Cassandra Luger and Rogue of Crüxshadows - see full size in gallery below

This coming month, we have a killer change of pace in our On the Road with Stertch Fuck’n Jeans feature. Not only are we segueing from rock ‘n’ roll to goth-wave dance … our weekly guitarist/correspondent is … yes … *GASP* … FEMALE! For the next four weeks, we’ll be following Cassandra Luger from Crüxshadows as the Florida band tours Europe.

A bit about Crüxshadows (from their website)
One of the most enduring acts of the entire Darkwave subculture is the Florida based group The Crüxshadows. Originally formed in 1992, The Crüxshadows have consistently delivered their positive message through the portal of synth pop hooks and dark electronics to a massive international fan base of followers. From their self-released debut, the 1993 album Night Crawls In, right through to the present, The Crüxshadows have formulated their success out of old fashioned hard work.  They have logged an impressive one thousand plus performances in over thirty countries via their many marathon-like tours.

With the release of the seminal Telemetry of a Fallen Angel (existing in a few incarnations prior to Dancing Ferret Discs’ version in 1997), The Crüxshadows enjoyed their first defining moment courtesy of the infinitely catchy dance floor anthem “Marilyn My Bitterness.” With additional strong releases including The Mystery of the Whisper (1999), Until the Voices Fade (1999) and Paradox Addendum (2000) backed by lengthy tours, The Crüxshadows were able to build a legion of diversified fans consisting of everything from jarheads to gamers to anime & role playing enthusiasts.

Although The Crüxshadows maintain a strong fan base in their native United States, their most perceptible success seems to be  focused in Europe.   It is not uncommon for the band to share stages with the likes of Ladytron, Prodigy, The Cure, or even Bjork. The 2002 Tears EP topped the Deutsche Alternative Charts for months, a practice that has continued with all subsequent releases soaring to the DAC’s Top 10. “I don’t think we’re actually more popular there (In Europe)” says Rogue, Crüxshadows’ forntman and mastermind, “It just seems like there is more access to our fans.  What we do has more acceptance by the powers that be.  In America it feels like all of our victories are covered up or are unacknowledged by the media.”  2002 also saw the release of their fifth full-length album Wishfire; a fan favorite that featured the Euro hit “Tears” and a number of other dark dance mainstays. Similarly the follow-up album Ethernaut (released in 2003) brought the band what has become one of its most notable tracks, the European club anthem entitled “Winterborn (This Sacrifice).”

Crüxshadows - see full size in gallery below

In 2006 the band would seem to breakaway from their underground moniker.  The addictive single “Sophia” impressively debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts in September at position #1, replacing Beyoncé in the top spot while landing  #7 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart.  “We couldn’t believe it, doors began to open.  It was as if we couldn’t be ignored anymore, after a decade and a half we seemed to be getting some respect.  The local news in Florida even put us on the nightly news to get our take on the whole thing”, the frontman recalls.  The following year was pivotal for The Crüxshadows; in May the band successfully toured China performing at the Midi Open-Air Festival in Beijing, in the presence of many thousands of new fans. Later that year the band released the highly anticipated Dreamcypher album that contained yet another Billboard #1 Dance Single with the song “Birthday.”  This time the band climbed into the #2 spot on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart.  With Dreamcypher, The Crüxshadows melded their fondness for 1980s Synth Pop/New Romantic sounds with modern Euro dance nuances into perfection.  Dreamcypher joins the aforementioned shimmering “Sophia” and “Birthday” with the guitar fronted “Defender” and the majestic sounding “Eye of the Storm.”  The infectious disc would become The Crüxshadows’ best selling album to date both in the United States and abroad.

Crüxshadows - see full size in gallery below

The following year witnessed another single marching up the Billboard charts.  “Immortal” continued the bands musical string of hits. While The Crüxshadows spent most of 2009 touring in Europe, the band still managed to release yet another successful Billboard charting single in America.   “Quicksilver” debuted just in time for their annual appearance at Atlanta’s famed Dragon*Con Convention before an impressive capacity crowd of several thousand of their most loyal fans. “I think the new single, and really the most recent releases in general, are our most polished and well written work” says Rogue, “but there are still those in the scene, and in the business in general, that just think the whole thing is just dumb luck.”  Seemingly too pop for many critics and too underground for the industry, the band has apparently found the perfect balance for the people who matter the most to them; their fans.

