Blog – Page 2 – Sophia Ravenna

My Deeply Held Belly Dance Beliefs

September 20, 2016Sophia Ravenna

I know you're all surprised that I have opinions about belly dance... — I know you’re all surprised that I have opinions about belly dance…

Do you have any belly dance opinions so deeply held that they’re almost like religious convictions? I sure do. I have a lot of them in fact. This post kind of builds off of my recent post “10 Ways to Fake Being a Better Belly Dancer.” Some of it is stuff I forgot to include in that post, some of it is stuff that came up in response to discussion surrounding the post, and some of it is just random opinions I want to get out there.

Keep in mind that this is a mix of generally-held wisdom about best practices and etiquette, and some of it is just my personal opinion based on things like my own sense of aesthetics or what I was taught. The customs in your community may be completely different, or you may disagree with my sense of style. That’s OK! I present this post as food for thought and hopefully to inspire more great discussions, not as The Gospel According to Sophia, High Priestess of Belly Dance Lore (although that would look good on my business cards).

So here we go, in no particular order:

-Cover-ups. Always. No matter how hot it is. No matter how small the gig is. No matter what sort of costume you’re wearing. Even if your costume is modest. Even if it’s not sparkly. Cover. It. Up. Even if the audience isn’t going to see you. What if you’re doing a really dark fusion piece and you get hugged back stage by someone covered in giant pink holographic glitter? Aren’t you glad that glitter is all over your easily-laundered cover-up and not on your custom-made $1000 black velvet and antique jet costume?

-Also no, a sheer veil is not a cover-up, and your performance veil is not a cover-up. The sheer veil doesn’t do a good job, and do you really want to risk damaging your performance veil right before you go on stage? Also, I think veils, sarongs, and other “piece of fabric” style cover-ups should be limited to use by student and hobbyist belly dancers. Once you’re serious about it, invest in a high-quality cover-up, or make one yourself.

-Walk on and off the stage like you mean it. You should be “in character” whenever the audience sees you in costume. That means even if your music isn’t playing, you walk like a dancer. You walk confidently. You don’t rush on or off stage. If you do have to hurry to get on stage to hit your musical cue, or clear out for the next dancer, you take big, bold steps with your chest out and your head held high. By the way, this should have been on the list of ways to fake being a better belly dancer. A purposeful walk projects confidence and competence!

-Your makeup is a part of your costume. I am all for going makeup free on a daily basis. I usually do. But if you’re performing, you should wear makeup. It helps define your features so that the audience can actually read your emotions. And it adds an extra level of glamour.

-It’s OK to have a drink at the venue. A drink. Don’t get drunk. Know how much alcohol you can handle and don’t drink too much before going on stage. Don’t spill your drink on your fellow dancer. Don’t drink on stage — if you’re doing a character piece that involves drinking, use an empty glass or bottle to avoid spilling on the stage. Wear your cover-up or street clothes while drinking. Check your lipstick and reapply as needed.

-Don’t smoke in costume. Even with your cover-up on. You will smell like cigarette smoke.

-Be a student forever. No matter how good you get, keep going to classes. Go to belly dance classes. Go to classes in other dance forms. Take classes about Arabic music or language. Go to yoga or pilates or kickboxing class. Learn new things, and also revisit your basics. If you’re a teacher, invite your students to join you in some of your cross-training. Let them see your dedication to learning.

-Speaking of which, you should learn about belly dance and ME folkloric dance styles other than the one you perform. I’m not saying you have to go take classes in them, although that is good to do from time to time if you can… But read up on them. Watch some videos. Talk with dancers who do those styles. Have an understanding of what makes each style unique. Respect the other styles, even if you have no interest in learning and performing them. This is especially important for those of us who do tribal or fusion belly dance. We should know and respect our roots.

-While we’re on the subject of knowledge and respect… It’s also important for us to acknowledge that belly dance, especially as performed in America, walks a fine line between cultural appreciation and outright appropriation. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t belly dance, it just means that we should educate ourselves, be respectful, and be willing to re-examine the things we do and occasionally adjust if we’ve strayed into offensive territory.

-It is vitally important to support the dance community and the dance economy! Kudos only go so far. Go out and spend your dollars, on show tickets or on costuming or on classes. If you absolutely have no dollars to spend, donate your time by volunteering at an event, setting up a work-trade agreement with your teacher or home studio, or help a vendor by watching their booth. You can also show your support by promoting the teachers, events, and vendors that you love. You may not be able to afford a new skirt, but you can tell all of your classmates where you got your fabulous old skirt.

