Clearly, I’m no professional, and my training is limited to one course in theatrical stage make-up, years of my dance teacher telling us how to do make-up for shows and recitals, and of course, playing around on myself and my friends and family as guinea pigs for more years than I can remember! So obviously, take my advice with a grain of salt, or take from it what you will.

This is me with no make-up. Yikes. This is also why I always wear make-up when my boyfriend is around. Because without it, I look busted as hell. In this photo, I’ve prepped my face by washing it with a cleanser (I like acne-fighting cleansers that tingle a bit [see below], but I have REALLY non-sensitive combo skin, so if yours is sensitive, you might want to look into different products?? Maybe??), applying toner with a cotton ball (I used to use cotton pads, but they leave cotton fibers in my eyelashes! Do not want!!), and then using a non-oily moisturizer all over. The moisturizer step is REALLY important, because not only does it fill/protect your pores with a product that’s much better for them than make-up, it also makes blending a hell of a lot easier.
Products: Clean&Clear Deep Action Creme Cleanser or Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub, L’Oreal Hydrafresh Toner (it’s pink~!), and Clean&Clear Morning Burst Shine-Control Moisturizer

Next, I applied foundation all over using my (very clean!!) fingers. I used to prefer fingers over brushes because application was always heavier, and the warmth from my body heat made it blend better. Now, I’m all about this new foundation brush that’s currently all the rage with make-up artists and fans. I also apply concealer either at this stage, or after powdering, depending on my mood. Here you can see I ONLY have it on my left eye. I don’t like to wear as much concealer now as I am in this photo, because concealing some of the natural shadows under the eye actually makes my eyes look smaller.
Products: MAC Stick Foundation (NOT RECOMMENDED. IT BLENDS TERRIBLY. Their liquid foundation is wonderful, however.), Clinique All About Eyes concealer

The next step is to POWDER. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT FORGET TO POWDER. A lot of people hold the common misconception that foundation is what gives you that airbrushed effect, but really it is the combination of foundation and POWDER. Without it, not only does your foundation have no staying power, but it also makes you look shiny in photos, which is NOT a good thing to be! I know “dewy” is the latest hot word in the make-up industry, but when it comes to photography, you’re going to want to be MATTE-MATTE-MATTE. Save the “dewy” look for regular days, when “natural” is key. (Aka, at your job, school, dates, etc.)
Product: probably either Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil or CoverGirl TRUblend Minerals. (I like mineral powders. Makes me feel slightly more natural kinda?)

Next, I applied a base shade of lilac all over my lid because, obviously, this was a make-up test for Dr. Girlfriend, who wears prominent purple eyeshadow. This was during my “I don’t need no stinkin’ primer!!” phase, which I shift in and out of (right now I’m out). Honestly, I think using primer is personal choice. If you don’t put foundation in your eye area, yeah, you should probably use it, and if you REALLY want your pigments to be true and have a lot of color pay-off, you should DEFINITELY get a primer, but depending on my mood, I don’t always feels it’s necessary. I also applied blush in this step, in a sweeping circular motion from the top of my cheekbone near the hairline to the corners of my smile.
Products: Either my ULTA $20 make-up palette eyeshadow in Zephyr, or Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow in Lasting Lilac… wait, definitely the former. Also, CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Rose Silk.

Next, I did the “Carmindy” and applied a pale lavender in the corner of my eyes and under the brow on the outer edges, and then applied a medium-dark purple along my crease, starting somewhere between the middle and inner corner of my eye, and gradually swooping up into the outer corner to create lift. Now would be a good time to point out the difference between eyeshadow with primer and without. This is without primer. Note how the color is kind of translucent. Had I used a primer, the color would be much more intensely pigmented.
Products: ULTA $20 make-up palette eyeshadow in Bloom (highlight) and Wildflower (Shadow/Crease/Contour)

Err, same as before. Just with 10x the creepy. Now everyone knows why I smile so much, because DAMN. I appear to be contemplating how to go about DEVOURING YOUR SOUL.

