Posts Tagged ‘transvision velveteen’

The style industry is a brutal one indeed. There are so many things which must be made pristine: the eyes shadowed, the chin brushed, the cheekbones accentuated, the hair angled, the nails trimmed & painted; so many things to keep track of and so many things that could go wrong. So many things…
It is inevitable that sculpting perfection day-in and day-out would take a toll on the artisan; especially when they themselves are falling, unavoidably, into the withering grasp of age.

Kyla Breen was well known for her pursuit of absolute perfection when it came to styling for her clients. It was an amazing rush at first, watching as she turned the young women from fairly-good-looking-to-a normal-guy-on-the-street into radiant, statuesque beings which embodied the virtues of the human form. Of course, she was young and beautiful herself; no different really from the results she created on a daily basis. But time and age are cruel masters, and they creep up on the best of us. Kyla’s clients never seemed to age; it would be the same girl for a year or two until she was replaced by another of the same stature and facial structure, perhaps with some subtle difference – maybe this one had shorter hair and higher cheekbones than the last – but the flow of time was lost within Kyla’s studio. Always entering young, always leaving beautiful. Time, however, continued to flow for Kyla, and the realization that she was not immune to its destructive nature simmered in the back of her mind, growing stronger and more vivid with each passing year. In the past, their faces would blur together; glowing, flawless, smiling countenances which were ever approving of her. But recently she knew they saw her differently. The faces could see her getting older, dated. Under veiled mutters they called her washed-up, irrelevant, replaceable. She simply could not allow this to happen.

The first kill was easy. Her company was putting her and a potential client up in a hotel overnight before a big premier. Kyla was a lexicon of nearly every cream, powder and/or tonic known to man, and human blood, she determined, was the most effective anti-beauty treatment. She had never felt so invigorated, nor had her skin felt so smooth from any other moisturizer. Fuck these dime-a-dozen pop models and actresses; the secret was hers. She had later dumped the corpse down the garbage chute and told the company that the girl was too fat to fit their needs. They unflinchingly agreed, and it was not long before another girl made an appearance in Kyla’s studio.

The initial taste of blood opened the sealed gateway to the promise of unending beauty, and once unlocked, it could not be closed…not that she would have wanted to close it anyway. She had eventually relocated to a moderate sized room in a hotel downtown; the epicenter of commerce. The place had been recently renovated, but still contained the subtle musk of dilapidation. The basement was the worst; the exposed piping and cracked walls remnants of harsher times. In the beginning, most of the killing took place there; she thought the space fitting for the vile act of ending a life, however she quickly realized that this was unnecessarily increasing her workload. Once she discovered the magic of poisoned eyeliner she was able to move the haute-homicide into her personal studio. It only took a few seconds of direct application (which couldn’t be more commonplace) to put the client into a paralyzed state from which she could gut them to her heart’s desire. Often, she would use the girl’s blood mere hours later for an evening cleansing ritual, but sometimes life got in the way and she would have to bag it (she bought a series of cute bags with red crosses from Neiman Marcus) and store it in the refrigerator until appropriate time could be made for the bath.

Eventually, she had lost count of the number of girls who “didn’t fit the requirements” of the company’s latest project. The company’s business was ever-increasing, and there was no drought of women in need of styling. After long days of painstaking artistry (also killing), Kyla spent most of her nights in the bath, sipping pinot noir and marveling at her flawless skin tone. Her clients were consistently amazed at how young and energetic she appeared, despite having worked for the company for what seemed like ages, and the company kept giving her promotions, citing her strong work ethic and unwavering professionalism when it came to quality control.

Recently, the company has decided to open a new European branch and they are looking to fill a position for experienced stylist who has no qualms about sorting the wheat from the chaff…

Laced with Madness

For an updated take on Elizabeth Bathory’s Sunday Best, forget the aged, dusty costume shop gown and join the Thrill Frill Cult. Today’s Blood Countess forsakes Renaissance frippery and trades in bling-ed out shoulder rolls and five pounds of petticoats for delicate floral patterned jackets, touchable velveteen minis, and cascading ruffles. Lace leaves the boudoir and takes the streets by storm. You too can work some sheer magic without feeling like:

• Your own grandmother.
• Stripper working the day shift at the titty bar by the airport (“Stripper chic” is fine by me, alas not everyone loves sleaze as much as I do)
• Something found in the drapery section of Bed, Bath and Beyond.

A long sleeved stretch black lace shirt manages to simultaneously conceal and reveal. Shows enough skin without turning you into a tacky tramp (which once again is okay by Vanity Kills…but I realize that not everyone shares my sense of aesthetics…blah blah blah). A girl needs to keep some degree of mystique. As any burlesque queen worth her sequined pasties will tell you: always leave them wanting more.

Note: Unless you’re willing to put up with dudes in Ed Hardy shirts attempting to rent you out for the hour, please wear a bra. A black one being the best and obvious choice.

