Categories
General Makeup and Appearance

Turning Minutes into Makeup

I’d like to take a moment to share with you a trick that I use for several years to turn free time minutes into makeup.  Every performing dancer knows that makeup plays a very important roll in their overall look. Cosmetics make the features more visible from a distance, creates an enhanced illusion of beauty and perfection, and helps to define the character of the dancer as an entertainer.

Makeup is Essential for Performance

If you’ve ever taken a workshop with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about the “Five Layers” system that I use when discussing a belly dancer’s personal appearance.  But, if you haven’t heard about it, let me quickly break it down.

5 Layers of Belly Dance Appearance

• The Body
• Makeup & Grooming
• Costume
• Jewelry & Accessories
• Props

For more information about the 5 layers and how to use this system when planning your performance appearance, check out our book “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.”   

At left, my co-author Poppy Maya models a modern style ensemble using all five layers.  Her body, of course, performance makeup, classic 2-piece belly dance costume, jewelry and sleeves, and a veil prop.

Makeup Goes Bad

Like food and beverages, makeup can go bad.  Today, nearly all makeup and cosmetics are marked with a use-by date or a good after opening mark.  You will find this marked either on the packaging or on the container itself.  Look for an icon similar to this jar with a number and an M that represents the months.  The example here on the left indicates that a product should be used up within 12 months of opening.

It’s good to keep an eye on your makeup dates so you know when to replace a mascara (good for 3-6 mo after opening) or a foundation (6mo – 2 years depending on the formulation.)  I like to take a sharpie and write the day I open a product on the outside of the packaging. That way, there is no guessing how old something is. It’s good to be vigilant with dates for a variety of reasons, but you don’t want to open your self to infections by using outdated makeup.

Makeup is Expensive

Unfortunately, when putting on a performance you might use as many as 20 or even 30 different products to create a dynamite stage-worthy look. The cost of makeup will add up over time.  Even when buying more affordable drugstore brands, to have all the products you need, you will rack up a bill.  If you like mid-quality, professional grade, or luxury brands, the cost of putting together a basic kit will add up!

Minutes for Makeup

While looking for sources and methods for saving money on the products I buy regularly, like makeup. A friend referred me to the MyPoints website.  On this site, I discovered that I could spend some time every day or week to answer some surveys, to use their search tool, watch a few videos and other simple and easy tasks.  Over time you accumulate points which you can turn into gift cards at a variety of stores and restaurants.

Here are just a few of the cards available to me on the day I wrote this blog post.  Notice that I have the opportunity to either turn “my points”  a Target gift card, where I regularly shop for beauty products and life essentials. Alternately, I could trade them in for an Ulta card which I could use for both drugstore level and premium makeup brands that I love. The cards available do change and the number of points it takes to trade in varies as well. But if you go to the MyPoints website, you can explore what’s available on any given

Practice Dance While Earning Makeup?

Once I realized the potential of this site, I worked visiting the page into my daily ritual.  I put my current practice music on to remind me of my ultimate goal – building and restocking my performance makeup kit.  I use my music as my guide, putting on a 7-10 minute set, and then I simply “work” on my makeup-earning projects. Listening to my music becomes ingrained in my mind, helping me to hear and understand the nuances of the piece.

It’s not quick, but the time adds up

This is not a quick-fix for getting your kit together this week.  But I do find that I make between $50 and $75 a year in gift cards that cover my makeup and beauty expenses each year.  When you explore the MyPoints website, you can figure out what activities you enjoy most.  I find that I make a lot of points doing research activities, while other friends who use the service take surveys or watch more videos.

Here in the US, we just celebrated our national Thanksgiving. If you decide to visit MyPoints to explore the possibilities, I want to say thank you for using this MyPoints affiliate link.  Your support makes it possible for me to take the time to make helpful and informative content!

I wish you the best of luck earning some free makeup!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
November 26, 2017

 

Categories
General Publications

Mandala Coloring Book – Behind the Scenes

Last weekend I was attending a belly dance show and had a couple of proofs of my latest book, Color Theory with Pencils & Mandalas.  This is the second book that I’ve teamed up with the talented graphic illustrator George Goncalves.  We began this project in June with a mission of developing a workbook that would accompany several sections of my “Think Like A Designer” course.

All of the costuming books in my collection have been crafted to accompany a series of classes or a specific workshop. With the development of digital course platforms, I’ll be spending a lot of time in 2018 porting over all of my most popular workshops onto the web so anyone, anywhere can take a class with me at their own convenience.

Idea and Mission for the Color Theory Book

When I was teaching fashion at the community college, color theory took up several days of lecture. Some of us intuitively know what looks good together. For most of us, understanding the basic principles of color theory can help them think strategically.  Color theory is a huge subject and there have been many books written on the topic.  This workbook includes a brief 20-page overview of the subject of color theory and techniques for working with colored pencils.   This is followed by 50+ designs to color with pencils. The goal is to have lots of opportunities to practice and play with color combinations, to really “Think Like a Designer.”

