“The way I look is just part of it. It sounds affected but I do see myself as a piece of art. People do accuse me of being just decoratve or an escapist. Well, I am. That’s what I do. So long as they realize that I am other things as well.” – Klaus Nomi

Today as sitting eating snickerdoodles with Blue Mayhem soaking on my hair. I thought about all us women go through everyday between makeup, hair to create an image of ourselves. I personally lurve cranking up the stereo, heading to the bathroom and creating new versions of myself through makeup or hair color, I feel almost a sense of therapy as I brush a bright new color onto myself. For many years now, I have been personally fascinated by cosmetics and makeup art. Every time I see someone with amazing facial bone structure and strange features I want to kidnap them and make them up a’la Klaus Nomi. I believe that EVERYONE has something beautiful about them.

In my search for the perfect visage for myself, I have tried out endless amounts of beauty products to find some of the best ones that would be worth my money spent and give the best results. Some of these products may seem expensive, but in the long run could save you time and money of not having to try a bunch of products that don’t work.

Now, I know many of you guys are going… “Argh Miss D! This has nothing to do with me!” Well, hold your horses… read on for you many find great gift ideas for any of those females in your life. A great present for any woman would be a gift card to Sephora.com or to her favorite hair salon.

Now on with the show…

Hair

• Styling Tools: CHI Iron- I’ve tried the all the rest, this is the best straightener out there!
• Hair Dye: Special Effects- Great color selections and lasts the longest compared to other brands such as Manic Panic and Raw. Since I have had a spectrum of different wild hair colors, I have used many different combinations of their dyes. In the future I’ll do a post on hair color and how to’s sharing some of my dying tricks and favorite colors!
• Conditioner: Aussie Three Minute Miracle “Deep”- Since put my hair through so much after all the straightening (im naturally very curly!) and dying I need a powerhouse of a conditioner to fix the damage. It’s cheap and three minutes with this and my hair is saying THANK YOU!
• Deep Conditioner: Coconut Oil! It may sound strange but it works so well, if you want to get that high gloss shine. Set some of this on your head for a few hours and then rinse out with some clarifying shampoo! So soft and shiny!

Makeup

• Powder/Foundation: Mac Studio Fix- After a search for the perfect powder MAC Cosmetics once again proves to be the best, a tad bit expensive but worth it due to it’s amazing coverage, matte/non oily formula and almost photo shop like results….it’s a wise investment with a wide range of shades with names like C3 (that’s me!) and NC15 sounds like I should be looking for John Connor but it’s a technological wonder than should not be feared! Use a kabuki brush for best results.. plus it’s fun to say kabuki.
• Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing- Party hard? No worries…Best under eye concealer!
• Moisturizer: Nivea Creme- Just can’t get enough! Use a little to put on before makeup application, helps keep skin plump and powder set. Can get at any CVS or drugstore!
• Mascara: Max Factor Volume Couture-Waterproof and give you doll like lashes without the clumps and mess. Fake lashes in a tube!
• Matte Powder: Coastal Scents Silica Powder- I’ve tried that expensive HD powder and this works exactly the same. Stops all shine, all night. $4 for a huge jar. :) A must have for Florida humidity!
• Primer/Sealer: Mehron Barrier Spray- For all you folk that do performance or for ANYONE who wants their makeup to last ALL day. I HIGHLY recommend Mehron Barrier Spray, first introduced to me by a female impersonator. I have used this spray for years now on the most humid, sweaty days and hottest Florida nights. It’s awesome, non pore clogging and keeps all that hard work from sliding off.
• Eye Primer- Coastal Scents Eye Primer- Light, cheap and works like a charm!
• Stage Makeup: Kryolan- When I went to Berlin (where Kryolan has their HQ) it was the mecca of amazing makeup. My favorite is their UV creme eye shadows that glow under black light, always sure to get complements and come in BRIGHT neon colors. Just make sure you get a pack of nylon brushes from any art store to apply these cremes since they can be quite tricky to apply with normal natural bristled brushes. You can buy these in America from Shrinkle over on Ebay.
• Face Wash: Shea Moisture Black Soap- I am bananas for this soap, it’s done a miracle for my skin. It’s made from plaintains, tar, ash and shea butter. It’s not only cleared my skin up but has toned it and shrunk my pores. I don’t know but if I could get a gallon of this I would never stray. It’s amazing and you can pick it up at Target for $5!
  

Do you have a beauty tip you would like to share? I would love to hear any of your tips, tricks or favorite holy grail products and might feature it in a feature Destructo Deviation post. I am still looking for an awesome hairspray and color care shampoo! Let me know your recommendations!

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