#the red lipstick?? iconic forever

[flibustedes]

on se reverra, on se reverra. là où rien n'est plus rien

— vivre à en crever

[earthtoharlow]

The only concept I can think of right now is Jack surprising maryse with dedicating “can’t helping falling in love with you” to her 👜😭 She usually loves to watch him practice and do sound checks but he didn’t let her this time because he wanted to surprise her. Marsye would want to joke and call him mushy but I feel like even she couldn’t help but to love it.

Flashing Lights Concepts

The night of the annual No Place Like Home show in Kentucky was finally here, and it was nothing short of magical. This year’s event was unlike any before—a black-tie gala in collaboration with the Louisville Orchestra. The venue was filled with fans and dressed to the nines, buzzing with anticipation for Jack's performance.

Maryse sat in the audience, her excitement barely contained. She had been dying to watch him rehearse, but he’d been unusually secretive this time, insisting she stay away from the soundchecks. “You’re just going to have to trust me,” he’d teased with a sly grin, kissing her forehead.

As the lights dimmed, the orchestra’s strings swelled, and Jack took the stage in a sleek black tuxedo. His energy filled the room as he performed hit after hit, his verses blending with the strings. Maryse couldn’t take her eyes off him, her heart swelling with pride as the crowd sang along to every word.

Near the end of the show, the stage lights softened, and Jack stepped forward, his voice quieting the room. “This show means a lot to me every year,” he began, his Kentucky accent thick as he spoke into the mic. “It’s about home, family, and love. And tonight, I want to dedicate this next one to someone who makes every day feel like home.”

Maryse’s breath caught in her throat as he glanced in her direction, his gaze softening. “Baby,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “this one’s for you.”

The orchestra began to play the soft, iconic opening notes of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, and the crowd erupted in applause. Jack’s voice was tender as he sang the timeless song, his raw emotion filling every note. Maryse’s eyes glistened with tears, her hand covering her mouth as she listened. She had no idea he’d been rehearsing this, and the thought of him stepping outside his comfort zone for her made her heart ache in the best way.

The orchestra’s strings swirled around his voice, creating a breathtaking moment as the crowd sang along. The audience swayed, their phones lighting up the room like stars.

When the final notes faded, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, but Jack only had eyes for Maryse. “I love you,” he mouthed, his smile soft and full of meaning.

Maryse wiped at her tears, her cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. She knew she’d remember this moment forever.

As soon as Maryse made her way backstage, she spotted Jack standing near the dressing room, laughing with a few members of the orchestra. He still had his tux jacket on, but his tie was loosened, and his face lit up when he saw her approaching.

Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck. “You are so lucky I didn’t jump on that stage,” she teased, her voice thick with emotion.

Before he could respond, she started planting kisses all over his face—his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. He laughed, trying to dodge her affection but clearly loving every second of it. “You’re getting lipstick all over me,” he murmured between kisses, grinning like a fool.

“And I don’t care,” she replied breathlessly, pulling back to admire her work. His face was now dotted with red marks, and she giggled, running her fingers over his jaw. “You were so mushy tonight. So mushy. I didn’t know you had it in you!”

He shrugged, still holding her close. “Guess you bring it out of me,” he said with a smirk, but there was a softness in his eyes that made her heart flutter.

“Well,” she said, her voice dropping to a more serious tone, “I loved it. I loved you. That cover? It was perfect. You’re perfect.”

He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the few tears that had escaped during the show. “Nah,” he said quietly, “you’re the perfect one. I just had to make sure everyone knew it.”

Maryse kissed him again, slower this time, letting the cheers and commotion of the night fade into the background. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

“I love you more,” he replied, his voice low and sure, pulling her back into his arms.

****

this was longer than expected but I love themmmmn

[sitp-recs]

hi Liv! do you know any fics (drarry or rarepair) that have themes of queer identity or lgbt community please? 🌈

What a wonderful ask, I love stories exploring coming out, queer identity and the sense of community 💜 I listed below some personal favorites, I’m sure I’ve read more but I didn’t want this post to get too long! You’ll notice that Writcraft is mentioned one too many times - I highly recommend checking their full catalogue as queer themes are strong and recurrent in their works.

Drarry

what draco does on thursday nights by @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (G, 1.5k)

harry didn't know what draco does on thursday nights. until he mistakenly comes over with takeout. OR, draco has a queer writing group.

Pride by @writcraft (E, 9k)

Harry and Draco form an unlikely friendship after the war. Even as the friendship becomes more, Draco is quick to push Harry away before they become too deeply involved. As Harry fights to save an iconic wizarding pub and gay safe-haven from being closed down, circumstances force Draco to confront his true feelings head on.

the way you make me glow by @softlystarstruck (M, 11k)

In a cottage next to the sea, love blossoms. Or perhaps it’s been there all along.

When You Kiss Me (What A Lovely Way To Burn) by Femme (E, 22k)

A drag fairytale of New York in which Draco wears red lipstick and Potter can’t get enough.

Welcome to the Broom Closet by incapricious (E, 23k)

Harry thinks he knows how his life will go: Become an Auror. Marry Ginny. Have a family. But then he sees an advertisement in the paper that no one else can see, and his life is turned upside-down. The Broom Closet: you can be anyone you want while you're there, but you won't remember it in the morning.

The Light That is Blinding Me by leontina (E, 23k)

After Flourish and Blotts stop stocking the books of Harry’s favourite author, he is directed to a queer bookshop and discovers it’s owned by none other than Draco Malfoy, who has more in common with Harry than either of them realise.

Harry Potter and The Bisexual Awakening by Writcraft (E, 23k)

Harry is perfectly content being single, heterosexual and living in Godric's Hollow with his very clingy rescue dog, Snitch. When Draco Malfoy turns up on Harry's doorstep demanding that Harry teach him how to drive, things quickly become a lot more complicated.

Dragons Don't Know Paradise by @teacup-tai (E, 51k)

In 2004, when Remus spends two scary weeks in the ITU due to complications of pneumonia and his HIV condition, Sirius walks around the house like a ghost and Harry finds comfort and strength in Draco through a chat in an online LGBT forum. Harry falls for him, but Draco has a lot of secrets and, before long, will need to come clean—even if he believes that no one is able to understand a dragon.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by Writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts. When Draco Malfoy is arrested for gross indecency, Harry’s comfortable life begins to unravel. He’s forced to decide if it’s worth risking everything for love in a world where following his heart is a criminal offence.

Little Compton Street by Writcraft (E, 65k)

Draco is lonely, Harry hates the press and it won’t stop raining in London. Harry discovers a magical street that’s close to disappearing forever and Draco realises he’s one rainy night in Soho away from finding everything he’s been searching for.

Out and the Open by HenryMercury (M, 75k)

The war is over, and Draco finally has the courage to decide who she is. The war is over, and Harry finally has the freedom to decide what she likes.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose and dustmouth (T, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

Pages of You by @wolfpants (E, 101k)

Summer, 1980. Harry is floating between university and becoming a Real Certified Adult. He's not ready. He really isn't. In a desperate attempt to have the Best Last Summer ever, he takes a casual job at his godfather's bookshop in London, starts an illicit pen pal affair with a wordy posh boy that he's catching feelings for, all while dealing with the son of Sirius's business rival, one Draco Malfoy, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire.

Rare pairs

With a Look by earlybloomingparentheses (Ginny + Deamus, E, 5k)

Now, twenty years old and done with boys and looking forward very much to putting her hand down some lucky girl’s shirt later this evening, Ginny looks at Dean Thomas’s gold-painted fingernails and feels heat pool between her legs.

Rebel Rebel by @teacup-tai (Sirius/Remus, E, 6k)

Sirius has just turned twenty and life is changing around him, blossoming, like Remus wrote in his last letter. This is a story about life and exploration, about feeling lost and finding oneself in other people's bodies, about building love and community. This is a story about hope and sex and growing up.

Independent Love Song by Writcraft (Ginny/Millicent, E, 6k)

Millicent Bulstrode is a tailor and Ginny is losing her mind over a woman in a tweed blazer and burgundy brogues.

testosterone (sounds like a spell) by pauraque (Justin/Hannah, E, 8k)

Justin never returned to Hogwarts after the Death Eaters came. He's found that the Muggle world offers other kinds of transfiguration — a body alchemy far more powerful than any magic spell. Sometimes he wonders if anyone even remembers that once, years ago, he was a novice wizard. As it turns out, one person does, and it's the one person he'd most want to.

Winter of '79 by Writcraft (James/Sirius, E, 17k)

Post-punk Britain is in the grip of another brutal winter, Thatcher is in power and Muggle gay bars keep getting raided for no reason at all. Sirius just wants to find somewhere to go drinking with the best mate he definitely doesn’t fancy. When they’re directed towards a tatty Soho sex shop during a night out, neither James or Sirius expect to find a magical street that will change their lives forever.

Pansy, Rows, and Mutual Wanking by @violetclarity and kysprite (Pansy/Hermione, E, 27k)

Eighth year. Hermione's ready. She's going to study, have fun with her friends, and ignore her new roommate's obnoxious wanking habits. And alright, maybe she wouldn't be so annoyed with it if she'd had any good sex in the past. But that doesn't mean she wants Pansy Parkinson to teach her how to wank… does it?

Friends of Dorothy by Writcraft (Harry/Snape, E, 22k)

When Harry Potter sees Severus Snape on a date with another wizard it sets him on a journey of self-discovery that leads to the Friends of Dorothy Detective Agency and a Niffler called Toto.

How We Were Warriors by Writcraft (Harry/Snape, E, 51k)

A homophobic attack in London’s Soho brings Harry to New York City to discover more about the past. Still haunted by love and loss in the eighties, Severus just wants to forget. In Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, past and present collide, and in one another Severus and Harry find hope for the future.

Play Me Like A Love Song by Writcraft (Minerva/Will, E, 68k)

Minerva McGonagall doesn’t believe in love at first sight, which is why her instant attraction to drag king Wilhelmina ("Will") Grubbly-Plank is so unexpected. War tears apart the wizarding world and as one battle ends Minerva and Will must fight once more, this time for the lives of their friends on Little Compton Street. A love story spanning five decades defined by music, laughter and tears, in which love is not always easy, but it’s always worth fighting for.

[karamell-sweetz]

very random post but… i am a lipgloss enthusiast and here is my thesis statement on whether or not the proseka ocs would wear it and how often and what kind. hapoy new year.

L/N

ichika: doesn’t wear it too regularly but she’s probably saki’s most frequent test subject.

saki: LOOK AT ME. DEAD IN THE EYES. AND TELL ME SHE DOESN’T OWN EVERY TYPE AND SHADE TO EXIST. okay thats an exaggeration but she owns a sizeable amount. ya know, youth. clear, brightly coloured, flavoured, glittery, you name it she’s got it.

honami: i feel like she would actually. very simple shades tho, frequents a soft red gloss.

shiho: least likely to wear it regularly but definitely has a few flavoured lip balms. or ones that are shaped like cute animals.

MMJ

mmj would generally wear makeup more often than the other groups, what with the idol job and all. they probably have a stream section dedicated to beauty products, or at least get some collabs with them (cough cough stain busters)

minori: yeahhh she would. she’s giving me tinted lip balm vibes. she would look sooo nice in red btw.

haruka: a regular wearer mainly for skincare purposes. she’d worry more about the nutrients and moisturising stuff than the colour of it, but she probably owns some lightly tinted ones that she found filled her criteria.

airi: literally has a card of her putting lipgloss on. of course she does. mostly shades of pink lip gloss, but i think she’d own some glittery ones.

shizuku: has probably worn a lot of shades for her model job, most likely wears some regularly because skincare is important for an idol. because she’s shizuku she looks good even in clear lip balm, but i think she’d frequent a lightly tinted balm. a peachy colour maybe.

VBS

kohane: probably doesn’t think about it very often, but being friends with minori probably means trips to buy makeup. strawberry flavoured lip balm vibes.

an: hmm yeah i think she might? just some simple clear gloss tho, or a red gloss. nothing too crazy.

akito: a hard no. ena probably forced him to try some on for her at some point in the oast but he’d never wear it willingly. i’m not sure what his skincare stance is so i think his lips are just forever chapped. sorry akito.

toya: also a no. i can’t think of an excuse for him wearing any so he’s out of the picture for this one. MAYBE clear lip balm.

WXS

tsukasa: i think he’s the most likely out of the boys to be wearing lip product regularly (ya know, skincare and stuff…) but i don’t think he’d wear anything too crazy. prolly just a clear moisturising lip balm, or maybe a flavoured one. saki has probably put some crazier things on him though. also, stage job requires some level of makeup and from past experience this also applies to the boys, so maybe a nude lipstick when he needs it??

emu: OH MY GOD she owns a lot probably. look me dead in the eyes and tell me she doesn’t have at least ONE glittery lip gloss. i think she’d really be into the flavoured kids ones tho. she probably owns some insane colours too. the other day i saw a mint green lip gloss and wasn’t too sure what to think of it. emu probably owns it. idk.

nene: not an avid wearer but she owns a few. i think a cute coral red would suit her… emu probably bought her some flavoured ones too.

rui: hmm rui’s a hard one because he definitely would own some but he also wouldn’t wear it? to me he’s that guy who just splashes water on his face and somehow still has clear skin?? anyway thats unrelated. he’d own some (most likely flavoured lip balm) and forget to put it on because he’s off in the clouds about shows. he looks good in it tho. rui kamishiro gender icon of the decade.

NIIGO

kanade: no. mizuki tries to get her to wear some but she probably forgets. i really can’t see her wearing any at all!

mafuyu: clear lip balm. has not considered anything else (or rather her mom didn’t let her consider anything else). mizuki probably put some light tints on her.

ena: of course!! resident selfie girl probably owns a lot and wears it extremely regularly. mostly very normal makeup shop shades.

mizuki: you cannot convince me that the cutest in the world would NOT have any lip product. mizu probably owns a lot more lipstick than anything else since they dress up often, but they also own some glosses.

feel free to add on or agree/disagree with anything i’ve put here!! <3

[madam-kumo]

Fashion Style Banners/Moodboards

Rococo

Rococo fashion was worn most commonly in 1700's Europe and continues to be a widely used and praised fashion because of its beautiful themes, clothing, and paintings. A more modern take on this fashion is coquette which became popular from artists like Melanie Martinez and Lana Del Ray respectively. Rococo is most famous for being used in architecture like La Palace de Versailles who housed Marie Antoinette and her husband, King Louis XVI- two other famous figures most known for wearing Rococo clothing and creating the trend in the 1700's.

Dark Academia

This style began in 2015 tumblr and became incredibly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic through social media. Dark Academia takes many inspirations from Victorian and 1910's-40's clothing and the color schemes consist of mostly browns, whites, blacks, and occasional unsaturated colors like green, red, or blue. The style almost looks like one just walked out of a library in an old college. The style is also very common in architecture, which takes many elements from gothic architecture and various historical sights like old churches, libraries, and schools. One of the most famous pieces of media that is used as inspiration in this fashion is Harry Potter- from the uniforms to even the school itself. This fashion is very popular with more realistically artistic people as well as bookworms- obviously.

