EDIT:
I would like to clarify about the makeup. I stumbled across some images from the pageant today, not super high res, but nonetheless my makeup looks AMAZING. MakeupMonarch Alyssa Plough is a fantastic makeup artist and she dolled me up well. She is a true professional with genuine talent. The bleeding lipstick is my failure to have forethought about perspiration. I rarely perspire and do not account for how that may impact makeup since I also rarely wear makeup. My re-application and lack of attention is the fail here, no one and nothing else.
Original post:
Midnight Mass photos courtesy of Jason with Out-Law Photography. He generously chose to shoot with me upon discovery that my doting husband would not be en tow for this event. We happened upon the Cadillac Kings car club, whose secretary adored my red dress and how it pops the prized Cadillac emblem, which also coincidentally as I write this notice has similar top outlining as the bust on my dress. Classy meets classy, and I had my first ride atop a trunk as we repositioned the car for lighting and background purposes. I want to promise that you will get to see some of the fun shots, but I have some serious doubts you or I will ever see those images.
Allow me to share with you what can only be dubbed as “The Lipstick Fiasco”. As for many big deal events, I paid for makeup application. Somebody else worrying over the makeup allows me to assuage my nerves and provides a captive audience to mull over my morning-of stresses for whichever big event occasions the service. Daily, I do not wear makeup. Regular life when I do go out I lightly apply BareMinerals. I never wear lipstick, always 12-hour lip stain. The rare occasions I have attempted to wear lipstick, it gets all over my teeth, face, clothes, kids, and anything else nearby. I’m not sure why I thought I could pull off real lipstick for an all day affair in 109 degree weather, but I do recall nearly stopping the makeup artist and declaring I would do my own. A ball of nerves, I stopped the notion and soothed myself into trusting whatever she had planned. I barely glanced in the mirror all day. So here’s the short of it: the lipstick was not lined and applied to my lips, but rather surround my lips. Sweat plus lip color on the skin around the lips equals color bleed and as a member of the day’s entourage admitted at the end of the night, “I thought you were going for the clown look.” So yes, all day apparently I walked around with lip color in places it ought not to have been. Pictures, ruined. Pride, injured. Embarrassment, complete. Mortified, in short. Furiously regretful, lesson learned. What ought to have been glorious photos are ruined. My cheeks look great. So yes, I dub this “The Lipstick Fiasco”.
I am not a fan of this pose, and never before attempted it. Still not a fan. Apparently, it was one of the few images Jason could salvage from the mouth color bleed. We offered to re-shoot with the Cadillac Kings, but I am beginning to doubt it will happen. Even happy snappy images from the day I have not seen, and perhaps those who took them are embarrassed for me to make public.
We hope to again work with Jason, but given all the extra detail work and photo re-touch he is having to do to doctor these photos enough to be presentable on account of my lips, I entirely understand if he does not want to again work with us. I am entirely grateful for what has been salvaged and for the amount of time required to get this much. Dear readers, given the hype I talked up on social media surrounding Midnight Mass as it approached, and to deliver just three quality images, marvelous as they may be, I cannot help but feel as a failed lover who did not deliver as expected.
I absolutely love this image, our first black and white published to the blog. I met David “Gravy” Castillo at a Blues danc Sunday night before Midnight Mass. While dancing, I learned he is a muse to a dear friend with a camera and is basically the first male pinup model I have encountered. Thrilled to muse with him at Mass, Jason indulged us. I already explained the likely reason why this is the only image we have from that session. Notice my lips are covered? I have to give special props to David for being the hard truth teller at the end of the night, who graciously pulled a stack of napkins from his pocket and gently suggested that I remove the color. Thank you, David, I like the truth always. People, if my style is ever cramping by all means speak up! Are you seriously going to allow somebody to walk around with two feet of toilet paper streaming behind? I may as well have been given the embarrassment I feel looking back. I seriously had no clue. I need more friends such as David. Plus, I very much enjoyed shooting with him and admit that I have been obsessing with ideas for more shoots. Here’s to hoping they happen!
Should any more images be released from Midnight Mass and these two photo sessions I blissfully enjoyed oblivious to my clown lips appearance, I will be sure and share. I too am dying for more. The experience has cultivated renewed appreciation for having control over all images in a photo shoot, even blunders. I suppose that is a rare luxury for most pinup models.
Out-Law Photography
MUA:Alyssa Plough
Hair:Danyelle “The Hair Maverick” Johnson
A lot of make-up artists go for the Overly big lips way outside your natural lip-line and I’ve had it done to me for shoots I hate to say. But I think you look lovely and if it really bled some places a good photo editor can touch up your best images.
Also three great images are perfect. You don’t need a zillion images, one great one is enough. I understand how disappointed you are but don’t be so hard on yourself. If it was THAT bad you’d have though the photographers or someone nearby would have said something. I’m sure you looked smashing with or without bleeding lips.
Darling,you were stunning! We chatted a few moments while on hold in line for the pageant and i witnessed nothing amiss with your lipstick. Though I must ask,that since you paid for the application I’m assuming it was professional,why she didn’t use liner? Especially since it was applied outside your natural lip line.
Either way..you were lovely!Your photos are lovely and as it was previously stated a few is often times better than a million.