#lucina's makeup corner

[interpol-by-design]

Fuck it, I'm bored waiting for a delivery and my boss is getting on my case. Let's learn about eyeshadow!

The first thing you need to learn is that designer eyeshadow palletes? They're not a scam, but they're not exactly recommended, either. They're largely made for people with disposable income who want to be trendy, which isn't everyone. It's just a single demographic. Designer palletes are specially selected by people who are on top of the trends, who are on top of the latest colors, who are going to specifically pick precise shades that look good on a broad range of people, wearing a broad range of clothes.

Let me be blunt. I'm Kalosian, and while I love my home? We do have a classism issue. And I think part of addressing that is saying, in a neutral way, that not everyone has the same budget or the same options when it comes to cosmetics. Hell, my girlfriend grew up in a small town, so her foundation choices were pretty limited because they straight up weren't able to stock enough variety to suit her. She was between shades, and had to get creative with mixing foundation up to match her skin tone every time.

Anyways. If you want to start experimenting with eyeshadow, start with a drugstore pallete, something with a large selection! You can get two dozen or so colors to play around with, and while you may not have a lot of each one, that's okay. You're still learning. And it's okay if you run out quicker, because you're still figuring out what you like and what looks good on you.

Oh! And get good quality brushes. Start out with maybe one good brush that you like and take care of, and then, as you learn more techniques, you can continue investing in more. I get mine online from Lumiose Moon, which has actually started branching out into making paintbrushes now! Check out their beginner friendly section, that's the code for working on a budget, and make sure you use the half off shipping coupon. You can get the shipping a lot cheaper if you're willing to wait, too. They're super good about coupons, trust me. I'm a bit of a brand whore for them, to be honest, but frankly? Their budget options are nice and they let you scale up.

Why do you need good brushes? Because a good brush will pick up more pigment, frankly. You'll get better, more visible results, and more even blending if you're working with high quality equipment.

Anyways, the delivery I'm waiting for right now? See, I don't get individual palletes anymore. I just, once a year, buy myself refills for the Book of Eyeshadow, which is a full spectrum pallete with hundreds of colors. The casing folds up super nicely to fit in my bag, and all my colors are accessible in one place. I would absolutely, if you've gotten past the first step and want to get serious about makeup art, advise you to check online for a large pallete. You'll want to look for something that has both rainbow and nude shades, I keep mine separate but I know my girlfriend likes to mix them.

Oh shit, I think that's it now. Happy makeup times or something, remember that you're doing this as an art form and if you feel ugly without makeup, look into body dysmorphia! Bye for now!

[shefightslikeagirl]

The Bloody Crumpets: An Inconsistent History in The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

An Asylum History post by@shefightslikeagirl

The Beginnings

In 2008, the Plague tour began, and with it began the first Asylum Book readings. This was the first look into The Asylum... book for the general public, outside of the single teaser track included on the 4 o'Clock EP, and gave the fandom its first significant insight into the Asylum world.

At the time, the Bloody Crumpets that toured with Emilie were Vecona, Aprella, Lucina, Veronica, Joo Hee (on cello), and Ulorin Vex (briefly).

Lady Joo Hee, Center of Happiness, and Sachiko

Lady Joo Hee was Emilie's friend and musical companion from 2004 to 2008. In August of 2004, Emilie posted a wanted ad for a female cellist in The Asylum Forum Journal Entries, which read as follows:

Wanted: Female cellist to join the lineup of an all-female chamber-pop group fronted by violinist/singer of national renown. You must have your own gear (electric cello or cello with pickup and amp, effects, etc.), be in or around Chicago, and an appreciation for eclectic tastes that go beyond straight classical music (or straight rock for that matter). The band's goal is to perform locally and tour nationally in support of albums already recorded. If you have any background in early music (Baroque, Renaissance, even Celtic), we'll love you even more. Your talents as a seriously trained instrumentalist will be greatly appreciated (!!!) but we'd love it if you have a tendency to rock as well. An affection for corsets, glitter, and stage makeup is nice but optional.

And, in May of 2008 at the Wave Gotik Treffen Book Readings, Joo Hee was revealed as a character in the earliest version of The Asylum... (at approximately 3:10).

[Video re-uploaded / archived from this YouTube video by Frank S.]

