white lines only separate me from me

It's a bit more complicated here.  I've been studying the urban, academically and experientially--finding that balance between self-expression and space-invasion.  I decided to start out with a monochrome palette, which turned out to be an excellent decision. 

Stripes and plaids are the planned city, the grid, the ruled.  Animal prints are the organic city, the element of the unexpected in interacting with a thousand strangers a day. 

This would be paired each day with the Sartorialist's famous "pop of colo(u)r", usually yellow because I reject the bizarre notion that it's "hard to wear" and it's not associated with ongoing regional feuds.

It was not at all long before I slipped back into greens and earth tones, though, let me tell you.  It's hard to get excited about wearing black in a European city.  I also can't be fucked with wearing the prevailing styles of women my age in the area: short shorts with opaque tights, shemaghs, Superdry.  Instead I find I'm most comfortable when I look just a little off in a clearly intentional way.

goddess sizes available at no extra cost

I'm a bit paranoid, now--the catalog for dippy neopagan fucktarts, The Pyramid Collection, has a paisley-print article of clothing on every page.  Is this pattern now associated with moon-addled cat-fanciers, rather than LSD-addled George Harrison-fanciers?  I object strenuously. 

For my Moogle

I <3 Lairds

More now in my series on cosplay you can do quickly if you happen to have been shoring up your collection of these specific cosplay elements.  I had one in mind, and once I saw this atrocity, it was ON.

Of course it's the Baroness!
Didn't you see the little
Cobra symbol at the neck?

Now of course like anyone, I have a spandex catsuit, a selection of false glasses, and some high-heeled boots, but the COBRA badge was hard to come by.  (Also a belt.  I never did find a belt.)  I fashioned my emblem out of a promotional film poster for the ill-conceived adaptation of Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell.  It's a bit impressionistic, but I think if you give it a good squint, you can probably make out the medically accurate vulvar diagram that is the COBRA insignia.

I tried to think of some non-sexy things to do in this outfit but there aren't any.

The Fantasy Scenario In Which I Can Imagine Myself Wearing This Lipstick

Just as the alarm sounds to tell you that the doors are closing, a woman bounds onto the 8 AM train.  She's in low heels, sheer black nylons, and a dark skirted suit, very conservative and businesslike.  Hair's up in a well-pinned french roll with a slight quiff, sleek and put-together.  She sits down but remains erect, smoothing her skirt front and back.

When she pulls a compact mirror out of her purse (barely larger than a clutch, logoless and nondescript in an expensive-looking way) and starts gently powdering her face, it's a little offputting--doing makeup on the train?  Pretty much on the same level as clipping your toenails on the bus, as far as I'm concerned.  Keep personal care personal.  Anyway, she lightly powders her lips and replaces the puff.  I guess she's fairly made-up already, mostly around the eyes.  Unusually light on the blush and bronzer for Glasgow.  She pulls a short, slim tube out of her purse.  It's some kind of lip gloss in a navy-colored bottle, which she sets on the little table to unscrew.  Compact mirror in her left hand, she touches the applicator to her lips.  It's dark, darker than you expected.  The color of the bottle actually seems to be the color of the gloss itself. 

With a practiced hand she draws herself a little bee-stung mouth, then very carefully makes eye contact with absolutely no one on the train the whole journey in, just gazing out the window at the cows. 

SCOT. LAND.

Ah, Scotland!  Birthplace of capitalism!  Stabbings capital of Western Europe!  Last bastion of the Labour voter!

Blue--Aromaleigh Cool It
White--Medusa's Makeup Blow

Today's eye honors St. Andrew, who felt that being martyred on the same shape of cross as Christ Jesus infringed on His copyright.  Besides being the patron saint of Scotland, he is the patron saint of Russia, Sicily, Greece, Romania, the Philippines, Malta, and fishmongers.

SCOOOTLAAAAAAAAAAND

Ah, Scotland!  After a hard day of being everywhere, doing everything, you're sure to work up a powerful thirst.  Why not quench it with Irn Bru, the world's most oppositional soft drink?*  And vodka?

It is made from iron and some other things, much like these eye pigments.  Except the blue one, that's made from FD&C blue 1.

Orange--Aromaleigh Ankle-Biter
Blue--Aromaleigh Flutura's Cloud
White--Medusa's Makeup Blow

You could also wear this to a Denver Broncos game between 1967 and 1997, if you were so inclined.


*Except perhaps for Coca-Cola, when drunk in Colombia.

SCOTLAAAAAND

Ah, Scotland!  Home of things that are Scottish, and a plurality of the world's Scots.  Its colour profile is very different to the one I'm used to, being made up of greens and greys rather than blues and golds.  Here, I have used it as inspiration for some eyeshadow.

Green--Aromaleigh Cricket (lid) & Tangleroot (outer corner)
foiled over some Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy and primer
Gray--Aromaleigh Tapestry
Largely invisible blue-white highlight--Aromaleigh Bluebell

Note: If you are actually in Scotland, I do not necessarily suggest wearing this eye.  Be aware of your surroundings, and watch out for blue-painted kerbs.