With or Without Makeup

So I posted about why I love lipstick, but what about going without makeup? While pretty much every picture on my blog shows me wearing some makeup, I don't actually wear makeup every day. But I used to.

For most of my life, since I was a teenager, I used to not go out of the house without lipstick. Just that though, not necessarily other makeup. I had to wear my lipstick -- dark or bright, something that shows (no wussy little tinted lip balm for me, lol!).

But in the last couple years or so, I've gotten a bit lax. I'll go to the grocery store or drug store or other quick errand without lipstick. Maybe around turning 40 is when this laid-back attitude started. But it's only for those kind of errands. I still prefer to wear lipstick any other time I go out and  also when people visit me at home (but I don't care if it's just me and my husband at home).

All thru chemo and radiation for breast cancer, I made a point of wearing lipstick (also earrings) to doctor's appointments and treatments, though that was mostly to balance the fact that I was bald and felt like crap and was probably wearing yoga pants and baggy T-shirts since I felt so crappy.

But I had my dark lipstick! It was the one last remnant of femininity and beauty and non-cancer-y thing left, and I clung to it ferociously.

Do you wear makeup every day? Do you leave the house without makeup?

What I'm wearing: Black lace jacket, Macy's | Black skirt, NY & Company | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black ribbon-tie pumps, Clarks | White silk print scarf, Target | Silver pearl earrings, vintage

I Love Lipstick

I freakin' love lipstick. It can be pretty, sexy, exotic, refined, hardcore, mysterious, elegant, outrageous, all kinds of things, and just with a couple of easy swipes.

Whether $5 at the drugstore or $30 at Sephora, it's a bargain considering how much bang it packs.

So many colors and effects, all drawing attention to the part of you through which your brain is most obvious: your mouth. I make my words carry extra weight by underlining them and giving them an exclamation point with lipstick.

Do you wear lipstick?

What I'm wearing: Red turtleneck sweater, Macy's | Black & white stripe sweater, White House Black Market | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black patent pumps, unknown brand | Black & white beaded necklace & matching earrigns, made by me | Red lipstick, Makeup Forever

Something Different

This was a special-occasion outfit, so more gothic than average or every day. Sometimes, it's just required. I wore a mix of things I've made and purchased with a little vintage vibe.

I've been a little absent from blogging here because I've been working very hard over on FrockFlicks.com, where we're starting #SnarkWeek today. If you've ever watched a historical costume movie and wondered WTF are they wearing, come on over and check out a whole week of non-stop snarky fun! We're also on Facebook and Twitter.

What I'm wearing:
Nightmare Before Christmas themed mini top hat, bought in Disneyland | Black lace jacket, Macy's | Black T-shirt, Old Navy | Black & white spiderweb skirt, made by me | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black heeled granny boots, Aerosoles | Black lace choker, bought at Convergence | Dangly faux-jet earrings, random accessory store | Black lipstick, Make Up For Ever

Do you enjoy costume dramas on TV or the big screen?

50% Less Makeup, 70% More Tweets

I've gotten really lazy about wearing makeup recently. Not that I ever wore a ton of makeup to work. My standard office-face routine used to be just eyes and lips. I'd wear black eyeliner, a touch of eyeshadow, and dark lipstick. Maybe once every couple of weeks I'd wear a light bit of foundation and powder, usually to cover up especially dark under-eye circles or an annoying blemish.

Well, since starting this job with the longer commute, I've been skipping the eye makeup more and more often. I probably wear eyeliner once a week, and eye shadow is just a shadow of a memory. That said, I'm loving the heck out of the Benefit They're Real Push-Up Eyeliner I bought a few months ago. It's cat-eye liner for dummies. It's all about the tip. The 'push-up' thing is actually a bit annoying because it doesn't always push up enough or a consistent amount of liner, but once you get it going (usually on a finger or a tissue), wow, it's great. That shaped tip draws perfect cat-eyes every time, as long, thick, and catty as you want. The stuff also has major lasting power. So much so that I had to buy Benefit's accompanying They're Real Remover to get the stuff off (my usual makeup remover required too much elbow grease, and rubbing one's eyes ain't nice).

Of course, I'm mostly wearing this on the weekends because I can't be arsed to tart up my eyes at the crack of dawn before going to work. Ah well.

What I apparently can be arsed to do is jump on Twitter. I'm slow to the bandwagon by a half-decade, I know. But it's not like I wasn't busy with every other thing online already. Are any of you on Twitter? Please follow me at ThisIsCorpGoth and chat me up! I'll still be blogging, but since December is super-freaky-busy for me, I may tweet more than blog because 140 characters is easier to fit in between stuff.

Also, due to my crazy month, there won't be another Mid-Month Status Report until January. Hey, you've all got holidays or maybe just weather to slog through too, right?