Scene

This extremely bright and noticeable fashion began in the 2000's from emo fashion and is now one of the most popular alternative styles. This style consists of brightly colored hair that usually covers the forehead or an eye and this style also involves t-shirts with bands or popular media logos on them. Kandi bracelets, poofy skirts or short denim shorts, large belts, and leg warmer are also very popular in this style. Scene music is what began this fashion and the term "Scene Queen" used be a derogatory for attractive, popular women who only like Scene for the aesthetic (also known as "posers") but this term has now become a widely used nickname for anyone in the Scene circle. Scene fell from popular, like Y2k, before becoming more popular in the 2020's through artists like 6arelyhuman and Black Veil Brides.

Trad-Goth

Trad-Goth was one of the earliest known versions of goth that is known today as being called "goth". This style was created in the 70's-80's and is most known for it's unique link to music. This style got popular from various goth artists in the 80-90's and has been slowly making a large comeback in the 2020's from it's music. The style itself can be made of almost anything involving black, grey, and white with dramatic and sharp makeup. Most commonly, Trad-Goths wear large belts/corsets, platformed shoes, and Victorian/Punk inspired clothing. Characters in media take many inspirations from this fashion such as Elvira, Morticia Addams, and Dracula (all very loved by the goth community). Many artists have become famous for being involved in this fashion such as Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure.

Y2k

Y2K became popular in the 2000's and is most noticeable by it's dramatic makeup, iconic hairstyles, and unique fashion. Y2K consists of concealed or nude lipsticks, blotchy mascara, and thin eyebrows (and the infamous orange foundation).Sparkly tops with rhinestones or sequins, low-rise shorts or jeans, and halter tops. This style was most iconic because of Paris Hilton, Forever-21, and the Bratz doll line by Carter Bryant. Tanning was a very popular part of this fashion because of it's orange undertones and it's supposed "Highlighting of muscles". Bump it hairstyles and highlights/extensions began it's popularity during the 2000's as well. Wearing skirts over jeans and double layer t shirts if not just a tank top was also common. Hoop earrings, large belts, and Ugg's have begun to make a comeback with this fashion in the 2020's, especially 2023.

[theshoegirldiaries]

LOTD: Dior Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin in 113 Twinkle (Christmas, 2024).  #Scentoftheday Sakura EDP by Christian Dior, La Collection Privee.  

All this week, I'm trying out glosses and liquid lip products I haven’t used before, so here’s my first impressions.

These sequin liquid lipsticks were new for Dior last Christmas.  They already had their Forever Liquid line, but the sequin part refers to a glitter finish that appears after pressing your lips together.  They were a sell-out last year, I got one of the four shades, but this year we're treated to 10 colours.  999, their iconic red shade is back, but the rest in the line-up are brand new.  The one that immediately caught my eye (because last year the colours weren't totally to my taste), was this one, 113 Twinkle.  I was hoping to share more images of the other four I bought this year, but my pictures folder is playing up tonight and I can't see any thumbnails, so can't find them.  Actually since the swatches I took of those 5, I've bought two more (let's not add up how much this has cost me)!

So, they come in a frosted container with a wand applicator.  The teardrop sponge is hollowed out on one side, more like a spatula type thing.  The point makes for precise application I have to say.  You shake the bottle before use, apply, leave to 'set' for 5 minutes (it dries down matte), then press your lips together and like magic, glitter appears! I'll be honest and say last year I struggled a bit with mine. Pressing my lips would make it sparkly, but it would also lift the colour and appear patchy. I don't know if they've changed anything or if it's just the colour I had last time, but they seem to be working better for me now.

Obviously for swatches I had to improvise and use my finger to pat the colour and hope glitter appeared (it did). You can see it's a little patchy on the glitter (2nd) swatch, but then I didn't apply it evenly if you look closely at the first swatch (when it was first applied) and it's also not the same as pressing your lips together. Though the colour lifting a little is definitely something to be aware of. I think you need to be quite generous with it and I'm usually erring on the sparingly side. I was surprised with how much sparkle there was considering this is a light shade. I expected the darker and bolder shades to be more impressive, but this is really sparkly too.

Twinkle is a light beige with an almost grey-tone to it on my lips. I love that type of colour, the cooler the better, but I'm very pale and can get away with this without liner. Darker complexions may need a liner to look less washed-out with it. The glitter in this one is silver. It's supposed to provide 12 hour wear, be transfer-proof...honestly I can easily remove this with a dry tissue before eating and if I don't, it would definitely transfer onto cutlery and glass. I also find if I do apply generously, it can flake a little on the more moist part of my lips which isn't a particularly nice feeling. In terms of comfort, it isn't a very drying matte, but also isn't the creamiest either.

It's not perfect, I think sometimes the application/glitter reveal part is hit or miss (well not the actual glitter but the colour remaining in place, in the process), but I still like these lipsticks. I'm almost considering a back-up of this shade, because I think it's going to be my favourite. I should also add, the gold mirrored lid is different to last year, when the products came in the regular dark lid alongside the Christmas line, but all their festive makeup comes in gold packaging this year.

[atimefordragons]

ROOP AISA SUHANA MERA CHAAND BHI HAI DEEWANA MERA

☾♔; March 12, 2024 ☾♔; 12:19pm ☾♔; sotd: Chammak Challo (iconic forever Akon) ☾♔; cotd: Artizea Rozan Evron ☾♔; Thistle Grove Academy ☾♔; Audition

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: adapted lyrics from Bole Chudiyan, the original lyrics are "roop aisa suhana tera, chaand bhi hai deewana tera", basically translates to "You're so pretty, even the moon is crazy about you", and I just changed the you to me.

urg, remembered why I do not like making sets on urstyle. the page fucking AUTORELOADED, got stuck, had to reload my draft and of course, items shifted. luckily I only finished one tiny corner and didn't have to start over. what bakwas yaar. and I forgot to do the zoom trick the first time I published! I can't see it, but shit probably shifted somewhere. 😩😩😩😩😩

https://urstyle.fashion/groups/thistle-grove-academyhttps://urstyle.fashion/groups/thistle-grove-academyhttps://urstyle.fashion/groups/thistle-grove-academy

a not insignificant amount of my inspiration came from the Ambani wedding, because holy fuck. you might be rich, but are you not THAT rich. And fr, it really highlighted a lot of vieux vs nouveau riche differences, cause the richest man in the world is again Jeff Bezos, but he would not be able to get celebrities to pile onto greyhound buses to attend AND perform at his wedding.

𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞: Peony 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞: Laila Raichand (hindi: लैला रायचंद, arabic: رايشاند ليلى) 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞(𝐬): Lulu, Laddo (not a fan of either, use of the latter is limited to Dadi and Daddy) 𝐀𝐠𝐞: 17 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: cis-female 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬: she/her 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: heterosexual 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲: Feb 19 𝐙𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐜: Pisces

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬: her family. asoiaf (always with daenerys, the one true EMPRESS). dior. cold coffees. caramel. journaling (she does exchanges with her cousins, it's fun and cute watching bade bhaiyah try). red lipsticks. seaside views. karan johar films. yash chopra films. FROZEN (lovesss Elsa, though relates more to Anna). villainess manwha. sailor moon. chanel. disney.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬: game of thrones. the goddamn patriarchy, like come on. america (just as a whole, she's written it off, just become a new country and try again). western perceptions of south asia and the middle east. culottes. bugs, just no. oversharers, like people who've known you for only 10 minutes and proceed to dump their WHOLE tragic life story on you, buddy, I don't know you, I don't want to know about your traumas.

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭: Recruit.

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Laila is headstrong, opinionated, and very stubborn. She knows what she likes and doesn't like, and has no qualms about making those feelings known. She does not believe in "giving grace" to people's bullshit, you can have grace if you're a kid, if you're old enough to know better, you should act better. She can seem mean, and that's not unfair, she's VERY biased towards everyone who she considers as part of her circle, if you're outside of that, she can be extremely vicious, especially if you dare to hurt even a hair of one her people. She's not a big believer in forgiveness or second chances. One and done, hun.