This particular reading featured the end of the book, which means that at some point, Joo Hee was written in throughout an entire draft of the Asylum. Images of Joo Hee were also featured in an article by Alternative Magazine, who did a spread on The Asylum... book in 2008. (Her name also appears in this version of the text, but due to the low resolution it's hard to make out.)

[Emilie Autumn & Lady Joo Hee (left), Emilie Autumn & "Sachiko" (right)]

Shortly after these readings, Lady Joo Hee disappeared from the Bloody Crumpets. The reasons were not made public; however, it's been speculated that there was some falling out between the two, and she was struck from the book entirely before publication, and replaced with the fictional Sachiko, with her face edited out of the book.

Captain Vecona, Teakeeper of the Asylum, and Jolie Rogue

Captain Vecona was a Bloody Crumpet and partner of Emilie Autumn's from 2006 to 2008, and the first pirate character to join the Bloody Crumpets.

In The Asylum... book, the Captain, or Jolie Rogue, has never shared a name with a specific Bloody Crumpet. However, the Captain was initially modeled off of Vecona, drawing heavy influence from her onstage appearance and persona (compare the above image to the ones below.)

After a business dispute in 2008/2009, Vecona left the Bloody Crumpets. The Asylum... still published with the Captain having her stage likeness, but in the third edition of the book (the audiobook), Jolie's hair color was changed to blonde and thus her image was distanced from Vecona's.

See comparisons below from the text.

"I saw a white shift and striped stockings, black-and-white, black-and-white, black-and-white... I saw a mass of dark hair on top of which was a perched a bizarre tri-corner hat that looked as though it had been fashioned from torn scraps of paper."

"...and the tangled mass of black hair was unmistakable."

- The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, first ed. 2009. Print. Pg. 58, 61.

"I saw a white shift... I saw striped stockings, black-and-white, black-and-white, black-and-white... I saw a mass of silvery hair on top of which was perched a bizarre tri-corner hat that looked as though it had been fashioned from torn scraps of paper."

"...and the tangled mass of pale hair was unmistakable."

- The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, third ed. 2015. Audiobook. Tracks 26, 28.

After Vecona's departure, Maggie Lally, better known as Captain Maggots, took on the pirate persona for the tours. However, she never adopted the name Jolie Rogue, and had no characters based off of her in the book.

Emilie had this to say regarding the change, as revealed in a Goodreads Q&A in 2018:

The Naughty Veronica and Charlotte

The Naughty Veronica, or Veronica Varlow, was a Bloody Crumpet and friend of Emilie from 2008 to 2020. The character onstage and in the book were one and the same--Veronica, in the book, was a representation of the character that Veronica Varlow played on stage, and that was made very clear by Emilie and Varlow throughout their time together.

In the first iterations of The Asylum..., Veronica was a friend and confidant to Emily-with-a-y. However, in the audiobook version (3rd edition), the plot changed drastically to make Veronica more central to the story. The character Christelle (below), who was murdered by Dr. Stockhill in the first two editions of the book, was absorbed into Veronica. She became the character murdered by Stockill (instead of surviving, as she did in the previous versions), in an attempt to add a tragic punch to the end of a new love story between herself and Emily-with-a-y.

Veronica has also been given two songs in the musical: "Don't Kiss Me," which was originally specifically written for Varlow for the Asylum Experience 2015 (which never got off the ground), and "From the Gutter to the Stars."

However, it's been speculated that Varlow and Emilie had a falling out in recent years. At some point after the Spring of 2019, Emilie and Varlow unfollowed each other on social media and stopped cross-promoting each other (Varlow published a book and overcame skin cancer during that time). And then on March 14, 2022, Emilie posted a new lyric video for "From the Gutter to the Stars" and "Don't Kiss Me" on YouTube with the following caption:

*Note* For anyone already familiar with the story, you'll wonder at the name change of the character of Veronica to Charlotte. I made this call as, for the musical version of the story, the name "Charlotte" was deemed more Victorian-era appropriate (it was suggested to me that "Veronica" was a bit out of place and I agreed). I thought it would be confusing to have the same character referred to by multiple names, so, Charlotte it is, and she's fabulous.🖤

Neither party has made any direct statements about their standing, but after their very public friendship, career, and collaborations over the last decade, it's quite surprising to the fandom to see them separated.