What I'm wearing: Grey sheath dress, Target | Black ruffled bolero sweater, Kohl's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver grey wedge heels, Anne Klein | Black bat necklace, Walgreens | Silver & onyx earrings, bought in India

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Makeup

I nearly didn't join this theme because I don't do tutorials or anything clever with makeup. But I do love makeup, so I thought it was worth a quick post. Specifically, about my very favorite item of makeup: Lipstick!

I used to be so addicted to lippie that I wouldn't leave the house without wearing any. These days, I'm older and lazier, and I'll go to the grocery store or a doctor's appointment without lipstick. But nowhere else! A touch of lipstick (or, let's face it, full-on dark lipstick) is generally required before I feel acceptable for public appearances.

Lipsticks on my (very messy) dressing table.

Accordingly, I buy a lot of lipsticks. I love them! I'll buy drugstore brands (Revlon Colorstay is an old fave), but I have a special soft spot for Sephora's house brand and can't seem to leave the store without whatever's the newest dark berry or purple shade, even if it's only a teeny bit different than what I have at home. Consequently, I own over 30 lipstick tubes at the moment.

My go-to shade is Chanel's Vamp because it looks great and goes with every outfit, from casual to dressy. I also like to match my lipstick to my outfit, and I have bright red lippies that go with red clothes, pink lippies that go with hot pink clothes, and purple lippies that go with purple clothes. I usually wear a different lipstick each workday, so by the end of the week, I have 4 or 5 lipsticks collected in my purse.

Some related links:
My review of Make Up For Ever's Aqua Rouge (a super long-wearing lipstick)
My review of four high-end black lipsticks (not the crappy Halloween varieties!)

Monday MemeDay: Makeup & Fashion Fun

01. Do you have on a lot of make-up?
Just my usual, lipstick & eyeliner.

02. How much do you put on?
I usually wear Nars black eyeliner & some kind of dark red-brown or burgundy lipstick (tho' today it's pink to match my skirt & also my hair).

03. How long does it take you to get ready?
30 minutes most workdays. I hate to get up early, so I've streamlined my process. I also tend to lay out, or at least plan, my day's wardrobe the night before.

04. Do you put on a lot of lipgloss?
Eww, no. I hate lipgloss. Feels icky. I'm a matte lippie gal.

05. Can you apply mascara without opening your mouth?
Dunno, I don't wear mascara very often. My lashes are naturally long.

06. Do you wear a lot of eyeliner?
Define "a lot." I do loves me some eyeliner.

07. Do you like to wear nail polish?
Yes, & toenail polish in summer. But I'm too sloppy to do it myself anymore.

08. How often do you get your nails done?
Maybe a couple times a year. I'm too lazy to make an appointment.

09. Do you like manicures?
Yes, LOVE them, but see above re: lazy.

10. What about pedicures?
Ditto. Love them even more than manicures! I can never clip my own toenails as nicely as someone else can.

11. Do you have a usual nail salon you go to?
No. See above.

12. Do you get your eyebrows done?
Ye gods yes. So glad a friend mentioned that this was an option for me because my brows are naturally HUGE yet I always sucked at trying to shape them myself.

13. Where do you get your hair cut?
I only get my hair cut about once a year, last time (pre-chemo) was at a salon in Campbell by a guy I went to high school with.

14. Do you dye your hair?
Yes. Hasn't been its natural color since I was 14.

15. Do you straighten your hair?
No, why would I? The damn stuff is too straight already.

16. Do you carry a purse?
Yes. I'm a cliche girl like that.

17. What color is it?
Black as my soul.

18. How many purses do you have?
About 5? Not sure. I only use one bag for long stretches at a time.

19. Do you have lots of pairs of shoes?
Um, yes. Last count was around 80.

20. What are your favorite shoes?
Currently, I love my American Duchess Stratfords most!

21. Do you wear heels everywhere?
Not everywhere. But lots of places.

22. Can you walk in heels and not fall over?
Yes. Tho' nothing over 3".

23. Do you have a pair of huge sunglasses?
Not huge ones, but my sunglasses are somewhat large.

24. How many pairs of earrings do you have?
Dozens. Not enough.

25. Do you wear hoop earrings?
Yes, of various types. Mid-sized hoops are probably my default style.

26. Do you have a lot of skirts?
Yes. I wear skirts (& dresses) about 5 days out of 7.

27. Where do you buy your clothes?
Everywhere! Macys, Target, Old Navy, the Gap, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Khols, Express, Amazon, thrift stores, eBay, Etsy, I could go on & on.

