Makeup To Breakup: The Inspiration

  Well, this is awkward! All that build-up in my last post and I haven't updated in weeks. I'm determined to get serious and post more often, so now you can follow my blog with Bloglovin!

Basically between now and then, I became exceedingly poor and changed the name of the blog from the ever so tacky sounding "Ohsofrivolous". I only tend to do big purchases I think are worth it, and I wanted my blog to reflect that. Also compared to other bloggers out there, I'm a novice only in it for the learning curve and the chance to blabber about things I love. Pure and simple.

So, I decided to name my little space on the internet after a punk song, so it sounds a bit more like me. "Make up to Break up" is a song by Siouxsie and the Banshees around the punk era (circa 1977) that encapsulates my old mentality towards slap and hiding my features away. Around 2010 I looked backwards into their back catalogue and it was easy to relate to lyrics like:

"Shadow conjures cheekbones
 Hides a nasal disgrace 
A disfigured atrocity
J-j-jutting out of place"

As someone with a round face, chubby cheeks and a wide nose, I welcomed Siouxsie's artistic approach towards makeup, especially contouring as it offered me a poor substitute for her perfect angular cheekbones. To help sculpt my massive cheeks I use MAC blush in Raizin, Benefit Hoola Bronzer or the Sleek contour kit in Medium depending on how dramatic I want to go.


Growing up, I wasn't that interested in cosmetics (mainly because it was near impossible to be matched up to drugstore foundations, but that's another blog post) so I looked tomboyish and awkward next to the 'girls with eyes like swimming pools'. When I reached my twenties, my confidence dipped even more to the point where I had a cake face daily.



Siouxsie Sioux in '76

 

But despite the self-loathing in her lyrics, people like Siouxsie bring hope as all that disappears when she's on stage. Known for being brash, blunt and fearless, her onstage persona here as a relatively unknown act from Bromley never fails to inspire me. Her work in the Banshees reflects this - at their first gig they played an alternative version of The Lord' Prayer after not organising a setlist.

Before the Banshees, Siouxsie was part of the Bromley Contingent, the entourage of The Sex Pistols in '76 and was part of THAT Bill Grundy interview. In the 80's, along with the music her make up really came into her own as she developed the iconic dramatic looks she became well known for. The gothic image and the darkness of the music only added to her allure and to this day she remains a punk icon. Whenever things get a bit rough or I have a crisis of confidence, I think to myself "What would Siouxsie do?"




Now I don't really wear graphic eyeliner that often, but I have learned to embrace my features more as a consequence of having 80's musicians as my heroes. I've always liked the artistic aspect of beauty and fashion, so 2013 is my year to get creative. Other examples of 80's icons include Debbie Harry for her impeccable fashion skills, Kate Bush as my eyebrow inspiration (I still give mine a tidy, but I do love a strong brow) and Robert Smith circa 1981 is my biggest star crush of all time. Just saying.