You've Got To Earn Your Leather In This Part Of Town

That's right, it's back.

The leather jacket and corset combo that I added spikes to for the Gaga concert. 

But this time there's a message:

Now, it's in motion in my first ever modeling video.
(If the video isn't working watch it on YouTube)

This look was about attitude. 

It's about fierce.

And maybe you wouldn't rock all of this for an everyday occurrence, but there are style notes you can take away from it:

• It's ok for your tights to go above your shorts if it's obvious you meant it to be that way.
• Same is true with showing the pockets of your shorts. Feel free to decorate them as well.
• The more rings the better.
• Leather + Spikes = instant badass
• Combat boots are an absolute must-have item
• Attitude is everything. If you look uncomfortable, it is obvious. If you act like you're totally pulling it off, other people will think you are too. 

See the making of the jacket/bustier here

Learn how to make your own studded leg garter here

All images and video courtesy of the talented and creative Ivan Mrsic. Check out his Tumblr and Flickr for more from IM Productions. He was a delight to work with.

Jacket-originally from Ross

Bustier-originally from Forever 21

Fishnets- from Target (holes not included)

Shorts- These were originally jeans. I added all holes, bleach spots, etc.

Boots- Steve Madden from Nordstrom Rack

Urban Doll

Part I. Fade to Black

Part II, Doll of the Night

Embrace the grime and let your spikes show

Anyone can be a little rough around the edges

After all, you're headed to the top girl

No one can tear you down

Not in these shoes

XoXo

All images courtesy of Imaginessence Photography and Videography Services

All rights reserved

Shoes: Pointe MC and Shadow Spike by Jeffrey Campbell from Karmaloop

Dress and Sequin Bustier: Motel Rocks from Karmaloop

Leather Skirt: Value Village

Leather Jacket: June from Nordstrom Rack

Tights: Ross

Lipstick: Mint to Be by Lime Crime from Karmaloop

Get the look! How to do your hair like this here

Masculine Femininity

The inspiration for this shoot was menswear.
Women have the ultimate power of fashion. We can wear anything we please, or nothing at all, and still find a way to be sexy.
For these looks I dressed in menswear, or masculine womenswear to show that confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can wear.
As with any artistic project, it took on a life of its own, and luckily I'm happy with what this shoot became.
Now I'll let you be the judge.

All photos courtesy of Shuttereye Images and Harold Mayo

How to Make Naturally Straight Hair Unnaturally Curly

I've said it before, I'll say it again. My hair is naturally straight. It's also thin. And it doesn't like to hold a curl very well.
But just to be difficult, I wanted to get as close as I could to an afro for a look at a recent shoot.
I modified the recipe for no-heat curls known as "cocoon curls" and this is what happened.

What You'll Need:

• Dirty, unwashed hair
• A spraybottle full of water
• Some spraygel (optional)
• A bandanna or headwrap

What to Do:

• Take a small section of hair and spray it lightly with water. It should be damp, not wet. You can also spray a small amount of spray gel. Twist it until it is tight.

• Place two fingers at the top of the twist and bring the hair up and behind, wrapping it around itself.

• Wrap the hair around itself, with your fingers in place as many times as you can, while keeping it twisted.  

• When you can't wrap the twisted hair around anymore, grab the tip with the two fingers inside the loop of hair, but don't pull it all the way through.

• Slide the top of the knot down so that the loop tightens and holds the hair in place. The little tail should hang out so you can easily untie it the next day.

After I did this to all the hair on my head, using small, 2-3" sections, I wrapped it up in a bandanna and went to sleep. Luckily when I took out all the knots, it was exactly how I wanted it. HUGE.

I think next time I'll combine the faux hawk and these crazy curls for a whole new look!

Here's a sneak peek from the shoot!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Industrial Glam - A Shoot by the Tracks

The only thing more fun than styling a photoshoot is styling a friend too. Steph made the perfect Barbie doll to play dress up with. She let me do her hair, makeup, and select all her clothes and accessories. It helps that she's beautiful.

I was also lucky to work with a photographer who lets me have a lot of creative freedom when selecting a theme, location, and wardrobe.

Look 1: Casual Glam

About the look: Steph and I have very contrasting looks. I decided to play on this by using complimentary colors. I chose gold accessories for both of us, but gave her big earrings and me a big necklace. For Steph's makeup I contoured her cheekbones using powder, filled her eyebrows, and gave her a heavy liner and false lashes. The lip color for both of us was added to complete the contrasting look. Unfortunately we didn't get any full body shots of this look, but I assure you we had cute shoes ;)

Look 2: Sequin Seduction

My Favorite.

About the look: As you can tell, the photographer was a little more excited about the second ensemble. I chose sequins because it was very sunny that day and I was hoping to achieve a sort of angelic/demonic feel with a lot of reflected light. But we shot in the shade. I once again played on the contrast between Steph and I by dressing her in dark and me in light. I chose thigh highs because I think they are a great way to add mystery and make an outfit sexy while actually covering up. As someone who is always cold, I can get away with a lot more on the bottom half when I have thigh highs to keep me warmer too. 

Wardrobe:

Look 1

On Steph: blouse - Ross, earrings - Burlington Coat Factory, Ring - Forever 21

On me: leopard tank - Ross, blouse-TJ Maxx, necklace- Burlington Coat Factory

Look 2

On Steph: dress - Ross, bracelet- Forever 21, stockings- Burlington Coat Factory, shoes -K&G Fashion Warehouse

On me: dress- H&M, stockings- Hot Topic, shoes- Ross, headband- Forever 21

All Photos Copyright Grafix51 

Thanks for reading! 

XOXO 

Rocking in the Mist- a Photoshoot

Inspiration:
The inspiration for this shoot was not from a single image, but more a mixture of concepts. The main two being an abundance of flowing fabric, soft blue and greens for pops of color, and a mohawk. You may have already seen my previous post about how I did the hairstyle. Here are the images. The last one was just the photographer and I letting our creativity lead us to a new place.

Expression:

Silhouette + mohawk =

Body-con dress + belt + sheer black curtain & dyed blue mesh =

Dark purple lipstick + blue & green eyeshadow (on lips) =

Target clearance maxidress + Forever 21 body chain =

Black corset + belt+ black briefs + sheer white curtain =

Jeffrey Campbell shoes + attitude =

All photos courtesy of Kaylyn Beauprey. Tattoo by Stephen Lee.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO