I am a 22 year old girl who is passionate about makeup. It makes me happy, allows me to be creative, fun, and be myself. Unlike other women, who find the daily routine of putting on makeup in the morning a pain, I look forward to it.

Recently I found a poll online asking about how long women spend in the morning to put on makeup, and about 95% of them said 5-10 minutes max. I felt SO bad! I spend about 1 hour in the morning in front of my vanity table; I need at least 5 minutes to just think about what eyeshadows I am going to wear! Even though I don’t need makeup and I can totally go out of the house without it, I CHOOSE to use it because I enjoy it. Yet, to the larger public, I am probably considered to have a low self-esteem or emotional problems or some other ridiculous things.

So my question is: am I spending too much time on makeup? Am I too vain?
Kitty

Photo: Ecky Ducky

Dear Kitty,

The subject of vanity is something I’ve been pondering myself lately. Like you, I enjoy beautifying myself, examining my face in the mirror and contemplating what I can do to improve my look. ;) And just like you, I sometimes can’t help but feel a little guilty being so… vain.

I think the problem lies in our society placing too much value in humility, and demonizing vanity. We are expected to be humble and downplay our achievements. Vanity becomes especially a dirty word when it comes to physical appearance - women guard the fact that they cover up under-eye circles, glue in hair extensions and get Botox injections like their biggest secret! Celebrities like Ashlee Simpson and Kelly Osbourne deny having had rhinoplasty and gastric bi-pass done. (By the way, I don’t judge them. I believe that if something about your face, your body, or your life is making you miserable, you should do something about it!). For the fear of coming off conceited, we are afraid to show that we care what people think.

The whole process is pretty pointless. Of course we care what others think! Why else would we wear deodorant, bleach our teeth & shave our legs? The first step to stop feeling guilty is realizing that vanity is not a bad thing. Finding yourself attractive and wanting to be perceived as such is a healthy desire. Why wouldn’t you want to present yourself from a position of confidence, go about the world looking and feeling great, making a positive impact?

I think it’s important to recognize the difference between taking what others think into account and obsessing over it. In your case, you simply enjoy cosmetics and don’t have a problem leaving the house without the ‘warpaint’. It’s a vehicle for your self-expression and does not stem from low self-esteem. I require at least 2.5 hours to get ready. No kidding! Out of these 2.5 hours, my makeup takes about an hour, and the rest? I like to put on good music, dance around the house in my underoos, try on different outfits and shoes… It’s my me time, and I don’t let anybody cheat me out of it!

I believe that the biggest service we can do to the world is to be happy. If it means looking in the mirror one too many times, so be it! I leave you with a picture of Dita von Teese, who brilliantly illustrates how one can be perfectly content being vain.

Deerlings: do you consider yourself vain?

Got a question for Doe Deere? Submit to doedeere @ gmail. com.

Photo: Darwin Bell

2009 is already starting out promising: my music project Doe Deere won a couple awards!

• Indie-Music’s Top 25 list of 2008
  

“Deere locked herself in her bedroom, accompanied only by her trusty 80s issue Yamaha keyboard and a modern Korg Triton keyboard, and came out with some very impressive dance tunes.”

You can read full CD review here.  Thank you Indie-Music!! P.S. ‘Supernatural’ can be purchased here.

• Electroqueer: EQ of the Year Award

It was a tie with Sergey Lazarev - who, incidentally, also happens to be Russian. Is it an Eastern European invasion? Get the scoop.

This particular award means a lot to me, because Electroqueer happens to be my favorite music blog. They interview and support electronic and indie pop acts like Lady Gaga, Roisin Murphy, Lily Allen. I was ecstatic to find out EQ just got nominated for the 2008 Weblog Awards themselves, and would like to invite my readers to help them win. Voting begins today at noon. {Vote!}

Thanks everybody for a wonderful year!

P.S. I took a bit of a break from blogging but now I’m back in full-force! :)

• Read more fairy tales!

Because fairy tales are like life, but better!

• Go to Las Vegas.

I devour all things outlandish and yet I’ve never been to Vegas?! Tsk tsk tsk. Here’s the plan: I’m gonna go there, stay at a flashy hotel, take lots of ridiculous pictures and… gamble. I’m not a big fan of gambling  - why waste money when you could buy yourself an 87th pair of shoes instead? - but sometimes experience is worth more than footwear.

• Expand my makeup line and get it into stores.

I’d really like to branch out into eyeliner and lipstick in 2009. In fact, it’s all I can think about! Can you imagine?? Glitter eyeliners in turquoise, sparkly greens, purples! And lipstick - hot pinks, violets, beautiful red! I can’t wait! Also, it would be awesome to get Lime Crime makeup into some brick & mortar stores, so people can try it out in person!

• Face the fear of traveling to Russia and Ukraine.

Traveling there is a pain in the butt because everything is in a run-down condition. I still remember how we had to pass a roll of toilet paper under the stalls in a public bathroom - hahaha! - because there weren’t any! Good thinking to bring our own. ;) As a result, I haven’t gone back since 2002.