-If you’re a belly dancer, you should watch belly dance. AND NOT JUST ON YOUTUBE. Go to shows you are not performing in. Pay full-price for the ticket. Loudly cheer for the dancers. Try to bring someone else with you. Let people know that you’re going to the show. Go to student shows, workshop showcases, and stage performances. Watch belly dancers at restaurants and fairs. Tip generously.

-If you don’t like watching belly dance, you probably shouldn’t be a belly dancer.

There’s more where that came from, but I don’t want to write a novel!

If you enjoyed this post and would like even more blog posts, consider supporting me on Patreon!

Your deep commitment to maintaining and enhancing the standards of belly dance is evident through your clear guidelines, which promote not only professionalism but also a respectful, enriching community culture. Here's how you can leverage Latenode, a code-free automation platform, to further enhance and streamline your efforts in the belly dance community:

Professionalism in Appearance: Automate reminders for upcoming performances through Latenode to ensure dancers are well-prepared with proper attire and makeup. This helps maintain a consistent professional image that respects the art form.
Stage Presence: Use Latenode to create a feedback loop where audience reactions and critiques can be systematically collected and analyzed, providing performers with actionable insights to enhance their stage presence and overall performance quality.
Moderation and Etiquette: Implement automation in organizing and managing event logistics, such as schedules for rehearsals and performances, ensuring that all participants adhere to set guidelines for decorum. Latenode can also help track and moderate social media interactions to maintain professionalism online.
Continuous Learning: Facilitate online workshops and training sessions by using Latenode to schedule and coordinate these events. Automate the distribution of materials and follow-ups to encourage continual learning and engagement within the belly dance community.
Community Engagement and Support: Automate the process of registering volunteers and managing donations for community events through Latenode, making it easier to support the dance economy and foster a thriving dance community.
Cultural Sensitivity: Set up alerts and content curation in Latenode to ensure that all materials and communications respect cultural boundaries and enhance cultural appreciation without crossing into appropriation.

By integrating these automation strategies through Latenode, you can focus more on the artistic and cultural aspects of belly dancing while efficiently managing the administrative tasks. This approach not only elevates the standards within the belly dance community but also supports your vision of a professional and continuously evolving dance form.

Brand Overview: ColourPop

September 16, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Let’s talk about ColourPop!

Welcome to a new subsection of Beauty Blogging for Belly Dancers! Once a month I’m going to do a brand overview. I was inspired to do these because friends would often ask me “What do you think of ?” and then I’d have to go look for my old reviews to share with them. The idea is that I will not only have one central post I can refer to, but I’ll also be able to update my opinions, if a product seemed great at first but spoiled quickly, or if I’ve heard troubling things about a brand since my last review.

I decided to kick it off with ColourPop, because they’re a brand I’m asked about frequently.

Brand Profile

ColourPop is an indie brand that specializes in “fast fashion” makeup. Their makeup is affordable, on-trend, and often released in limited-edition launches that get discontinued when trends change. They are definitely built to appeal to a millennial audience, with their trendy styles and named culled from pop culture and internet slang. They often team up with beauty bloggers and internet celebs for collaborations.

My Personal Experience

I’ve generally been pretty happy with ColourPop. I did have one liner arrive slightly broken, and I’ve noticed in my past couple of orders that the boxes the products come in have had a haphazard look about them, ie, not really squared off and closed nicely. However, I really enjoy the packaging and the silly notes they include (for the longest time my bulletin board in Tucson held one that said “You were forged in the fires of Mt. Awesome.”).

I’d say my biggest issue with the company, which is an issue with the beauty industry as a whole, is the fact that they do tend to release hyped products in small batches so they can be all “OMGLOL we sold out in 10 minutes!” I feel like these practices unfairly penalize people who can’t drop everything and order beauty products, especially when releases happen during work hours.

Complaints

Online gossip about the company runs from credit card and PayPal info getting stolen to moldy products to bad customer service. A trusted friend has told me that she has unsuccessfully tried to get reparation for some shoddy products. I’ve seen some complaints about incomplete orders.

Although I have not personally experienced any of these issues, I do believe that the company seems to feel like their low prices mean they don’t have to bend over backwards for customer service, for all that they put out a fun and friendly image. This seems to be pretty common with indie brands.

Also, their most recent launch has a lip color called “Gypsy” which has me shaking my head.

Products I’ve Tried

Super Shock Shadows — These are my absolute favorite product from the company. Their metallic colors are especially nice. Liberty is the best silver eye shadow I’ve ever tried.

Creme Gel Liner — Easy to use and holds up pretty well in the waterline. Colors range from basics like Swerve to gorgeous on-trend colors like Teaspoon.

Creme Gel Color — I wanted to like these because I generally like potted gel liner, but I tried a few colors and they all felt too dry and stiff. A shame because the colors are beautiful.

