If you’re bothered by foundation, look into powder foundations, if the “creamy/sticky” texture is the problem (Au Naturale Powder Foundation, $32). If the weight on your face is the problem, use a super lightweight foundation, one of those that are advertised as “barely there” (Pacifica Dreamy Cover, $17). You could also look into tinted moisturizer (e.l.f Studio Tinted Moisturizer, $3) or BB cream (e.l.f BB Cream SPF 20, $6). If none of these work for you, keep your skin as clean & clear as possible with as much of a daily & weekly regimen as you can do, and consider using a lightweight concealer to cover anything that you think needs covering (e.l.f Beautifully Bare Lightweight Concealer Stick, $4).
If you’re bothered by eyeshadows, consider using a cream shadow rather than a powder shadow (e.l.f Smudge Pot Cream Eyeshadow, $3, or Au Naturale Creme Eye Shadows, $20). There’s also the e.l.f Prism Eyeshadows, $10, which “look like a powder but feel like a cream”. Another option is liquid eyeshadow, if cream doesn’t work for you either (e.l.f Beautifully Bare Smooth Matte Eyeshadow, $4)
If you’re bothered by lipstick, consider using a light gloss (Pacifica Enlightened Gloss, $10) or lip butter (Pacifica Lip Butter, $10). Another option is to just fill everything in with a nice lip liner (Au Naturale Lip Liners, $18). If you need more pigment, go for matte colors, (e.l.f Matte Lip Color, $3), though preferably not in the “liquid-to-matte” format, since those tend to be a bit sticky. If all else fails, a tinted balm (Pacifica Lip Tint, $5) will do the trick enough.
I'm going to make a post on the Rocky Horror remake, because let's face it, there's a lot of controversy. And I'm even going to use proper capitalization and punctuation for you all! And I'm going to comment on it as a white, DFAB, genderfluid, grey-asexual, bi/panromantic, polyamorous person. That's a lot of words! I'm not trying to sound special. I'm only putting them out there to give context to every element of my identify that might contribute to my feelings on this. (Also, DFAB means Designated Female At Birth. It just means I was born with a vagina.)
This post isn't to trash or glorify the movie. It's just to talk about my experiences with it.
DISCLAIMER: Don't feel obligated to read this. Some people have asked me how I felt, and I love to read myself talk.
Now that that's out of the way, the remake wasn't spectacular, but I don't think it was the worst thing I've ever seen, either. As far as being a remake, they certainly remade it and changed the designs and styles of music, but it's a completely fair criticism that they didn't do much past that. Almost every element of the story was actually the same, except that Franknfurter was a woman--something I appreciate, because I went in to the movie a little bit nervous about Laverne being misgendered the whole time because of her role.
It added some new things. Janet's affair with Franknfurter became a lesbian scene, and it was a lot more elaborate than the original. I've read critiques upset that their dynamic as two queer women wasn't further explored, but honestly? I'm okay with that. I would have loved to see more, but I also enjoyed the fact that it was just naturally part of it. I personally really enjoy it when a show is redone with some switched up gender roles, and suddenly a relationship is now homosexual, and nothing is said about it. It's nice for it to just happen. It's nice for it to just be there.
That being said, it's also fair to be upset about the fact that nothing changed about Sweet Transvestite. I was fine with it; it's an iconic song, and there would have been equally bad or worse reception if it was something else. But there's also something to be said for the fact that a trans woman, playing a female character, in feminine clothes, had to sing about herself as being a transvestite, or a crossdresser. Is there something inherently problematic about that? Yeah. But again, the song is the song, and I'm honestly just happy that they used she pronouns for Franknfurter, regardless of what the song said. I guess I'm kind of removed from the actual meaning of the song, both because it's just words I sing to myself all the time, and because the word transvestite in itself is kind of silly and outdated to me, to the point where it hardly has meaning. As someone who's genderfluid, I consider everything I put on to be some sort of crossdressing, because I'm constantly, in my mind, a man and a woman and a mixture and neither and a whole spectrum beyond it. "Transvestites" and "crossdressing" are ridiculous concepts to me as someone who doesn't even believe in gender being two little slots, but I can see where people's issue comes from. Both sides are valid, I think.
Past those things, and on to the actual quality of the movie, there was definitely decadence that that would sap my will. I laughed at Laverne's intro costumes initially before falling in love with it, and then I fell in love with her red hair, and then again fell for her as the blonde that I'm used to. As someone who plays Columbia in the Frankie & The Pretenders shadowcasts at the High Dive, I was maybe a little bit critical of her new design, but I came to enjoy it, and I immediately loved the tap sneakers. I want a pair. All of the gold in the floorshow, especially the lipstick, was stunning to me. Overall, as a costumer, I ate this movie UP.
And then there was Riff Raff, who was both the best and worst acting job I've ever seen. His voice and mannerisms were horrible, but it kept me laughing and entertained the whole time, so I can't really say I hated it? Magenta was beautiful, as always, and having a black Dr. Scott was interesting. Some people have commented that it makes the nazi element a bit unbelievable, but if I'm being honest: I hate the nazi jokes, and I'd rather a black star get the spotlight than another old white dude with a German accent while people scream Nazi salutes in the audience. Like, what year is it, y'all?
Most of the music was a huge miss for me. The Time Warp it took me a while to even realize was the Time Warp, and I did not enjoy it. I'm listening again as I type and I'm still left at mixed feelings. I think over time as I listen to it I'll start to love it, but not as much as the original soundtrack. Adam Lambert did a great job as Eddie, but can I really be surprised about that? Hot Patootie wasn't the same without the swing-dancing, but maybe I'm just saying that because I've busted my ass to pull it off on my own stage.
Other minor things: Trixie didn't strip but I know I can't expect that from a TV movie. "Mindgame" instead of "mindfuck" but, same issue. Rocky's gold gym shorts? HUGE miss for me. As was Laverne's voice. I wish she had gone deep instead of that awful nasally accent she had going, but everything she did was hot enough for me to forgive her.
All in all? It wasn't anything to top the original, but I did really enjoy watching it, and I'm glad that it came out. Also, wasn't Rocky Horror not that well received when it originally came out, either? I wouldn't be surprised if soon enough people are absolutely mad for this remake. I don't expect this to change anyone's mind, and I don't expect anyone to agree with me; it's just fun to talk. Thank you if you even bothered to read this, because it was fun to recall what I saw and think more critically. Feel free to tell me what you thought! The discussion of media is just as important as our consumption of it.
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