Get more info about the band at Crüxshadows official site
Check out some Crüxshadows videos

We had a chance to ask Cassandra a few questions before she set off on tour.

LS Webzine: How long have you been w/ Crüxshadows in it’s 17 years together?
Cassandra Luger: I’ve only been with the band since April of this year but it feels like a lot longer. Spending almost every day with your band makes you feel like you’ve been there forever

LS: There are currently 7 members in Crüxshadows – how well does that work while touring? Do you all get along, really?
CL: we actually have nine people on the road with us and I’d say that the hardest thing about being on the road in Europe would probably be the fact that we currently use a nine passenger van so we’re all packed pretty tightly. Some days are worse than others, but we get along really well. It’s just the right group of people in the right room.

Cassandra Luger of Crüxshadows - see full size in gallery below

LS: How long have you been a musician and was guitar your favorite? Have you been in other bands?
CL: I’ve been playing music since I was a whopping three years old when my grandmother would take me to piano classes and I’d sit under the keyboard for the entire lesson. I didn’t start playing guitar until I was in high school and taking it for a class but I fell in love with it. I’ve been active on the Tallahassee music scene for the past few years, making merch and all that but the Cruxshadows is the first band I’ve been in.

LS: The band’s motto is “Live, love, be, believe,” – do you have to tattoo that anywhere to be a band member? (Just kidding). Seriously, do you all contribute to the songs, musically and lyrically?
CL: We all do believe in the motto but no one has gotten it tattooed…yet. Rogue is definitely the primary song writer but we all are able to contribute musically, and make our parts our own.

LS: What’s your favorite place to play a live show? How was it performing for the 2009 Gothic Cruise?
CL: My favorite place to play this pas year was definitely M’Era Luna, I was looking out at a sea of people to the horizon line. It was my third show…ever. It kind of made an impact. I loved playing on the Gothic Cruise but it was hard to jump around like a maniac on a moving boat. Every time I’d leave the ground and land, the floor would be in a different place.

LS: What’s your number one must have fashion accessory (or accessories….!)?
CL: I would definitely say that the thing that I NEVER take off would be my rings, four on my left hand and five on my right. I’ve been collecting them since I was young and I wear them everywhere. Even when I play.

LS: How easy is it to stay looking great while on the road? Any insider secrets?
CL: Seeing as I didn’t start voluntarily wearing make-up or styling my hair until I was almost seventeen I’ve had to figure out a lot of things on the fly, but I’ve learned that eyeliner pretty much fixes everything. And if I’m too far gone, Jessica can usually fix those problems.

LS: Anything you want to say the Lip Service fans our there who have never heard of Crüxshadows ?
CL: I would say that you fashion addicts need to go and check out the website! Why haven’t you gone yet? What are you doing still reading this? The interview is over…Go! :-)

click for full size

Italy Italy Italy! What can I say? It’s heaven on earth. Pizza & Peroni all the way. I’d go back tomorrow if I could.

Now about the last show…Green Day has a tradition of pranking the opening band. We got it pretty good! The details are a little blurry. Before we went on, they filled all of our water bottles with vodka, so I was already hammered before the 2nd song. Let’s just say that by the end of our set, the stage was covered (and I do mean COVERED) in toilet paper, vodka, shaving cream, tequila, confetti, feathers and Gold Bond powder. To get revenge, we ran up on stage in matching track suits during their set and flashed some mangina to the band. It was pretty nasty!

**note from the Webmistress … We have some evidence and photos coming soon. In the meanwhile, we have a taste of the Prima Donna and Green Day prank madness in this crazy bit of video**

Green Day is the absolute best band to go on tour with! I wish I could do it all again!
=Kevin Preston=

Bad Lieutenant Nos by Chad Michael Ward - see full size in gallery below

Chad Cherry and I share the same exuberant passion for horror and exploitation movies. In fact, when we start talking about what we’re gonna cover next it’s hard to narrow it down to one idea! But this month we wanted to do something extra special so we decided to cover one of our favorite directors: Abel Ferrara.

