Hair Flairs

You know what’s always awesome? Glitter. Glitter is damn fantastic.

A little while ago, I modeled in my first fashion show for The Foxy Shoppe. Remind me to do a review for them, ok? It was two shows, a ton of models, and I did the hair and makeup for about half of them. It was a good 12 hour day. It was exhausting and awesome. This fashion show happened to take place at the Taboo sex convention, and once all the work was over and I had lived out a few exhibitionist fantasies, I was eager to relax and take in what the convention had to offer. Mike made fun of me that I was more interested in looking at things like microfiber sheets than things that go in my butt. I’ll stick with the sheets, thanks.

Also on display, to my immediate delight, was Hair Flairs. I’d had their website bookmarked ever since I saw the owner on Oprah years ago, but I had never bought from them. I honestly can’t really say why. I already knew that 100 strands of these things only cost 10$. I told the girl I remembered these being mentioned on Oprah, and she said that it was actually her who was on the show. Unfortunately I couldn’t say too much about it because these things were about the only thing I remembered from the episode besides the fact that she wasn’t on the show to talk about the business at all, but some terrible events in her life. Oprah and the rest of us just couldn’t help but notice the pretty shiny things in her hair.

Hair flairs are exactly what they claim to be, tinsel for your hair. You knot them in according to the instructions and they look absolutely fabulous. They’re glittery and colorful and awesome. I had been wearing 5 inch heels for about 12 hours at this point so the fact that there was a chair at the booth made me sit down and pour over the about a million color choices for quite a while. (Note to small business owners. Make sure you have a chair at your convention booths. We will buy from you just so we can sit down!) She loved pale pink for my hair, to her surprise, and because I wanted something just a little more intense I went with hot pink. I decided to try them out for the first time a week before going to my first Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, which incidentally takes place in Vegas, which is incidentally the birthplace of glitter. I mentioned how these things are 10$ for 100 strands. You know how many strands it takes to make your hair awesome? Exactly three. Though 10-15 is about ideal in my mind. This is a fantastic deal, and it’s been the same price since I discovered them years ago. What a nice lady. Well of course as soon as I put in just one strand I got all giddy about it and put in four more until I decided I better stop and set my hair if I was ever going to get to bed on time. Then I ended up blogging about it for half an hour, because I’m a genius like that.

They’re not difficult to put in per se, but they are quite tricky to start with. The hardest part is that you only attach these to three strands of hair at a time, so it’s hard to keep a good grip on them and even see them while you’re tying these knots. I highly recommend starting at the front of your hair where you can see what you’re doing a little better and don’t need as much dexterity until you get used to it, or get a friend and do them for each other. Totally worth the effort by the way. As I went along, I started to find it was getting pretty fun.

Yeah, rockin it like I'm 15 for some reason. I wish you could see it more.

Now even though my hair is straight in that picture, because it was raining and humidity is mean, I had my hair curled up in a wet set that morning. And you know what? Hair Flairs can be heat styled, but they can take wet sets too! Horray!! They totally took to the set. I have no idea how this works, but it’s great. be warned, these are addicting. Every day I’m like “just a couple more,” until pretty soon I’m going to wake up looking like this person.

http://www.hairflairs.com/

The Burlesque Show Was Great!

Not so much an article, just a regular ol’ blog post.

So we went to The Best of Burlesque tonight and let me tell you it was an AWESOME show. It was super sexy, super fun, and wow do those girls ever have talent! It had so much great stuff to offer I would probably forget some if I tried to tell you about all of it, but as far as the highlights go there were fire performers  outside the theatre, a hilarious 50s housewife performance by Heather Witherden, and an awesome finale by guest performer Miss Rosie Bitts in which she pops a huge balloon and gets showered in gold glitter. It was positively ethereal. We met her after the show and she is so sweet and so much fun to watch on stage, I instantly became a fan. I must also say that I am a huge fan of the house band Johnny Pancreas and the Diabetics, too. Do they have CDs? Because I want one.

It was so cool to see everybody in the lobby all dressed up in their vintage gear. Everybody looked fabulous. And just as I said in the Stop Staring! post, I did have people asking where I got my dress, including a guy, and had my picture taken by a stranger who wondered if it was custom made! Didn’t I tell you the tailoring on these babies is perfection? If anybody is interested I’ll post some pics for you all of our great time out.

Coming soon will be another guest post about wardrobe in the film industry. It’s going to be really interesting so I hope you all keep checking back so you can check it out.

Don’t miss the next show! I’ll see you there!

