Makeup: Kpop-Inspired --> 2ne1: Minzy Look (from "I Love You" MV)

Hey guys!

Oh man, I haven't posted in SOOOO LONG!! My bad haha. This blog is turning out to be a summer thing lol.

Today I'm going to show you my kpop-inspired makeup :3.

This one is inspired by Minzy from 2ne1 in the video "I Love You"

Here are some reference photos:

And this is my makeup for tonight :3

Decided to make it a bit cuter by pinning the hair to the side :3

That's all for now! Goodnight everyone :3

Cosplay: Rakshata

Here is my Rakshata cosplay for Anime North. I wore this on both Friday and Sunday at Anime North. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. A lot of people were telling me that they had never seen a Rakshata cosplay before and that I was spot on! :D Yaaaay.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

Hey there friends and followers!
I'm sorry that I haven't posted in almost a YEAR!
I just got really really busy and omg, I never expected. I've done so many more cosplays and I got into modeling, been more active with music and my job has totally taken over my life too!
It's strange, I haven't been able to even do my makeup for fun lately!!!
I miss that.

I'm going to spam post this blog now.

I hope you guys don't mind!!
But I definitely have to keep this updated :):):)

Most of my updates now go on www.facebook.com/AshavariJoshi
so check that, if anything!

NOW Magazine & Canon: VOTE, VOTE, VOTE

My photographer entered this photo from our last photoshoot into a contest. We're trying to get into the top ten so that we can be judged.
Currently at 76 votes and we're trying to get to 200!

All you have to do is click on the following link and press vote! There is absolutely no sign up involved :).

http://www.nowtoronto.com/contests/canon/photo-view.cfm?photo=839

STEAMPUNK CHARACTER BLOG: Lady Crucible

I don't know if I've posted about this before, but I have a steampunk character blog on tumblr!
This blog is just about me, anime I watch, movies, makeup, just everything I'm interested in general.
The one on tumblr is SPECFICIALLY geared towards my steampunk adventures and creations. Check it out by clicking on the picture!!!

Cosplay: Yuno Gasai

Yuno is one of my all-time FAVOURITE characters in anime!!! She's terrifying, violent, and extremely devoted to the protagonist - Yuki. If you haven't watched "Miraii Nikki" (or Future Diaries in English), you are seriously missing out! It is a very, VERY good anime with several twists throughout the show.

Anyway, I've been adding to my wig collection and I was super excited when I received this particular one in the mail. 

Being me, I just HAD to have a little fun with it... :)

So...yeah :). This is my version of Yuno :3. Seriously, if you haven't watched the anime... WATCH IT NAOW!

Yu-ki...

SWTOR

I just started playing SWTOR because of my friend. This is what my main character looks like and I am thinking of replicating her makeup. It's a great game!

Jedi Consular ftw! ;)

Raspberry Chocolate Makeup

Did this on my way out for dinner. Since Valentines Day is just around the corner, I decided to wear a somewhat decadent makeup look. 

I used a creamy white eyeshadow all over my lid first, then a pinkish raspberry colour on the outer corner of the lid. After that, I blended a chocolatey brown in the crease and added some more of the pink and white to make the eyes really "pop"!

I proceeded to wing out my liquid eyeliner, add mascara, fill my eyebrows and put on a nice red lipstick to finish up the look.

For the cheeks I just used a bronzer to contour and then applied a very neutral blush.

See down below to watch the video! It features some of my favourite songs:). 

Halloween Birthday Party: Moon-Wolf Goddess Edition

My birthday was SOOO much fun! Celebrated a friend's birthday at the same party and we had a blast. There was a lot of alcohol and some really fun costumes. Hehe my costume was obviously the werewolf. After watching Ginger Snaps, I was DYING to dress up as a female werewolf. Although, i guess it's arguable that I looked more like a Moon-Wolf Goddess rofl. Either way, mission accomplished ;).

Cosplay: BLACK CAT! (Fan Expo 2012)

HEY guys! Here are some photos from FanExpo 2012. This is the end result of my Black Cat cosplay! 

Hope you like it :). Not perfect of course.. i'm not a professional cosplayer or anything like that haha. I just make do with what I have ^_^.

I might update the costume the future... but I don't know yet.

Fae-Inspired Makeup: The Wood

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a while because I'm a failure.. but whatever lol. I swear this blog is still alive!
So, here's a makeup look for all of you. This one is inspired by wood fae creatures.