Chad Cherry - see full size original in the gallery below

Much has been said on Mr. Ferrara so rather than drag over the same boring facts you’ve heard a thousand times, We’d rather touch on his brilliant films and what they mean to us. Evil Sex rocker Chad Cherry does offer this little bit of insight into Ferrara’s early days: He directed a very awkward and confusing porno movies under his alias, Jimmy Laine, with the quaint title “THE NINE LIVES OF A WET PUSSY”. He stars in it but he doesn’t do any of the olr’ in and out, if ya catch my drift. That’s right! Ferrara knows how to get this party started with a skin flick. Well done Mr. Laine. He also went by Jimmy Laine when acting in THE DRILLER KILLER (which he played the lead in) and Ms.45. (He plays the first rapist.)

Ahh yes, Abel Ferrara you had me at-

see full size in gallery below

BAD LIEUTENANT: Originally one of the first movies rated NC-17 for sexual violence, strong humping situations, naughty language, and hardcore drug use … and it’s a police lieutenant that does all this! A corrupt, smacked out, cocaine sniffin’, angry sex addicted, badge wearin’ po-po. To serve and inject! Bitchin’ dooods.

Harvey fucking Keitel. I really can’t say enough about this incredible actor. BAD LIEUTENANT is my favorite movie that Keitel has ever starred in. What Ferrara was able to pull out of Harvey was truly Oscar worthy. I still cry during the church scene. This movie is so raw and honest, one of Ferrara’s more poetic films. It’s really sad that the “remake” looks like such crap. Then again I’ve been assured that it’s not really a remake. They just took the name. – And that my friends is what we call “saving face”.

THE BODYSNATCHERS: Okay this movie has been done SEVERAL times. Seriously there’s a version of it to fit your every mood. You have the 1950’s Don Siegel b-movie classic, that creepy 70’s version with Leonard Nimoy and the fucking human head dog (that STILL gives me nightmares), the shitty Nicole Kidman thing, and right in the middle is Ferrara’s early 90’s version with the sexy Gabrielle Anwar. I can never really decide if I like this movie or not. The higher budget feels a little weird for one of his films. There is this overwhelming sense of dread throughout the whole movie that’s very intriguing. I still watch it about once a year.

Plant like pods that take over earth by killing off humans while they sleep and replace their bodies with emotionless carbon copies that work together to take over the human race!!! This must be based on a true story because … well holy shit!! I think it’s happening right now!!! I’m outta here!!!!

see full size in gallery below

THE ADDICTION: A black-n-white gem of a flick. Out main girl Kathleen who is a philosophy student, gets attacked by a woman that bites the hell out of her neck and drinks her blood!!! And you know what’s next right? You guessed it punks. “SYMPTOMS OF VAMPIRISM”. Say bye, bye to sunlight Kathleen. My favorite scene (and you will understand why) is when out lil’ blood sucker savages some poor shmo’s jugular at her graduation party. And then takes it up a notch by participating in a chaotic blood soaked, killer vampire orgy!!! Hello sexy town!!! If you really pay attention to this movie it’s an allegory about drug addiction. Oh yeah, and one more thing … Christopher Walken.

But this is the best (my opinion rules) …

DRILLER KILLER: Oh yes … truly one of the greats in exploitation cinema. I think it was this movie that made me develop a lifelong crush on Ferrara. Maybe it’s because he plays that starving artist thing so well! It’s the perfect film for when you’re having one of those days. You know the kind where you want your roommates, lovers and family members to drop off the face of the planet? Just put this flick in and you’ll feel better. Promise. I love that after 30 years the gore still holds up in this film! Powerful, scary, and sexy, this movie has made a lasting impression on me.

The 1979 grindhouse slasher cult classic that was banned in the U.K. and in Germany. It’s one of the “first video nasties” in the United Kingdom, and has that great sleazy grainy film quality to it. Our boy Abel Ferrara not only directs this bastard of a movies but also stars as Reno Miller, a struggling artist and bum hater. A.K.A. “Driller Killers”!!!