28. Do you go shopping every week?
There have been times in my life when I did. But not right now.

29. What's your favorite store?
Hard to choose just one. But Amazon is probably my most frequently shopped place.

30. Do you follow fashion trends?
I watch them a little bit. It's entertaining. Sometimes a trend will come along that coincides nicely with what looks good on me. Then I'll snap the stuff up before it goes away again.


What I'm wearing: Black & white floral-print sweater, White House Black Market | Black lace-top T-shirt, H&M | Dark pink skirt, NY & Company | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black perforated D'Orsay flats, Target | Gunmetal skull earrings, random accessory store | Pink & grey pearl necklace, Salamanca Designs

Red & Black Vegas Drag Race Recap

I didn't plan this as a part of Red & Black Week, but it fits! A few weeks ago, I did something kind of crazy: I went by myself to the viewing party for RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 season finale in Las Vegas, where America's Next Drag Superstar #6 was announced.

I left work early for a 2pm flight, checked in at my hotel by 4pm, changed clothes, walked across the street to the party at 5pm, stood in line for an hour to get in, then stayed at the party (standing around in high heels for another 5 hours, ouch), watched the TV show & the live drag show there, walked back across the street, grabbed a burger & a beer to take back to my room, ate a belated dinner, got to sleep by about 1am, got up & to the taxi stand by 5am for a 6am flight back, got a latte at Starbucks at the airport at home while waiting for my ride to work at 7:45am, & was back at the office by 8:30am the next morning, stashing my little roller-bag luggage under my desk. Nobody knew!

What I'm wearing: Black & red flocked floral halter dress, bought in Camden Market, London | Black spiderweb tights, unknown brand | Black ribbon-tie pumps, Clarks | Giant drag-queen wig, eBay | Tiara, gift from my husband | Red flower hair pin, random accessory store | Black beaded necklace, random accessory store | Rhinestone & faux jet bracelets, random accessory store | Faux diamond rings, random accessory store | Black vinyl bat purse, gift from a former coworker

Bianca Del Rio, the winner!

Mid-Month Status Report: Just a Little Bit of Makeup

Makeup is one of those traditional elements of gothic fashion, much like wearing black, loving velvet, & stomping around in pointy toed boots. But the corporate work environment isn't conducive to painting yourself with deathly pale foundation, dramatic black eyeliner, & stark red lipstick ... or is it?

Well, I do a very simple version of goth makeup for the workday, partly to toe the company line, & partly because I have to get up freakishly early for my commute. I rarely wear foundation unless I feel like covering up a blemish (& this week, temperatures are over 90 degrees Fahrenheit so a full face of makeup would feel icky or just melt off). My standard work-week makeup is just black eyeliner & dark lipstick.

My favorite eyeliner is Nars Stylo. As I've said before, this felt-tip pen is easy to apply & lasts all day. I've abandoned all other liners for this one. On weekends or evenings, I can build it up for a thick cat-eye look that really stays put.

 My favorite lipstick is Chanel "Vamp." It's been discontinued for a while, & I have a few tubes stockpiled & carefully secured in a temperature-controlled location. I will cry when I run out (or when I open the next tube & realize it's gone all gross & useless!). Ok, maybe I won't cry because, really, I have a million lipsticks, I buy a new one every few months, I'm a totally junkie. Every time I pass Sephora & see a new dark-ish burgundy shade of lippie, I have to buy it. I cannot resist.

Ok, now it's your turn -- What makeup do you wear to the office? How does it differ from your weekend or extra goth makeup? Do you have favorite products? Any special tricks or techniques to share? Post any time this week, include the Monthly Report code in your blog, & share your link in the comments below!

no glasses, can barely see my eyeliner, just tons of freckles!

What I'm wearing: Black & white stripe knit sleeveless dress, Issac Mizrahi | Black pointy toed kitten-heeled shoes, Aldo | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black & white stripe bead earrings, Kohl's | Black eyeliner, Nars Stylo | Chanel "Vamp" lipstick

Plan for May's Status Report: Your Office Makeup Style

Don't forget, the Mid-Month Status Report is back for May. Here's the drill...
 
Subject: Makeup in the office. Do you wear any? What kind? How often? Show &/or tell about your makeup routine for the workday. Extra credit if you have product reviews, tutorials, or other useful tips for working girls (or guys even)!

Due Date: Monday, May 12 to Wednesday, May 16

How to File Your Report:

1. Post to your blog on or around the due dates.

2. Include the following code in your post so the This Is CorpGoth Mid-Month Status Report graphic will display (if you're using Blogger or WordPress, switch to the 'HTML post' setting & then paste this code in):

<a href="http://corpgoth.blogspot.com/search/label/corpgoth%20status%20report"><img border="0" src="http://www.trystancraft.com/corpgoth/corpgothstatusreport.jpg" /></a>

3. Comment on my Monday the 12th post including your blog link.

4. Read everyone else's reports via their links in the comments!

Monday MemeDay: A-Z of Fashion

A) What accessories do you wear everyday?
My wedding band (white & yellow gold with diamond flecks), my engagement ring (sterling silver with amethyst cabochon), & a black leather studded bracelet on my left wrist. Those are on every day if I'm leaving the house.

