Mina...
22. Animation/Illustration Student at SJSU. Dabbler, creator, artist, model. aspiring polymath.
Proper Introductions
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By Mina Caustic, on February 23rd, 2011%
Hello everyone. I recently retrieved this sweater dress from my friend who was borrowing it for a while. I quickly realized that with my hips and posture, this dress does not look that great on me. So, I played around with layers today. I like it, but I don’t think it’s very fashionable. Maybe my next post will be “Dress Mina!” and I’ll ask you for opinions on how to put together this dress. If it just isn’t great, I will take it to the next goth swap and send it on to another woman who may put it to good use.
I threw the aviator hat in for fun. I layered my boyfriend’s shirt on top of it (I’ll find a way to fashionably big t-shirt soon), a vest, and a belt. Part of me loves it, part of me hates it. Sometimes, you just can’t win every ensemble.
Your thoughts?
By Mina Caustic, on February 3rd, 2011%
makes you grumpy, unfocused, and sleep deprived. …Okay, I’m joking. However, I’m up early in the morning to work on homework and I think I function better without an alarm clock, honestly. I’m trying to instill a sense of discipline, though. Thanks to tea and my attempt to try and keep things less procrastinatory this semester, here I am. It’s 6:52 in the morning (my class is at 8:30) and I’m clinging to the idea of perhaps eating breakfast and getting my day started.
Tomorrow, I plan on having two outfit photos up. I need to re-create one from earlier this week (I liked it too much not to), and put one together for tomorrow. Hooray, fashion.
I turned in my portfolio sketchbook. I think I may have confused one of the requirements, and I hope that it doesn’t affect my standing as accepted into the major (portfolio + post-portfolio sketchbook approval = acceptance, essentially).
My amazing, talented friend Annalisa of Snapshot Ninja Photography took some photos back in September/October for two small fashion shows I modeled for. She was able to get the photos to me a month ago, and I wanted to share with you a few from each show. Most are behind the scenes, but these were lots of fun (which explains so many silly shots). The first show was make-up oriented. The second show was meant to be hair, however, it ended up simply being a showcase of Cerina’s (my talented and lovely make-up artist) abilities. Because of the nature of these shows, the models brought their own wardrobe.
September 9th, 2010
 
October 1st, 2010
 
 
 
 
References: The girl in red pants is my close friend, Rachel. She came out for the show to help when models flaked, and I think she did an amazing job. The model in the jeans is a friend of Cerina’s. Cerina, is of course, the make-up artist and the girl smiling wide in the second to last picture. The last photo, is of course, me and my supportive sweetie.
Clothes:
Because there’s a lot to cover, I’m rapid-firing this.
September 9th:
Rose Melody set (skirt and top), In the Starlight petticoat, Bodyline jacket, hand made mini-top hat, Platform heel boots from GoodGoth.com
October 1st:
Me: Forever 21 dress, Annalisa’s husband’s Fedora, Lip Service waist cincher, Hot Topic stockings, Payless shoes
Rachel: (my) red Lip Service pants, (her) amazing Betsy Johnson bustled jacket, and I can’t tell what shoes she wore that night. Mini-top hat bought from egl_comm_sales.
I love hair and make-up shows because it gives models like me a chance to get runway experience. I’m short and I have curves—even as I work out and cut some of the squishy bits down, I will still be curvier than your average runway model, simply by how wide my hips are (read: very). Them’s the breaks, and I accept my limitations. I will still push forward with my modeling career, and alt modeling doesn’t have height restrictions (although most of the time they’re fetish jobs. Sigh). And, no one said you have to be 5’10’’ and stick-thin to be fashionable.
More soon. Ciao, lovelies!
**All of the photos are provided graciously by SnapShot Ninja Photography**
By Mina Caustic, on January 30th, 2011%
Last week I entered a state of delay with my blog posts. I came down with a nasty cold the first week of classes, so… bad news, all around. I’m feeling better as I’m in the stages of coughing the cold out, which means I’ve mostly returned with energy and the ability to think, and not go to bed at 10 pm.
I got a hair cut. This weird in-between stage of growth is annoying. However, one accomplishment has been reached: I think about 95% of my hair is completely chemical-free. From here, I’ll be going into another 4 month hiatus of no-cutting. It’s not fashionable, but it’s easy on my wallet and keeps progress visible. However, I confess that I can’t wait until it’s longer and a more even length. My hair is quite thick and heavy, so it had to be thinned out considerably to get a pretty style. Even then, I feel that this particular hair cut is somewhat aging unless I put lots of product in it and tease it to hell. That, my dears, defeats the purpose of growing hair out and keeping it healthy (modeling situations as exceptions to this).