Laila is very much the spoiled youngest child, and spoiled only child. She's the only child of her parents, and the youngest of all her cousins, thus getting double doting, and that shows. She's always done whatever she's wanted and gotten away with it very easily. She can be a little (a lot) narcissistic, and vain, but she's not naive nor does she live in a delusional, la la land fantasy where everything is about her and she's the centre of the universe. She does not think that, HOWEVER, she is very aware that due to her very lucky circumstances, a loving, powerful family, she can do whatever the fuck she wants, she doesn't have any pressure to do anything, there's no "you must marry a good/rich man, you must do this job, you must inherit this magic or this business", she's the baby princess, and she knows well how to take full advantage of that.

Laila is a little aloof and not particularly easy to get close to, though she can get along perfectly fine with people, she doesn't really bother to get to know them herself, and considers anyone outside of her circle as simply an extra in her life. She's not interested in being the centre of everyone's attention, except of course when it comes to her family, but that's just youngest child things. She has no problem speaking up in class, but prefers to do her own thing with her friends, and can be a little snobby, especially towards strangers. While she's not inconsiderate, she also won't act to spare someone's feelings. If you're not her friend, you're not her friend, she'll absolutely help a girl out in a sticky situation (always be a girl's girl), but you don't need to have brunch with her afterwards.

𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞: Laila's personal style is "whatever I like", but in general her wardrobe tends towards classic, chic, and preppy clothes. When it comes to "ethnic" wear, she generally prefers Pakistani salwars, and relies on big brands like Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra for more oppulent event wear. She also prefers salwars and lahengas over sarees, they're pretty but a hassle to wear. She can wear it so long as someone puts it on for her. She also HATES that the culotte trend is back and cannot wait for it die again. Laila is also very much a heel girl, from the first moment she ever got a pair. She's tiny, she needs that feeling of power.

𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲: Daughter of Turkish business woman Aleyna Burakgazi and Indian RAW Agent Vikrant Raichand, Laila is a djinn through her mother, though her father's family is no stranger to the supernatural either. While her father is by all means a normal (aside from his abs, they are not normal), her grandmother is an Astradhari, the bearer of an astra, a divine weapon, specifically the Agneyastra, the astra of the God Agni. She is also deeply knowledgeable about Kala Jadoo (black magic), but claims she does not practise it. It's a very unreliable claim 'cause it's well known that Dadi (paternal grandma) will fuck you up. While their grandmother has not yet decided which heir to make her successor and pass her astra on to, she has made sure to educate all of them of the power of Astras, the Gods, and kala jadoo.

Laila lived with her mother and more immediate extended paternal family (so her father's brother, his family, and their mother) in India until she was about 7, at which point she and her mother moved to Dubai, where her mother took over Raichand Industries Middle East interests. Her father often travels for work, and cannot maintain contact for extended periods of time, so his presence wasn't as constant as his family's, but whenever present he is always doting and spends time with her and her mother. She is definitely a daddy's girl, he's not the whole cause, but a significant amount of her being spoiled is absolutely his fault. But she is also very close to her mother and admires her very much.

Laila does not exactly have the best track record of controlling her djinn abilities, especially when she's angered. It wasn't too much of a problem growing up, she's mostly a homebody and surrounded by family, and people who know about the magical world, so losing control could be easily covered up and often didn't even need to be. However, one time, she, her best friends Kiran and Isabella, and some other friends went to a concert and as they were leaving, some grown ass adult kept hitting on Kiran, and they were literally 12 years old at the time, how disgusting. It was a kids concert too, like what is that guy even doing? Trash. In her annoyance, Laila exploded his hands, she wasn't aiming to do that, but she has no regrets either. That was a little bit harder to cover up, since it was in public, but ya know, it's Dubai, they're rich, buh-bai pedo. This was not the only time she lost control, but she assumes it was probably this incident that got her on the academy's radar.

Before getting the email, Laila was all set to continue her high school level education at the private school she was attending. Honestly, at first she thought it was spam, all the magic training she's received so far has been passed down generation to generation within family, so she wasn't even aware of Thistle Grove Academy's existence. She was unsure of whether or not to attend, she's already got her dadi and taiji (paternal aunt-in-law) for deeper magical instruction, her mommy for the basics, and she's a Raichand, she can get anything she needs at any time. Ultimately, she was convinced to attend by her one of her besties, Isabella, who is a legacy at Thistle Grove and also got the email.

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: Djinn (also romanized as jinn, anglicized as genies, as a being can also be analogous to an angel, demon, or fairy, but none are entirely accurate)

𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 & 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜: Laila has a number of abilities as a Djinn, such as shapeshifting, mind control, astral projection and body possession, however, ultimately each distinct ability is governed by the same factor and all of them can be classified under the singular power of "Essokinesis", the ability to control reality, though Laila was taught that her power is to make HER wishes come true. Some guy touches her friend and she wants his bones to explode? Okay, boom. Papa's work trip is taking too long, oops, suddenly he's back in India. She wants Valyrian silver-gold hair, she got Valyrian silver-gold hair, that one can at least be hidden easily, you know how awkward it is when you're in the middle of a gun fight in an undisclosed location, and then suddenly poof into the centre of a massive Diwali celebration?

Because her magic is linked to her thoughts and desires, it's hard for Laila to control her abilities and prevent herself from making the silliest thing reality, to forcibly keep her powers from manifesting, she usually wears a simple gold taweez (amulet) given to her by her aunt-in-law's father, Zafar Khan Qadri, who is a Sufi of an Indian branch of the Qadiri Order (as a VERY quick, oversimplified explainary, a Sufi is basically someone who practices Islamic mysticism, honestly of the ones I've met and have been told about, they're more like nerds about magic in relation to Islam rather than a magical priest, but whatever, also Sufism is divided into a bunch of orders which all eventually trace back to Mohammad cause he the OG of everything).

𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, English, French, Portugese (Brazilian), Italian, Russian

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲? Pretty chooses pretty? She honestly doesn't know, the general meaning of Peonies is shame, bashfulness, and anger, and like, anger makes sense, but shame? bashfulness? Laila is opposite of that, she's not cinderella, she's the Prince, what does she have to be ashamed about? The meaning of Peonies in China however fits her more, or rather her family, prosperity and honour certainly vibe with the Raichand's and how they value and market their family name.

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦: Bahar Şahin

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝: https://urstyle.fashion/styles/3630790 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: https://urstyle.fashion/collections/229400 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭: https://www.pinterest.ca/evewinterdragon/villainess-barbie/ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CHLJ7232UMzgbBRjmzTuh?si=bbaeb3521df34663

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

I made myself sad with my silly little Hunger Games AU for Descendants and now it’s your problem.

Staring Cruella and Ivy de Vil.

I’m gonna continue this. I hope.

Cruella wakes up with an already raging migraine: Her head feels like it is enclosed in rhythmically tightening iron maiden mask. Huh, Iron maiden. Cruella is fairly sure she designed an outfit based on that, once.

And if she didn’t, she really should have.

Capitol would have loved that, before they figured out what she actually wanted to say. If they ever did.

She doesn’t smirk at that thought.

She considers staying in her bed for today, forever and ever. That looks fun, doesn’t it? Cruella de Vil, Hunger Games Victor and fashion icon, reduced to a rag doll incapable of leaving her own bed. She laughs, harsh and loud, and gets up from the bloody bed.

Her bathroom is suspiciously well stocked: New makeup products and hair care and skin masks, even the lipsticks she broke apart in affect are replaced. Someone cleaned up her mirror as well. Fucking mirror.

Cruella puts on her favourite shade of lipstick and then a damning thought crosses her mind: „Carlos, baby,“ she calls out, hoping that her baby boy is home and hears her, „Can you tell mommy what day it is?“

As she waits for answer, she anxiously brushes through her hair, all tangled up. She makes sure the strokes hurt, and soon, she can barely see through her tears. That’s good–

The floors of her Victor House creak as her little son comes near, led by the hand by his big cousin Ivy. Both dolled up in her signature colours, decided decades ago and miles away. She can’t stand it, not again.