Highlighter — I’ve only tried one but I really like it! Works best if applied with fingers and gently buffed out. Shimmery and gorgeous. Stole the Show is perfect for my pale skin.

Blush — I reviewed their blush favorably when I tried it, but it hasn’t made the cut to move up to WA with me yet, so make of that what you will.

Sculpting Stix — I have one and it’s about 50/50 whether I use it or my previous go-to powder contour. Pretty easy to use and comes in cool tones. I have Dove. Note: Apparently the options for darker skins are not very usable, so probably give these a pass if you don’t have light to medium skin.

Brow Pencil — Pretty easy to use, nothing exciting, just like the above it’s 50/50 whether I reach for this or my old go-to. Red Head is a good color for me.

Lippie Stix — A pretty good formula in a cute slim-line packaging. Brink is a gorgeous matte Fall lip color.

Lippie Pencil — Not gonna lie, I’ll actually buy these $5 pencils to use with more expensive lipsticks. Good basic liner. I’ve got this one in Brink too.

Ultra Matte Lip — Did you know that there’s a lot of debate online as to whether the Kylie Lip Kits are just this product and a CP pencil? Anyway, a lot of people like this lip formula. I find it too drying for my generally really-dry lips but I am giving it another try now that I live in a more humid climate.

Ultra Satin Lip — These are not transfer-proof like a matte lip but my goodness are they gorgeous. I get a ton of compliments when I wear London Fog.

Ultra Metallic Lip — Full review coming next month, but my initial impression of 3-Way is pretty good.

And I’m pretty sure that’s everything I’ve tried from the brand so far. Phew! Let me know what you think of the format of this post, if there’s any changes you’d like to see… And of course, let me know what other brands you’d like an overview on! I’ve already got NYX and Urban Decay on deck.

Disclaimer: The product links in this post all use MagicLinks, which will give me a small commission if you make a purchase. Any funds raised through these links will help me buy more products for future Beauty Blogging for Belly Dancers posts.

Professional Ambitions: Applied Branding

September 13, 2016September 13, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Welcome to Professional Ambitions, my ongoing monthly series about my journey towards a career as a professional fusion belly dancer.

Last month’s topic was Know Your Brand. I had so much fun discussing branding that I decided to break it into two parts. Today’s post is all about what to do once you’ve discovered your brand identity.

So. You’ve got your name, your slogan, your logo, your photos (or at least a few of these)… Now what?

Now it’s time to put your resources to work. You need to make sure that your website, your social media platforms, and your print collateral (business cards, flyers, etc) all reflect your branding.

Let’s start with business cards. They may seem old-fashioned in our so-called paperless society, but they’re still an important marketing and networking tool. You can trade them with cool dancers that you meet with events, leave them on the tables at the restaurant you dance at, and throw them in the “win a free lunch” bowl at your favorite eatery (ok, that’s not a marketing thing, I’m just hungry).

Your business card should include the following things:

-Your name

-At least one way to contact you — phone or email, whichever you prefer, or both.

-Your website, if you have one, which you should

-Your logo and slogan if you have them

-A photo of you

Now, photo business cards will cost more than simple black and white, but I REALLY think it’s worth the investment because belly dance is a visual art form. It’s a lot easier for me to remember a dancer or vendor if they have a photo of themselves or their wares on their card, versus that generic henna mandala design from Vistaprint (you know the one I’m talking about).

You may want to include the city or at least state that you’re in, unless you move around a lot — you don’t want to have to constantly throw out your old cards and order new ones!

I don’t really recommend putting your social media addresses on your business card because the URLs tend to be long and will make the card look more cluttered. Instead direct people to your website and have links to your social media accounts there!

Your business card should serve as the inspiration for how to set up your website and social media accounts. They should be an expanded version of that little piece of cardstock! They should display your name and slogan, how to contact you, and your logo and photos — and then some extra info, like a bio, class and/or performance schedule, etc.

This is definitely a “Do as I say, not as I do” situation, because I know my website needs to be overhauled to match my branding. That’s going to happen in Nov and Dec when I get my new photos — the old braces-face photos are fine at business card scale but for my website I want to show the face I actually have, and it doesn’t make sense to design the site until I have new photos to design around.

One question you may have is if you should use your logo as your profile picture on your social media accounts. My opinion is that if you are a solo performer, duet, or trio, you should use a headshot. It makes you more personable and approachable, and as a dancer, your face really is your brand’s image. Your logo helps establish your branding and looks good on merch, but your face is what people will really identify with.

However, if you are a studio or troupe, you should probably use your logo. It will help enforce your brand, and in the case of troupes with ever-changing rosters, it will make things less awkward. Plus I feel like a headshot loses its impact when there’s a whole bunch of people in it, because by the time it becomes a thumbnail in an app on a phone, you can’t really make out any of the faces.

If you have a costuming, jewelry, or other physical-items business related to belly dance, it’s really up to you. It depends on whether your brand is more built on your personality (headshot) or your style (logo). Some businesses also choose to use a professionally-photographed image of a model wearing their stuff, which is also a good choice — although if you always use the same model you may run the risk of people think that’s you!

As you apply your branding across all of your print and digital resources, keep a careful eye on consistency. Make a conscious decision as to whether you’re using “belly dance” or “bellydance” for instance. Make sure that you’re always using the same capitalization and punctuation on your slogan. And of course watch out for typos! This is also a good time to give all of your profiles a quick once-over and make sure everything is up to date — you may find that you’re still listing your last city as your current location on a social media platform you don’t use often, or that you’re still listed as teaching at a studio that closed down. It’s kind of like when you get a new piece of furniture and in the course of rearranging the living room you end up cleaning the entire house. It’s a good excuse to tidy up.

Let me know if you have any more questions about branding and we can cover them in a later Professional Ambitions post!

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to see even more blog and video content from me, please support me on Patreon.

Moondust Palette from Urban Decay

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Hey all, before I get into the meat of this review, a heads up! I just signed up for MagicLinks, so from now on the links to makeup in these reviews will be affiliate links and if you make a purchase I will get a very small commission. I wanted to be totally up front about it! Buying makeup isn’t cheap, and these blog posts take a lot of my time to do, so if I can make a little money to buy MORE makeup, I feel like we all win, right? From now on I’ll have an official disclaimer at the bottom but since it’s new, I wanted to start this post with it so everything’s on the up and up. Cool? Cool. Now let’s talk GLITTER.

Moondust is a glittery eye shadow formula that has been part of Urban Decay’s line for a few years — and before that they had a similar one called Stardust. It’s a super fine glitter in a sheer eye shadow base. People tend to either love it or hate it — as a glitter fiend I’m in the love it category, but I almost never use the two I have because I basically forget about my eye shadow singles.

I had long wished that UD would come out with a Moondust palette so I could have a small amount of a lot of colors, since this is one of those “a little goes a long way” products! Finally they delivered, and not only that, but it comes in one of my favorite cases ever… Moondust is housed in a heavy glittery plastic (acrylic?) case with the logo cut out against a mirrored background. SO SHINY. And best of all, because the glitter is part of the plastic, it’s perfectly smooth and it isn’t going to shed everywhere.

The Moondust palette comes with 8 colors in a nice mix of neutrals and brights. Normally I’d complain about the amount of empty space here, but since these babies are pretty messy, it’s good to give them some room so they don’t cross-contaminate.

One reason why a lot of people don’t like this formula is that it’s a little high maintenance. You can’t just grab a brush and slap it on. You have to pat it on with a dry brush or your fingertips, or paint it on with a damp brush. And even damp you’re not going to get an opaque application with most colors (except maybe Lithium). These really look best applied over a base color, for added depth and sparkle. Also, because they are glitter, they are MESSY. This is one of those products where you might wanna do your eyes first, clean up, and then do your face.

I decided to be super thorough with these, so from left to right they’re applied dry over bare skin, wet over bare skin, wet over a NYX Milk Crayon and wet over a NYX Black Bean Crayon. I applied all of these with Q-Tips. Just like with the Aromaleigh pigments I don’t think Q-Tips are the most ideal tool, but I don’t have 8 identical brushes and it would take forever to wash one brush well enough to remove all the glitter between each use. So! Q-Tips it is.

This is the top row, from top to bottom: Specter, Element, Magnetic, and Lightyear. When I saw Lightyear I pretty much had to have the palette. It’s worth noting that it is a much warmer green than it appears in the pan. In the pan you’re really seeing the blue shift of the glitter, applied more of the grass green base comes through. I approve.

These are a little messier and a little blurrier because since I was doing them on my right arm, I had to apply them and take the picture with my left hand. You’d think all of the zilling and fan veiling I do with my left hand would make me ambidextrous but NO.

From top to bottom these are the bottom row colors, Granite, Lithium, Vega and Galaxy. Lithium is probably the highest quality color in the bunch, it’s really well pigmented and of course old gold looks great with everything. Applied over black, it gives you a really cool pyrite effect. Galaxy also looks really good over the black.

FYI, I now have black eye crayon smudges all over my arm, and a rainbow of glitter. I hope you guys appreciate my dedication to this blog!