Make Up
I’ll be trying to do this more often. I played it up Friday: simple and colorful at the same time. Matching shades. Sugarpill, Victoria’s Secret, and Clinique eye shadow. MAC and Palladio everything else.
Cheeky? I suppose.
Fashion
I went for simple this time. I’m not a master layerer by any means (Though you inspire me, Zoetica Ebb) and I’ll play with that styling more as trends continue to embrace fashionable, draping sports wear. However, I wanted something simpler, more classically semi-casual, while still dark.
Clothes: Lip Service top, Body Line Skirt with In the Starlight petticoat, Hot Topic and Forever 21 stockings layered.
Accessories: Blood-drop earrings given as a gift, Forever 21 belt, Hot Topic bow
Shoes: Forever 21
I love these shoes. If you ever wonder how people walk in heels more than once a month, I’ll tell you the secret: insoles. I’m test-driving a pair of cheap Dr. Scholl’s gels and they work decently, depending on the shoe. I plan on investing in a better pair. I have high arches to begin with, so arch support is necessary for me. Check what kind of support your feet need—you will be happier later.
San Jose
California had a strange heat wave this past two weeks, until Friday. We received this lovely weather (and today it’s raining):
Overcast weather. My favorite. I adore warmth and all the health the sun brings, but I confess I like my skin pale, and I like my weather grey. I ended up with two photos I somewhat liked from my outing on Friday.
See you again soon, lovelies! Now that I am not struck with the plague, I can write. When all you can manage is sleep, school, and more sleep, blogs take a back seat.
By Mina Caustic, on January 6th, 2011%
Dear Thursday,
I have some things to show you. I found it compelling to document my garments in queue yesterday. I managed to step out into the light of day and enjoy an outing with my gentleman caller.
Make-Up: MAC Studio Fix, MAC fluidline blacktrack eyeliner, MAC Ruby Woo lip stick, SugarPill eye shadow (Christmas gift from Lys), Clinique black eye shadow
Clothes: Jumping Jay velvet dress from goth swap, Bodyline waist cincher, Express tights
Accessories: Forever 21 headband, new necklace from Mom
Shoes: Forever 21 booties
Oh, Thursday. This necklace that my mother made for me is divine. It is a carved cameo pendant, set into some type of metal, anchored to a string of jade beads. Simple. Elegant. And in wonderful color.
And, Thursday, I have to tell you about these shoes. I bought them not long ago, and today was my first day out with them. They are darling, don’t you agree?
And then, during my visit at home over this winter holiday, I decided to have some fun with my camera. I found this cat delightful. Her name is Dusty, and she’s a roley-poley sort. She is small, compared to the black feline I house, but she is adorable all the same.
Thursday, I have something to tell you. I came upon the need to acquire film of a larger nature. I procured something, something interesting.
I have been given the rare opportunity to play with this film camera. It’s manufacturer is reputable. The camera has a queer, obscure shape and yet it performs beautifully. I will enjoy this experiment, I think.
My dear Thursday, I suppose I shan’t see you again until next week. However, I hope you enjoyed our correspondence. Salut.
By Mina Caustic, on January 2nd, 2011%
Dr. Martens Diva Darcie 8-Eye Boot BLACK+TAUPE PIZZO SANTA CRUZ Women’s.
Dudes, I know I’m really behind on the times with these. I admit it. I never look at Dr. Martens as I am, as this blog can attest to, a cheap cheap lady. But I may have to set aside some dough for a pair of these. They even come covered in lace. A similar heeled variant, Regina, is also available. Drool.
By Mina Caustic, on December 23rd, 2010%
…and a secret santa gift. Yeah. It’s been a while, guys. I’ve been taking my much needed vacation from things since my semester ended. To recap, two weekends ago I participated in a secret santa gift exchange. I received this:
Tea! in a tea cup! With a citrusy tea cake! The small paper is a set of illustrated instructions on how to make said tea cake, and it was presented to me as “Sunshine Cake”. It was amazing. I was given two bags of vanilla cinnamon tea. I need to find out what the brand is, because it was *delicious* and dipping the cake in the tea was a great snack. I will have to make this cake!