The British punk band THE DAMNED (Hell Yayeah!) refer to this baby in their song “Nasty”, a Swedish crust punk band dawns their name from the title, the Danish psycho-billy band THE NEKROMANTIX (Currently on tour with ROB ZOMBIE), U.K. punk rockers DISORDER, and the U.S. death metal band MORTICIAN (who use wicked samples from this puppy) all have songs inspired by DRILLER KILLER. Alright now, that shit ROCKS!!! Hey Reno, are you wearing lipstick and drilling people to death? Oh, I guess you are. Artists. So creative.

And we can’t forget …

see full size in gallery below

MS.45: Not gonna lie … this movie is the reason I wanted to be a model/actress. A very dear friend of mine loaned me an un-abridged copy of this when I was 17. I was completely blown away by it. Zoe Lund plays the character of Thana, a mute seamstress working in New York. After being attacked twice in the same day she takes revenge on all men. Lund portrays a great deal of strength while still maintaining her feminine side… with a performance that is truly something to marvel at. Ferrara has an understanding of the female that surpasses most men. Pretty safe to say that I’m in love with him.

So that wraps up our little tribute to Able Ferrara. These films are just the tip of the ice! He continues to out stupid good movies on the regular. If you’ve never seen anything by him, I hope this column has persuaded you to seek out his work!

Here is a small sampling of posters and images of Abel Ferrara’s work:

Now what have Chad Cherry and I been up to ?

I rarely have time off from THE LAST VEGAS with all the touring, filming, grave diggin’, TLV astro physic teachings, ect … or from writing the sound tracks to the mayhem all you humans create, but when I do, I like to get dressed up in all my bad ass LIP SERVICE stage clothes, put on some blood red lip stick and hit a night on the town Driller Killer style. (Did I just write that? Yes I did.) ROCK ON ABEL for making kick ass flicks, AND ROCK ON LIP SERVICE for making every one so goddamn hot! See you all next time, and I’ll see you all on the wild side. – CHAD CHERRY.

These last few months of 2009 have been wicked productive for me! Not only have I been keeping up with my SCARS BLOG (scarsmagazine.com/blog/nos-blog/) and writing for LIP SERVICE but I’ve also taken on a new project. I’ve joined forces with the amazing folks of CIRCUS HOOKER (chsregime.com/) and am now in development of my own site! Soon you will be able to see hundreds of my photos and videos in one handy dandy place! How cool is that? Rest assured I will be wearing some sexy Lip Service in the photos …

Here is a tiny sample of photos from the Goddess of Gore site:

Nos photo credits:

photos 1 – 2:

photography by: Wicked Illusions

photos 3 – 5:

photography by: Chad Michael Ward

A launch date hasn’t been set yet but Lippy fans will be the first to know!

Can’t wait that long? Well I also have my own merch site set up! myblackumbrealla.com) Signed Nos prints and DVDs are available for your pleasure! – Nos

see full size in gallery below

Greetings from Lippy land, another great weekend has passed with lots to tell!

I took a day trip down to Hawleywood barber shop (at 2234 4th st) for the true old school experience! This men-only sanctuary offers the best in rockabilly and classic cuts but also caters to guys like myself who know the meaning of, “It’s not just a hair style it’s a way of life.” Hot towels, straight razor shaves and barbers who dress like gentleman gangsters gives this place I vibe that has to be witnessed to understand! I decided it was time for a slight change and chopped the back of my Mohawk, going for the classic “shark fin” angled sharp and tight! Jimmy hooked it up and I was stoked with the result.

4th st has a cool strip of Vintage and alternative shopping that’s worth a trip, and I was soon cruising for new Lip Service accounts, meeting some great folks, making some contacts, then heading back to Hollywood for a night at Clockwork, drinks dancing and good times!