For my performance this past weekend I wore Lithium applied with a damp brush (I used the one that came with the NARSissist Dual Intensity palette) over a dark bronzey eye shadow. The result was a really spectacularly sparkly eye with a lot of depth, and some glitter fallout. This image was taken after my show, when I’d been wearing this for 4-5+ hours and it looks pretty good!

And of course I had to wear Lightyear! This was applied over Urban Decay primer with the damp NARS brush again, and then I used a damp angled brush to use it as a liner under my eye as well. You can’t really tell in the photo but I also put just a little Magnetic in the center of my lips to give more depth to the matte color. That was just patted on with a dry Q-Tip.

My arms are a mess. The other four colors are on my right arm. #swatches #moondust #glitter #sparkly #glittereverywhere #beautybloggingforbellydancers

A video posted by Sophia Ravenna (@sophiaravenna) on Sep 9, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

Finally, here’s an Instagram vid showing you a bit of the color play in the top row of colors. I really find that video helps give a better idea of what glitter is like than still images do!

In closing, personally I like this palette. At $49 it’s a little spendy, but you get 8 beautiful, sparkly colors. And if previous years are any indication, Sephora and probably Urban Decay will have pre-holiday sales in the next month or two, so you may be able to pick it up for a few dollars less if you’re patient.

Now the shameless money parts: If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to help me buy enough makeup remover to get the black eye crayon and rainbow glitter off of my arm (it’s such a messy you guys, LOL) please consider backing me on Patreon. I’m just a few dollars off from adding extra blog posts to Patreon AND THIS BLOG!

Also product links in this post are monetized through MagicLinks. I get a small commission. Your purchases help support my makeup habit. Thank you!

10 Ways to Fake Being a Better Belly Dancer

September 6, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Yours truly convincing a room full of people that she knows what she's doing (that's RaqsBand in the background providing live music, and my friend Niffer snapped the photo) — Yours truly convincing a room full of people that she knows what she’s doing (that’s RaqsBand in the background providing live music, and my friend Niffer snapped the photo)

Holy clickbait title, Batman! Before I get into the meat of this post I better provide a strong disclaimer: This advice is not intended to help you land professional gigs or start teaching before you are ready. This advice is intended to help you be the best version of yourself while dancing at a beginner level, or to help you overcome a sense of imposter syndrome when you start getting better gigs.

This past weekend I danced to live Middle Eastern music for the first time. As I mentioned in last week’s post about classic belly dance music, I was a bit unsure of what I was going to do, but I was determined to Fake it Til I Make It. I guess I did a good job because I got some really nice compliments from the audience and the band said I should dance with them again in the future. This lead to me reflecting about the things that we, as dancers, can trick people into believing we actually know what we’re doing, when deep down inside we’re just praying we don’t trip over our skirt or get a muscle cramp during the drum solo.

Dress the part. Always wear a good costume, and one appropriate for the venue at hand and the sort of music you’re performing to.
Make sure your costume fits perfectly and every part of the costume and your props look like they belong together. Also make sure everything’s in good repair — all hooks or closures are sewn on securely, any tears have been stitched up, your skirts and veils aren’t TOO wrinkly (I hang mine in the bathroom while I shower, because I hate ironing).
Dance to music you feel an emotional connection to. You’ll always bring more energy to a piece if you really feel the music. Plus the audience can tell the difference between an “I love this song so much” smile vs. a “My teacher told me I had to smile” smile.
Dance well within your skill level. If you can dance full-tilt for 10 minutes straight without getting winded or sweaty at home, then plan to dance for 5-7 minutes at the show. If you can get a veil trick right 75% of the time, don’t bring it to the stage yet (especially since you don’t know if there’s going to be a fan or an errant gust from an open door that will throw you off).
Warm-up backstage. Pay special attention to any problem areas — my hips are extra tight so I’m the girl doing squats backstage so my shimmies will be loose. Note: Take off any extra jingly costume parts before warming up so you don’t distract from the dancer on stage, especially if “backstage” is really just standing off to the side.
Make smart makeup choices. First of all, wear makeup. Make sure it’s appropriate for the lighting level at the venue and how far away the audience will be. Make sure it matches your costume, or is a nice neutral. Make sure it flatters your features. Make sure it’s going to stand up to some sweat, especially if you’re dancing outdoors or if you have to wait a while before performing. Bonus tip: Bring a cosmetics bag with your lipstick, eyelash glue, tweezers, and blotting papers in case you need to touch up beforehand, or after for pics with enthusiastic audience members or new dance friends.
Be polite. Introduce yourself to your fellow dancers back stage, compliment them, and be ready to lend a hand with stubborn bra hooks and safety pins. Give a little space to those who seem to need quiet for their pre-show ritual. Before leaving, take time to thank and acknowledge the following people: the host or organizer, the stage manager, the band (find at least one band member and tell them to share your appreciation with the rest of the group).
Know how to take a compliment. Learn to smile and say “Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!” even if you don’t feel good about your performance.
Wear a coverup and have something cute to wear before and after the show. Although I’ll sometimes drive in my costume if the show is close or I know there’s not going to be good space to change, I generally prefer to show up in a cute dress and change backstage. It’s better for your costume and better for you, honestly. Do you want to show up with weird marks where the seat belt pressed your costume into your skin, or with sweat spots from driving on a hot day? Plus you’ll be glad you have some normal clothes with you if you find out there’s an after party! And a coverup is a MUST to protect your costume, preserve your aura of mystery and show respect for your fellow performers.
Know how to improv. How you handle music problems, a weird stage, a prop malfunction or a toddler suddenly charging onto stage says a lot about you as a dancer. If you can roll with it in a way that keeps the show going and gets a laugh or applause from the audience, people will either forget that anything even happened, or say afterwards “Wow, did you see how she gracefully shimmied off-stage to let the sound guy know he was repeating the last dancer’s song? What poise!”