„No no no no no, don’t tell me, don’t tell me, DON’T TELL ME, GO AWAY–––“

(She made her little boy cry)

Only after taking Carlos to a different room, Ivy interrupts her desperate litany with quivering voice: „It is the Reaping day, Auntie.“

Cruella presses her nails into her palms, and tries to smile for her niece: „Your lips are a bit blue, Ivy, darling. Do you want some of my lipstick?“

„Yes, I’d like that, Auntie.“

So Cruella wills her hands to stop shaking for just a little moment and holds Ivy’s chin in place, painting her lips for her. Sure contours and bold colours– „Just like you, my dear.“

„Thank you, Auntie.“

Ivy’s hands are cold as the death herself, and Cruella is sure, so are hers.

It is time to go. Put on your dress, your make-up and your smile, and go.

They might as well have been playing funeral rites for the short walk from Victor’s Village to the square, as far as Cruella is concerned.

Then, Ivy has to go. None of them says good bye – It feels so final, that. Cruella wants to pretend for another moment.

At least her Carlos is not of reaping age yet. How old is he? She’d ask, but her face feels frozen. She’s not sure she can speak.

Any sound, and the world shatters – there is no sound at all, it seems. Just thousands upon thousands of District Three children holding their breaths and each others hands. Cruella presses her son closer to her and doesn’t look for Ivy in the crowd.

(It wouldn’t be hard to find her, bold red and blinding white and damning black. It wouldn‘t be hard at all.)

(She must look like Cruella’s mirror.)

Heels click across the podium, and each step drives a hot nail through Cruella’s temples.

If she wanted, she could recite each word with the hostess. She wishes she could forget them instead.

„Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds ever be in your favour!“ Cruella’s cheeks hurt when she forces herself to smile and recite the eulogy with the hostess.

(If she had not been so damn clever and cunning – so full of herself and of will to live – If she hadn’t spoken, if she could just accept her fate and her place in the world – if she hadn’t tried to change it –I F SHE JUST DIED LIKE THEY WANTED HER TO)

She isn’t surprised when the hostess reads Ivy’s name.

It was always going to happen, wasn’t it?

Ever since she showed Capitol what they are, and refused to stop. She held the mirror until it shattered and when it cut her hand bloody. Literally and figuratively. She screamed, with her voice, and with her art. She screamed until her brother died, and then some more.

She had sentenced her family to die a long time ago.

She catches Ivy’s eyes: The girl walks calmly, her head held high. No sign of trembling from the morning, and cold, cold eyes. She can see something brewing behind them, little clockwork components turning and falling into place.

Click. Click. CLICK.

Cruella de Vil stands up and starts applauding her niece, their perfectly painted lips in joyless smiles. And if that doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.

[alaskassweetdump]

Some of my favorite beauty creators are also my favorite musicians.

Where do I start? I know!

Hayley Williams, our favorite, angelic voice of Paramore, is also the co-creator (w/ her longtime mua/hs & bff, Brian O’Connor) of the hair dye company, Good Dye Young. GDY has one of the best lightening kits I’ve ever used. And the color options? Omg. They have every fun color you could imagine. And if they don’t have it, you can create it yourself with a little color theory. Not only are the colors vibrant and beautiful, they fade graciously and smell amazing!

Gwen Stefani, my personal all-time (since elementary school days) fashion icon, recently started up her own beauty line. When I first found out about Gxve, I practically burst into confetti & cartwheels. When the brand launched, I grabbed the I’m Still Here liquid lipstick in Gwen’s iconic red shade. Delicious scent and long lasting wear, which we double love. I later grabbed the Xtra Sauce vinyl liquid lip, which became an instant favorite. The shine, the feel, and the long lasting wear is incredible.

Halsey, our other favorite angelic voice, not only blesses us with their music, poetry, and art, but they have given us not one, but two amazing beauty lines! About Face Beauty was the first baby they gave us. I have an obsession with finding the longest lasting liquid lipstick, and Halsey has given us just that with AF’s paint-it matte liquid lip color & the coordinating matte fix lip pencil. I’ve eaten plenty a cheeseburger and haven’t had to touch up immediately after. We all know that’s impressive af. I’ve tried just about every product and the entire line is a win. If you wanna pinch a penny or two, their second baby, af94, is just for you. I am obsessed with the scribble sticks. The feel & color are fantastic. I could talk about these lines forever. I’ll hype these babies up for days.

When I first purchased a jar of Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation skin cream, I had zero idea the company was Alicia Keys’s. I didn’t figure that out until I ran out and needed more (it’s my favorite face cream). It was a pretty delightful surprise. Each product has its own affirmation printed on the jar, for you to repeat to yourself while doing your skincare routine. I’ve tried the comfort balm as well as the face cleanser. Everything I’ve tried, I’ve loved. I can’t wait to see what other products Keys Soulcare has in store for us.

Ariana Grande has r.e.m. beauty. I have read so amazing things about the brand, that I just finally got around to trying it. I recently purchased the concealer, which I must say is very creamy with great coverage. A little definitely goes a long way. There’s plenty of other products to try. I have my eye in the lip stain next.

No list is complete without Rihanna & Fenty Beauty. Rihanna’s second calling in life is 100% the beauty world. Her line gets so much well-deserved hype. I needed a new skin tint and picked up the Blurring Skin Tint. It’s hands down the nicest tint I’ve ever used. I love how it feels on my skin and that it blends perfectly. Another great item I’ve gotten recently is the color customizing match stix cheek/lip tint. The formula reacts to your natural ph balance and leaves the prettiest pink tint behind. And if you need an amazing highlight, grab yourself some Fenty. Rihanna never fails.

I am so happy for all of these artists and their creations. As a music and beauty fanatic, I get a thrill out of those worlds colliding. I will forever be anticipating the next amazing drop from all of these rock stars!

[doesimmons]

Preparing for the Eras tour (yes, I managed to get tickets, no I will not be revealing what I sacrificed to get them), and I'm getting my outfit together! I'm dressing in the iconic outfit from the 22 mv. So, on Saturday, I went out to get some red lipstick to complete the look.

The cashier was SUPER nice, asked me whether it was for a date or special occasion...and I excitedly told her about the concert. To both our excitement, it turned out she was a Swiftie too AND was going the exact same night as me. Probably the best public interaction I've had in FOREVER. Anyways! Here's my outfit so far (ft. my photobomb enthusiast cat), currently waiting for the hat to arrive!

[thefashionofentertainmentoffical]

The Evolution of Fashion in Film: (Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962)

Marilyn Monroe was a model, actor, and singer. She became one of the most iconic and enduring symbols of beauty, glamour, and sexuality of the 20th century. Her childhood was tumultuous, spent moving between orphanages and foster homes.

Soon after, her beauty and charisma earned her a role in her breakout 1953 film, "Niagara." Successive hits in the 1950s and 1960s included "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Some Like It Hot," and "The Seven Year Itch." She became famous for her comedic timing, sultry voice, and captivating presence on screen.

Marilyn became one of the biggest fashion influences of the 20th century. Her most iconic look is her famous Subway grate photoshoot, in which she's pictured struggling to keep her dress down as a gust of air blows it up from below.

Her hourglass figure and silhouette became instantly recognizable and gave rise to the figure-hugging garment. Marilyn wore dresses with fitted bodices and full skirts that accentuated her curves, inspiring women to embrace their natural shape. She also wore bold colors, shapes, and prints, giving her an appearance of confidence and playfulness. Her sweater girl style, in which she wore tight sweaters that accentuated her figure, emphasized femininity and sensuality while maintaining an air of innocence. Also iconic is her performance of the song, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," in which she wore a lot of glamorous jewelry. That, along with her token red lipstick and winged eyeliner, became her staple.