B) What is your beauty routine?
Morning: Rinse face with water, moisturize, apply makeup, do hair. After work: Wipe off makeup with a baby wipe. Before bed: Wash face with gentle cleanser, shower, maybe do a face mask once a week if I remember, use anti-acne/anti-wrinkle night cream.

C) What was the last item of clothing (for yourself) that you purchased?
A pair of flat, black leather ankle boots by Aerosoles.

D) Do you use a dresser, closet, or both?
I use everything I can! My clothes occupy 3/4ths of a walk-in closet & all of  two tall dressers, plus half a hall closet for jackets & coats. There's a whole separate walk-in closet for my costumes.

E) What type of earrings are in your ears right now?
Gunmetal hoops, black rhinestone studs, & one garnet stud.

F) What type of figure do you have?
Somewhere between hourglass & pear-shaped.

G) Do you wear glasses?
Yes, always. Contacts don't work on my astigmatic eyeballs, unfortunately

H) What type of handbag do you carry?
Currently, I'm using a large, black leather, unstructured shoulder bag that carries scads of crap I need for commuting. It's not quite right for my new job, also, it's 4 years old & starting to wear out.

I) What is your ideal style?
I'd love more of a grown-up version of Stevie Nicks goth, but I end up with a pretty standard CorpGoth thing

J) What is your favorite brand of jeans?
The ones that currently fit my ass are by Calvin Klein, & I only found one pair in dark grey.

K) Do you wear knee-high stockings?
Not really. I only wear them with costumes because it's reasonably close to historically accurate.

L) Do you have to wear matching lingerie?
I would love to wear matching panties & bras, but I've rarely found matching sets that I like or can afford or that both pieces flatter me or are in the right sizes. Thus, the closest I get to matching is 'they're both black.'

M) Do you wear makeup?
Yes, tho' I'm a lot less adamant about it than I used to be. I used to never leave the house without lipstick, & now I'll go to the grocery store with a totally naked face. I blame old age & laziness! For everyday, I wear some kind of dark lipstick & black eyeliner. For special occasions (or if I have a breakout), I add foundation, eyeshadow, & touch up my brows (actually, when my brows have been freshly shaped, I tend to paint them daily). I don't wear mascara very often because it rubs off on my glasses (my eyelashes are naturally that long; yes, you can be jealous :).

N) Do you wear nightgowns?
Not anymore. I used to have quite a fetish for long, flowy, white cotton nightgowns, the kind you'd run about the moors crying "Heathcliff!" in. But I trashed them all, & sadly not in moor-related accidents. Finding replacements has been troublesome, & it's not important enough to me to sew my own. So I wear big baggy T-shirts & fleece PJ pants, which are just not as conducive to gothic romance.

O) What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winter's day?
Winter? It 'tis to laugh. In what passes for said season in Northern California, I might wear a lightweight black trench coat, suitable for the occasional droplets of moisture that fall from the sky sporadically at the end/start of the year.

P) What is your favorite perfume?
I go through phases where I wear scent every day & then don't wear it for months. I'm currently *not* wearing perfume. But past faves include Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs "Crossroads," the original Anna Sui, & rose essential oil.

Q) Is your motto "quality over quantity" when it comes to clothing and accessories?
My motto is more like "oooh, shiny!" followed by "can I afford it?" I will buy quality if I love it.

R) Do you wear rain boots?
What is this 'rain' you speak of? I'm living in a drought currently.

S) Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold?
Yes. Both.

T) Do you travel with a lot of luggage?
Depends on the trip. If costumes are involved, omg, yes, I bring tons of stuff.  I have the Giant Suitcase of D00m that mostly goes to Costume College & on the Costumers' Trips to Europe. Plus I'll bring hat boxes & backpacks & stuff. But for "normal" travel, I have one just-bigger-than-carryon bag that I can fill with enough clothes for 3 to 4 weeks of travel, & this bag is light enough for me to carry up flights of narrow stairs in little European B&Bs.

U) What is your daily uniform?
Dark corporate stuff with at least half of it in knits.

V) If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? If not, how did you do your hair?
I made a small black lace veil that hung down the back over my ringlet hairpiece.

W) Do you wear a watch?
Not for years, since I got an iPhone. But I used to love them & had a little wardrobe of fashion watches to go with my outfits (I still have them, but the batteries are all dead).

