These are the LA Knockers, a dance troupe active in Los Angeles from the mid-'70s through the early '80s. And I think I love them.
Co-founder Jennifer Stace described them as "Los Angeles' hottest, flashiest, all-female dance experience."
I could watch Sali Hughes talk feminism, puffins as beauty icons, and black eyeliner induced eye snot with Caitlin Moran all day long. Happily, there's an upcoming Part 2.
Hillary Clinton, for her part, is unruffled. She told CNN, "I feel so relieved to be at the stage I'm at in my life right now. Because you know if I want to wear my glasses I'm wearing my glasses. If I want to wear my hair back I'm pulling my hair back. You know at some point it's just not something that deserves a lot of time and attention. And if others want to worry about it, I let them do the worrying for a change."
Once again, we'd be well-served to emulate Hillary's "give zero fucks" example.
Orange Crush
I really upped my makeup game in 2011. I discovered how filling in my brows can change my face for the better, especially for nighttime and vintage looks. It's the finishing touch I just never knew I needed. Blammo. I found my new favorite black liquid eyeliner and the best super-nude eyeshadow duo to wear it with. I also started using a concealer brush, which I didn't want to believe would be such an improvement, but damn -- it's leaps and bounds beyond simply using my fingers to blend. Bonus: I've noticed I don't have to use as much product with the concealer brush. Recession-era win!
So, a couple of weeks ago, I took it upon myself to add one more notch to the bedpost. Sean and I were in the middle of our annual viewing of Blackadder's Christmas Carol (it just ain't Christmas without it). I've long found Miranda Richardson's Queenie (that is, Queen Elizabeth, but the daffiest, most childish, immature, ridiculous send-up of Queen Elizabeth that you'll ever see) to be one of my favorite characters, not just in comedy, or television, but really, of all time. She is equal parts adorable and repellent, sweet and sickening, goofy and tyrannical. In other words, the best.
Nursie: Pity about this, tinky-wink. You always used to love this time of year! Queenie: I know. Leaving a little mince pie and a glass of wine out for Father Christmas...and then scoffing it, because I was a princess, and I could do what I bloody well liked! Nursie: And wondering if your father's wife would last until Boxing Day without having her head cut off. Queenie: [nodding knowingly] We knew if he gave her a hat, she'd probably be all right.
The idea came to me that I might want to try to recreate her look, or at least a version inspired by ol' Queenie. I'm not a ginger like Richardson (I wish), but I figured I could pull it off with the right combination. The only part that gave me pause was her orange cheeks.
With a little help from my makeup artist friend Gia, and my friendly neighborhood Sephora, I chose Givenchy's Le Prisme Blush in In Vogue Orange.
Gia also recommended ("The cheeks and lips should sell it"):
- Pale skin with defined brows
- Minimal mascara
- Stained lips
- Highlighted skin at all the usual points (tear ducts, cupid's bow, top of cheekbones, upper bridge of nose)
- Powdered forehead and chin
- Taupe eyeliner at lashes
- No visible eyeshadow
Now, I haven't tried the full look yet, but I will tell you this: orange blush looks awesome.
(All this, mind you, from a girl who fully and resoundingly rejected makeup in high school, condemning it as a tool of the patriarchy and wondering why we all had to cover up our real faces in order to be viewed as beautiful.)