These are the keys to “Fake it til you make it.” Confidence, good presentation, and a good attitude can do a lot to make up for technique that still needs a couple years of practice, and then once your technique does catch up, you’ll already have built a reputation as someone who brings their best to the stage.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please consider supporting me on Patreon. We’re just a few dollars away from extra blog posts on this blog and my Patreon feed!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

September 2, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Last year’s Sephora birthday gift was a couple of NARS lip pencils, one in Velvet Matte and one in whatever the satin finish is called. I was really impressed with the Velvet Matte so I decided to order another one some time back, but somehow I never got around to reviewing it… Probably because I almost never wear it.

Full size (0.08oz) and gift size (0.06oz).

The color I chose is Never Say Never, which is described as a Lilac Rose. It looks and sounds very pretty, I just can’t seem to get it to provide opaque coverage, so it’s not appropriate for stage!

That said, I really like the formula. Now, when I hear “Pencil” I think of a fine liner product. This is more of what I’d called a Crayon or maybe a Jumbo Pencil. It has a smooth texture and is REALLY easy to apply. And while it has a matte finish, it isn’t nearly as drying as a matte liquid lipstick. Of course, it’s also not transfer-proof, but it has pretty good staying power.

The birthday gift is a color called Cruella, which actually looks even better in person than in this picture. It’s a good, classic red. It seems to be a little cool-leaning to my eyes, which should help teeth look brighter, and cool reds tend to look pretty good to me. While Never Say Never is not gig makeup, Cruella is the sort of product you could carry around your purse in case a surprise gig popped up. Put a swipe of this on your lips and BOOM instant vamp!

If Sephora wants to give me more of these for my next birthday, in colors as pigmented as Cruella, I sure won’t complain.

Classic Belly Dance Music

August 30, 2016Sophia Ravenna

I snapped a photo of this oud at a House of Tarab show.

Because I come from a tribal and fusion belly dance background, I’ve never made a big effort to learn about the must-know classics of belly dance music. I learned about Arabic rhythms, and about the common instruments and how to interpret them in the body, and other bits and pieces here and there, but I can’t hear a melody line and tell you what a song is, or what the lyrics mean, or who most famously sang that song in what movie.

Recently though, I’ve felt the need to round out this part of my knowledge. It’s a combination of a few factors: I like knowledge in general, I’ve been attending shows with more classic music, and there are lots of opportunities here to dance with live bands, which means you have to know what songs to request.

Oh, and I decided to dance with a live band this coming weekend. I’ll be dancing to the music of RaqsBand at Saqra’s Monthly Revue on Saturday.

Leading up to signing up, I had this idea in mind that it was time for me to learn how to dance with a live Middle Eastern style band (as opposed to the mythpunk awesomeness of The Nathaniel Johnstone Band) so I said “Yes please I’d like live music, not a CD.”

Then I realized… uh oh. I have no idea what to request. I know HOW to communicate with a band, and how to work with them to make us both look good and make them feel appreciate and acknowledged, because I’ve learned about that in workshops and as part of my 8 Elements training.

But I seriously only know like 3 classic songs.

I don’t even know if I’m supposed to do one song, or a short set? I guess I’ll find out.

Although I’m a bit stressed about this, I’ve decided not to freak out. This is a learning experience. It’s an all-levels-welcome event just like Open Stage back in Tucson. And the best way to learn how to work with live Middle Eastern music is practice, which I just can’t do at home (unless we secretly have a band hidden in the coat closet and no one told me).