Next is DRAWING TIME~! That’s right ladies, I said it’s time to DRAW. I lined my eyes along the inner rim (waterline), and tight against the upper lashes, gradually increasing to a thicker line on the outside that flicks up for an instant eye lift! (Note the difference between the last picture and this one!) Also, I filled in my eyebrows with brown eyeshadow, my favorite brow filler because it’s retarded to pay for eyeshadow marketed separately as “Brow Liner” when I already have something perfectly suitable! Finally, I lined my lips to make them look fuller and more defined, since Dr. G has the look of a woman who knows how to do her face. I looooove lipliner because it INSTANTLY makes my lips look fuller (yes, even though I stay within the lines of my natural lip!), and possibly even tricks you into thinking that I have nice lips! HAHA! Although this step is not recommended if you’re cosplaying a schoolgirl, maybe.
Products: Palladio liquid eyeliner in black (top lid only), Rimmel London Soft Kohl eyeliner pencil in black (waterline), Mary Kay lipliner in Dusty Pink, Revlon Matte eyeshadow in Rich Sable

Finally, I fill in the lips with color and apply mascara, making sure to apply a few more extra coats on the lashes in the outer corners for, of course, more lift!
Products: I think I used like, 80 combinations of lipstick and gloss to get this color, but for simplicity’s sake, I’m going with what I used at Dragon*con: Natrobbins Stay-put Matte Lipcolor in Real Pink and Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds liquid lipgloss in Spoiled in Rubies. Mascara is Maybelline Define-A-Lash Waterproof Mascara (I ALWAYS go waterproof because I have watery eyes and it has greater staying power. Some people hate waterproof mascara, but I love it. In case you’re wondering, the only difference between the two is an increase in wax in the formula.)

Now, to repeat myself, I am not a professional, and I am in no way saying that “my way is the only way.” Also, I purposely used inexpensive products in this tutorial because I believe that with the right application (usually this means brushes more so than skill), inexpensive make-up can be just as good as what you buy for double the price at Sephora or MAC. I’m not dissing MAC, they do have some great products (and at work, I can get them with a 25% discount!), but not everything they create is worth the price if there’s a truly comparable product put out by CoverGirl or Maybelline or any other drugstore brand. (Just stay away from Wet & Wild and NYC, etc. That’s TOO cheap.)

I hope you enjoyed my first how-to here at Not Interested Entertainment as much as I enjoy putting on make-up and sharing what I’ve learned! Katie out!

By Daisy Viktoria

You will need:

fabric of your choice (amount determined below)

1” elastic (or 7–9” zipper)

matching thread

tape measure or yard stick

embellishments

Step 1. Plan the skirt, and determine how much fabric you need.

First, measure around your waist, or wherever you want the skirt to sit. Next, measure the length you want the skirt to be.

–If you are using elastic in the waistband, measure around the largest part of your hips and add a few inches. This is to make sure the skirt fits over your hips when you put it on.

–For a zipper, you only need that waist measurement. Just add seam allowance.

This is where geometry comes in. The formula you need is C=2*pi*r. (Circumference = 2 x pi x radius.)

That hip measurement (or waist, for a zipper) is the circumference of your opening. To get the radius, just solve for r. (I admit, I’m a math nerd, so I’ll explain in more detail for those who don’t remember algebra. Divide the cicumference by pi (3.14), then divide that by 2.)

Now, add that radius to your length.

–If your fabric is more than twice this number, you will need (radius plus length)*2 plus some fabric for the waistband.

–If your fabric is less than twice this number, you will need (radius plus length)*4 plus some fabric for the waistband.

Step 2. Cut out the skirt.

Since we’ve already measured everything, this is now the easy part.

Mark a point for the center of the circle. Measure the radius from that point, and draw a curve. Measure (radius plus length) from that point, and draw another curve. Cut this out. You may cut it in halves or in one full circle, depending on the width of your fabric.

