A Very Dita Post: Your Beauty Mark + Perfume + Meeting Dita!

I MET DITA!! February was definitely Dita von Teese month for me. I don't even know where to begin... Obviously the best thing was getting to meet her. I finally got my hands on her book (which is now signed!) AND my lovely boyfriend randomly surprised me with a bottle of her amazing perfume. This post is basically going to be me raving about anything Dita related, so you have been warned!

I think it was back in December that I found out Dita was coming to Toronto. I couldn't believe it! I'm usually not the kind of person to freak out over celebrities, but Dita isn't just any kind of celebrity in my opinion. She has definitely helped me to get in touch with my feminine side, be more confident in my own skin and she introduced me to the wonderful world of pinup and burlesque. I got my ticket for the book signing shortly after and the countdown began..

The Perfume: Erotique

My boyfriend surprised me with Dita's perfume Erotique a few weeks ago as an early Valentines gift. I had been eyeing it for weeks, but never took the plunge because I just wasn't ready to buy something I hadn't even smelled yet! Apparently the boyfriend randomly saw it at a shop (not knowing I had been looking at it) and figured I'd like it since I had been without perfume for over a year and am crazy about Dita.

I asbolutely love this perfume! It features rose, incense, leather, pepper, coriander, musk, sandalwood, cedar and guaiac wood. The first time I sniffed it, it was unlike any perfume I had ever smelled. Very masculine and woody.. Needless to say I was a little scared! But then I put it on and after a little while it started to remind me of expensive leather. Sophisticated purses, bags, gloves. Later on the roses and musk came forward and the scent got more soft and rounded and all in all more feminine. But not like sweet, candy, girly feminine like so many perfumes out there, but a sophisticated adult woman. This puts all my previous super sweet perfumes to shame. I feel so strong, elegant and womanly when I wear this perfume. 

The only downside is that it doesn't last very long, and I've noticed I'm not the only one with this problem. It does tend to linger in my hair which is nice! Unfortunately I think this perfume isn't going to be around much longer, so I'm going to have to be quite sparing with it. I know there are some other Dita perfumes out there though, so I'm sure once I run out of this one I'll be able to find one of her other scents.

The Book: Your Beauty Mark

Her book... oh my I don't even know where to begin. It's like my bible now. There are so many helpful tips and tricks on anything you can imagine. From in depth information of perfume making to shaving your armpits. Whenever I read it I feel like I'm in class, and I like to keep a sheet of paper and a pen with me to take notes of anything I feel I need to remember.

I have heard mixed reviews on it though. People either hate it or love it. Some complain about her comments on body hair or the fact that some things like hair and make up tutorials aren't very detailed or in debt. Personally I do think there could've been a bit more pictures and maybe diagrams
for hair setting patterns but overall it's pretty decent.

People also complain that's it too much of an add for MAC cosmetics, but I don't really see that. Dita mentions several brands and usually for good reason. Whether it's because it's something she uses regularly herself, she's friends with the creators or has some kind of history with the brand. I personally don't feel like anything is being pushed on you in terms of products or brands.

The main thing the book has done for me so far is to stop myself from feeling weird about the fact that I like to dress and doll up 90% of the time. I do love the spend time on how I look, and it's for nobody else but me (although it's nice to know the boyfriend appreciates it too!) I believe every day should be a special occasion. Plus I simply don't get stuff done in pj's and a bare mug..

If you're a fan of Dita or simply want to bring some more glamour into your everyday life I would definitely recommend this book. I would also recommend it if you're looking for a book on body positivity and self care. If you're purely looking for a book with in debt hair and make up tutorials you might be better off with youtube tutorials or other books.

The Meet & Greet

I got up super early this day not only because I could hardly sleep anyway, but also because I still had to set my hair and do my make up (I can't stand sleeping in pin curls). Luckily the weather was absolutely amazing.. it was like spring! So I could wear flats and my nice coat without freezing to death and also not worry about my eyes watering or my hair getting rained/snowed on.

Once we got to Rosie the Rebel (my favourite retro clothing store in Toronto!) there was a pretty big line of girls all dolled up. It always makes me so happy! The closer we got to the door the more nervous I got. Eventually I got in and last minute my boyfriend got to score a ticket from the guy behind us as well so he could come in with me :) A lady wrote your name down on a sticky note and you had to put this inside the book (which I btw thought was a very clever idea! No name confusions or misspelling). Then after waiting for a bit in line, I got to meet her and take a picture with her!

Not the most flattering picture.. I'm super self conscious about my teeth, but I guess for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to smile with my mouth open! Ugh!

She's honestly just as flawless in real life as she is in her pictures. She was also very soft spoken and came across very humble and timid. And she is so petite! She looks so tall in her pictures but in reality she's a petite little doll. There's so much I wanted to say to her, but all I could stammer was 'It's so nice to meet you' and 'Thank you so much!'. Unfortunately we couldn't make it to her burlesque show that same night, but she just said that she might just bring her show 'Strip strip Hooray!' to Canada in the near future so I'll just wait for that.

Sometimes you meet 'famous' people in person, or even just regular people you've seen online or whatever and it can be a bit disenchanting. Even the boyfriend said that once I'd meet Dita I'd realize she's just a regular person. But somehow I don't feel that way at all! Of course I know she's just human, but I honestly think she's an extraordinary person. She's not putting on a show all the time or a persona. She is the way she is. She lives and breathes everything she does. It's very inspiring.


And this brings me to the end of my Dita post! Needless to say February has been great to me concerning all my Dita wishes :) I hope you enjoyed this post and share your Dita experience with me in the comments!

