert pins to secure the dread you just wrapped around the whole contraption.
Red epitomizes love, blood and passion. Black is most commonly associated with death, secrecy and darkness. Indulge your brooding love breeds suicide-has-been-on-constant-rotation-in-my-car-since-2001 side by deckin’ out your lids in the official color combination of doomed love affairs everywhere.
General Prep Work
You will need:
Moisturizer ,Primer, Concealer, Liquid Foundation, Foundation Brush, Translucent Powder, Powder brush, Eyeshadow primer
Wash your face with a cleanser formulated especially for your skin type. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a soft cloth. Prep your skin with moisturizer before applying concealer in order to ensure a smoother, flake free application. Before proceeding any further allow your skin to properly absorb the moisturizer. This should take about 10 minutes. Since foundation worn alone often has a nasty habit of settling in the fine lines around your mouth, near your eyes and on your forehead, I highly recommend using a primer after you’ve moisturized your face. Utilizing a small amount of primer helps to fill in unflattering expression lines, pores and scars, thus allowing foundation to actually do its job! Nix blemishes and skin discoloration by gently patting concealer over the trouble area. Follow by blending with your ring finger.
Apply a liquid foundation that best matches your skin tone to your face and neck with a foundation brush (A full dome shaped brush works beautifully). Start by applying small dots in the center of your face and then moving outward]. Set everything in place by finishing off with a thin coat of translucent powder. Use a full, round shaped powder brush for optimal results.
Prep your lids with eyeshadow primer, whose job is to neutralize the colour of your lids which in turn makes for brighter more vibrant shadow. It also prevents said shadow from creasing.
Eyes:
You will need:
Eyeshadow Primer ,Eyeliner that matches your hair color if you draw your eyebrows in, Makeup sealer (optional), Black eyeliner, Ruby red pigment, Gold pearl infused black pigment, Light pink with red duochrome pigment, Frosty off white pressed eyeshadow, Eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge, Blending brush, Fluffy eyeshadow brush, Eyelash curler, Black Mascara
Step 1
Prep your brows by filling them in with a pencil and softening the lines with a small brush or drawing them in if you don’t have them. Eyebrowless ladies like myself should make sure to use a pencil that matches their hair color. After you’re satisfied with the shape of your brows, feel free to seal them with a single coat of a makeup sealer. Last but not least, lightly coat your entire eyelid area with an eyeshadow primer, to build a smooth base for your shadows, pigments and liners.
Step 2
Pining for precision?
Apply clear adhesive tape starting at the outer corner of your eye and extend to the end of your eyebrow. Press down gently with your finger to smooth it out. This little trick gives your eyeshadow an extremely pronounced hard edge, which creates a clean and defined shape.
Let’s paint those eyelids a cardiac arrest inducing shade of red now! Take an eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge and wet it a little. Dip your dampened brush into the ruby red pigment and gently tap, DO NOT SWIPE, the pigment across your entire eyelid from lashline to crease. Don’t worry if you get excess pigment on the tape. Once you’re done with your eye makeup and peel the sticky stuff off, I assure you that any messes you might have made will magically disappear.
Step 3
Using a blending brush add some gold pearl infused black pigment to the outer crease of your eye and bring it down to your lashline on the outer corner of your eyelid. This is also known as the “outer V”. Blend into the ruby red pigment from Step #2. If you shave and draw your brows on you can extend the pigment past your crease and onto the lower part of your browbone, since you obviously have more room to work with. Once again, ignore any fallout that might have ended up on the area you previously taped off.
Step 4
Starting at the inner corner of your eye, using a small fluffy eyeshadow brush tap some light pink pigment outward toward the “V” of gold infused black you applied in Step 3. Blend into the ruby red pigment you added in Step #2. Eyebrowless girls and boys have the option to extend the pigment past the crease and onto the lower part of their browbone the same way they did in Step 3.
At this point, the outer part of your crease (and parts of your browbone if you’re brow-less) should be a metallic black shade, while the inner part should be a slightly reddish pink. Blend both shades into each other at their meeting point which should lie somewhere at the halfway point in the crease of your eye.
Step 5
Clean the fluffy eyeshadow brush you used in the previous step. Sweep some frosty off white shadow directly under your eyebrows[doesn’t matter if they’re drawn on or natural]. Blend the frosty off white eyeshadow into the two colors that you’ve blended into your crease in Step 4, the metallic black and the reddish pink.
Line your bottom lid starting from the outer corner of your eye, slowly making your way toward the inner corner with your favorite brand of black kohl eyeliner. Most of the color should be concentrated in the outer corner. I find that it’s easiest to put on eyeliner after eyeshadow and before mascara. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara.
Now would be a good time to remove the tape and admire your eyeshadow blending skills!
Cheeks:
You will need:
Blush brush ,Peachy pink blush, Bronzer
And now for some cheekbone definition! Swipe some pressed bronzer onto your blush brush . Starting mid-cheek, going towards your ear apply the bronzer into the hollows of your cheeks using short, up-and-down vertical strokes. Darker shades will give the illusion of the hollows of your cheeks receding. Now using the same technique add a peachy pink blush to the apples of your cheeks, which will cause them to protrude. Use translucent powder to blend between the two colors in order to avoid obvious lines. Stripes are for zebras, not for your face.
Lips:
You will need:
Flesh toned lip liner, Shimmering peachy beige lipgloss
Step 1
Filling in your entire lip area prevents your lip color from fading, blurring and feathering throughout the course of the day/evening/night. Use a flesh toned lip liner to fill in your lips starting at the center of your natural lip line and moving toward the outer corners.
Step 2
Ultra glossy near nude lipgloss with a slightly peachy beige tint is truly a perfect finish for your show stopping red, black and white lids! Beginning in the center of your upper lip, gently press the gloss wand into the flesh of your lip and then proceed to roll it over the entire top lip area, working toward the edges. Repeat the process on your bottom lip. Remember kids: Lipstick stained teeth are the polar opposite of sexy. To ensure that your gloss sticks to your mouth and not your teeth put your index finger in your mouth, then proceed to slide it out slowly with your mouth still closed. This will remove any excess lip color.
Who knew that suicide could be so stylish?
Credits:
Photography:
Umbriel Finite Images
http://www.modelmayhem.com/umbrielfinite
Model:
Vanity Kills
http://www.modelmayhem.com/vanitykills
Location:
Sturgeon Point in Evans, NY
<3
Vanity Kills
part tactical genius. One part mistress of disguise. Portrayed as a nearly invulnerable killing machine in poorly dubbed camp flicks, conveniently located in the Asian imports section of your local video store. Oh, and then there are the porn spoofs.
It’s not like they’re entirely inaccurate.
![Photo by Eric Stanze (Taken for the Cinema Edge Awards) [click for full size]](http://www.lip-service.com/webzine/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/NosZombie4.jpg "NosZombie4")