I put a creamy yellow tone on my eyelids and a light green on the crease. After blending, I added a light teal eyeliner and some mascara. For the cheeks, I applied some bronzer and a neutral orangey-brown blush which I matched with an orange lip. That's all, pretty simple.

After, I decided to apply LimeCrime's Serpentina lip colour to my lips for a more gothic, dark fae look.

I like how both turned out. I simply HAD to use that LimeCrime ipstick since it just shipped in :).

I NEED A DRESS!

I never ever thought that I would find myself in this dilemma. There is a formal event coming up in January, and I am required to wear a LONG dress. I have to say, long dresses are nearly impossible to find in stores! I've looked everywhere (except for the super expensive places) and all I could find are short, clubbing dresses.

Now, the whole club look is just not my style. I know many people are into that, but I'm not one of them.

So what I did was this:

I went on ebay and browsed for a while. I found SOOO many great things and ended up making 4 impulsive purchases haha! This is what I bought, and I hope it comes in the mail soon! 

PVC Bond Girl

This is a sexy PVC-looking dress. It's not actual 

PVC, but it's made of a sort of ninja-material that hugs the body and gives it that leather-ish/PVC look. 

Don't judge me... lol.

I know it's quite fetishy and the slit is very high, but I love it. I really wanted a leather-looking dress... and this style seems to suit my style. 

The slit is kind of daring, but I don't think it'll be too bad with leggings and some knee-high boots. 

                                      Classic Seductress

   

This is the first one that I fell in love this. I think it's SO sexy because it's modest and yet revealing. It has that sheer material around the neck, in the back and along the side and I just love how fitting it is and how mysterious it looks.

^So, I'm debating between these two. Not sure if I should go for the statement choice or the classic, mysterious one.

...

These next two purchases are awesome but... I bought them TOTALLY impulsively. Like, they're short dresses for one thing... 

Cosette

 

So, I know I said the club-style is not really my style.. but... I ADORE THE BACK!!! It looks like an unlaced corset and I just love the one-shoulder thing too. Argh, I had to. I don't wear much colour but... this blue... is just..;.. so purtty!! And personally, I wouldn't mind adding some colour to my wardrobe :). 

Poor Maiden

Here's another that I absolutely adore! Honestly, I'd wear something like this on a daily basis! It kind of looks medieval-ish with bell sleeves and the chainmail lace-up thing it has going on there. Also, I've been getting into steampunk a lot more so I really don't mind having more browns in my wardrobe. This model is 6'2 and I'm 5'2, so this would be a proper dress on me hehe. Can't wait to receive it!!!! I just love it :3 .

Get Ready With Me: Steampunk-Casual

STEAMPUNK MAKEUP! WOO!
Well, not reaaally... it's just a look inspired by the steampunk subculture. I started out with a black smokey eye and then added this really gold shimmer thing to my eyes. It made my eyes SUPER shiny, so I patted it down with whatever black was left on my brush and that's how I achieved this metallic, smokey eye :).
For the lips, I tried that "ombre" thing with Electra and Almost Black by Nyx.
It went with my steampunk-casual outfit pretty well ;). Also, the rustiness of this makeup really makes me think of anything and everything steamy.
Enjoy the music! ^_^

Black Lipstick 101

I'm sure you've noticed that dark and strange lipstick colours are starting to get very trendy. Whether it's high fashion or adding 'edge' to your look, black seems to be universal! 
Halloween JUST finished but the season isn't done yet ;). If you browse through some drugstores, department stores or costume shops that are still open, I'm sure you'll find black lipsticks on sale. 

Step 1:

YOU NEED BLACK LINER.

There's no particular formula specifically for the lips, so any black eyeliner will do! It's pretty cheap and easy to find. Outline your lips bravely!

Step 2:

FILL IT IN!

If your black lipstick starts to smudge and smear during the day, you don't want to see that natural tone underneath. That would look kinda gross. Fill in your lips decadently!  

Step 3: 

APPLY WITH LIPBRUSH.

This is actually pretty important. When you apply black lipstick straight from the tube, it can get REALLY messy and black is pretty hard to clean up if you have foundation/concealer/powder/etc on your face. Also, you don't want to apply too much. Take a brush and dab it on the tube and then slowly spread it around your lips. If you're in a hurry, apply the lipstick (straight from the tube) to the center of your lips and then spread it out with a lipbrush. This technique is clean and efficient ;).

*Note: you do not have to chose a true black shade. If black-black is not your thing or you're trying to "break into" the black lipstick trend, go for a very dark shade that is almost black. Dark purples and dark browns are a good start. Nyx has a really nice shade called 'Almost Black' (lol) and it's more of a brownish purple-black :p. In my opinion, it is pretty ideal. 