In order to further my learning process however, I started a Facebook group for my fellow tribal and fusion inclined belly dancers who have also been feeling the need to explore the classic music of the Golden Era of belly dance. The group is open to dancers of all styles and levels, so if you’re interested in learning along with us or sharing your expertise, please visit Classic Belly Dance Music Study Group and request to be added. I plan to kick things off in earnest next week!

Marc Jacobs Lame Noir Mascara

August 26, 2016Sophia Ravenna

If you’ve been reading this blog for a very long time, then you know that my first Beauty Blogging for Belly Dancers was about glitter mascara. Now, years later, we’ve come back to the topic.

A friend of mine told me about the Marc Jacobs Lame Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara. Our Tucson Sephoras were always out of stock and the testers were always used up so it was like this mythical amazing mascara that I desperately wanted to try… but somehow never bothered trying to get on the website, because I would only think about it when I was in the store! So last month I went to the Sephora in Tacoma and they had it on the shelf and I couldn’t resist.

I’ve been playing with it for about a month and well, I am not impressed. At $26 for a tiny 0.16oz tube, I expected this to transform me into a glittering goddess… Or at least give me glittering goddess lashes! Instead it imparts a slight shimmer.

I promise there's glitter there... — I promise there’s glitter there…

This product features lovely light gold and black glitter suspended in a clear gel. When the light does hit the gold glitter, it’s very pretty and more elegant than the brassy gold I reviewed years ago. Unfortunately, just like the cheap stuff, it has to be layered over a traditional mascara if you want any of the traditional mascara effects such as darkening, lengthening, thickening, curling, whatever.

And what about that wand? It’s… a stick. A weird stick with some shallow grooves. I do have to wonder if I could get a better effect using a disposable spoolie?

I used this mascara for several of my Every Day is Gig Day challenges, especially because I figured I paid so much for it, I better use it all up before it goes bad, right? But the right-hand side of the above image (for the dayjob to gig challenge) is the only picture I could find where you can kind of see the glitter.

To be honest I probably should have taken this back to Sephora. It’s not worth $26. I can’t recommend it to my fellow belly dancers because no one is going to notice the glitter unless you’re right on top of them. And yet, I kind of like having it around, just because it was hard to find, and applying it makes me feel glamorous, even if no one else can tell I’m wearing it!

Sophia’s Shelf: The Belly Dance Mysteries

August 23, 2016Sophia Ravenna

Are you familiar with The Belly Dance Mysteries? It’s an ongoing series of cozy mystery novels written by a belly dancer (who happens to be part of the Seattle-area belly dance community). So far there are two books, Murder at the Arabian Nights and I’ll Die at Your Wedding, with a third one in the works. I’ve read both books and while they’re not perfect, they are pretty freakin’ fun to read.

The books follow two best friends who belly dance together, Ginger and Susan. In each book they accidentally find themselves wrapped up in a murder connected to the dance community, and take it upon themselves to help with the investigation. Shenanigans ensue, and the protagonists often find themselves in danger, but things never get too scary and everything turns out OK in the end!

Murder at the Arabian Nights takes place at a belly dance festival and competition, and involves one of the competitors being murdered, with clues pointing to a fellow competitor having done the deed. Will Ginger and Susan clear their friend’s name and discover the real motive for the crime?

I’ll Die at Your Wedding takes place at the wedding of a fellow belly dancer. When a skeevy florist’s assistant is murdered at the wedding, all signs point to his boss… But is there a bigger plot afoot? And will Ginger and Susan ever master that Raks Assaya choreography, or will they keep hitting each other with their tahtib?

These books have a few great things going for them. One is that because they’re written by an actual belly dancer, they accurately depict belly dance and all of the things surrounding it — from festival vending to the classroom to the zaffa procession at a wedding. If you have a friend in your life who loves cozy mysteries, you can give them these books and they’ll learn more about belly dance along the way.

Another great thing is that our protagonists have lives outside of belly dance. Ginger works at a wildlife rehab center, so you get lots of cute animal stories and learn about the wildlife native to the PNW along the way, plus it makes her a more rounded character.

Both of our main characters are also married. Now, I like a little will-they-won’t-they sexual tension as much as the next girl, but it’s also really refreshing to see a series that shows happy, functional established relationships, and the fact that you can still pursue your own interests (whether it’s belly dancing or solving crimes) even after you’re married. And as a belly dancer, it’s nice to see both husbands depicted as being supportive of their wives’ dancing, even if there’s a bit of good-natured grumbling sometimes (which is pretty realistic).