The Lady Aprella and Christelle

This one requires a lot of assumptions, because the connection isn't clear and Aprella has never been mentioned by name in any iteration of The Asylum..., but there are comparisons to be made between Aprella and Christelle.

"A girl called Christelle promptly arrived to fill the empty cage. Originally from France, Christelle amuses the viewers tremendously by singing obscene songs in her native language whilst spinning around in circles."

- The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, second ed. 2011. Print. Page 143.

In an interview with her now-closed fansite, Aprella stated the following about her stage character:

"...the basic root of [my character] is that she was a ballet dancer who had dreams of becoming prima but those were shattered when her magical red ribbon was removed from her neck while she slept. The ribbon had served her ability to do perfect ballet and after the ribbon was removed, her ability to dance perfectly fell apart..."

While ballet itself originates from the Italian Renaissance, it's known mostly for its French and Russian history. And with Christelle's French origins and her "broken" dancing, which was a critical element of Aprella's onstage persona, I think it's fair to say that there is a parallel between them, however slight.

Overall, Christelle is a minor character. In the first two editions of the book, her largest part is that Emily-with-a-y witnesses her murder at the hands of Dr. Stockill, but this is changed to another character in later editions.

Aprella and Emilie parted ways in 2010. Both unfollowed each other on social media and Aprella auctioned off some of her costume pieces, leaving the Bloody Crumpets permanently. She makes little reference to her days in the Asylum now.

Honorable Mention: fLee, Queen of Tarts, and Flea

In the days of the Asylum Forums, there was once a site admin named fLee. She was a real-world friend of Emilie's when she lived in Chicago, whose screen name was featured in the book as a small side character that was later removed in the 3rd edition.

It has been speculated that after the forum's closure in Summer of 2014, the two grew apart and are no longer close friends. Emilie had this to say about the removal of Flea, Christelle, and Joanna:

Conclusion

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls has gone through many, many revisions, from small corrections to large-scale plot changes. There are multiple copyright years: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2020 onwards (musical). But in its original draft, it was most likely sent to be printed when everyone was still on good terms with each other, and the fallouts between Emilie, Trisol Records, and some of the Bloody Crumpets had yet to take place. Each character change in the book seems to follow after Emilie has broken ties with the persons those characters may or may not be based on, and some have come during heavy editing of the book--the second to third edition--and may simply be a result of those revisions.

It's all speculation. But I hope you all found this post interesting, and feel free to comment anything I missed out on or forgot in the reblogs and comments below.

Thanks!

[saemi-the-writer]

Following with Réamann!

Note: opinions “what do they think of X so far?” below is his opinion before and at the end of the prologue depending on the character!

1. Name? Surname?

Réamann Griffin

2. Any family?

Two aunts: Lucina and Izumi, a twin sister: Niamh, and a cousin: Erwin. Parents (deceased): Gaia Scribonius and Bith Griffin.

3. Any familiar?

A red squirrel called Ceres.

4. Asra, Nadia or Julian?

Muriel! Otherwise, Nadia.

5. Best strength in magic?

Réamann is a bard, so his magic is mostly linked to music and words, but also illusions. He is very creative and imaginative in using them. Mostly use them to tell stories and amaze but if he needs to, he can use it to other ends, see these videos (4:25 to 5:20 for the second one).

6. Favourite colour?

Blue indigo.

7. Favourite number?

2.

8. Sexuality?

Pansexual

9. Weird hobby?

Sitting in a corner, preferably surrounded by nature, and just stay there, daydreaming.

10. Favourite season?

Summer.

11. Favourite weather?

Hot and sunny weather.

12. Favourite place in Vesuvia?

Muriel’s hut. The palace garden.

13. How their laughter sounds like?

Either a low chuckle or a loud roar.

14. How do they look like when they cry?

Face all red, lot of tears (ugly sobbing?).

15. What do they like to wear?

His old comfortable clothes. But Nadia’s various gifts made him double check.

16. What are their fears?

o   Losing people he loves

o   Pure darkness

o   Corpses

17. What do they like to do Friday night?

Sharing a nice meal with his family and/or friends and going to bed early.

18. Do they use makeup?

Sometimes, for storytelling.

19. Favourite food?

Dressed asparaguses.

20. Favourite drink?

Ginger ale.

21. Zodiac sign?

Taurus.