Designing Coloring Pages

I worked closely with George to develop some beautifully finished illustrations.  From a brainstormed list of illustration themes, I picked my favorites to turn into coloring pages.

Inspired by the color and pattern of the classic kaleidoscope, I decided to try my hand at designing an image that really looks like a kaleidoscope.

Once I had the research down, and the symmetry worked out, I started drawing the types of shapes you would see in a kaleidoscope made of triangular pieces.  You can see my little “L’s” at the top of this sketch to help me stay focused on the unique symmetry.

My process is to make my initial sketch using a #3 mechanical pencil to keep the lines very light and easy to erase.  Once I have the initial sketch perfected, I use a .1 liner pen to darken the lines.  Then I snapped a cell-phone photo and sent it to George.

Crafting the Coloring Image

George took my rough fragment and used professional illustration tools to craft a complete design.  He cleaned up my lines making them a uniform weight.  In this illustration, George also added a double boundary line to enhance the kaleidoscope experience.

Working with a pro means that the final results look super smooth and clean and he completed the transformation from sketch to finished illustration far faster and with less struggle than I could have managed.

Once I get the image back, I print out several copies. This one went into the book planning binder and ultimately became page 49.

Testing Coloring Pages

On another printout, I took a moment to quickly test the illustration.  I grabbed a set of pencils and quickly colored parts of it in.  For this test, I used an affordable set of student-grade colored pencils from Staedtler Noris Club.

At this point, I ask myself a few questions.  Was this enjoyable to color?  Does it actually look like a kaleidoscope? Is it publishable as is, or does it need any tweaks?   This design was fine and it went into the book.

Our Color Theory Book is Almost Ready

Of course, there are many more steps involved in putting a book together.  Every writer and illustrator has their own workflow and process.  Working with a professional illustrator shortened my production time, and has allowed me to get this book together in a matter of months.

Currently, the manuscript is being processed prior to release on Amazon.  As soon as it’s finished through all these steps, it will be ready for purchase!  I’m so very excited and look forward to seeing the final product within the next week!  Tom Petty said it best, The waiting is the hardest part!

I can’t wait till it’s ready to share it with all of you!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Tuesday, November 21, 2017

PS: How close are we?  Here I am unboxing the final print proof!   Just so exciting to see an idea turned into a completed project!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
General Publications

Choosing the Right Social Media for the Right Project

When social media was fresh and new, our world grew smaller.  We could now have momentary chit-chats with friends around the world throughout the day.  We could share pictures of the momentous occasions and the small moments that shape our lives.  I hopped on the FaceBook bandwagon in 2009 and have spent nearly a decade sharing my work with like-minded folks from around the globe.

Social Media Choices

Now, I find myself bombarded with options.  I meet people who “gave up” on Facebook, or who won’t try Instagram because it looks “too fluffy.”  Many people just find a digital home and hang out there, like some of my friends who are still into the artsier Tumblr.  The truth is not everyone is in the same digital spaces and some folks have never really participated in social media at all. Some moments, I feel like I’ve tried them all!  It’s not true, there are many more social media outlets than I would have time to use.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davinadevine/
FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/StudioDavina/

Video on Social Media

As I move into a more video-based sharing mode, I find myself documenting projects via Instagram Stories.  That software platform has made it so easy for me to effortlessly pick up my cell-phone and make a 15-second video snippet.  Instagram Stories, however, disappears after 24 hours, so as a documentarian, I find this a frustrating feature.  Throughout the past months, I’ve experimented with the format, using Instagram stories to put together longer videos, but I think this kind of video feels stilted, falling completely flat.  It’s a video montage, in a vertical orientation that gets cropped into horizontal or has big black bars on either side.  I’ve tried making Facebook Live videos as well, but find the quality is lower due to their own compression algorithms so they look very different when collaged into video with clips from other sources.

Moving forward with video

But the truth of the matter is that a sewing project can only be video recorded once.  You have one shot at cutting, at sewing, and finishing.  You can’t really “reshoot” unless you have lots of extra material or are making costumes in multiples.

I’ve decided that I really enjoy working with video and that I’ll be making a home for all of my video content on YouTube. As I continue to experiment, learning all the capabilities of my cellphone, and growing some more editing skills, I’m sure there will be many more clunky and choppy videos like the one above.  So if you like catching my Instagram Stories, or missed a Facebook Live videos, be sure to follow me on YouTube where I’m going to put everything, even if it’s a little clunky.  Since YouTube is searchable, it makes finding the videos you really want to see,  a breeze!

Now, off to make some video!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Saturday, November 19, 2017

 

 

Categories
Costuming DIY General

Think Like A Designer: Step 2 – Costume Research

One of my frequently asked questions is, “How do you come up with ideas?” Well, the truth is that I am constantly filling my “creative pot.” Design isn’t just a single moment of inspiration. It’s a process that might begin with an indescribable eureka flash but requires a method to move from idea to a completed project.