X) What item of clothing always makes you feel beautiful?
This changes a lot, because my wardrobe & my body change. I would say that, in general, a nicely heeled shoe, preferably with an ankle strap, paired with a skirt that hits right at the knee (preferably bias cut or flippy) always feels beautiful because it requires my hips to move just so, & the whole curved movement from ankle to hip is so ultimately feminine that I can't help but feel rockin'.

Y) What is your favorite type of yarn?
Huh? I don't really care about yarn.

Z) Do you prefer zippers or buttons?
Both have their uses. In general, zippers are handy on the lower half of the body, buttons on the upper.

Feel free to copy these meme questions & answer them in your blog!

What I'm wearing: Dark brown pinstripe dress, made by Donna | Black cardigan, Macy's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black ribbon-tie pumps, Clark's | Black bat necklace, Walgreen's | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store | Makeup For Ever Aqua Rouge lipstick in Dark Raspberry

The CorpGoth Status Report Is Back!

That's right! It's time to start filing those reports again. After a too-long hiatus, I'm bringing the Mid-Month Status Report back for May. Here goes...
 
Subject: Makeup in the office. Do you wear any? What kind? How often? Show &/or tell about your makeup routine for the workday. Extra credit if you have product reviews, tutorials, or other useful tips for working girls (or guys even)!

Due Date: Monday, May 12 to Wednesday, May 16

How to File Your Report:

1. Post to your blog on or around the due dates.

2. Include the following code in your post so the This Is CorpGoth Mid-Month Status Report graphic will display (if you're using Blogger or WordPress, switch to the 'HTML post' setting & then paste this code in):

<a href="http://corpgoth.blogspot.com/search/label/corpgoth%20status%20report"><img border="0" src="http://www.trystancraft.com/corpgoth/corpgothstatusreport.jpg" /></a>

3. Comment on my Monday the 12th post including your blog link.

4. Read everyone else's reports via their links in the comments!

Purple, Stripes, & a New Lipstick Review

This outfit coincides with me test-driving a new lipstick: Make Up For Ever's Aqua Rouge in Dark Raspberry. It's available at Sephora & some department stores. A friend recommended this specific brand because it's super long-lasting. I was with her at a costume event, & she wore Aqua Rouge all day, through eating lunch & drinking cocktails, & her lipstick looked great, didn't need any touch-ups. Whereas I was constantly reapplying my lipstick. So I finally got some for myself.

Unfortunately for goths, Aqua Rouge doesn't have many dark colors -- only three looked sufficiently dark enough when I tested them in the store, the Dark Raspberry that I'm wearing, a slightly redder shade called Burgundy, & the Purple, which is a dark bruise of a purple. Nothing too exotic.

Aqua Rouge comes in a lip gloss formulation, which isn't my favorite, but you don't have to use the gloss itself. The double-ended tube has color on one side & clear gloss on the other. I only wore the color. Typical of glosses, it goes on sticky (ew) & stays tacky for at least 15 minutes until it finally dries. During this wet stage, you can fix any mistakes you've made by just wiping away excess, but you don't wait much longer. Once it's set, it can be difficult to fix without makeup remover.

Overall staying power was decent but not spectacular for my first wearing. The lipstick lasted fine through the morning when I did nothing but drink coffee. For comparison, my usual lipstick requires a tiny touch-up by noon. But the Aqua Rouge looked the same before lunch as it did when I put it on. Unfortunately, the lipstick didn't make it through lunch. I didn't make it easy -- I went to a long lunch for sushi with tempura-fried appetizers. Probably the bit of greasy food wore away at the lipstick. By the end of the meal, my lips had only a faint trace of color & darker at the edges. Better than being completely lipstick-less as happens with all my other lipsticks, I guess, but not dramatically good staying power. On the upside, when I kissed my husband "goodbye" in the morning & "hello" after work, no lipstick transferred onto him, which he complains about with some of my dark lipsticks.

I give Aqua Rouge a "B-" rating -- lovely but limited color palette, long-lasting for a cocktail party, but maybe not much else.

What I'm wearing:
Purple puff-shoulder sweater, H&M
Black & white stripe skirt, White House Black Market
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black lace-up heeled granny boots, Aerosoles
Silver jeweled medallion on velvet ribbon, vintage
Gold & purple earrings, vintage, from my grandmother
Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge lipstick in Dark Raspberry

Recent Reads

In the dearth of outfit posts during my lack of a decent camera, I thought I'd share some cool things I've read around the blogosphere recently...

LoL!

Offbeat Bride regularly has shoe posts that are pretty fabulous. This one about black shoes with bows is especially awesome, & I would wear over half of the listed shoes! Coincidentally, I already had that first pair of shoes pinned on my This Is CorpGoth Pinterest board several times...

