From make-up disaster to the best night ever...

Well, the wait was over last night. Finally went to see Adore again!

Unfortunately, the lead up to leaving was almost a total disaster. My original plan was to do a step by step on my eye make-up but the shit hit the fan and it didn't turn out as I'd hoped. Honestly, I wish I'd had time to remove it and start again but threw some glitter over the top of it and worked it as best as I could lol. Went for the Urban Decay Vice4 palette and Jeffree Star's I'm Royalty liquid lipstick. Thankfully in the photos we got, it actually looks pretty good. Clearly I'm photogenic but look atrocious in real life!!

After hunting around for ages for a parking space, we finally made it to the venue in time for the meet and greet. Cue anxiety appearance...

We got inside and were queueing on the stairs waiting for the M&G when I started getting a bit shaky and nauseous. Thankfully, it was nothing compared to the first time where I actually almost walked out because I was freaking out so badly (but being a stubborn cow, I hate running away when the going gets tough lol). We were moved into a booth inside the club and sat waiting "patiently" to be shown through. 15 or so minutes later we were moved to the queue on the dancefloor and she was within viewing distance. Cue further anxiety. Mixed with excitement, it made for a very nauseating wait lol!

Once we got right up to the stage and it was my turn to go up, I started shaking again and walked up to her pretty much vibrating with anxiety. I nearly peed my pants when she went "Oh my god, hello, it's you!" so she either remembers me from last time (aaaaaargh!) or thought I was someone else 😂😂😂 , I'm sticking with the first option!! So I got a cuddle and I apologised for the shaking and she was so sweet as always. Then I got her to autograph my tattoo so I could get it tattooed over. I actually got overly excited over a Sharpie pen. I went in with eyeliner and she asked if I wanted it done in permenant marker because she had a Sharpie & I was like "OH MY GOD YEAH, DO YOU HAVE ONE?" I'm such a weird one... But anyway, I can't get it done for a while so I've taken a picture of the positioning and autograph for when I get a chance to go back to the tattooist and I've just to get her arm tattoo added in and it'll be complete!! Ended up talking about my lipstick which amused me to no end because I actually was able to keep calm by this point! Got another cuddle, which I wished could never have ended 😂 Did photos and then we went to wait for the show to start. I think it's wonderful that even though she's such a star, she's so humble and sweet and you can see she really does make an effort to have time for her fans! We were due to get a signed copy of the album but the release date was moved so we all received a signed cover of the album and part of our ticket refunded so we're able to pre-order the album anyway so I'm so excited for that to come out. The songs we've heard so far from the album are amazing and I can see it ended up on repeat like it did with her first album (links for albums at the bottom, definitely a worthwhile investment!)

Photo from last night 05/03/16

The show started a while later and we had Davina De Campo up first who was just fabulous! They did a lipsynch battle between 4 of the audience which was quite entertaining and then we "patiently" waited on Adore to come back on. As per the last 2 times we saw her perform live, she was amazing. I've been sorely disappointed in the past hearing artists sing live but every single time Adore totally slays it!! It was just pure perfection. Between the stunning vocals, showering the crowd in water and crowd surfing, she definitely knows how to work one hell of a performance 😂! Got a few pics from the AXM Glasgow's Facebook page. 😂

It was a wonderful evening and we had a blast! Definitely going to keep watch for the next time she's back. Unfortunately the tickets for RPDR Battle of the Seasons (where she's due to appear again in Glasgow) in a few weeks are sold out so we're going to miss out there but holding onto hope that it won't be too long after that she's back!

Thought I'd just chuck in past photos of times we went to see her before just because, well, why not?

These were from the first time we saw her in August when she did an album tour. She was amazing. This was probably one of the times that my anxiety was at nuclear meltdown level but she made me feel really relaxed and it gave me a fuckton of confidence after that night to actually go ahead and do things that scared me because I did that one thing that really caused me so much fear and panic. It was a life changing experience as cheesy and ridiculous as it sounds!

This was from the second time when we went to see her in November. Was a much calmer experience, I have to say which was totally out of character for me. Again, an amazing show even with technical faults with the sound system in the club. I'm so glad she even came back after that to be honest!

All in all, it's always a fantastic experience and I hope that we have a repeat pretty soon <3

x M x

Amazon: Adore Delano - 'Til Death Do Us Party

Amazon: Adore Delano - Afterparty

New tattoo, drag queens & pain...

Good evening :) So today isn't a make-up related post but tattooing. This afternoon, I decided to get a new tattoo to cover up an old one & decided a tattoo post would be more fitting.