Her playfulness and unabashed sexuality set the tone for the latter half of the 20th century. It emboldened women everywhere, forever changing the relationship between people and clothes. Marilyn was part of a movement that promoted clothing as a tool for the expression of the natural body. Her unstated philosophy, perhaps, was that clothing should not conceal; it should reveal.

-Jack

[retifism]

This Digital Realistic Photo Art of Celebrity Lifestyle Goddess MistressFeet is a wonder to behold! This high resolution canvas measuring 48'x32' depicts a stunning BDSM-inspired portrait of a mysterious femme fatale wearing eye-catching stiletto-heeled boots, fishnets and thigh-high boots while her bold red lipstick contrasts perfectly. Upon closer inspection, this art mount offers a complex interplay between light, shadow and grain that comes full circle to capture the passionate, powerful essence of shoes and boots that MistressFeet exudes. Subtly reminiscent of the classic Hollywood glamour icon, this art piece adds depth and texture to her flawlessly queenly presence. Not only is this Digital Realistic Photo Art canvas a timeless piece to enjoy forever, it is printed with rich detail- true to its source- and hangs with uncompromising vibrancy to catch your eye from across the room. This wall art will be the centerpiece of any room, accentuating it in a way only aristocrats could understand. With its sepia, black and white, or duotone tones, this beautiful canvas adds allure and mystery to any room decor. MistressFeet reigns supreme in dynamic fashion, artfully captured on a contempoary art canvas. It is stunningly captivating and iinvites you into a complex but visually compelling world of glamour and elegance. #Mistressfeet #Retifism #DigitalArt #RealisticPhotoArt #CanvasWallArt #FemmeFatale #ContemporaryArt #StilettoHeeledBoots #ShoesandBoots #BDSMInspired #Glamour #Mystery #LightandShadow #ArtMount #HighResolution

[shehadstyleshehadflair]

BASIC INFO !

GENERAL:

This blog was created to portray The Nanny’s canon character Fran Fine. This will cover all seasons, so feel free to let me know if you want to write something specific. I’m always open to plot and write with anyone, my messages are always open for anything. This will be a multiverse account, crossovers are always welcome and OCs too. Canon characters from the show would be amazing as well. Mun is 22, which is why some +18 topics would be surely mentioned. Also — this is a side blog, so all follows will be returned by my main blog: @ahoystilinski. this goes in case there’s confusion !

FRAN FINE :

For those who don’t know,

Fran comes from a jewish family, born from Sylvia and Morty Fine in Flushing, Queens. She is a bubbly, outgoing, curious, sexy, humorous gossipy and lovable woman. Her age remains a mystery, since she is self-conscious from it, always lying about it. After getting fired by her ex-fiancée from a bridal shop in Queens, as she is trying to sell make up in a Manhattan mansion, Fran manages to get a job as a Nanny after making her resume with a lipstick. She becomes a Nanny for Maxwell Sheffield’s —a millionaire Broadway producer— three children: Maggie, Brighton and Gracie. From then on, she becomes a part of the family, being motherly towards the children, living with them, along with their butler Niles and getting into trouble from time to time. Her romantic tension with Mr Sheffield only growing as time passes. Fran is shown being stylish; her iconic big hair, short skirts and face full of make up making her memorable. Yet, the most memorable thing from her being her nasal and loud voice, forever her trademark.

— love, the lady in red 💋

[indiejones]

'INTERNATIONAL SUPER STAR' TALKING ABOUT 'THE SUPER HUMAN BEING'.

The whole world knows who Irrfan Khan is! But do you know the one man our late greatly beloved superstar wished to meet, like so many others, when he came to Mumbai? -Rajesh Khanna.

A lesser known fact about this icon is how he used to work as a AC repair guy before getting into films, despite being a NSD pass-out, just to make ends meet here. And one of the very first jobs he got (or machinated to get, we don't exactly know) was to repair the AC of Rajesh Khanna's house! .. He below narrates the incident of how went to his house, & Khanna's governess opened the door, & ushered him in to the most delightfully palatial bungalow he'd ever seen, but was left heartbroken upon learning the God of Cinema wasn't home on that occasion, putting paid to all his desires of expressing & showering his fandom & gratitude & adulation then.

He of course'd would go on to meet the legend of legends later on life, but narrates this, one among uncountable fan incidents, & of a magnitude only heard in this man's case, we've heard several times in even greater detail elsewhere too-

Rajesh Khanna apparently made his way home one afternoon alongside friend & fellow actor Danny Denzongpa (we're guessing these are the late 70's), to find a swarm of young ladies standing outside his house, with autograph pads & all sorts of fan material in hand. He waved them from afar, as security'd kept them at a certain distance, & went inside.

When the got two got back out by evening or so, & started making their way to the car, were no less than shocked, to find all those ladies & more, now literally piled up in a stack, onto his car, in all sorts of decent or indecent positions they could fit inside & outside it, the car practically invisible by now, with security clueless of how to stop them!

Due autographs were signed & the ladies happily departed, unbeknownst to the actors, of what had been left behind!

As soon Rajesh got into his car, were blinded by an apparent red wall in front of them! The front glass of Rajesh's car had been utterly & ruthlessly molested to unspeakable lengths by the ladies lipsticks, making driving of that car a practical impossibility for the next hour or so!

Irrfan mentions how he's traveled the entire world, but never heard stories of this magnitude, & we're taking about young ladies in the conservative India of 70s mind you! These are tales of a super human being, as he was back then!

Rajesh Khanna had turned half the nation European for a decade and half or so!

Much that lakhs/millions of ladies, married or unmarried irrespective, are known to have literally married his photographs, & boasted about it forever too!

The man who was famous for inducing genuine tears upon himself in a flash of a second, but hated to see women cry. One of his most famously promoted lines in pop culture, till the 21st c infact being, 'Pushpa, I hate tears".

Here's wishing & knowing how these collected stories, of perhaps India's greatest ever son, will keep not just the womenfolk but even men, & the newly prominent Western genders in vogue & everyone too, in happiness & in bliss. Just like his movies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385JHeGbCgs

[alexturne]

Rare Arctic Monkeys performances

This is a nerdy little collection of performances of songs that I’ve not seen a lot or simply find interesting. I adore finding all the little trivia and details for myself, so I thought others might like to see as well.

Maybe they’re not all “that rare” but most were fairly new to me :))

** I’ll add more when I stumble upon it **

Here we go.

(I put it under Keep Reading because it was getting too long)

 Da Frame 2R

They did this performance at Paradise Rock Club, Boston during the American leg of their Humbug tour in 2009.

A really cool and quite “punky” and heavy live performance of this bonus track. They’ve performed it a few times in 2007 as well as 2009.

 Put Me In A Terror Pocket

This performance is from their concert at Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam in December 2007.

They premiered it as a “a new song”, rumoured to become a B-side, and they played it a handful of times during their tour in 2007. First recording of the song is from November. 

The song remains unreleased and some people are saying they ditched this song and did the cover of Nick Caves’ “Red Right Hand” instead.

Here is another version with better audio but without video, from Alexandra Palace in London.

 Lipstick Vogue (Elvis Costello cover)

They did the cover during a concert at Les Nuits de Fourvière in France during the TBHC tour in July 2018.

They dedicated the cover to the man himself. Alex introduced the performance by saying “get well soon” as Elvis Costello was battling cancer at the time. 

 Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed cover)

This cover is from a concert at Echo Arena in Liverpool during the AM tour in October 2013.

Lou Reed had passed away the day before and they performed this cover as a tribute.

They performed alongside Bill Ryder-Jones from the Coral.

 You & I (With Richard Hawley)

This performance is from their iconic 100th show of their SIAS tour.

They played it with Richard Hawley at L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Paris in France in February 2012.

This concert also featured performances of Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler) and 505 with Miles Kane.