Already Pretty addresses a reader question about comfy bras & loungewear. This got me thinking -- see, my work-from-home clothes have gotten very loungey & down-right sloppy recently. It started during chemo because I wasn't working, but the habit has continued. I'm embarrassed to admit that I spend a lot of time in yoga pants & T-shirts (another reason for fewer posts, ugh). I kind of want to clean out my wardrobe in an effort to force myself to stop wearing boring crap.

Wardrobe Oxygen had a great guest post about drugstore makeup faves. I'll have to try some of these. Do you prefer drugstore or department store makeup in general, or do you mix it up & wear some of each?

CorpGoth Guide to Black Eyeliners

Black eyeliner is a staple of every goth's makeup arsenal, & for CorpGoths it's crucial to have a reliable black eyeliner that stays put for a full workday. I've tried dozens upon dozens of eyeliners over the years, & while I don't know that I've found the One True Black Eyeliner, I have my favorites.

Last year, I had an eye infection that the doctor thought was pink eye, so I threw out all my old eyeliners & mascaras & decided to replace them (turned out to be a totally different problem & I didn't need to dispose of the makeup, but oh well). Fashion mags often advise to replace your eye makeup every 6 months, but I've never done that. I simply replace it when I use it up or if anything smells funny or the consistency changes. That seems like a better indicator of product usability (not to mention, more affordable).

The first black eyeliner I ever loved was Wet 'n Wild, & I used it for about two decades with success. The hard waxiness keeps it from smudging, & it's really difficult to beat that drugstore price. But as I got older, the hardness of the pencil became a drawback on the increasingly delicate skin around my eyes. Don't want to develop crow's feet.

I then messed around with many eyeliners, of both drugstore and department store variety before settling down with Benefit's BadGal Eyeliner. It has been my workday black liner for years now. This one is waterproof (mostly) & just soft enough for a smooth line. I hardly ever use the smudging sponge tip on the opposite side tho'.

While I like BadGal for daytime, I want something more dramatic for evening looks -- a liquid liner or, because I'm a bit inept, a felt-tip liquid liner. I'd been using some Sephora varieties, which were OK, but not great. So I headed back to the big ol' makeup store for advice.

One of the salesperson's first recommendations for a great waterproof, smudge-proof, budge-proof eyeliner was the Nars Stylo felt-tip liner. Wow, this is a winner! It goes on very wet & takes an extra few seconds to dry (close your eyes & wait, it's worth it), then it does.not.move all day. You could probably draw curliques on your face a la Sandman's Death, run through lawn sprinklers, & this stuff wouldn't come off (not that I've tried that). You must use a makeup remover, but a gentle one is fine, & only then does this liner come off. Wow. This is now my evening, special effects, or long-day eyeliner.

Between Benefit's BadGal & Nars Stylo, I don't think you'll go wrong. One soft daytime liner, one liquid-style anything-goes liner, both in classic black. Btw, these are not advertisements & I don't receive anything from these companies -- I'm just sharing my experiences. I'd love to hear yours!

What's your favorite black eyeliner?

LPG Homework: Things I Can't Live Without

July's homework from the Professor aka the Dancing Maenad is to feature the piece of clothing, accessory, or beauty product that you can't live without. I have a few things that qualify...

1. Dark lipstick. I rotate through specific colors & brands, I have long-time favourites like Chanel's Vamp (which they keep saying will be or has been discontinued, & that just makes me stock up more; currently I have 3 tubes tucked away in a cool, dark place), but the real "must have" is just something dark, rich, & in a berry tone.

I'm no longer so obsessed that I have to be wearing lipstick when I'm running errands like going to the grocery store or doctor's office. But if I'll be seen in public for an extended period of time, I must have my dark lipstick. I even wear it with historical costumes, despite lipstick, especially dark colors, not being historically accurate. I can't help it!

And I wear so many different shades to work that my purse is full of the tubes by the end of the week. I loves me some lippie!

2. Black tights, specifically by Calvin Klein. A couple years ago, I discovered that these CK babies are the best quality black tights around. They don't snag or sag, they last through repeated machine-washings (but always air-dry), & they come in three sizes instead of the somewhat-more-standard two or the horrible "one size" that fits few.

I wear black tights with most every outfit from September until June, with only a short break from them during the warmest two months of the year.

3. Black leather studded cockring. I've mentioned this a few times on my blog because, well, I wear it every single day & have worn one like it since about age 16. I replace them when they wear out. The first one was nicked from my gay boyfriend in high school (I was his beard because his parents were ultra-religious).

I *do* wear this if I'm just running to the grocery store or something similar, just like I wear my wedding & engagement rings. The only times I don't wear the cockring are with historical costumes.