Moonlight Madness Burlesque May 12th at the Park Theatre

Is there anyone who doesn’t just love burlesque? If you didn’t I’d be inclined to believe that you’re either half crazy or sadly misinformed. My dad certainly proved this when I arranged to have the very lovely and talented Miss La Muse perform for us at our wedding social. He was very angry with me about it, because he thought burlesque was equivalent to nudey bar type stripping, and it wasn’t until after the (very clothed) performance that I received a swift apology.
Burlesque isn’t just about nudity. It’s about the tease, humor, music, old school glamour, and so much more. There have been performances in which nothing was removed but a glove. It’s not about the stripping down so much as the way it’s done, and that’s with an incredible amount of style. Burlesque is a fabulous all-encompassing performance, a real show, and a treat that all adults can enjoy.

And that’s why I see burlesque as such a high art form. It’s the most fun and yet realistic portrayal of sexuality. And it’s deeply psychological. You certainly don’t need to see a fully nude woman in front of you to get the full effect of the performance.
As the president of Moonlight Madness Burlesque, Winnipeg’s sweetheart of society Miss La Muse is a master at this, and I’m proud to call her a friend of mine. I’m genuinely impressed by her commitment to the art, and the skill with which she performs it. Her shows are a real treat and I really enjoy watching her success grow.

So I’m urging all of you who live in the Winnipeg Area to attend Moonlight Madness Burlesque’s next performance, The Best of Burlesque Show & Fundraiser at the Park Theatre May 12th at 8pm. You’ll get to experience great music, comedy, and some very beautiful ladies, not to mention that the money will be going to the Red Cross for assistance in the earthquake relief effort in Chile. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Tickets are available at the Park Theatre and Kustom Kulture in Osborne Village for 10$. 15$ at the door or 10$ for those dressed in vintage or burlesque attire.
Have fun!

Stop Staring!

I just can’t not write a review about Stop Staring!, the brand that produces irresistible vintage-inspired dresses. I’m often asked where I shop, from friends and strangers alike, and I just have to tell you that this is one of my favorite brands, and I’m nuts about it. These dresses will instantly bring you back to the glamour of the 30s, 40s and 50s and allow you to be stylish, classy, and incredibly sexy. There’s just nothing like them.
I have to stop and mention how big a fan I am of dresses in general. People often complain about finding clothes that are comfortable, and for me, mixing and matching separates is a huge pain. I’m all about maximum efficiency. Dresses solve those problems. Throw one on and you’ll immediately look pretty and put-together with hardly a thought, and there’s no question they’re comfier than your skinny jeans. Even a well-selected casual dress will put your style head and shoulders above the rest, since it’s strangely uncommon to see people wearing them these days. I really don’t know why. But I would love to bring them back into every-day wear, and that’s exactly what I plan to do. Stop Staring is going to be one of my no-fail go-to places for these dresses. As seen here and here, many women agree.

I remember discovering this brand about a year ago, but it took me a long time to actually make a purchase. It wasn’t that the dresses were too expensive. Despite being worn by celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Kat Von D, and Kim Kardashian, and even being featured weekly on The Price Is Right, they’re surprisingly affordable. But damn, it’s just so hard to choose! And I always try to make the very most out of every purchase, so I wasn’t going to jump into it.
Eventually I fell seriously in love with the Lula dress in Eggplant. I agonized over it, because I was so nervous it wouldn’t look good on me. Like many of their dresses it falls just below the knee, and I was worried that this would make me look short. But just after Christmas I went for it, and holy crap am I ever glad I did.

As soon as I put on the Lula it became my favorite dress. It was so incredibly well-made, expertly tailored, so glamorous, and it gave me the most amazing curves! That’s my favorite thing about these dresses. They don’t try to “correct” your curves, they celebrate them with endless adoration. They make you look incredibly fabulous just for being you. For the first time I felt like I had hips, and I loved it. Even our lovely apartment “house mother” Janina was astounded and told me I needed to run out and get more very soon! Consequently these are perfect dresses for larger women. If you’ve ever had a hard time finding clothes that are flattering for your body type, from boyish to hourglass to plus-size, look no further.

The other thing I love so much about them is the ease of their style. They’re sexy, but classy and sophisticated at the same time. They’re vintage inspired, but designed for the modern woman in mind, so you can have an interesting style without any fear of looking like you’re wearing a costume. And they’re perfect for every situation. The number of day-to-night dresses is incredible. They’re great for smart-casual, work, a fun night out, events, everything. And that’s important, because once you try a Stop Staring! dress you’ll want to wear it every day. I sure do. And now I’m waiting to receive the Raileen in blue. Swoon!