This is my new set-up. I received a refund from a plane ticket and was able to purchase some much needed supplies. Namely, I’ve been really needing a new computer and a monitor. I’ve been working on a laptop for the past three and a half years and it’s showing its age. The DVD Rom drive lost its screws a while ago so it falls out occasionally, the rubber bumpers are falling off, etc. Keeping it in a case when I move around is the only way I’ve managed to keep it looking halfway decent. But… it’s just not up to snuff anymore, and I bought one of Newegg’s build packages. I’m still using my laptop, but I can put it away now (such a wonderful feeling!).
For some reason, a lot of my daily outfit photos have been coming out yellow. I’ll investigate it soon, but for now, have some rushed yellowy outfit photos!
Let’s talk versatile footwear. I looked high and low for the perfect pair of granny boots, and my latest dive into murky waters found me a pair for a decent price at that wonderful (and awful) place to shop, Forever 21.
Yes, ladies. Having an amazing shoe closet with all sorts of insane boots, heels, and other kinds of shoes is a secret desire many of us share, but honestly? I know it’s not very practical. I try to shop for shoes that I can wear in multiple settings with multiple outfits. Unfortunately, this also means I rarely stray from black shoes, but that is a topic for another day.
Look for a pair of shoes that have a defining detail that make them unique–something that will tie your outfits together. But, don’t go too extravagant. For example, to find an essential staple for your shoe collection, I think it’s necessary to have something similar to these lovely granny boots. Why? They’re dressy (if you so choose) without losing an interesting industrial quality, they can be completely casual, but they could also be worked down into bohemian perfection. They are timeless–you see this same kind of shoe crop up over a spread of 150 years in multiple eras of fashion. If you can find a pair of comfortable granny boots that are affordable, get them. I’d even go as far as saying, if you can find an awesome pair of these for anything less than $150, get them. I know for a fact that these little beauties from the WalMart of boutiques (Forever 21 if you weren’t paying attention–and trust me, I do love what I find there) will probably not last. However, my Doc Martens 1942s will last me decades (Those, by the way, are not granny boots, but they are one of the few pairs of expensives shoes in my collection that I can us as a comparison).
Here are three outfits, three completely different looks, all with the same shoes. Yeah, yeah. I’ve only been able to take three photos in two weeks. Sorry, been braindead.
Make-Up: No-Make-Up, Finals Week Edition
Clothes: Target jacket, Forever 21 striped undershirt, unknown brand overshirt from Goth swap, Bodyline British Lady waist -cincher, FanPlusFriend overskirt, Mary Magdelene underskirt, InTheStarlight petticoat, Hot Topic tights
Accessories: Necklace from Mom
Shoes: Forever 21 granny boots (a new favorite pair of shoes)
Make-Up: No-Make-Up Finals Week Edition
Clothes: Forever 21 striped distressed sweater, grey dress from goth swap, knit skirt from one of my belly dance teachers Michelle Reynolds, shredded leggings from Germany via EGL Comm Sales, Hot Topic tights
Shoes: Forever 21 granny boots
Accessories: Silver locket (a gift)
Make-Up: MAC foundation, Palladio eyeliner, black Clinique eye shadow, Palladio mascara
Clothes: Forever 21 everything (not on purpose). Dress is from Goth swap, everything else as purchased at different times.
Shoes: Forever 21 granny boots
Accessories: Cameo necklace, thanks to Mom and Michael’s (the store)
By Mina Caustic, on December 4th, 2010%
I’ve been desperately needing to clean my make-up brushes. Make-up artists have told me in the past to simply use shampoo, and it just doesn’t… really… work. My foundation brush showed signs of tarnish from the metal, my liner never got fully clean, … I think you get the idea. As an artist, however, I have multiple kinds of paint brushes. In order to keep those clean and free of different types of paint, I need real brush cleaner. The Master’s brush cleaner is my weapon of choice, and I realized—I could totally use it to clean my make-up brushes. I have to say, it was the wisest decision I could have made. All of my make-up brushes are now back to life and back to their original color. Brush cleaner = amazing.