22. Day of birth?

May 15th

23. Favourite play?

“A flea in her ear”

24. Favourite music?

Celtic folks, Nocturn, lullabies

25. Favourite song?

The Voice

26. What are their aesthetics?

27. What is their style?

Casual, boho, celtic, flashy.

28. Any mental health issues?

Réa suffered of muteness as a child after his parent’s death and he nearly fell into depression after Niamh’s. While he is doing better when the story begins, he still has the bad habit of bottling up his emotions. He also developped a deep phobia of corpses as a child, so much that he couldn’t eat meat anymore, he is still vegetarian as an adult.

29. Any health issues in general?

No.

30. Are they human?

Yes.

31. Favourite book?

“Picture of Dorian Gray”

32. Favourite book genre?

Adventure, poetry.

33. Favourite time of the day?

Afternoon.

34. If they weren’t magician, who would they be?

A Bard or a painter.

35. Do they believe in ghosts?

Yes.

36. Do they believe in demons?

They’re real here!

37. Do they like sport?

Not that much.

38. How do they look like?

Drawing by @pharry, on the right ;)

39. What is their biggest motivation to solve Lucio’s killer mystery?

To help and support those who suffered the most from it.

40. What do they think of Lucio so far?

A man of power, so he must have been kind of shady and done some questionable things. But hey, politics are a pain and complicated, he was human, and Erwin is haunted by him… so there must have been something good about him?

41. What do they think of Nadia so far?

Another political figure to be wary of, but she seems really concerned about the welfare of Vesuvia and showed some generosity, so he is giving her a chance.

42. What do they think of Asra so far?

Contradictory. He considered him as his future brother-in-law until he left Vesuvia during the red plague. While he understood and respected his choice, Niamh’s death made a mess in him and he doesn’t know what he feels about him anymore. A part of him is happy and grateful he came and brought her back and care for her; but the other is resentful and he has the nagging feeling that Asra is trying to keep her all for himself.

43. What do they think of Julian so far?

Dramatic fellow. He is sure of Julian’s innocence (but doesn’t voice it to Nadia) and finds the man endearing.

44. What do they think of Portia so far?

A cute and very friendly woman, he likes sharing stories with her and is glad to see her and his sister getting along so well.

45. What do they think of Muriel so far?

Is this man a dream?... then do not wake him up!!

46. Do they like animals?

YES!!

47. Are they allergic to anything?

No.

48. Do they have any talents (except magic)?

He has a special ability: he can precisely draw anything/scene he has seen (even for a second). His drawings and paintings are very appreciated. He can also sing and could become an actor for he’s very good at storytelling.

49. Do they get drunken easily?

Mildly.

50. What is their personality type?

ISFJ

51. What is their worst negative quality?

Repress his feelings, reluctant to change, unpredictable.

52. What is their best positive quality?

Loyal, imaginative, supportive

53. What is their position to fall asleep?

Lying on his stomach.

54. The most uncomfortable moment they ever experienced?

When Erwin had to hold him back from harming (maybe killing) the guards who were taking Niamh to the Lazaret.

55. Their happiest memory?

The first time he managed to create a full scenery for his family, they all beamed with happiness.

56. Do they blush?

Tomato boy, ahoy!

57. Are they clumsy?

A bit.

58. Do they like jokes?

Yes, as long as they are not on anyone’s expense/mean.

59. How do they flirt?

Why flirt when you can compose a whole song or paint a portrait for them?

60. Favorite fruit?

Apples and wild strawberries

61. Favorite flower?

Aster.

[displaced-tactician]

Morgan’s Pampering || A Morgan Drabble

For the first time ever.... Morgan put her tomes away. In her secret cubbie of course. She didn’t want anyone seeing them, and even if they could they wouldn’t be able to read them... except maybe the male Morgan. So she didn’t risk it. She spent the morning grooming herself. She had washed her clothes well the day before and dried them, she had a brilliant perfume she nabbed off the ground (probably a noble’s but... ehhh... lost items are lost items), and put just a little layer of makeup on her face as Hilda had once instructed her. She was... dolled up. Because today was a special day. 

It felt alien, walking without her tomes and hidden books and trap sheets and so on. But even Morgan, every once in a blue moon, needed some pampering.