They’ve only performed this badass tune once, at least as far as I’m aware. (Not that rare but deserves a spot!)

 The Union Forever (The White Stripes cover)

They performed this cover at Masonic Temple Theater in Detroit, Michigan on their TBHC tour in August 2018.

They played the cover as a tribute to the band, as The White Stripes were formed in Michigan. Alex called the performance “a little Detroit special”.

 Is This It (The Strokes cover)

They covered this iconic song at Forest Hills Stadium, New York during the American leg of their TBHC tour in July 2018.

Similar to the one above they played this cover as a tribute to the band as New York is the hometown of the Strokes.

(Bonus: This was one of the first concerts since Alex shaved his head.)

 Reptilia (The Strokes cover)

This performance is from Madame Jojo’s, London in January 2008.

It doesn’t feature the band, but a supergroup of indie musicians gathered for one night under the name The Pun Lovin’ Criminals. 

They performed an array of indie rock covers and Alex joined at the end of the set, ending the show with this fun and unpolished cover of Reptilia.

The group included Dev Hynes, Joe Edwards from the Rascals and Victoria Smith, Miles’ current drummer. Plus Alex on guitar and lead vocal.

They prefaced the performance by saying “none of this has been practiced” and Alex came on stage bleeding after hitting his head on the door on his way up there.

 One of the earliest filmed performances

This performance is at The Barfly, Glasgow in from March 2005. 

This concert is one of the band’s earliest performances caught on tape. Before they released their first EP. The video features most of the songs performed that night.

It features the first known performances of several songs from their debut album, including Mardy Bum, The View From the Afternoon and From The Ritz To the Rubble.

Another video of the same night.

 Hollywood Hopeful (Loudon Wainwright III cover)

This performance is from Staples Center, LA during their American leg of the AM tour, played in August 2014.

Alex sang acapella and covered part of Loudon’s beautiful song as an intro to I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

This video shows more of the transition into IBYLGOTD.

 All My Loving (Beatles Cover)

This cover is fairly famous but it’s so bloody good I had to include it.

This performance is from Madison Square Garden, New York during the American leg of the AM tour in February 2014.

They performed the cover twice, this and one the day before at The State Theater in Portland, both times alongside Miles Kane.

Alex prefaced the performances by saying it had been almost 50 years to the day since the Beatles first played on the extremely famous Ed Sullivan show and “broke” America.

 - (Stephen Fretwell Cover)

The song itself it not rare, as it is featured on Spotify as part of the session the band did for them in 2018.

The video was however shared mainly on director Ben Chappell’s website, therefore not quite as easily located.

The performance was done at Electric Lady Studios, New York and released in September 2018.

(Bonus: Stephen Fretwell played bass on the first TLSP tour.)

 Rockafeller Skank (Fatboy Slim cover)

This is from the very first Arctic Monkeys show at the Grapes in Sheffield, June 2003.

They played a short set, and performed part of this song as a fun addition to their performance of Curtains Closed. They also played Ravey Ravey Club and a few cover songs. Alex’s voice is quite different here and he is purposefully trying not use his own accent. Alex has said that this night was the first time he ever stepped on a stage.

A longer audio from the gig can be heard here.

  Live at Peter & Debora's Living Room

This show is one of the earliest performances of 2005, done in January.

One of not that many complete audios from that time.

It seems to be a quite informal setting. A small audience with Alex taking song suggestions, saying they can’t do Choo Choo and interrupting a song to yell “it’s fucking hot in here!”. People are saying Matt only had a ride cymbal, snare and cowbell for the performance.

The set includes the only known live recording of the song 7.

Alex said about the song: “This is like a new song and nobody will know it but we’ll play it anyway. We played this gig in Nottingham, and then there [..] was this lass, so I went- but then she'd gone and stuff, it’s a bit of a shit thing to write a song about now in reflection but it’s called- it’s called 7.”

  Drunk on the Moon (Tom Waits Cover)

This is from the concert at 3Arena, Dublin in Ireland on the TBHC tour in September 2018.

This is a short acappella version of Alex singing Drunk on the Moon before performing One Point Perspective.

He also included the cover at their performance before playing Arabella in Houston a month later in October 2018.

 Mad Sounds

This performance is from their concert at Hollywood Bowl during the American leg of their TBHC tour in October 2018.

A few days prior at their show in Houston they performed Mad Sounds for the first time during TBHC and on top of that the first time since 2013. This concert is just a few days later and shows the arrangement.

The audience all had their flashlights out and made a beautiful atmosphere.

 Despair In The Departure Lounge

This is from their concert at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco in March 2006.

Alex performed the song solo after Andy experienced problems with his bass during the previous song. Alex performed the track while technicians fixed the issue.

This is, to my knowledge, the first and only time this song has been played live and was completely unknown at the time.

 Alexandra Palace, London (Full show)

This show took place at Alexandra Palace in London during the Favourite Worst Nightmare tour in August 2007.

This concert took place about a month after they headlined Glastonbury and features rare gems such a Plastic Tramp with Miles Kane, Put Me In Your Terror Pocket, Nettles and Da Frame 2R.

It also features the only known performance of Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend, aside from Glastonbury.

Dizzee is featured of course.

 Fake Tales Of San Francisco

This performance is from when Arctic Monkeys were on the NME Tour in January and February in 2006.

The tour ran for 18 dates across England, Ireland and Scotland.

Maxïmo Park were the headliners, though there was speculation that AM should have been the headliners, as most fans would come to see them, but that they turned it down.

In this particular performance they are joined by Keith Murray from We Are Scientists, who were also on the tour and friends of the band. Keith has previously been in an acceptance video from the Brits 2006 and on stage to accept an award with them at the NME Awards 2006. 

It’s a truly excellent performance and Alex has great chemistry with Keith, who he shares the mic with at one point.

 R U Mine?

This performance is from the show at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on March 3rd 2012 (thanks for the birthday gift boys!).

This was during the tour in America where they opened for the Black Keys.

This is the first time ever they played R U Mine?

Alex prefaced the performance by saying: “This is a new tune, we’ve never played this before. Fucking check this shit out!“

 When The Sun Goes Down

This is a snippet of their performance at Reading Festival in 2005.

They were booked in the Carling Tent, which is not very big. It was called a misjudgment in terms of placement as the tent was completely packed and people couldn’t get in because so many people wanted to see them. Some say that more people turned up at their gig than the headliners’. And some say that this is the gig that made them “superstars”.

They went on to headline a year later. 

Alex said during the performance: “Anyone who wants to say a bad word about Arctic Monkeys can have some of that. Whether you’re outside or inside now is the time. Let’s have it!“

It was supposedly filmed by Rob Nicholson, Andy’s brother.

 The View From The Afternoon

This is a very short clip from their gig at The Plug, Sheffield in October 2005.

During this gig they supposedly premiered Leave Before The Lights Come on.

The gig was widely praised as a “point in history”, it was completely packed and everyone knew every single word to all songs, even though they hadn’t even released the songs yet.

Alex reportedly said during the performance: “Thanks to everyone who was there at the beginning”.

It showed the band’s growth as performers, showcased their hard work of playing endless gigs during the early days of the band.

 No Buses

This performance is from the session the band did with MTV in March or April 2006.

Not quite a rare, but a very significant performance.

This is the first and only performance of the song, except for the odd acoustic version. 

The session is also one of the last performances with Andy on bass.

There is also an interview from the session which mostly features Matt talking. It was done one year after they got signed.

 The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala

This performance is at The Observatory North Park, San Diego, California. The first show of the TBHC tour in May 2018.

This was the premiere of the new arrangement of the song and the first time it was played since 2013.

There are other videos of this arrangement, but this was the first night they performed it, and there was a strict no-video policy.

Only Ones Who Know (With Richard Hawley)

This is not a rare. Bu it is extremely wonderful none the less.