I’m going to take a second to talk about decent brushes for a discount price. I got most of these brushes from Sally’s—save for the MAC liner brush and the MAC foundation brush. But, not all of us can stock up on a full brush kit from MAC, NARS or some other high end cosmetics line. Please do consider Sephora’s brush kits (they are really amazing), or if you’re a student like me, check out your local Sally’s Beauty Supply. Sally’s offers a discount card for $5. That discount card did it’s job and then some for me time and time again when I dyed my hair every 2 months, and it works for all of their stock beauty supplies. Check it out! You won’t be sorry. Also, sign up for websites like Make-Up Alley. They have reviews for all kinds of beauty products, including Sally’s and Sephora’s specific cosmetics and tools.
Do not use your cat to apply make-up. It will end in blood and tears.
Last weekend, I reorganized my art table. I wanted to show everyone. I love my art table now! I can actually use it!
This past week, I also played with my acrylics. I have quickly discovered that while I like to complain about not using acrylics in my painting class, I, in fact, have forgotten how to properly use them. That’s art school for you.
I decorated my winter sketchbook that’s due for my major.
Here’s the inside, with a small plaque I printed. There are cat and squirrel gesture drawings at the bottom.
I hate these hand studies, but blind and semi-blind contour sketches are great exercises for warming up. The other page is actually full now, but the drawings are no good.
Last weekend, I also bought a bunch of new yarn. I no longer had space in my small yarn bag for all of my things. I repurposed this shelf that I had, and it’s perfect for yarn.
Oh, as an aside: I am writing articles for a feminist fashion magazine run by my friend Maddie Maschger. It fits more of a modern incarnation of Riot Grrrl thinking and lifestyle (different than my native goth environment), but it’s worth reading through, whatever your leaning. Please forgive any awkwardness in my main article—there was a fudging at the final stages of publishing and we couldn’t implement my edits.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO: Check out Missfits Magazine!
Blog stuff: Dear readers! Do you like the purple background on the blog? Please tell me what you think. I’m growing fond of it. I have also written an About page. I’ll be updating it when I think of more to put in it. I’m also trying to figure out why my widgets aren’t working on my sidebar. Hrm. WordPress.
By Mina Caustic, on December 3rd, 2010%
Some days, I get out of the shower and think to myself, “Wow, that would look great in a photoshoot,” but I never remember to take a picture for reference. Today, I really, really liked the results of my hair post-shower. And, I remembered.
Now, on to the outfits! I haven’t posted an outfit in over a week. To make up for it, I have three documented for you. Without further ado:
Make-Up: None today
Clothes: Forever 21 tunic, Metamorphose skirt, Express tights
Shoes: Payless boots
Accessories: Hot Topic bow, Forever 21 gloves, hand-knit hat
Went to work like this:
 
Make-Up: MAC RubyWoo Lipstick, MAC Studiofix foundation, Clinique eye shadow and eyeliner, Palladio mascara
Clothes: Top bought from a now dead eBay store, Lip Service waist cincher, Rose Melody bustle skirt, handmade petticoat and InTheStarlight petticoat layered to get the effect, Forever 21 tights
Shoes: Payless
Accessories: Hat bought from EGL Community Sales, Forever21 cross necklace, small silver earring-turned-broach from Mom
I didn’t have much time in the morning, so I used the mirror. I feel like it didn’t get all the detail, so at the end of the day, I laid out the outfit and took a picture of it that way, as well.
I received a new package from Forever21 in the mail today. I got these leggings, belt and sweater in that order. This picture doesn’t really do these leggings justice, honestly:
To save time and boring repetition, know that everything that I am wearing–save for the top–is new and from Forever 21.
So, you may be wondering about the below picture. I wanted it to be black and white. But the stockings? They are also black and white. Black and white tie-dye. Please give me some advice on what I could wear these things on. Any ideas? Suggestions? They look too awesome to not wear them, but I’ve been trying to incorporate them into my wardrobe for weeks now and I haven’t figured out an outfit yet.
Help!
By Mina Caustic, on November 20th, 2010%
I am fortunate that I currently work at a place where it really does not matter what I come into work wearing. Still, I try to make myself look somewhat professional. I won’t touch on this subject very often, as I think other people talk about it better. Click that link, if you can. Trystan is an awesome, amazing woman who has been in subculture a long time. She touches on topics that are informative and helpful for everyone, especially those who are just entering the work force and need to adhere to dress codes/business wear policies. However, where you work matters more than your subculture (No, seriously. If you’re not working because you’re keeping your gothy or artistic principles, I think we need to have a talk). It sounds harsh, and it sounds mean, and why oh why can’t we wear our New Rocks and Lip Service PVC bondage club gear or bustle skirts, bodices and spikes to our jobs? Because the world is different on the outside, and we still have to interact there. We do not have to assimilate completely, but in order to make a system work to our advantage (such as corporate policies in America), we have to learn it and adhere to it, somewhat.