To make the waistband, take your hip (or waist for zipper) measurement with some seam allowance added. Cut a rectangle of this length, and double the width you want the waistband. Since we are using 1” elastic, I recommend about 3–4”, depending on how much seam allowance you are comfortable with.

Step 3. Sew it together.

If your skirt is two half circles, sew these together into one large circle. If you are using a zipper, make sure you leave an opening for the zipper.

Sew the waistband to the top of the skirt, leaving an opening. Cut a piece of elastic that fits comfortable around your waist. To insert the elastic, attach a safety pin to the end, and thread it through the waistband. Then sew the ends of the elastic together and close the waistband.

For a zipper, attach the waistband and insert the zipper.

Hem the bottom of the skirt. A circle hem is tricky to get flat, so ironing should help. Alternately, you could use bias tape or some other trim to contain the raw edge.

Add embellishments to your liking.

By Daisy Viktoria

You will need:

• Fabric – amount determined below

• Zipper

• Thread

• Tape measure or yard stick

Step 1. Determine how much fabric you need.

Measure the length of your skirt. Measure around your waist or hips, wherever you want the skirt to sit. Multiply this number by 3, and that is how much width of fabric you need. For example, if I want my skirt to sit where I am 28 inches around, I need 28x3=84 inches.

Most fabric comes in 58–60 inch widths, but some local fabric stores carry more of 44 inches. With an 84 inch measurement, either type would dictate that I need two pieces since I can only get half of my width cut at once. (84/2=42, which fits onto 44 or 60 inch fabric) I’ll also account for seam allowance, about 2 inches total, and my fabric still fits on the same layout, with each piece measuring 43 inches.

Now, remember that length measurement? Good. For this example, let’s say I want my skirt to be 20 inches long. Add another 1.5 inches for hem and seam allowance. Since I need two widths of fabric, and each needs to be 21.5 inches long, I need 43 inches of fabric. That’s one yard plus 7 inches. Add several inches for a waistband, and I’ll just buy 1.5 yards to be sure.

Step 2. Cut out the pieces.

Take your waist (or where your skirt will sit) measurement, and add about 2 inches. In this example, 28+2=30. This is how long your waistband should be. Cut a strip of that length and about 5 inches tall. After sewing, this will create about a 2 inch tall waistband. You can change the height of your waistband if you’d like.

Now take those fabric width measurements you did in step one. To cut the skirt pieces, you need your length plus 1.5 inches x half of your total width. So, for the example, 21.5 inches in length x 43 inches in width.

Step 3. Sew and hem the skirt.

Before pleating, you should hem your skirt. Before you can hem, you need to attach the two skirt pieces together. Join them with right sides together, and press the seam.

To hem, fold the bottom edge of the skirt over twice and stitch in place.

Step 4. Pleat the skirt.

Decide how wide you want your pleats. The width is entirely up to you, as it does not change any of our calculations or construction methods. If you’re using plaid or stripes, it’s really easy to choose a width that correlates with the pattern.

Measure your pleat width on the fabric, and bring the fabric over itself as shown in the image. You should come out with 1/3 the width you started with, which is the measurement you wanted.

For more help with pleating, as well as images not drawn in Paint, see http://www.elizabethancostume.net/pleats/

Step 5. Attach the waistband.

Sew one side of the waistband onto the top edge of the pleated skirt, right sides together. Fold the waistband over and attach it so that it envelops the top of the skirt.

Step 6.  Install the zipper.

Measure how far down the skirt you need the zipper to attach. Below here, stitch the skirt together into a tube. Above here, finish the edges with a small hem.

Using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, sew the zipper into the back of the skirt.

Step 7. Finish and wear.

Make sure you are happy with your skirt, and clean up anything that needs adjustment, cut off any excess threads, etc. Then put on your skirt and look pretty!