What I'm wearing:
Black T-shirt, Target
Grey striped skirt, Nordstroms
Black skull-print scarf, gift from my husband
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black embellished flats, Classifieds
Silver filigree earrings, random accessory store
Black & gunmetal cocktail ring, Icing
Chanel "Vamp" lipstick

Last Red & Black Outfit for Me

This is the last day I'm in the office for the week, so it's my last outfit of this year's Red & Black Week. But I do have another post scheduled to fit the theme.

I should mention the red lipstick I've been wearing all week. Really, it's been my go-to red lippie for years: Sephora Artist #549. It skews a little pink-red, but the shade works really well on me, & it's especially good for pin-up styles.

I've seen this specific line in stores, but not online. They're highly pigmented & come in a more limited range of colors, but some really vivid shades. And the colors last -- in fact, this red stains my lips for up to a day afterwards. I have to wear a dark burgundy after it. Or, as in this week, keep wearing red!

What I'm wearing:
Red sheath dress, Target
Black & white cardigan, White House Black Market
Black tights, unknown brand
Black pumps with silver buckle, Kenneth Cole Reaction
Black & white beaded necklace with matching earrings, made by me
Silver & garnet poison ring, eBay

Back to the 21st Century

It's not much of a joke when I say in my bio that by day I'm a writer & editor at Yahoo! & on weekends I'm a historical aristocrat. Because a couple weekends each month, I portray mostly Lady Violet Ruthvene in the Society for Creative Anachronism and occasionally Lady Constance, Viscountess Mourdant of Avalon, in the Société des Lumières, or, starting this year, Faustina de Castello with Bella Donna Venetian Courtesans at various Renaissance faires.

Last weekend was the SCA's Beltane, perhaps the most lovely & enjoyable event of the year. I'm having a hard time settling back into the office grind after spending a few days in a green valley surrounded by friends, music, games, pageantry, good food & wine, all in fabulous costumes -- including a new gown for me (pictured below), made by my dear friend Sarah. The gown & hair are based on historical images, & I'll be tweaking the hairpieces I made to get an even-more historically accurate look.

Today's work outfit is strictly CorpGoth, to help force me back into the work world. Sleek grey with a touch of stripes. This is what it takes to slave away in the pixel mines!

What I'm wearing:
Grey sheath dress, Target | Black & white stripe sweater, Chadwicks
Black tights, unknown brand | Black & white peep-toe, ankle-strap pumps, Ross | Hand-painted skull pendant on black velvet ribbon, local artist | Black & white bead earrings, Kohl's | Erase Paste concealer by Benefit | Pressed powder by MAC | Black liquid eyeliner by Nars | "Fresh Linen" & "Vintage Violet" eyeshadows from Too Faced's Matte Collection | "Rosary" lipstick by Kat Von D

Lady Violet Ruthvene in a Venetian gown at Beltane

Finally, Eyeliner

For the past month, I've had a bad infection in my right eye. At first, the doctor thought it was pink eye, so I threw out all my eyeliners & mascara. But the issue persisted, so I went to an ophthalmologist, who discovered that it was a different, more serious problem -- & I probably didn't need to throw out my makeup. However, I did need to put medication in my eye 3 to 5 times every day, thus, I couldn't really wear any eye makeup or it'd smear off constantly (not to mention, my right eye was pretty uncomfortable at first).

But finally, this week, I've recovered & am off the meds! So  I've been wearing eyeliner again after what seems like forever. I don't wear a ton of eye makeup on a regular basis because I feel like it doesn't show up under my glasses. I just put on a touch of black eyeliner & sometimes a swipe of mascara. Occasionally, I'll add some soft, smokey eye shadow if I have time. Still, that bit of liner makes my eyes stand out a little bit, imo, & not look so small & squinty.

What I'm wearing:
Black military-influenced jacket, H&M | Black ribbed turtleneck, Macy's | Plum velvet tiered skirt, NY & Company | Black & white chiffon skull-print scarf, gift from my husband | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black buckled flat boots, Aldo | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store | Benefit "Bad Girl" black eyeliner | Maybelline "Great Lash" mascara | Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lip Tint in Blood Roses

Do you wear eye makeup regularly? If so, what kind?

Goth Maintenance

Every now & then, a gal needs to spend time on some upkeep. I try not to be high maintenance, but certain things must be done to keep me looking sharp. At a minimum, I must dye my hair & get my brows done. Now, I don't do either one on a very regular schedule -- I tend to put them off until they look awful & annoy me so much that the situation is dire or until I am attending some fabulous event (usually costume-related) for which brown roots/random greys & scraggly bushy browns would look lame.

And lo, 12th Night is coming up soon, for which I'm making an elaborate gown, plus a new hairpiece in jet black, so dyeing hair to match is important. Might as well fix the brows too!