Saturday I hit the Redwood Bar downtown for the Chop Tops from Santa Cruz, a great little bar with an old school “Barbary Coast” vibe that also hosts a great Sunday afternoon country/rockabilly scene. The Chop Tops raised the roof with their brand of revved up rockabilly and I got a chance to meet and hang with them before and after the show. At one point Sinner, their towering singer drummer, helped break up 1 of 2 fights (one a girl fight) out front before their set. I think it just pumped him up, as he was a madman on the stage, and everyone left sweaty, and stinkin’ of PBR!

see full sized photo in gallery below

Dragged my ass out of bed early Sunday morning and took a road trip out to Big Bear for an early season day of snowboarding! Had a blast and me and my girl Angelic brought our friend Reptyle from Hawaii, who got to see snow for the first time on his birthday!! Great day! Cant wait for the season to really kick into gear.

Back to the adventure this week finds me hard at work with the Plastic Hassle team designing the new Service menswear line catalog. I went from sales, to model, to writer, and back to more sales by the end of the day. Had another meeting today, where the graphics artist Jason Redwood unveiled the next batch of Service designs. I’ll keep you posted when the first 4 designs are up on the retail site and, let me tell you, the next 6 are badass!!

In regular Lippy news, we are preparing for a trade show in Hong Kong, then going back to the Halloween & Party Expo in Houston Jan. 23-26th. The Expo is a great costume and Clubwear show we have not done for at least 5 years. We are getting ready to introduce our new packaged costume line, that we will feature at the show along with our classic costume and dress-up styles. After that, Magic in Vegas, then on to London for the London Edge trade show. Sometimes looking at the calendar can give me anxiety but then again its exciting and all part of the adventure we call LIP SERVICE!!!!

I threw in a couple photos from my band Jetboy’s gig with Alice Cooper which I finally got today courtesy of Danni Valdez at Shutter to Think photography and as always he did a great job capturing the moment.
Have a great week, and remember…..
Fashion+Music=Life

Mickey Finn

click for full size

click for full size

My ambitions were always bigger than what the shitty upstate New York town I was born and raised in could hold.

At the tender age of five, I decided that I wanted to take over Hollywood. Nothing and no one would stop me. Not even the end of the fucking world. I was spoon-fed horror stories about how Tinseltown eats aspiring starlets alive, but I didn’t let it deter me. Not in the slightest. Matter of factly, the more naysayers seemed to come out of the woodwork, the more I was determined to make it big. Saying “FUCK YOU” to hordes of “well meaning” disbelievers so eager to write me off me as just another self absorbed, delusional, naïve teenager with pie-in-the-sky fantasies of stardom would make victory so much sweeter in the end.

I took my craft as an actor seriously: conscientiously fine tuning my method acting and reciting monologues; holed-up within the depths of an old subterranean bunker, conveniently located in the seedy underbelly of Albany’s generally vacated, boarded up ghetto.  Most dared not to come here, so I was free to indulge in perfecting my thespian techniques, completely uninterrupted. In silence and solitude I relentlessly pursued my dreams.  Often taking refuge in my underground chamber for days on end(maybe even weeks, but who’s counting), I’d eat, sleep and breathe my art, blissfully unaware of the outside world.

Alas, resurfacing for the purpose of obtaining food was in order from time to time.

Reluctantly, I opted to rejoin the drab society which scuttled-about above.

click for full size

My best laid plans quickly went awry as I discovered that the world I seemingly re-entered was nothing more than some cruelly ironic Twilight Zone -esque joke.  I wandered the streets littered with partially charred corpses, crumbled remains of once-majestic concrete structures and crushed, overturned automobiles. Except this wasn’t a rerun aired on the SCI-FI channel’s annual Fourth of July marathon of a mid-century television series…this was my life! Welcome to Earth: Population- ME!

Befuddled, I attempted to piece my shattered sense of reality together. What could’ve caused such destruction and loss of lives on a global scale?

Nuclear holocaust?

Surely the radiation would’ve roasted my skin by now.

Mutant strain of the fierce and dreaded llama flu?

That didn’t explain the human BBQ which surrounded me.

Godzilla?

Actually, that made the most sense.

As I sought solace to hone the skills that would propel me to fame, fortune and a luxurious lifestyle fit for a queen, the world came to a crashing halt.  “Be careful what you wish for”, forewarned a cautionary tale we were all told as children. Here amongst cadavers, dust and ashes I was the most important woman on Earth.

