Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Picturesque sunset

Last week sometime a friend and I went for a walk around Chapolizard which is just outside Dublin city and beside Pheonix Park. I brought my camera and we took really nice photos. It was a lovely walk and the frost really added to the scenery.





An iced feather.















"V" shaped frame.










I will upload more photos later.

We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell.

Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love her lustful twin, the black swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated the white swan leaps of a cliff killing herself and, in death, finds freedom.




Warning! SPOILERS AHEAD.

I went to see Darren Aronofsky film Black Swan over the weekend and really like it. I originally wanted to go and see it because as during the week I was looking up reference images of Mima from Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue for a future cosplay and read an interesting article about Black Swan bearing major resemblance to Perfect Blue. I looked up Black Swan and found the storyline enticing a young girl struggles to be perfect at what she loves and she battles with identities. I agree with the majority on this one that this film is a master piece and is very different when you compare to films that come out today.

However the film was not like Perfect Blue at all but similar to it as it was a psychological horror and shows the stress ballerina performers have to deal with, this could be argued as over exaggerated so I am neutral. At the very start of the film, the main character, Nina played by Natalie Portman practices really hard doing her passion a ballerina dancer and becomes under pressure. She copes with this by starving herself, cutting herself and has bulimia. Nina’s dream is to play the Swan queen and she will do all she can to get this role, even if it comes down to letting her coach feeling her up to bring out her dark and erotic side, even getting to the point of character obsession, letting the character take over her. This blog is not a review of the film but I am expressing why I really like this film. Some may argue that the film was OTT with the gore scene but to me it was quite realistic. The film is about how a weak human can become so obsessed with perfection, a thing that can easily affects us humans. At the start of the movie, Nina is weak, obeying her mother and is innocent and as the film goes on her personality becomes darker, she becomes more erotic, more violent towards her mother as she gets in the way of her dream and goes out of control. She battles with her identity going from innocent white swan to devilish black swan. Nina's rival Lilly plays an important role here, the film has many symbolism and Nina and Lily are polar opposites of each another, Nina being the white innocent swan and Lily being the black deviant swan, seducing Nina.

I really liked the film from cosplayer’s point of view or from a costumer. I am drawn to characters that battle with their identity or have split personalities. I love the Black swans costume and make up but I love Nina’s character, innocent, pure versus dark and deviant. I would like to make the black swan as a future cosplay which would be down the list. As I mentioned about character obsession that is what made me really reflect myself from the movie. I wonder is it normal or a frequent thing that cosplayers can become obsessed with the characters they play in which the character takes over. I look at myself at times and wonder. ;p

The film was epic and very artistic and it reveals the fantasy world Nina lives in being Swan lake and her conflict with reality. She fears being replaced by her rival Lilly like earlier in the movie, Nina replaced Beth who was a great dancer that Nina looked up to when she got to the age that ends a dancer’s career. Beth then became a nobody and that is what Nina fears so she becomes obsessed with being perfect. The film was strange and really had that anime, Requiem for a Dream feeling. Similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion and other psychological mediums, the movie haunts you and leaves you thinking about the scenes and characters long afterwards… What I loved most about the move was the very last scene Nina says in the movie, lying on the stage in front of millions of people, blood pouring out of her stomach with a smile.

I felt it. Perfect. I was perfect.

Quotes I liked from the film and scenes;

Nina: I had the craziest dream last night about a girl who has turned into a swan, but her prince falls for the wrong girl and she kills herself.

Nina: I just want to be perfect.

Tomas Leroy: The only person standing in your way is you.

Nina: Beth! I'm so sorry to hear you're leaving the company.
Beth Macintyre: What did you do to get this role? He always said you were such a frigid little girl. What did you do to change his mind? Did you suck his cock?
Nina: Not all of us have to.

Beth Macintyre: You fucking whore! You're a fucking little whore!

Thomas Leroy: I got a little homework assignment for you. Go home and touch yourself. Live a little.

Nina: Beth's such a beautiful dancer.

Thomas Leroy: You could be brilliant, but you're a coward.
Nina: I'm sorry.
Thomas Leroy: Now stop saying that! That's exactly what I'm talking about. Stop being so fucking weak!

Thomas Leroy: Every dancer in the world wants your role.
Nina: No, this is different. She's after me. She's trying to replace me!

Beth Macintyre: Perfect? I'm not perfect. I'm nothing.

Erica: This role is destroying you.

Nina: I can't? I'm the Swan Queen, you are the one who never got the part!

Erica: What happened to my sweet girl?
Nina: She's gone!

Nina: I had the craziest dream last night. I was dancing the white swan.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you Mr. President, happy birthday to you.

Oh my, I completely forgot to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of my blog. I started this blog on the 21st of January 2010. I can't believe I have been blogging a year now. I remember here, in my very first post I would never think this blog will be alive in a month, a few months and even in a years time.