She walked to the brand new host club, greeting the current hosts before grabbing a well made butler’s uniform for herself. She went to the changing room and changed. She came out, her clothes except her jacket stored in a cubbie in the changing room and jacket in hand. She walked over to the seat with her name on it, and put her jacket gingerly over the chair. She then walked back, a confident and poised posture surrounding her. So unlike from her normal ball of chaos.

She walked back to the kitchenette, with expert precision she prepared a custom tea blend. Similar to the apple blend, but with much more apple and sugar. Of course she had to add some sweetener in when she was brewing the tea, that way it would over saturate a bit and hold in more of it.

While letting the pot warm she took out a small dish, and placed a simple apple scone on it. She walked over to her table, and gingerly put the scone in front of her seat.

“Madam, I must apologize but your tea is not quite ready. The specificity of it made it a little more difficult to brew than typical.” Morgan said to the open air. She had given a polite, but apologetic bow  to her seat. A moment later she took off her gloves, put on her jacket, and took a seat on the chair.

“Oh? It’s okay. I’d rather it be brewed right than brewed quickly. Those fancy nobles were talking up a storm about this place. I’m honestly impressed. Who’d have thought it would be such a gorgeous little room.” Morgan complimented. 

“I even did the whole “foundation” thing Hilda told me about.” Morgan replied to where her butler self was not at all currently standing. She then stood up, took off her jacket, put it on her chair, and then put on her gloves.

“Might I say your makeup looks fantastic. You look as energetic and sparkling as a well cast Thoron.” Morgan complemented herself. She took a few steps as if heading to the kitchenette before taking off her gloves, putting her jacket on, and sitting down again.

“Oh.... well Lorenz did make this place. Of course it’s filled with smooth talkers.” Morgan said, taking a bite of her scone. She hummed in contentment, almost forgetting about the tea. She wiped her hand on the napkin, took off her jacket, put on her gloves, and went back to fetch the kettle and glassware. 

“If I may so bold to say madam, your perfume is quite lovely. It matches the scent of your tea very well.” Morgan greeted, as she walked back to her table. She placed down the cup, tea glass, and a small bowl of sugar cubes. Then she gingerly began pouring the tea, eloquently like she had learned before. Some time before... when had she learned this again? After pouring the tea, she took off her gloves, put on her coat, and took a seat.

“Okay I have to ask... Did you guys take lessons for Lorenz, Inigo, or Sylvain? Cause I can’t honestly tell the difference with this fancy fance talk.” Morgan replied, leaning on the table. She took a ginger sip of her te.... AH AH TOO HOT! 

Morgan coughed a bit, she had forgotten to blow on it. After her slight.... “slight” over reaction she gave an “ahem” and stood up. Taking her coat off, putting her gloves on, and looking a little worried.

“Madam, I’m so sorry, I forgot to warn you it is quite hot. My most sincere apologies. Allow me to take care of that for you.” Morgan took the tea cup, gingerly holding the plate in front of her before blowing on the steaming liquid gently. Morgan then stopped.... Raising an eyebrow, then nodding. 

“Here, allow me.” Morgan said, offering the tea to the guest Morgan who was not there. She then took off one glove, half put on her jacket, and sat down. Holding her gloved arm out at an awkward angle to mimic someone bringing tea to her lips.

“Oh... Thanks? Honestly, you’re much smoother than all of the guys I just mentioned. But you still didn’t answer.” Butler Morgan’s hand gently tipped the cup into guest Morgan’s mouth and she gave a satisfied sigh. She put the cup down, fully took off her jacket, and put on her left glove again. 

“Oh of course. I learned under Inigo. I’ve been exposed to his ‘tea party’ methods for many years. I’ll admit, it’s quite hilarious to see him attempting to enact these methods on individuals he seems fond of.” Morgan responded. Morgan took off the gloves, put on the jacket, and sat down. She hummed as she began drinking the tea on her own.

“Don’t be afraid to sit down or nothing. But yeah, he’s a bit of a racket.” Morgan responded with a chuckle. “Believe it or not, where I came from he’s a hero. I’ve read stories about him I don’t even remember. He’s definitely... unconventional and a failure at dating but he’s a hero.”

Morgan took a sip, then a bite, and then took off her jacket, put on her gloves, and took the seat next to her. She smiled at her other seat.