I must also go to visit my grandfather in Ukraine. Although we correspond frequently, the last time I saw him in person was 12 years ago! He is getting old and I’m his only descendant. I must get over my bullshit and go out there, before it’s too late!

• Remodel the house to look more like me.

White walls suck - and renting is not an excuse! I already converted the attic into a dollhouse - now it’s time to get to the rest of the house! My oh my, what shall I do…

• Do more charity work.

Help out no-kill animal shelters in particular. Nursing each animal to health costs 1-2 thousand dollars, and with the recession looming the shelters are hurting. My goal is to make more money in 2009, so I can donate more. After all, one of those places saved the life of my Felix.

• Attend a Venetian Ball.

Mark and I are on a lookout for a real Venetian Ball. It can’t be some fetish party in an East Village club, trying to pass off as a masquerade. It has to the real deal, held at an over-the-top mansion, with proper classical music and state-of-the-art masks and costumes! Yes.

• See Mark graduate.

He’s been in school for 2 years (Economics), all the while working a full-time job to support me and my crazy endeavors. You know, fashion line, music projects, etc. I am very happy that Lime Crime Makeup is doing well enough so I can support him now. Mark is starting school full-time starting next year; at this expedited pace, we expect him to throw a hat within a year! :D

• Undergo another style evolution.

My fashion look tends to develop in unexpected directions every couple of years. I usually go from one extreme to another, while retaining major elements of each style. From tomboy to Lolita, metalhead to Japanese street, DIY to high-brow designer, 80s disco to Victorian top hat & cane look. My style is like one giant snowball, new ideas layered atop of the old. It’s time for the new twist!

• Meet more interesting people.

Looking out for new, exciting people to become a part of my circle is a constant on my agenda. Few people I meet make it past the acquaintance stage; and those who do, possess a unique quality I call Simple Complexity. They think differently, are either artists or have unusual pasts, but are all lovely to have around. They are complex figures who are easy to read, so to speak. They open up when you talk to them, they listen. I like to befriend people who are articulate, someone I can learn from - and who can, hopefully, learn from me. We don’t have to agree 100%, either; I love an intelligently composed counter-argument.

Insane genius and intelligent douchebag aren’t my types, haha (and there are so many of them out there!) They have to have a sound mind and a good heart. If I can meet even one person like that in 2009, I will be happy. :)

• Laugh and joke more!

When I’m in a good mood, every sentence out of my mouth is an attempt at a joke. Maybe it’s not always as funny as I’d like it to be, but the fact that someone  laughs at it makes it all worthwhile! You know how sometimes you’re hanging out with someone and just can’t stop laughing? I wish for more moments like this for all of us in the new year.

Deerlings: what are your hopes, plans & resolutions for 2009?

Photography: Grenouille

I attached the red cape to my coat earlier and now I don’t want to take it off! Can I please wear this year-round??

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer :)
Makeup: Diva eyeshadow, black pencil liner, red lipstick

Christmas is a very deer-centric holiday ;)

Deer love!

These are animated and go in a circle. The only problem… they look dead.

My gloves look like skeleton hands, ha!

Marky Mark

Some people take tree decoration too far…

“Merry Chr……”
The day after Christmas? Haha.

And my favorite decoration: a wizard.

My neighborhood, Dyker Heights, is known for over-the-top Christmas decorations. People come down here from all over, causing traffic jams, to gaze at the elaborate lights, toys and sculptures. Reporting from the heart of the madness:

I have to run cook a Christmas dinner now (family coming over in a few hours). But before I go, I wanted to share a lovely poem with you, written by a fellow Deerling.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
By Kat Keller

‘Twas the night before Christmas
And all were asleep
Except one little girl
Who was thinking quite deep

On her just-hung-up stocking
She’d focused her mind
She was wishing and dreaming –
Oh, what would she find?

Now, this girl, she loved colors
Bright greens and bold blues
Reds, violets, coppers
Fantastical hues!

She loved butterflies, peacocks
And orchids and flowers
With colorful dreams
She would pass all her hours

As she looked out the window
And up to the moon
She wondered if Santa
Would be coming soon

When what to her wondering
Eyes did appear
But a glee-wielding elf with
The horns of a deer.

“I’m not Santa” she said,
“I don’t play by his rules.”
Then she filled up the stockings
With bright-colored jewels

“Now on Banshee, on Cleo
Medusa and Vixen
On Pompadour, Circus Girl, Amazon –
Listen!”

“We’ve got to spread glee
from the South Pole to North
and it’s almost the end of
December 24th!”

“On Twilight, on Siren
We’ll deck every hall
Now dash away, dash away
Dash away all!”

The next morning would dawn
Upon bright, cheery skies
Beside glad smiles of girls
With new glee on their eyes.

But that little girl nestled
All snug in her bed
Would remember each word
That the Good Faery said.

Yes, she heard Doe exclaim
As she rose out of sight:
“Happy Christmas to all—
Make it gleeful and bright!”