I've been dyeing my own hair since I was at least 16 (that's over 25 years), so this is no big deal to me. But I've learned a few things thru trial & error & from the pros. The number one tip I've learned is to only dye your roots, don't dye any more than that or you'll get fried ends. This is why I was thrilled when Clairol came out with the "root touch-up" kit because it contains less dye than the full boxes, so you don't have to mix up a whole bottle & throw half of it away.

My other recommendation is to head to a beauty-supply store & buy a few tools for yourself. Get a tint brush, a few plastic caps (the ones like shower caps), some metal hair clips, & a box of rubber gloves. The tint brush & gloves will be better than the crappy versions that come in the dye box. And the clips & cap keep your in-process hair tidy while you're waiting.

I tried to get a photo of my roots, but none of the pix would turn out! See, my hair is naturally very dark brown, & most people have a hard time noticing when my black dye is growing out. My husband doesn't notice at all. But what's more obvious is the grey hairs. I don't have too many (sadly, no cool Dave Vanian streak!), just a few here & there that kind of stick out to me. If there was enough grey to make a statement, I'd leave it, but until that happens, I dye. Besides, I love the glossy look of fresh black!

While I'm perfectly happy to do my hair at home, I'm horrible about doing my brows at home. In fact, I didn't start doing anything about my brows until maybe 5 years ago. My eyebrows are naturally of the very full Brook Shields variety, so going with some kind of pencil-thin look is a bit wrong. Or at least would require insane amounts of maintenance. The best I can manage is an occasional trip to the Benefit Brow Bar, which I like because it's nearby, clean, & reasonably priced. Unfortunately, because it's at the mall, you have to time it right or there's a huge wait, plus you're never sure you'll get the best aesthetician.

Here's my brows before getting them done...

Au naturale. Pretty huge. Now, this time, my favorite aesthetician was not there, & the one I got didn't quite listen to me when I said "full, natural, just tidy the brows up & give a slight curve." Instead, she decimated the brows, which is what happens about a third of the time (meaning, whenever my fave gal isn't around *sigh*). Of course, they'll grow back fast.

Here they are afterwards...

Not bad, just not quite what I wanted. But hey, I can't / won't do them myself, so that's what happens! My hair, of course, looks great. Perfectly back in black.

What's your maintenance routine? Do you do it yourself or go with the pros?

This CorpGoth's Skin & Hair Care Routines

I missed out on Le Professeur Gothique's Naked November Homework Assignment & didn't show you my bare face. However, I don't wear a ton of makeup on a daily basis, so my naked face isn't that different from the face I regularly post here!

For work, I only wear lipstick, black eyeliner, & sometimes a touch of eyeshadow. I rarely wear foundation/concealer/powder unless I want to really impress someone (say, I'm doing a training session) or I'm feeling awfully fancy that day. I try to limit the face makeup to costume events because, no matter what I use & how diligent I am about removing all the makeup as soon as the day is done, I get nasty pimples.

"All Is Vanity" by
C. Allan Gilbert, 1892

In my 20s, I wore foundation a lot more often, & my skin was horrible. So I'd wear more makeup to cover up the blemishes! I became a vicious cycle. I tried all kinds of products to clean my skin & supposedly fix the acne. I asked my doctor for help. Nothing worked until I just stopped wearing so much makeup. Limiting how often I wear foundation to just special events means I mostly just get breakouts in the week after that event (like right now, after last weekend's vampire ball!) and occasionally due to hormonal issues, but not the constant bad skin I had for so long.

Also, my skin care is dramatically stripped down, making my life easier & skin happier. I remove my eye & lip makeup with baby wipes -- plain ol' generic, supermarket-brand baby wipes. I've tried organic, natural ones, but the cloth was rougher & the cleanser stung my eyes. Yuck. And all the makeup remover products I've tried don't work as simply & cleanly. After that, I usually rinse my face with tap water. Done!

When I wake up in the morning, I rinse my face with tap water again & put on a light Olay moisturizer.  About once a week, I lightly scrub my face in the shower with a puff to exfoliate. Otherwise, I try not to mess with my skin or it will go crazy.

My hair needs a bit more work. I use a modified 'no-poo routine,' shampooing about once a week & using just conditioner & water the rest of the week. I learned about this from the Curly Girl book & related websites, as a way to help de-frizz naturally curly & wavy hair. Most shampoos are too harsh & full of detergents that cause frizz, plus, in stripping away natural oils, they encourage your scalp to overproduce oil. A lot of environmental/natural-living types are eschewing shampoo because of all the unnecessary chemicals in it -- you can whip up natural, cheap alternatives that work better (but that smacks of effort to me).

I'm OK with a simple rinse-&-condition, leaving the shampoo for when I get a buildup of hairspray & other products (I'm just not that natural ;-). I also add this fantastic leave-in conditioner from Beauty Without Cruelty. Really makes my hair silky soft, plus enhances the waves.