“Is that so? I wish I could have seen that. Perhaps he has a heart of gold.” Morgan responded to the chair. “Would you like sugar?”

Morgan took off the gloves, put on her jacket, and went to the other chair. 

“Yeah. Everyone did honestly.” She looked towards the empty chair, and took a bite of her food. She ate in silence for a while then took a sip of her drink.

“Do you mind if we move to the balcony. It’s a little crowded in here.” Morgan said. “Oh.... and bring a coat rack.”

Morgan took off her jacket, put on her gloves, then began to carry her jacket. She then trotted over to the front door, moving all the coats onto a near by chair and taking the first coat rack she saw. She trotted out to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. 

She moved to the corner of the balcony with the coat rack, doing her best to stay out of the prying eyes of people. She didn’t want to ruin their time but... She needed to pamper herself. Make things right for herself. Talk to herself and understand herself. She hung up her jacket and looked towards an empty part of the balcony. 

“Are you shy being in a crowded room? Rest assured, you’re quite a beautiful person.” Morgan said.

Morgan took off her gloves, took the coat from the coat rack, and leaned on the railing in front of her.

“Can I tell you a secret?” She asked. She put the jacket back up on the rack, and put her gloves back on. 

“I promise not to spill a word.” Morgan replied. Morgan took the gloves off, put on her jacket, and looked out to the courtyard. 

“I’m not the same as them. They came from a place where they won. My home was ravaged by evil and... I don’t remember it but I saw each and every friend die a hero. Some died brutal deaths, some died unceremoniously, but all....” Morgan began to tear up as she whispered these facts out loud to the wind. 

“All of them died a hero protecting their friends and Ylisse. And apparently all I could do was sit and observe them die as someone killed them. Taking each and everyone of them away from me one at a time. Letting little glimmers of hope in a dark world be snuffed out into oblivion.” Morgan whimpered out. She fought to hold back tears, burying her head into folded arms on the railing. No audible sobs rang out, but her jacket sleeves began to moisten with the tears she could no longer suppress. She couldn’t interrupt anyone after all, so she kept quiet. Morgan took a few moments, collected herself, and put her jacket back on the rack and put her gloves back on. She stood up and looked concerned for the empty area around her.

“Oh... That... I’m not sure what to say.” Morgan responded. “Perhaps your friends are happy that at least you made it out to carry their legacy. To meet new friends and be happy after.”

Morgan took off her gloves, put on her jacket, and went back to leaning on the ledge. 

“Even if they are... is it fair? Is it fair that they died when I powerlessly let it happen? I don’t even know what became of that world. Not only... not only did I let my world die.... I let it die twice. My friends are my world too.” Morgan replied. She held back tears, switched her ap1pearance again, and replied.

“But you’ve found them again so I’m....” Morgan cut herself off, just taking the jacket and putting it on. 

“They’re not the same. Some don’t even recognize me. Lucina comes from a world where there’s no Morgan like me but instead there’s a guy Morgan, same with Cynthia. I don’t even know about Nah and Inigo and Owain either... Even Father had two Morgans and a different family. But they don’t recognize me like they should. I’m a stranger with my own family.... I’m.... I let everyone down where I am from and now I’m being punished for it.” Morgan replied, sighing. A tear fell from her face as she looked out towards the courtyard. 

“I’m being punished.... but at least I can hope to prevent the same fate for this family. Even if... I’m not really their family.” Morgan responded. She took another deep breath, a gloved hand moving to pat her own shoulder in comfort.

[interpol-by-design]

YES YES FUCK YESSSSS MY EYESHADOW CAME!

Anyways, here's a tip for you aspiring makeup artists: shading is everything. I know that sounds like a tip that a struggling digital artist on 20XX deviantart would hear, but it really is everything. Pay close attention to not just the hues, but the values of your colors.

A while back, there was a trend with makeup inspired by Johto mythology, and this really exemplified the issue. You'd have some gorgeous ho-oh eye looks, but then the Lugia looks tried to incorporate the navy blue and white, and it didn't always go so well because of the contrast in values. I'm not saying it can't be done, but if you aren't careful, you might end up with the shading created by the light and dark values overwhelming the rest of the look.

Take some time and study those art tutorials. Take a look at contouring diagrams, too, and see how they compare and contrast. You're not immune to 20XX deviantart mistakes just because you're using your face as a canvas.