I have always admired tattoos but never really had the guts to go all out & go for it (unless you count foolish 16 year old impulsive tattoo, more about that later). Like with make-up, it's a wonderful form of self expression but more permanent. Something you can have on you and be proud of forever. It's not a decision to be made lightly, it's there for life (unless you're willing to fork out for removal and the associated pain). You really need to make sure it's exactly what you want and research different tattooists before going for it. Some tattooists may specialise in one thing but be less talented in others so look at as much of their work as you can, both fresh and healed. I was left in the position I was in today due to an impulsive tattoo decision when I was a teen and decided true love was forever & got a boyfriend's initial on my shoulder, not thinking of the fact that it was permenant and if we split (which we did not long after), I'd be left with it. Basically, make sure you know what you want and know you're going to have to live with it no matter what happens, do your research on different places and don't choose somewhere based solely on price (you might think more expensive means a better place but you can end up with a really shitty tattoo from an expensive artist or an amazing piece from a cheaper studio).

So, anyway,  it was mostly fear that put me off for so long. It was less the fear of pain and more the fear of people. My anxiety was the main factor in me not actually going for it. I went on about getting more for years but like I said, the confidence just wasn't there.

Last year I decided to bite the bullet because I wanted something dedicated to my two boys. We always read 'Guess How Much I Love You' growing up so I chose a quote & illustration. Deciding where to go was pretty easy, my friend recommended a tattooist who is a friend of his and upon looking at the studio's work, that sealed the deal.

So I turned up at Unit 19 (will put details at the bottom) absolutely terrified. Was in the door 5 minutes and the girls were so welcoming and friendly, it put me instantly at ease. The tattoo itself surprised me in that it was nowhere near as painful as I expected. Whether it be the pain tolerance or the fact the girls kept me distracted with conversation & laughter! I left 2.5 hours later with a beautiful memento permenantly attached to me & I loved it.

Then I went back a few months later for a mermaid tattoo. I love fantasy & fairytales so it seemed fitting. Previous to this I had met my favourite drag artist of all time, Adore Delano (drag alter ego of Danny Noriega & recording artist). A life changing experience in itself because it had a massive impact on my anxiety & confidence. So I wanted to incorporate that into my tattoo. So I went in with a copy of Gay Times which she graced the cover of and decided to get her made into a mermaid with the song lyrics "Everything we do is magic... We make other girls look tragic..." from the song 'Calling All Goddesses' Adore Delano - Calling All Goddesses Live at Glasgow O2 ABCI've still to get her tattoo and autograph added on but I'll get it done before the year is out. Again, I left with a tattoo that totally fit what I was looking for but was considerably more painful due to the flabbiness of my thighs lol. And yet again, it held certain meaning for me.

This afternoon, I went for a cover-up that I had been toying with for ages. I just couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it. I wanted to continue on the fairytale/fantasy theme so was on the hunt for something with fairies but everything seemed too delicate or just not "me". I stumbled across a picture from a colouring in page which just jumped out at me. A fairy, sitting in flowers, holding a mirror. Again, fairytale and fantasy was there and with my affinity for make-up, the vain fairy held a certain charm. I was sold. I went in with an open mind regarding colour. It was just an ex boyfriend's first initial I was covering up (you know the old 16/17 & believing your love is forever lol) so it wasn't particularly big but solid black so I needed help choosing colour which would cover it well. Donna (the tattooist and owner) was great in picking colours that fit my taste. Bright, beautiful and bold. I have to say, out of the tattoos I have, my shoulder was by far the most painful. It actually crossed my mind to finish up halfway through and come back to get it finished another time but being the stubborn cow that I am, I decided to stick it out. D was great, she could tell I was struggling and gave me a few breaks and letting the tattoo cool off before going back to it. She put up with flinching, tears & twitchy arms and if it drove her crazy, it didn't show lol!! Once more, I left with a piece that I find beautiful, really "me" & something to be proud to show off.

Before

After

If you live in the Glasgow area (and surrounding areas), I really would drop in to Unit 19. Donna is an experienced, talented tattooist with a real flair for dealing with customers. The studio is a very comfortable atmosphere & along with her husband & apprentice, they make you feel really at ease & have a laugh while you're in. Contact details are on their Facebook page (Unit 19 Tattoo Studio) along with photos of past work and booking page. 

I'm definitely not finished yet with tattoos, I have plans for many more in the future but after the pain of today, I think I might be leaving it a while lol!! Watch this space.

x M x