Designing a Black Cape

One of the small projects on my plate is a black cape. My design brief was simple, a velvet and beaded lace cape or capelet that gives a Victorian or Edwardian impression. What fun! Once I had a general idea about what my client was interested in, it was time to begin my favorite stage of design, research!

Costume Research: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 

These seven black capes are all from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Their website has a searchable database of their collection. The Costume Institute houses the collections of both the Met and the Brooklyn Museums. It is one of my absolute favorite places to conduct research about historic costume. www.metmuseum.org

I simply put “black” and “cape” into the search bar and it gave me lots of examples of capes. Of course, being an art museum, it also offered me works of art featuring cape designs as well. While there’s nothing wrong with works of art, I used the advanced search features to hone the search down to garments.

Costume Research: Pinterest

No search for historical costumes would be complete without hitting my favorite image storehouse, Pinterest. What I like most about the Pinterest website is that it allows you to collect and organize images from around the web into useful pinboards that you can refer to often. You can even customize captions, making notes to yourself about the images you save.

I keep images of capes on a Pinterest board labeled “Steampunk Inspirations.” I spent some time adding a few more images to my board as I poked around the Pinterest website and then further out onto the web for examples of short black capes.

Pinterest is a free website that anyone can join and use as often or as little as you like. As a designer, I find it particularly useful for organizing visual data and storing it in the cloud for later use.

Costume Research: Books

Perhaps it’s a little old school to refer to books, but since I’ve collected a lot of costuming books over the years, I took a moment to pull some of my favorites to see if there were any images that I found particularly useful. My collection includes many exhibition guides and I really love having an excuse to pull one out and look for inspiration.

Costume Research: General Web Search

My last go-to strategy for costume research is to hit the web and do some basic searches. I could pour for hours over hundreds if not thousands of images and pages. So, to keep from falling into the research rabbit hole, I begin by making a list of search terms. I write this list down and pay attention to which terms work. When I find things I like, I pin them to my Pinterest board for future retrieval.  In case you might be wondering, I always start with Google and then move on to Bing and use the same search terms, often with different results.

But now it’s time to get on with this project!
Off to sew,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Friday, November 17, 2017

 

Categories
Costuming DIY General

Bimble and Pimble – #Sewvember Challenge

"Sewvember" challenge from Bimble & Pimble Blog

This month I’ve been participating in a monthly challenge on Instagram.   The #BPsewvember challenge is hosted by Australian blogger, and avid seamstress with sass, Amanda.  You can check out her fun and informative blog here.  Throughout November, her friends and fans on Instagram are joining in the fun and sharing projects based on the prompts.  

A Sence of Community

I love doing a search for the #BPsewvember hashtag and looking at all the uploads for the day and seeing what other sewists, seamstress, tailors, and costumers are sharing with the world.  We’re at the halfway point and I thought I would take a moment to do share some of my answers to this project.

Nicole Simon, curves model in a dress from Studio Davina by Dawn Devine | www.davina.usDay 14 – Tricky – Have you seen wild curves as tricky as those on curves model Nicole Simone as Mae West?  I made the pattern, cut it, and with the help of some friends got this dress made.

Seamstress Fuel at Studio Davina | www.davina.us

Day 9 – Refreshments – Coffee, coffee, coffee.  I got this little emoji cup at the dollar store and used it all summer to sip my coffee from.  It’s whimsy made me smile.  Of course, I’m a bit clumsy, which is why I keep the “good cups” filled with pens!

Day 4 – Machine – I adore my workhorse, bottom-of-the-line all mechanical Bernina.  I treasure it, use it every week, and it’s the apple of my eye, the heart of my hearts.  Friends and lovers may come and go, but this machine is rock steady!

The work horse of Studio Davina | www.davina.us

Day 11 – Sewing Buddies – I’m really enjoying the companionship of my tiny little dance troupe, Swirl who are my current enablers in the costuming department.  We sew, laugh, and dance together.  Best of all, they love assiut too!

Prompts Make me Think

I must admit I started on day 3, and I’ve missed a few here there. Perfection is not my goal.  For me, it’s the participation in the group experience.  The daily prompts really make me take a step back and think about my process, tools, space, and more. While some are easy, like machine or refreshment, other prompts take more time and a little thought. What was my most “Tricky” sewing moment?

Sharing is Caring

And once I have figured out my answer and shared it the group, then I am happy to look through other participants to see what their answers are.  It’s fun to both share my own answer, and read the answers of everyone else. If you are interested in seeing more of my posts of this challenge, come join me on Instagram!

Boy, I think image challenges are fun! 
See ya on Instagram,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
November 15, 2017.

Davina's belly dance troupe Swirl, Fall 2017 | www.davina.us