For a full-on vintage vixen vibe, pair with an open Vaudeville Vamps #25-94 Long Sleeved Jacket in the ivory/black colorway. This tasty little cover up prevents you from being mistaken for a sex worker, while still managing to lead the boys unto temptation.

Deck your neck out with a black lace ruff for extra oomph. Attention statement necklace: You’re officially fired!

Note: Even if you loved Prince in Purple Rain, I wouldn’t advise taking too many style cues from a man famous for his assless chaps. When rockin’ the ruff, make sure to keep that jacket open. Otherwise, you run the risk of your friends breaking into a chorus of “When Doves Cry” as you walk by.

Topping off your locks with a vintage cage veil velvet hat embellished with flowers and feathers is almost as decadent as bathing in the blood of models to retain your youth. Almost…

Brassy, bejeweled wrist candy adds elegance to any outfit.

A high-waisted tulip skirt such as the Transvision Velveteen #82-157 Speculative Mini Skirt in the black colorway is a flattering option for both your belly and legs. The fabric gently drapes over your mid-section, narrowing at the hemline which successfully camouflages trouble spots and creates curves in the right places.

+ 10 to fashion snob: Spending countless hours of my time doing research and collecting empirical data (errrr reading fashion blogs) lead me to believe that just about every haute couture guru showcased velvet in their Fall 2010 collection. So track this baby down and bring some of the catwalk into your closet for a mere fraction of the price.

Note: Nobody likes a Sloppy Sally, so tuck that black shirt into your mini.

Avoid looking like a doily by balancing out the lace heavy top with a pair of sheer black pantyhose. Contrary to that Mae West quote you might have read somewhere on a sassy T-shirt, too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily wonderful at all times.

Step into timeless style in a perennially classy pair of black oxford heels.

Countess Curls

What sort of do would a murderously egotistical degenerate sport to Fashion Week? A perfectly accessorized loose, curly bun, of course.

1. Dampen your hair.
2. Spray damp hair with setting lotion.
3. Separate into 1- 1 1/2 “ sections.
4. Curl with a medium barrel curling iron
5. Finger brush the curls (smoothing with fingers helps to battle the wonky curls!)
6. Pull the curls back into a ponytail.
7. Form a loose bun.
8. Secure with hair pins.
9. Hat up!
10. If you wear bangs brush them off to the side to off set the placement of the hat.

Making “Bloodthirsty Depraved Bitch” Look Good!

“Her lips so sweet
Every word cuts like knives
I feel the wounds as if self-inflicted
Broken porcelain beauty
I still long to touch
I prick my finger to paint her lips” -Die Sektor “When Porcelain Bleeds”

Skin with a porcelain finish and vermillion E. Bathory herself would (and did!) kill for are the focal point of this look!

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.

Eyes:

You will need:

Eyeshadow Primer, Brown eyeshadow(for the brows),Small angled brush, Makeup sealer(optional), Light purple eyeshadow with a slight bronze sheen, Eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge, Neutral nude eyeshadow, Blending brush, Black liquid eyeliner, Eyelash curler, Black Mascara.

1. Dab some brown eyeshadow onto a small angled brush. Tap off the excess. Starting at the widest part of the brow, near the nose, and using short strokes, apply brown eyeshadow directly to the natural hair of the eyebrow. Repeat on the other side. Make sure to use a shade that matches your hair color (in Kyla’s case brown was used since she is a blonde). 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 a light purple eyeshadow with just a slight hint of a bronze sheen across your entire eyelid from lashline to crease.
3. With the help of a blending brush add neutral nude eyeshadow to the browbone area directly under your eyebrows. Blend the neutral nude shadow into the gold shadow that you applied in Step 2.
4. Starting at the inner corner of your eye, rim your upper lashline with liquid black eyeliner. Extend the line upward as you approach the outer corner of eye. This produces the much sought after winged “cat eye” effect.
5. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara.

Cheeks:

You will need:

Blush brush, Peach blush

1. Swipe some peach blush onto your blush brush.
2. Apply the peach blush to the apples of your cheeks for a healthy, natural I-just-bathed-in-virgin-blood glow.

Lips:

You will need:

Matte liquid foundation (optional), Neutral flesh toned lipliner, Mid-tone berry pink lipstick, Small tapered lip brush, Red lip gloss

1. For all night budge proof lip color, prime your pout with a small amount of foundation. Filling in your entire lip area with a neutral flesh toned lip liner minimizes fading, blurring and feathering of lip color as well. To do so, start at the center of your natural lip line move toward the outer corners of your lips.
2. With a small tapered lip brush, apply a mid-toned berry pink lipstick to the center of your lip and then proceed to distribute it over the entire lip area.
3. Finish off with a coat of red lipgloss.

Credits:

Photography: Umbriel Finite Images

(with editing by Mich Fisher – Plastic Hassle)

Model: Meagan Kyla

Location: Buffalo, NY

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Vanity Kills