Pinspiration: Green, Florals & Glamour

I don't know what it is about green shades lately... I've just been loving it with pops or reds and pinks. And some floral! I feel like I'm already getting into the summer spirit even though the first snow storms only just pulled in. I guess that's a good thing right!? Where other social media websites always feel like they're numbing my mind, Pinterest always gets me super excited and inspired! There's just something about putting pretty pictures together that inspires me with ideas for anything in my life!

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How cute is that Panda Bread though? I want one!!

Pinspiration: Teal, Pink and Pin Up

Pink will probably always be my favourite colour, but my second favourite colour changes from time to time. Lately I've noticed I have been loving teal shades. There's something about teal and pink together (and some black for good measure) that makes me heart sing these days! These are
some recent pins and likes from my pinterest to prove my point...

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"Things that are acceptable to the masses 

are generally mediocre, in my opinion." 

- Dita Von Teese

2016: What I Look Forward To

(source)

Happy New Year everyone! Instead of making a list of things I want to do (differently) this year that I know doesn't work for me anyway I thought I'd make a list of things I'm excited about! Because really I just want this year to be about excitement, positivity and lots of new experiences.

First of: MUSE! I've been wanting to see them live for so long.. Probably for about 10 years. But either I couldn't afford it, tickets were sold out in seconds or nobody wanted to go with me (I did go to concerts by myself a lot, but for some reason I never wanted to go alone for Muse). And now not only will I finally see them live, but I get to go with my best (boy)friend who also enjoys their music. Normally I don't like big 'stadium shows' like this, but I'm sure they'll put on an amazing show. Can't wait! 

Next up: Meeting Dita von Teese! When I saw she was coming to Toronto for a booksigning I couldn't believe it. And at one of my favourite boutiques too! She is a daily inspiration for me when it comes to style and beauty. She is the definition of glamour and classiness to me. I'll probably be an awkward stuttering mess once I meet her, but it will be totally worth it! I have yet to get her book, but it's basically the only thing on my birthday list so I should be fine :)

And... Cherry is coming to Canada! Another one of my pin up/vintage style idols. I've been following her on youtube for forever and have been dreaming of attending one of her classes. She's the lady who taught my everything I know about hair and make up and gave me the confidence to rock pin up and vintage styles more often. I have yet to save up and book so I hope I won't miss it! But either way I'll drop by the store just to say hi if I do miss out.

Other things I look forward to:
♥ taking more steps with my immigration. It's such a waiting game and I never know what will come next. I hope we can take some major steps with my immigration so that I can possibly apply for a job or go back to school.
♥ learning more hair and make up skills. For the new year I want to cut off all the dead/split ends of my hair and make it a bit shorter. I also want to get a curling iron and other styling products and finally get the hair of my dreams. Hopefully I can make it look halfway decent when I meet Dita.
♥ Making even more sales in my Redbubble shop. This year was truly the year I got all my art stuff in order. I made my online portfolio and started an online shop. By the end of the year I actually started making a nice amount of sales and I'm hoping to keep that up!
♥ Going back to Europe. To finally visit my family again and to travel around and have more adventures. Fingers crossed everything will go smoothly so we can go again this summer...

What are you looking forward to in the new year?

The fashion world of Jean Paul Gaultier

Fashion is a huge inspiration for me. I won't say I know a lot about it, nor am I the most trendy or 'fashion concious' person out there (whatever that might mean..) but that doesnt mean I cant let it inspire me. It started with Japanese street fashion, and from there I discovered amazingly creative and inspiring designers. Vivienne Westwood, Meadham Kirchhoff, Betsey Johnson just to name a few!

But I never really explored the amazing world of Jean Paul Gaultier. I had seen the iconic perfume bottle in my grandmother's bathroom, and the specially designed Coca Cola bottles but that was about it. When I saw the beautiful exhibition posters around town though, I knew I had to go. And I'm so glad I did. It was amazing.

I want these in my room, right now.

Where to begin with this exhibition made of pure awesomeness.. There were about 6 seperate spaces, each with its own theme. The first room was called 'Odyssey', which was filled with mermaids, sailors, Virgin Mary style looks... It was like a dark, magical fairytale. The mannequins had faces projected on them that moved (it scared the hell out of me when I didn't know this and suddenly one of them looked right at me!)

Mermaids with crutches? Yesplz.

The next room was 'the Boudoir', where you could see the famous corsets. 

The room after that was 'Skin Deep' with designs inpired by the human body and S&M. The sparkly black harness/skeleton corset below was worn by Dita von Teese!

The next room was called Punk Cancan, which obviously had a lot of punk inspired pieces.

I want that tulle skirt outfit please, thank you.

The last rooms were Urban Jungle and Metropolis. I especially loved the two designs below, and anything that was black, lacy and glittery in there!

So dreamy...

Afterwards I watched a documentary about the man himself, and he's so inspiring! Can you believe he is entirely self taught? He also seems like a pretty down to earth guy with a lot of positive energy around him, which seems to be rare with fashion designers these days. I could go on and on about it, but then this post will never end. He's definitely a new hero of mine.

Peaches and pink, sparkly cowgirls.

I need this, gigantic sized, right on my door. More than not I need a reminder that you can't please everyone. That you can't have everybody like you. And that this is totally fine. I do want to add to this though, that I wish people could be more respectful. I mean, I am totally fine with you not liking me or my style, but that's your taste and opinion and not a fact. I am still a human being, and I deserve to be treated with respect. Just because you don't like someone or something doesn't mean you can't appreciate or acknowledge their qualities, bravery or just the fact that, they too, get through this pretty tough thing called life every single day.

But ok, coming back to Dita, my friend Alexandra recently noted me about Dita being in 30 seconds to Mars' latest music video Up In the Air and per usual, she looks like a total babe. Seriously though: pink, glitter, gorgeous lingerie and cowgirls = everything I lovelovelove!

Have a wonderful weekend and keep sparkling! Let's celebrate it Taylor style!