Monday, October 24, 2011

Halloween Costumes For Less

So in today's blog, I'm going to cover a widely discussed and very timely aspect of fashion: Halloween costumes! And here's what Party City doesn't want you to know about Halloween costumes: they don't have to cost 70 dollars. In fact, with a few basics, a good makeup artist, some pieces you probably already own, and a couple accessories, you can look like a thousand bucks for under 40.

How do you put together a cute, cheap Halloween costume?
Here's how I created my "angel" costume using things I already owned and one set of accessories.
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Angel Costume by Catherine Cotton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://picasaweb.google.com/108014830181637339043/October242011#5667281623661511794.



I created this costume by only spending 20 dollars, and using things I already owned. The dress is from American Apparel, it was 15 dollars. I would highly reccommend American Apparel to anyone shopping for a halloween costume, they have every kind of basic clothing item in every color imaginable, and neon everything. I'm wearing gold flip flops I've owned for years, a cross necklace I've had for a long time, and I only had to spend 20 dollars on the wings and halo. For the night of Halloween, I'll do white and glittery makeup all around my eyes to create that angelic effect.

Costumes like this can be made with relatively any idea in mind. Want to a butterfly, fairy, or any type of ladybug/bumblebee? Black basic tank top, any color skirt, and wings from a halloween store. Any solid color dress or skirt paired with a black top and accessories can make a multitude of costumes. Paying 70 dollars for a simple white dress isn't worth it when you can go to Target and get the same thing for much less.

The secret to Halloween costumes is this: accessories. Get the right accessories, and everyone will know what you are, even if you're outfit is basic.

Monday, October 3, 2011

The ins and outs of body modification

So today I want to cover a topic thats starting to be more and more prominent in today's world of trends and style: body modification. From piercings, to gauges, to tattoos: body mods are becoming increasingly common with today's younger crowd, and having had quite a few of them myself, I wanted to share with my followers the dos and don'ts of body mods.

Piercings and tattoos can be incredibly cute and give you a little bit of edge as well. I'm a big fan of both these things, in moderation of course, there's definitely such a thing as too much when it comes to body mods! I, myself, have a nose ring and two ear piercings on each ear. I've also had my septum pierced, but I took it out. Recently I went to get my tongue pierced but due to a physical imperfection, they recommended me against it.

That brings me to my first topic: know your piercing artist/tattoo artist. Make sure the shop you're going to is legitimate, clean, and has good revies and service before you let them put needles in your skin! Do your research, read reviews, ask around. It may seem like a lot of trouble to go to, but a botched piercing can lead to infection, scarring, and loss of feeling in that area. As someone who let her best friend pierce her nose at 14, believe me, DO NOT do piercings yourself or ask a friend to do it. It may look easy, but these guys are proffesionals for a reaosn. A clean and legitimate shop may cost a bit more, but an infection will cost you much more in  the long run!

As for tattoos, I have one tattoo myself, and am currently talking to an artist about my 2nd. On the subject of tattoos, my best advice is this: get something meaningful. You have to live with it your whole life, so make sure you like it. My advice is when you think of a tattoo idea you like, don't get it done right away. Sit on your idea for about six months, and if it hasn't changed and you still want it, start looking for a shop and an artist who can bring your vision to life.

As for my tattoo, me and my mom got matching tattoos in Las Vegas when I was 17. She asked her graphic designer friend to draw us a mother and baby owl and this is what he came up with:




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Owl Picture by Catherine Cotton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at picasaweb.google.com.


The owls mean a lot to us because we have had owls living in our backyard for a few years now, and every year they have babies and we get to watch them learn to fly together in our backyard.


This final product ended up like this:






Creative Commons License
Owl Tattoo by Catherine Cotton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at picasaweb.google.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://picasaweb.google.com/108014830181637339043/October3201102#5659126643228470626.




I'm very very happy with the way my tattoo came out, and I know I will always cherish it. Tattoos can sometimes look trashy, but if they mean a lot to you and you know it's something you'll always love, find a good shop and go for it. However, be warned: tattoos require needles. Needles hurt. So when people ask me, "Did that hurt?" Well, it definitely didn't feel pleasant getting a needle shoved into my shoulderblade for an hour. So be prepared, know that YES, it will hurt, A LOT, and also know that if you start to whine, your tattoo artist WILL make fun of you!