There are people like my friend Drea, who is gorgeous and works her amazing look to her advantage. She will probably always be successful in her industries, however: her industries play up to her strengths. She does what she loves. But, what are her industries? She dances with fire as a performer, she’s an alternative model (with a fierce look), she’s an artist. She also has had to work to get where she currently is, and she’s still pushing forward.
Not everyone can do what they love to do right out of the gate—everyone has had to work crap jobs or jobs that don’t fit their dream standards. Everyone has times where they must suck it up and keep their personal lives
We are lucky to work and live in an era where we do not have a very specific dress code for what we wear. Corporate or work wear needs to feel dressy or non-casual, and if you fit your outfit under that umbrella, you will probably hit your mark. But, read your situation.
You have to work with other people. You have to be approachable. To take a page out of The Lady of the Manners’ book, you need to be polite and friendly. Now, I do understand that not everyone is people-oriented. That’s okay—smiling even while wearing black lipstick and chains does disarm people more than you’d think. At work or at school, the more I smile, the more people simply accept what they see and move on. It’s better to just thank people for their comments.
And yes, sometimes someone calls what you are wearing a costume. I’ve politely tried to correct people that it isn’t a costume, that those who wear these clothes look at them as their fashion and expression. I haven’t found the right way to say it yet—I still feel like I come off arrogant and snippy. In essence, through my experiences I can tell you that your mileage may vary. Just try and continue to try to be polite about it.
This is what I wore to work this week (Only one outfit. Tuesday, I couldn’t really move much. Hurt my back. I’m an old woman :[)
Make-Up: Hot Topic eyeshadow, Clinique eyeshadow, MAC fluidline blacktrack eyeliner, MAC Ruby Woo lip stick, MAC studiofix
Clothes: Target jacket, FanPlusFriend skirt, In the Starlight petticoat, black blouse (from goth swap), black waist cincher (got it for $5 from a tiny discount store that doesn’t exist anymore), Hot Topic tights
Accessories: Forever 21 headband that you can’t see very well (blast), and my Hot Topic octopus necklace
Shoes: Madden Girl kitten heels with clip on bows
This is just the lobby at my work. I’m playing around with my camera more.
That’s it for now.
By Mina Caustic, on November 10th, 2010%
The girl with the new camera would like to tell you to please do the above suggestions daily. This is a small key chain my mother gave me. There are multiple Love and Laugh tabs on this little keyring charm, and it’s a great thing to remind yourself if you start to feel a little down, which, honestly, I go through a lot.
Many goths are artists, and many artists are depressed. It’s not really something we do on purpose, it’s just something that we deal with. Some of us function better than others. Some of it’s self-imposed (well, I’d probably argue a lot of it is self-imposed), some of it’s subconscious. Whether or not there are more depressed artists out there vs other people, though, I can’t quite say.
I suffer from periodic depression and anxiety, and it doesn’t help that I’m often overloaded and run the risk of burn out half the time from too much work (my own fault though. Time Management Planning is my new year’s resolution, after I disappear into the woods for my much needed winter break, which should wash away a lot of that burnout and overloaded feeling).
Today I woke up not feeling well, and having the above little reminder is always a big help. I plan on salvaging today by making it to the class and meeting I have to go to, and spending the rest of the day in my home, cozy, working on art homework that I need to get done (and am behind on). It actually sounds lovely, as today I don’t really feel like facing the daily horde of 30,000 college students buzzing about at my campus.
I’m not attempting to garner sympathy. It’s just a fact of my life, and it unfortunately puts a very somber mood on conversations. So, instead of leaving this paragraph feeling gloomy, go back to the above photo and think about those two words. Smiling sends happy chemicals to the brain, and feeling good about yourself in general makes your day better!
On with my weekly outfits. I wore this little set-up Monday:
Make-Up: Standard issue MAC, clinique, and palladio mix.
Clothes: Las Vegas souvenir t-shirt, Target sweater, Forever 21 leggings, Lip Service skirt
Accessories: Glasses for comfort (usually contacts), black bow choker, spider heart pendant, pink and black striped Hot Topic barrette
Shoes: Payless ankle boots
I have nothing else to report, so stay strong, have a great day, and don’t forget: never, ever give up!
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