I didn’t need Hollywood anymore, as my aspirations had surpassed it as well.

All the world was my stage.

It’s been said that limitations cause creativity to prosper.

And luckily, corpses are a forgiving public. I have my eye on a particular semi-smoldered gentleman who resembles Brad Pitt, from the still partially intact left side of his face when the light hits it the right way. I might just ask him to be my date to the Academy Awards. He’s a little stiff, but I’m really hoping that he’ll warm up to me once he lays his eye on the red vinyl dress I plan on making my Oscar acceptance speech in. Being under-dressed is the worst feeling, so I’d rather overdo it. Even if the legions of my adoring fans have been in various stages of decomposition for quite some time.

My mission was to lead a camera-ready Hollywood existence. I’d say I accomplished it with ease. I was Vivien Leigh today, Joan Crawford tomorrow and Milla Jovovich whenever I fucking pleased. Always in my party dress, my status as the eternal “It Girl” has officially been solidified. It’s truly good to be queen. It might be lonely on top but it sure as hell feels glorious to look at everyone else at the bottom.

Here in these abandoned places, amongst ruins and decay I have found my way home.

Mix modern fabrics and silhouettes with vintage screen siren glamour from the golden age of Hollywood for a scene stealing look that rolls out the red carpet for the Apocalypse.

Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics’ Torture Gown

“In Tinseltown, aspiring starlets were a dime a dozen and this city chewed them up and spat them out”

Stand out from the pack of wannabes with Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics’ Torture Gown in the candy apple red colorway. If you rock a complicated frock, keep the jewelry minimal; you want to avoid looking as if you piled on every accessory you own, which tends to make the wearer look juvenile.

+

A black veiled pillbox hat adds a hint of vintage chic to this “Fetish meets Old Hollywood” ensemble.

+

Chunky platforms rise to the occasion and prevent your crazed mob of fanboys from stomping on your Sunday’s best. Naturally, a hot bodyguard helps as well.

Optional:

A black, fur-trimmed cardigan keeps the revealing cleavage in check.

Sleeve Savvy:

Did you know that the Torture Gown’s sleeves are removable and could be worn separately as gloves?

Try them with these currently in stock styles for a new twist on a classic favorite.

#38-576 (Hardcore Racer Back Cami Top from Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics)

#38-559 (Fainting Room Corset from Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics)

#38-86 (Lippy’s classic best selling Sleeping Beauty Corset from Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics)

#69-10 (Buckled Cincher ) paired with #38-180(Add Two Cups of Sugar Bra) both from the Patent Vinyl and Vegi Leather Classics line.

#38-575 (Side Strap Dress) from the Passion Killer PVC line.

Making waves:

1. Prep your slightly dampened tresses with a quarter sized dab of gel.
2. Blow dry as usual.
3. Wind two–inch chunks of hair around a curling iron.
4. Hold for five seconds each.
5. Gently brush out the curls using your fingers.
6. Finish off by adding a quick misting of a glossing spray.

Red She Said
Remix retro lips by pairing them with muted brick eyeshadow instead of the usual “liquid eyeliner cat eye and crimson lipstick” routine.

General Prep Work
You will need:
Moisturizer ,Primer, Concealer, Matte liquid Foundation, Foundation Brush, Translucent Powder, Powder brush, Eyeshadow primer

1. 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.
2. Before proceeding any further allow your skin to properly absorb the moisturizer. This should take about 10 minutes.
3. 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!
4. Nix blemishes and skin discoloration by gently patting concealer over the trouble area. Follow by blending with your ring finger.
5. Apply a matte 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].
6. Set everything in place by finishing off with a thin coat of translucent powder. Use a full, round shaped powder brush for optimal results.
7. 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, Cream beige eyeshadow, Reddish brick pressed eyeshadow, Frosty champagne eyeshadow, Eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge, Blending brush, Fluffy eyeshadow brush, Eyelash curler, Black Mascara

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.
2. Using a brush with a round/tapered edge apply cream beige eyeshadow across your entire eyelid from lashline to crease.
3. With the help of blending brush add some reddish brick eyeshadow 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”.
4. Sweep some frosty champagne shadow directly under your eyebrows.
5. 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.
6. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara.