The only real drawback to these books is the same as what you often find in cozy mysteries… sometimes you have to suspend a little disbelief about the decisions that the characters make in pursuit of solving the crime. Also, because these are self-published, you may find a few more errors than you’d find in a mainstream book, though the author does try to go through and correct them in the digital edition.

I’m definitely looking forward to the third volume of this fun season, which takes place at a Ren Faire! The Faire is such a big part of the belly dance experience back in AZ so I know I’m going to be nodding along with a lot of what happens in that one.

Aromaleigh Insectarium Eyeshadows

August 19, 2016Sophia Ravenna

I came across Aromaleigh Cosmetics last year when I was searching for inspiration for my Waking Persephone performance “Obed Marsh’s Deep One Bride” on Pinterest. One of her eye shadows came up, I think it was called Cthulhu. I was like “Oh hey, this company looks cool, I should order from her sometime” and then went along my merry way, as usually happens when I come across an indie company.

I did sign up for her mailing list though, and one day she announced a new product line — Insectarium! And she was starting with eye shadows inspired by beetles! Well, if you know me, you know the way to get me to buy something is to put a beetle on it. So of course I had to have all ten shadows, even though some are colors I wouldn’t normally use, because they each had a beetle on the label. BEETLES YOU GUYS. Each color is also named after the beetle species that inspired it, which is cool and nerdy.

Because this is a small company (I think it’s just one woman), there’s a bit of a turn-around time for her products, but she advertises that time on her site and my shipment arrived well within the promised time. It was nicely packaged and my ten jars of eye shadow came in one of those organza drawstring bags to keep them all together, which is a nice touch (though I should see about finding a beetle-themed cosmetics bag for them, that would be cute). The seller also included a generous sized sample baggie of another eye shadow!

Speaking of samples, you can buy these in a sample baggie or a sample jar for a lower price for less product, but then you don’t get the cute beetle labels. But it is a good option if you’re curious about any of her products and want to try a few before you decide on the full sizes, or if you just need a small amount of a weird color for just one performance.

The full-sized products come in a one-gram jar with a sifter that has three holes in it. They arrive with a sticky seal over the sifter so there’s no mess in shipping. Each jar has the pretty beetle on the lid and an informative label on the bottom with color name, ingredients, and other important info.

Swatching these @aromaleigh Insectarium pigments for my blog. #soshiny #sparkly #makeup #beautyblogger #indiebeauty #indiemakeup

A video posted by Sophia Ravenna (@sophiaravenna) on Aug 19, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

Because these are loose, sparkly pigments, they can be a bit messy to work with. You’ll want to apply a creamy or tacky base to hold them down, and either plan to do your face after your eyes, or be really good at cleaning up fallout. In the above swatch video, I’ve applied the colors over a thick layer of NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, which is an affordable, easy to use creamy product that appears to have done the job. I suspect these might look even better if you pair them with a cream base that is closer to the base color of the eye shadow. Pairing them with black might also be exciting!

The top 10 swatches were applied with a dry Q-Tip, over Milk on the left and bare skin on the right, to show the difference. I suspected that a Q-Tip was not the best way to apply these products, so the bottom two applications are a flat synthetic bristle brush dampened with water, and then the same style of brush sprayed with ELF Makeup Mist & Set (aka the poor girl’s MAC Fix Plus). Both of those applications resulted in better color and a cleaner application.

Colors were applied in the following order:

Protaetia
Iridotaenia
Lamprima
Sternocera
Chrysolina
Megaloxantha
Anthaxia
Sagra
Charidotella
Chlaenius

I tried a few of these colors over my lips during the Every Day is Gig Day challenge and really liked the dimension they added, especially to darker colors like Kale. But it wasn’t until this past week that I actually tried one on my eyes! I wore Chlaenius over a base of Milk. It presented as a lovely pale emerald green with a pink shimmer. I had some pink shimmer fallout during application, and by the end of the night (after a rather warm dance class), I also had some minor creasing — which is to say that some of the color was starting to concentrate in my crease, versus color loss in my crease. I used a soft fluffy brush to press the color on and I suspect I would have been happier with the results if I had tried a damp flat brush, with either water or setting spray.

A note about lighting: The above photo was taken in the bathroom with 4 bright natural white bathroom lights. The video swatch was taken in my bedroom which has a single bright yellowish light and a bit of ambient sunlight. I took my swatch arm for a walk and made the following observations: the duochrome effect was strongest outdoors in the shade of the porch. In sunlight, the sparkle came to the forefront, overwhelming any base duochrome and almost overwhelming the base color itself.

Over all I am pretty happy with my purchase. I do generally prefer pressed eye shadows because I just find them easier to use and much easier to travel with, but these are so pretty, both in terms of packaging and product, that I am happy to have them and I look forward to using them more often in the future.