A few weeks ago I was asked to create a custom, detailed, feminine take on the Heartless symbol from the Kingdom Hearts video game (click here to see what the original looks like). I took inspiration from medieval etchings of crests for this project, so the research was fun, especially when I came across the occasional griffin or unicorn hidden in swirling filigree. The inspiration was purely visual, though, as actual crests usually include banners, mottos and other specifics. My finished …
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On Formspring, an anonymous reader asks: Could you please write a post explaining how you organize your stuff (makeup, legwear, clothes) ? Thank you! A pertinent question! Since our move out of the overgrown-with stuff, J.F. Sebastian-style apartment last year, I’ve cut my belongings in half and began establishing actual storage systems. Because this isn’t something I can dedicate a whole lot of time to, it’s still a work in progress, but I’m proud to say I finally have my makeup and …
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Here is a lip make up trick I’ve been employing since Ye Darque Ages, which should be useful to anyone who’s ever looked at their eye shadow collection and woefully exclaimed, “Why can’t lipstick come in these colors? I, MAQUILLAGE MASTER, COMMAND IT!”. Though, yes, it could, and does, sort of, the coverage and staying power of these products often leave much to be desired. Which is fine, because it’s ridiculously easy to create your own custom shades and, using …
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If today is a day of underscored grief, if you’re having a difficult time dealing with someone’s death, or if you’re in need of a general positivity grenade – this is for you. Today is my first Father’s Day without a living father. When he died in March, I received an outpouring of comments and emails and calls and offers of support, a flood of positive words and energy. These things, coupled with my memorial trip to Denver turned the …
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Just about done with a piece for a UK client, who asked for a spoooky mermaid. She’s going to reside on the right side of the client’s torso. This was fun to work on; I hadn’t drawn a mermaid –subject of countless childhood sketches– in ages. I wanted to create something a little different from the countless existing interpretations of the subject, so research was a big part of this process. This piece by Waterhouse and this one by Harry …
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When we were tasked with providing lunch sandwiches for day 2 of Hicksville, I knew I’d need to step it up. I rarely eat bread and loathe most sandwiches, with the rare exception of tea sandwiches and fancy gourmet fare. Because I suffer from an acute case of the fancies, you see. The only experience I’d had with preparing this sort of thing was the time we made cucumber-goat-cheese sandwiches for our housewarming party, so this was a fun challenge. …
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Last weekend, a bunch of friends and I packed our finest bikinis, meats and libations to spend a weekend in Hicksville – a desert “trailer palace” in Joshua Tree. Now, Hicksville is my new favorite place for glamping – that’s glamour-camping to you. Why glamping at Hicksville is good: you get the desert, a fire pit, s’mores and cooking under the infinite stars, but you also get a salt water swimming pool, a rooftop jacuzzi, WiFi, plumbing and adorable themed …
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Two weekends ago, my friends Marz and Adria had a double birthday/housewarming party. The theme was a fancy, multi-referential shipwreck, with tropical drinks, all manner of costumes, grillin’, oysters, water fun and, eventually, dancing – all against a backdrop of a perfect Woodland Hills view. I only took pictures in the first hour or two and hid my camera away for safety when more peeps started to show up. Our hostess, Marz Rickie, Marz and I playing dress-up Adrianne enjoyed …
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All of my Europe-related articles from the April supertrip have gone live. To save you the trouble of combing through the Chinashop archives, I’ve created this handy chronological post. Pretend I’m your tour guide, and get ready to marvel, drool, absorb and above all, walk. I walked everywhere on this trip and loved it! Click the images below to see the articles. Rome – Tastes Like Ice Cream Gods and Gladiators – a Brief, Sticky Tour of Rome’s Top Attractions …
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Ever feel like almost everyone you know is born in May? I do, and am sitting on a ton of hilarious photos from this weekend’s parties as a result. Coincidentally, my card reader broke. While I wait for a replacement, here are someone else’s pictures to temporarily fill the void. My friend Lou O’Bedlam came over the other day and took some pre-dinner photos of me in front of our house. That day, my hair was clipped up and all …
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A few quick snaps from my recent euro-travels, before the weekend hits. We’ll start with Francesco. Here, he’s standing in the middle of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, under the statue of Cosimo I de Medici, and making restaurant suggestions. That’s just how he looks, all the time. I suspect that sugary eye-glint is something Italian men are either born with or trained in, and wear like a uniform. Can anyone confirm or deny? Jake, at the Paris train …
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Just finished this up yesterday and am fairly pleased with it. A peek into my tattoo design process: it’s going on the client’s upper arm, so I requested a photo of the exact area and created a digital mockup before drawing anything – the idea here is that the piece will cover most of the upper arm and the legs and filigree will wrap around a bit. The mockup is too hideous to show you, though. Below are two possible …
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All styling, makeup and photos are by me This here is what you might call your standard Bad Bitch Outfit. Sex and violence together, ready to take on the city and take no shit while doing it. Short skirt, tight T-shirt, suspenders that double as slingshots, leather, boots comfortable enough to climb in, a sweet little bag that will knock out teeth just as well as it will hold a mobile device. The street finds its own uses for things. …
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Today’s eye makeup is inspired by nebulae and the tropics; a scorching mix of hot pink, orange and bright yellow, which I’ve been wanting to showcase for a while now. Shooting Haute Macabre’s new collaboration with RockLove Jewelry made for a good enough reason to do this. Besides, it’s summer, and a section of my hair is a complementary purple at the moment – all stars aligned, so to speak. This dramatic look is easy and fast, because we’ll be …
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