Cheeks:
You will need:
Blush brush ,Peachy pink blush, Bronzer

1. Get cheeky with gorgeously sculpted cheekbones! Swipe some pressed bronzer onto your blush brush .
2. 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.
3. 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.

Tip: To attain the much sought after illusion of having a statuesquely chiseled face, dust bronzer along your jawline and hairline.

Lips:
You will need:
Red toned lip liner, Red lipstick, Small tapered lip brush

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 red lip liner to fill in your lips starting at the center of your natural lip line and moving toward the outer corners.
2. Reds can be tricky. For a softer, more precise look apply the color to the center of your lip and then proceed to distribute it over the entire lip area with a small tapered lip brush.

Credits
Photography: Danielle McGraw Photography
Model: Vanity Kills
Location: Port of Albany, Albany, NY

click for full size

I am blazing thru my column this week, a bit late as I was swamped with sales yesterday and had rehearsal with my new Psycho band last night “Cold Blue Rebels” featuring Danny Dangerous and Joe Normal form the Zeros and Spaz Draztik from the Glamour Punks.

click for full size

Of course there will be some free giveaways courtesy of Lip service! So break out your best ghoulish attire and come have a drink with me and the rebels!

In LS news the designers are working feverishly as always on next summer and Fall styles and we had a meeting to discus some new groups including White Fishnet, a Pirate influenced group and a new Bag/purse line!! Of course, awesome stuff!

A lot of building and expanding has been going on down here with a net upper deck above the sales office to accommodate more employees and some fresh paint here and there as well as a cool spiral staircase in our blood red sales office! We just received the new Holiday posters, which are awesome and should be available on the LS retail site soon!

Well in off now to an appointment with the Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood to sell some sexy freaky LS goodies and of course do some shopping for my baby! Sorry to be brief this week but the world waits for know one and time is my enemy, oh so much to do!!
Until next week, work hard, play harder, and sleep…………never!!!

Mickey Finn
Aka: Mickey Rebel
Aka:DJ Meilo

Reading the Lip Service Webzine... see full size in gallery below

Both 02 shows were rad! We heard there were 20,000 people at each one. People were even fainting during our set. When we got to Sheffield, they were having a giant Halloween party. We didn’t dress up this year, so we just told everybody that we were the Jonas Brothers.

Manchester was insane. We checked out some of the nite spots on our day off and saw a couple of street fights. They were pretty gnarly. Those kids like to headbutt! The concerts in Manchester were some of the best for sure. I love all the rock & roll kids out there!

Foxboro Hot Tubs - see full size in gallery below

After Manchester we got on the road back to London. After our show at Wembley, I strapped on my guitar to play with Foxboro Hot Tubs for a small club gig at 2am. It was wild! Pure Lushotology! If you don’t know about the Tubs, look us up…stat! The drink of choice is usually Pabst Blue Ribbon, but since we couldn’t find any, we drank anything and everything we could find. The flight to Munich that night was a bonafide puke party…..and you know those are always the best!

We checked out the legendary Hofbrauhaus in Munich for some hair of the dog. We ran into some really drunk Aussie kids and ended up hanging with them until we passed the fuck out…

xoxoKevin Preston

• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must be in the Los Angeles area and available during the time-frame of the shoot.
• Women must be near a size 5 and be between 5 ft. 5 in. and 5 ft. 10 in. tall.
• Men must be approximately a size 32 in. pant and slim to medium size top.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Why the spcaLA? Well, last year alone, the spcaLA prevented countless acts of animal cruelty by reaching more than 5,000 people through Humane Education services, violence prevention programs for at-risk adolescents and their Animal Assisted Therapy program. They also found new homes for 2,585 animals, reunited 205 pets with their families and fostered 528 animals in temporary homes. They also just opened a Specialty Spay/Neuter Center to help combat the pet overpopulation crisis in southern California.

We think the spcaLA rocks!

Visit spcaLA.com