Step 4:

CLEAN EDGES WITH CONCEALER.

Ehh this step is optional, but if you'd like, take a light concealer and highlight the cupids bow or just outline around your lips. It will make the black "pop" and will keep everything in place. 

Step 5:

BLOT.

Once again, an important step! You do NOT want excess black lipstick on your face. Trust me, it is SO messy. Pucker your lips and make an "oo" shape and gently suck on one of your fingers. I know this sounds sexual, but it's really just to ensure that you won't get lipstick on your teeth. After you do this, take some tissue and with lips parted, press it lightly on your lips.

Done ;)

Now you know how to put it on... but what the hell kinda makeup can you wear this with?! :O
Alright, so these are just tips. It is completely optional; I really don't care what you do to your face but these are things that I find look best with black lipstick.

i) The "no-makeup" look. Now, because black is so bold, I wouldn't recommend not wearing any makeup at all. The thing is, if you have a lot of redness or dark circles and blemishes that distract from the features of your face, the black lipstick kind of looks dirty. Idk why, it just does and it's not pleasant. Just conceal, powder and add the black lips! This look is very casual. Your face looks bright and the lips add the edge you desire!

ii) A dark/bold eyebrow. IMO, this looks BEST with black lipstick. No matter your hair colour, use black to fill in and shape your brows. Do NOTHING else to your face (except conceal/powder/w.e) and add those sexy black lips. If you'd like, contour a little but I'd stay away from blush if. Well, idk... i don't know too much about blush since I don't wear it. But yeah, you get the idea. No eyeshadow... just the bold eyebrow and bold lip. This look goes with any outfit. You can wear it on something fancy or something casual... it really darkens your features and defines "sexy" on a whole new level!

iii) Cat liner. Use your favourite liquid liner to line your eyes as you normally would and then wing the ends. Remember, this takes a steady hand a lot of practice! The pen-liners make it a lot easier if you have trouble. Be as dramatic as you want with the liner! Take a pencil liner and add it to the waterline. Fill in your brows as you please and pop on those black lips. Mwah! 

iv) Pin-it up! Familiar with the 1950s and Old Hollywood glamour? Well, fuck the red lipstick and sultry eyeshadows. Take a grey eyeshadow and apply it to your crease (cut-crease or well blended... whatever you want!). Highlight the inner corners and brow bone with your favourite ivory. As for the rest of the look, do as they do in the 1950s: winged liner; arched, well filled-in brows, blush, highlight, SEX! Add those black lips and you're done :). This is a very classic and edgy look.

v) Smokey eyes. Add some pencil eyeliner to your lids. Blend it out with a fluffy brush. Take the same pencil eyeliner and add it to your waterline. Apply liquid eyeliner and black lipstick and you're done :). This is a very basic gothic look. 

vi) Rainbow eyes. Are you bored of all the monotone makeup looks I suggested? I don't blame you. I mean, they're my favourites but ehhhhhh I understand that not everyone is as boring as I am :p . GO ALL OUT with colour. Do a rainbow pattern on your eyes, wing out some liquid liner, add glitter and whatever else you want! Wear your favourite blush, add those black lips and that's it! Happy, edgy, hot!

vii) Gradient eyes and lots of black liquid liner! Contrary to what I said before, black lips don't really good with colourful eyeshadow by itself. The rainbow eyes are an exception because it's SUPER bold. It's really wacky and black lips DO look good with eccentricity. However, if you try to do like, a green and blue eye... don't expect black lips to look that great with it. Unless the colours are really bright and shimmery and you load on the black eyeliner and make it really, REALLY dramatic. If you're going to do any kind of gradient on your eye, make sure you have some bold liquid liner balancing it out. You want to draw attention to your eyes, but you want to keep the darkness and edge. Furthermore, you do NOT want to look awkward. Eyeliner is a really good way to get around that. 

viii) Solid colour; cat-eye crease. Choose ONE (only one****) shade and apply it to the inner half of your eye. Take a black and apply it to the outer half of your eye. Create the shape you want and then blend it with a fluffy blush. Use tape if you want a sharp line. Apply liquid liner, black lips and you're done :). This look can be pretty fancy. I find that a shimmery pink or gold in the inner half of the eye looks really good here.

Anyway, these are my tips for wearing and pulling off black lipstick. Don't feel limited to them, you can do whatever you want. You never know what looks best on you unless you experiment a little.... so have fun and express your edginess in any way you desire! I hope this was at least helpful to you :D