This performance is from Richard Hawley’s concert at Union Chapel in November 2009.

The concert was a charity event titled The Little Noise Sessions.

Alex made a surprise guest appearance during Richard’s set. Here is another video of the same performance. Richard famously introduced Alex as “the original lounge lizard himself.”

Along with a few other artists Alex played a surprise acoustic set, accompanied by John Ashton on keys and Jamie for a few songs (Cornerstone and Secret Door). This night was the first time Joining The Dots was performed and there are rumours he also performed Glass In The Park (from the Submarine soundtrack) the first and only time. 

He reportedly also played a few covers, including the first performance of Dion’s Only You Know (which he has covered on multiple occasions) and a one time performance of I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire by The Ink Spots.

Vertigo (With Mini Mansions)

This performance is from Mini Mansions’ opening set before the Arctic Monkeys concert at Red Rocks, Colorado in September 2014.

They also performed it at the concert at Comerica Theatre, Phoenix in October 2014.

It was the live premiere of the song, which was released in March 2015 on Mini Mansions’ album The Great Pretenders.

Alex is featured on one verse on the track. 

Zach Dawes and Tyler Parkford, who has toured with both The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys, are part of Mini Mansions along with Michael Shuman from Queens Of The Stone Age.

Alex also appeared in the music video for the track, and has made several live appearances as well.

Including this televised performance a few days after the release of the album.

This performance in October 2015.

And my personal favourite from July 2015.

The latest was in October 2018.

Performance at Cavern Club

This snippet shows a gig they played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in October 2005.

The gig was the first night of the WPSIATWIN tour and was set one week before they released their first single. 

The video features bits of I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Dancing Shoes, A Certain Romance and Mardy Bum, which has a slightly different arrangement.

Here is another snippet of the same night during When The Sun Goes Down.

Beneath The Boardwalk 

This snippet is from their gig at The Boardwalk, Sheffield in May 2005.

The video includes a collection of a few different clips from the night and shows large part of the setlist.

They’ve played several shows at this venue and it has since given its name to the now famous demo collection from 2004, that was shared on MySpace back in the day. They played their second ever gig at this venue in 2003 and Alex used to work there as a bartender. He heard John Cooper Clarke there for the first time as well. 

Apparently this was the last show they did at this venue before it closed down.

Reportedly this was the first night Miles Kane and Alex met.

Red Lights Indicate Doors Are Secured

This performance is from their gig at Head of Steam, Newcastle in March 2005.

The venue is quite small and the gig is pretty intimate. A good indication of what most of their gigs at this time were like. The video shows a rare view from the first row.

This is the first known performance of the song, and it features slight changes to the version they played later on.

This is a performance of Bigger Boys And Stolen Sweethearts from the same night.

This is From The Ritz To The Rubble from the same night (under the name Sunday Song as it was known back then).

And finally a short video of When The Sun Goes Down (Scummy) from the same gig.

Sketchead

This performance is from their concert at Fox Theater, Oakland during the Humbug tour in September 2009.

This is the first known live performance of the song, and it was released on the Cornerstone EP in November 2009.

Alex prefaces the song by saying: “We’re gonna play a song all about a man who’s presence alone would greatly unnerve any of you. And he’s not alone, there’s many of him around. He might have a ponytail but it’s certainly not a requirement and you know when he’s coming towards you [...] The person I’m talking about- we’ve decided to title it Sketchead with one h, and this is Sketchead’s theme.”

Catapult

This performance is from their concert at House of Blues, Boston during the Humbug tour in December 2009.

This is the first known live performance of Catapult, released on the Cornerstone EP in November 2009.

Alex has said about the song that it is a "relative” of The Jeweller’s Hand and that they’re sort of about the same thing, the same character: “This figure of wisdom that was sort of superior to his peers or anyone he kinda encountered.”

Leave Before The Lights Come On

This performance is from their show at Highline Ballroom, New York during the Humbug tour in August 2009.

This is the last known performance of Leave Before The Lights Come On.

They performed the track a couple of times during this tour, a few early in the year and a couple during the summer, before retiring the track after this performance.

During the performance Alex holds up a sign saying ‘French fan club John Ashton’.

At the end the audience starts chanting the ‘I’ll walk you up, what time’s the bus come?’ line and Alex laughingly says "Thank you, thank you. That wont be necessary, I'll walk there alone. Thank you!"

Leave Before The Lights Come On

Coincidentally I stumbled upon this straight after the one above.

Alex introduces it as “a new song”, although there are indicators that they actually performed the song earlier in their career at The Plug, Sheffield in October 2005. (See earlier entry).

The size of the stage plus the fact that there are American accents to be heard in the crowd more likely dates this somewhere in March 2006, when they did a few shows in America, before heading back there for the American leg of their tour in May. No idea why Alex called the song new, except for the fact that perhaps they hadn’t performed it in America before.

It is one of the few performances of the song featuring Andy on bass, as he took a break from the band in May and was permanently replaced by Nick in June. The song was released in August 2006 with Nick credited on the recording.

The Rascals featuring Alex Turner

This is a little bonus entry.

Alex Turner joined Miles Kane and his band The Rascals for a one off performance of their song Is It Too Late? at Wireless Festival in July 2008.

The clip is just a snippet of the performance, but it features Alex playing guitar alongside Miles and singing the second verse of the song.

[pineconesnstrawberries]

Helena Bonham Carter and Why I Love Her

She's eccentric, fun, and whimsical. And she's also an absolute power icon, especially considering how Hollywood treats women past a certain age. The rhetoric goes that once a women turns 40, she is no longer able to have fun, she is already an old hag, and therefore serves no other function than to be lost in the background. Helena blows that idea completely out of the water! Mismatched shoes, extravagant gowns, and beautiful layering are all Helena Bonham Carter staples.

I adore her green and red pumps in this photo.

Helena's style fits into two different categories, red carpet and street style.

We'll start with her street style, because it's my favorite.

In this photo, she's wearing a plaid dress under a green vest, a long black jacket, and a checkered scarf.

The vest and the dress are my favorite parts of this whole look. The vest gives off an almost Victorian vibe, while the plaid print of the dress seems almost comforting, like something one would wear sitting by the fire.

In this photo, she's wearing a dark pea coat with brown lace-up boots, a floral dress, and wild hair.

I adore this outfit wholly because of it's simple pieces. It's just a floral dress, with boots, and a dark coat. What makes this outfit special is in the nature of the items.

A dark coat - everyone has one of these in their closet, but does everyone have a pea coat? Nope!

The brown boots - boots are so common, yet the style of these, lace-up, brown leather, and a low heel... it truly feels something a Victorian adventurer would wear.

What more do I have to say? This is my all-time favorite photo of her. A gray babydoll dress with black ribbon, and black mary janes (what is that heel, and where can I get those?). Just UGH!

I could write forever about all the street snaps we've seen of her, but for the sake of brevity, we're going to move on to the red carpet.

In this photo, it almost looks like she fashioned a dress from ship curtains, put on red lipstick, a black blazer, black pumps, and called it a day. She nails an effortlessly gorgeous appearance, different from that of one sitting at home in sweatpants.

A black lace dress, with layers of tulle, combined with black heels, a red lip, and a, i-just-woke-up-this-morning-and-decided-to-be-beautiful, kind of updo. This is a prime example of classic Helena, and it's absolutely stunning.

Now here is la pièce de résistance! My favorite red carpet look of hers, she seems like she just walked out of Alice in Wonderland.

The silky red gown, the long black frilled button coat, combined with layers of necklaces, a tiny top hat, and those Victorian-esque boots, it's absolutely crazy and bold!

That's what we love about her though, isn't it? Her style is magical, gothic, and daring. It feels like she belongs in another world, a world filled with strange creatures and adventure.

I know that personally, the reason that I like her style is exactly that. Fashion is a form of art, and it can transport us into other worlds just other art can.