When I started blogging, I would never know what to talk about as I was in my final year of college and my life was not very exciting. I guess I started blogging for self expression reasons and to show my photography and then it turned into cosplay blog. I will admit my blog is very random with abit of that and there.. I look back over my year of blogging, reading my older posts such as my Valentine weekend, blogging about my excitement for cosplayer Francesco Dani coming to Brocon and blogging about doing one of my dream cosplays Rei Ayanami in the plugsuit and hard to believe it was all a year ago.

Despite struggling in my final year of college, I must admit it was great year with many big events happening, such as seeing Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 in the picture house which was amazing and just as good going to a concert. Cosplaying at the Japan Day in Phoenix Park which was an enjoyablee expereince and the BIC Awards. Then blogging about the new anime, gamer con Brocon.

Then I started the Reminiscing Last Summer series which never finished as you know with blogging it never turns out the way you want it. It is so strange coming across this old post about my old Rei cosplay, seeing how I improved and saying that I am going to try the lenses. I really thought that day would never come. Then the drama and excitement surrounding Danny Choo's Otacool 2 Cosplayers Worldwide book, the book that really motivated me to get more into cosplay.

It's not all peaches and cream

Review of Otacool 2.

Going back in time in my blog I feel I have come a long way and found out who I really I'm and what I really want to do with myself. I became more motivated, more confident and learned that happiness is more important then being content. I learned to pursue my passion. I can only keep going further and will hopefully give this blog a facelift and turn it in my website. I look back at my posts expressing my inspirations and ideas for cosplays and modelling and now I am doing it.

I just would like to thank people for stopping by and commenting or giving feedback and thanks for the support. Things can only get better, I hope. ;p

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I love Dolfies











I want to cosplay and do photoshoots as them.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Hong Kong Garden

I was bored one night and wanted to practice doing Siouxsie Sioux eye make up for cosplays, future costumes and for shoots and ended up going a different direction.



Make up is like blogging, you have an idea and then go a completely different way. I once was trying to do my eyes cute like anime characters with liquid liner and ended up doing black wings on the end of my eyes, which I thought looked great. When I tried to get that effect again, I couldn't do it. So in future when I am practising eye make up, I take pictures as references so at least when I go back to try and do it, I have pictures.

My make up is suppose to be the Japanese Empire flag with the red and white stripes and I thickened my eyebrows with Barry H black liquid liner. In the pictures the make up doesn't look the best and the eyebrows look weak, that is because I am running out of it. I know the red eye shadow looks pink as it looked red when not on.











My eyes are no way as good as Siouxsie or as a professional or even are are as good as an amateur but I am learning and we all need to start somewhere. :) This make up style needs alot of work even the eyeliner on the side, the strokes and the colouring, so I believe it is very important to take photos like a memorandum. I apologise for the photos being in bad quality as I don't have my good camera on me so I had to use my camera phone. When I get this look good, I would like to do my eyes like that for a Japanese soldier military fashion/costume shoot with a kotana. ;)

Listening to: Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees

Monday, January 10, 2011

A new year, a new beginning

New Years Resolutions

1. Focus on top priorities like get a good job with my degree.

2. Do the sewing course in Grafton Academy and get good at making costumes.

3. Become a better cosplayer and model and follow my dream, become more confident.

4. Do more photoshoots (come up with really good and different ideas) and network.

5. Try and go to London Expo.

6. and the main thing, focus on one thing at a time and be a better person and be charitable (which I am am). ;p

7. Live the moment.

8. Oh I forgot, watch anime.

Anyway I spoiled myself going into town trying to get the last of the sales. I bought this lovely dress from Pennys and it was only 11E. I love it as it is very dolly looking on me and is really me being cute.



I got these socks in New Look. There were 7E which is expensive for socks but there were bunched up and looked really like Japanese schoolgirl socks so that was why I bought them, to wear with my Japanese looking school uniforms.



I love these shoes and they only cost 7E from New Look, there were on sale. So with the dress, the socks and these shoes I have an outfit. I am tempted when the weather gets warmer is do a small photoshoot in this outfit, looking like a doll along the old streets of Dublin. It is a plan anyway.





I am also loving these red shoes I got in Dunnes for 15E. They are kinda Mary Jane looking and would be great for some of my Asuka cosplays especially the cosplay with the yellow dress. When I first saw these shoes I thought of Asuka Langley.



Finally I got these false lashes in New Look for a cosplay I am going to do in the future. The cosplay is going to be of Ruri from Martian Sucessor Nadesico.







I watched abit of Naedsco ages ago and Ruri's looks always attracted me with her big eyes and her eye lashes. I have had plans to do this cosplay only for the make up challenge and to get the look of her face and have always been on the look out for false lashes that resemble hers. I know height would be an issue as in the series she is tiny so I would only cosplay as her for a photoshoot and not to a con unless I done the adult version. I was delighted when I found those lashes. I haven't tried them on yet so hope they look well. ;p

Listening to:



Love this song and I would like to add Siouxsie looks great for singer going since the 1970s. I really love her voice in this version. It is quite deep and sexy.

Monday, January 3, 2011

All the white horses are still in bed





I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear






























I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change
My dear


Thanking Stephen aka Hybridchild for taking the photos.