Empire Player Event: "The Little Mother's Ball"

Photography stuff

Very last minute, but on Wednesday, I received an invitation to attend the Little Mother's Ball ("LMB") as a photographer. There were openings where people had to cancel or whatever, so I was delighted to attend in general, but also to challenge me and my fourteen-year old camera kit with indoor, low-light shooting. Note, I don't have the 50mm fixed/prime lens, so extra challenges there, as the lowest f-stop my lenses allow is f5.6. I'm also grateful that my hands are relatively steady, and I can hold a 1/30 second shutter opening with almost no shake.

Thankfully, there was a second photographer with photographer kit almost as limited as mine (I think theirs was better), which means I now have a few clearer images of Skywise Seppa.

Role play stuff

I got to play up some of the shaman aspects as I handed over Ieri's red canvas herb bandolier to Florina, with me shouting back at my ancestors who were telling me to not hand over the bandolier. I also had a couple of fellow orcs to interact with and Seppa didn't have to feel quite so anxious and isolated. Redhand Gezzar and Stormcrow Rork were my fellow Imperial Orcs.

The ball itself consisted of a buffet feast, bards of various nations, dancing, trading, and an auction of various goods to raise funds for the Empire's orphans. The location: Sarvos, the League.

I showed my nails, which had the pinkies done in sparkly varnish, the rest were plain, I said that it was the Freeborn children doing my nails. My use of gold eyeliner also provoked a little bit of attention from the Freeborn in attendance. Seppa's earrings also drew some attention, as one of them has a tiny tassel on it.

Oh, and I rode in the taxi in my mask; the driver asked to take my picture. No idea what he ended up doing with it...

The location that I listed for this post is where on Earth the event took place.

Some pictures

A selfie taken before the taxi arrived.

I'm slowly figuring out Seppa's appearance.

I'm grateful to Samantha Carrington for their pictures of Skywise Seppa. I did trim their photos to exclude other participants, partly because I was trying to focus on Seppa's kit, and also to minimise me accidentally sharing someone's face who might object to being on my blog.

Photographer: Samantha Carrington
I did trim the original photo to focus upon my character.

I usually don't mind sitting on floors, it challenges my flexibility and works my body. I put up my hood because the neck gap was bugging me. I really need to come up with a better neck cover that won't overheat me.

Photographer: Samantha Carrington
I did trim the original photo to focus upon my character.

I confess, I like seeing my characters from the back and sides, because I always wonder how those areas appear.

Photographer: Samantha Carrington
I did trim the original photo to focus upon my character.

Conclusions

I lasted well with my mask, but I did need a face time about 3/4 of the way through the five hour event. I am struggling to keep my hair from peeking out of the eye holes. Yes, I'm growing my top-scalp hair so that I can pin/braid it back, but it's too short for either restraint. I saw Redhand Gezzar using a wig sock/cap, so I might have to look for one for myself. Also, I physically struggle to get the mask back on when I've taken it off for a face time; it's like the neck shrinks or my head swells, I need to discover why this is so.

I'm starting to think that I need to redo my coven symbol, to a smaller size, and also stitch the panel to the coat. The current one is too large for me.

Also, I went with two layers again, the tunic and the coat; I started with the scapular and skirt as well, but quickly discarded it, as the hall was so warm.

I'll do another post about costume, but I wanted to make a post and include pictures of me in costume. I'm also kinda pleased that my glasses disappeared in these photos.

Cosmetics experience...

I had a dance performance yesterday; I made a few serious mistakes in the second set, I was better in the first set. Anyway, this post is not for castigating myself, but is about some new cosmetics I tried out and what I learned from them.

New products: Urban Decay's "All Nighter" makeup setting spray, 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil ("Perversion"), and Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ("Distortion"). Too Faced Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer. Sleek Makeup i-Divine "Original" (#594) Palette eyeshadow and True Colour Lipstick - matte ("Russian Roulette" #795). Barry M's glitter lip gloss (#3 "Strawberries & Cream"). TRESemmé Salon Finish Extra Hold ("4") hairspray.

One: Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils are insanely expensive for 3mm of eyeliner... you can't sharpen the pencil, all you get is the tiny tip, that's it. It's beautiful stuff, but not at £20 for 3mm of material.

Two: the Urban Decay's makeup setting spray worked well, except for my chin, where yes, it did smudge. Guh. I'll still use the fix to help keep things from sliding off.

Three: Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner? Works very well, pleased with it.

Four: the Too Faced eye primer will destroy any brushes you use to apply the eye primer; I use hand soap to clean my brushes and that usually works... or did; it doesn't budge the eye primer and make up remover pads/cleaners never worked well for cleaning my brushes, so I didn't bother trying. I might try them to see what happens. However, it will also make your eyeshadow stick in place, and make it pop/sparkle. Note to self: use a disposable swab or fingers to apply the eye primer.

Five: Sleek Makeup's eyeshadow colours that I used was the purple with some of the pale golden wheat and a tiny bit of the black. The colours weren't named, but it was the first two on the top left, and the first one on the bottom left. I used mostly the purple with a little of the wheat up above and toward the inside of my eyes, and a tiny bit of black on the outside of my eyes. Then I lightly blended, while keeping them distinct.

Six: Sleek Makeup's lipstick, deep and rich, wow! I still use a lipstick brush to make sure it goes in the right places, but wow, the colour! Don't forget to blot so it doesn't coat your teeth or get everywhere else.

Seven: Barry M's glitter lip gloss has a very faint pink tinge to the gel, but the glitter itself is silvery/iridescent and it seems to have stayed on... at least until I drank from my water bottle. Carry with me so I can reapply as necessary. Yesterday was hooooot, humid, but sunny.

Eight: hairspray. I cannot recall when I last used hairspray, maybe thirty years ago when I was mucking around my mother or sister's stuff as a child/teen. Last month, when someone did my hair for me for a performance, they used hairspray on me; but that was someone else. I digress, I used the hairspray *cough-gag-eye-watering* and it held what I wanted it to hold. My hair is just barely long enough for a 'duck-tail'. It's not yet pig-tail or ponytail length, so I couldn't use the smallest hair doughnut I have (maybe my hair will be long enough at the end of summer, we'll see).

End result? This:

Post Dance at Rhiannon's Mystic & Holistic Fair

Blue cotton printed yukata (it's a kimono, but less formal) around my forearms; black cotton choli by Flying Skirts, and M&S altered bra with kuchi dangles. Choli chain (that I've tweaked up since my last post about it); my Blackpowder/Fur Trade re-enactor crescent moon necklace; gilet metal large loop earrings; sterling silver faux septum ring from Tribe Zuza. Sequined black headband and purple, pink, etc hair flowers all by Claire's. Bindi is from IndiaBazaar.net