Dear Doe,

I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time and I really love the way you inspire people to experiment with their appearance more and to embrace their inner self. But when I look at your photos that all are truly wonderful, I still wonder – many of them seem heavily airbrushed, don’t you think it is not exactly in accordance with your philosophy of being true you? I think it ok to retouch photos, if it is really necessary, but in some of them you look more like a plastic doll than a real person! I do believe that we all are beautiful with all our minor faults and imperfections, but pictures like these really can harm woman’s confidence, because in real life perfection doesn’t exist – that is why life is so great! :) Anyways, thanks for spreading the glee and inspiring us all!

Love,
Eva

Dear Eva,

This is an excellent subject and something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I see a clear distinction between altering reality for the sake of art versus falsifying reality where you should be documenting it. Retouching as a method of artistic expression has existed for as long as photography has been around and is perfectly ok in my book; selling skin medication with obviously photoshopped images is not ok – that’s cheating! Now that we got that out of the way, onto the actual point of your letter.

I don’t believe that being true to self has anything to do with posting unretouched pictures of yourself. Just like I don’t think that posting a picture in bad lighting or an unflattering pose speaks of one’s confidence. I’m not saying this is the case with you necessarily, but I’m seeing a lot of women accuse other girls of ‘photoshopping themselves pretty’ or even plastic surgery. They use the ‘imperfection is beautiful’ argument to make themselves feel better by convincing themselves that ‘what she’s got is not real’. But that’s not how self-confidence works. You should feel good about yourself regardless of how others look – in real life or in pictures. Women’s self-worth should not depend on what they see in a magazine or a blog – it’s something that comes from within and is developed independently, precisely in spite of what you see.

Lady Gaga: creating fantasy in Papparazzi (delete scene)

Growing up, I’ve always aspired to people who were masters of creating a fantasy. Michael Jackson, Alexander McQueen, J.K. Rowling, and recently Lady Gaga all possess the gift of building their own, unique, and – yes – entirely unrealistic worlds. Their art inspired me to want to create a Candyfuture world of my own. These people taught me how to believe, and I hope to do the same for others. If we had no dreamers to guide us, we would have no dreams; if we were only allowed to create reality, we would to stop trying and just accept the mundane.

I believe in dreaming so much, I’ve banned the word “reality” from my company. No one is allowed to say “That’s unrealistic”, or “The reality of it is…” or “Let’s get real” at Lime Crime. When people come in contact with what I do – makeup, blog, etc – I want them to feel like anything is possible and they can be whoever they want to be, even if they’re not quite there yet. A change always starts with the simple act of dreaming… It’s like magic. It’s like reaching for the stars.

Photo: Kencredible

My incessant need to create fantasy defines who I am and is how I chose to express myself. Photoshop is just one tool to get there. When I retouch a photo (or apply makeup, or wear a corset, or pose myself), it’s not driven by deceit or insecurity, but done to convey an artistic vision. And while I’m completely capable of appreciating the beauty of imperfection, I will always cherish the freedom to present myself however I chose to.

Deerlings: I know this is a loaded – some might even say controversial – subject. I’d love to hear your opinions, from both sides of the argument!

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I like to anticipate the approaching of the storm by standing outside on my porch and watching the clouds get darker, wind get stronger, and lighting light up the sky in purples behind the buildings. The way the world smells just before the first drop hits the ground is remarkable. When it finally starts pounding, I run inside and write letters old school style, pen-on-paper.  It’s my favorite thing to do on a rainy day, aside from taking my “sunny skies” umbrella out for a stroll. :)

My umbrella represents my outlook on life ;)

Check out my stylin’ polka-dotted bow :)

Love the new re-worked version of Dragon Scales!

• Umbrella: MoMa museum (gift from a dear friend)
• Clothes: had them for so long, I forgot where they came from! Ever happen to you?
• Shoes: United Nude
• Belt: vintage
• Head scarf, Puggy Puggleton purse: thrifted during my CA trip
• Eyeshadow: Lime Crime Dragon Scales
• Lips: Retrofuturist lippy used as stain, clear gloss

Deerlings: what is your favorite rainy day activity?

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Thank you for participating in our fable-writing contest! Winners have been contacted by email and their entries posted on LimeCrimeMakeup.com. One of the winning entries happened to be by our intern Fernanda; because of this, the prize will go to the runner-up in that category – Erika.

And now…. the winners!

Mischief Managed by Allison

Lizzie pushed aside a long lock of wavy blonde hair and stepped onto the gleaming red trolley. There were few seats open, she sat down next to a man with a handsome mustache and gleaming gold pocket watch. He smiled at her, complimented her dress and asked where she was going on such a lovely day. Lizzie giggled and flirted with him, accidentally bumping into him when the trolley hit a pothole in the road. The gentleman politely offered Lizzie his calling card and asked to take her to dinner one day. She only winked, flashed him a bright smile, and pocketed the card before stepping off of the trolley and walking to the nearby park. Surrounded by a sea of green grass and sugary violets, she sat down and sighed, before taking out her new pocket watch and admiring the intricate metalwork. Mischief managed.

Troubadour by Samantha

As he rode into town, his turquoise saddle was shimmering in the light of the high-noon sun. His palms were sweaty, and his throat tense. Everything in this town was beige. He was a colorful foreigner and for this he was shunned. He knew if they could hear his melodies and his words that it would open their eyes and their minds to a world of new ideas and thought. His chaps that matched his saddle chafed as he climbed up on stage, he suddenly felt very aware of his stylish boots and rhinestone vest. He closed his eyes and drew from his world of color as he sang the most beautiful song this boring monochromatic town had ever heard. Their hearts of stone were melted and they could appreciate the sound of the color that flooded from his voice. That town didn’t stay beige for long.

Cupcake Thief by Liesbeth

If you look closely, you can tell a cupcake thief apart from other people. They have a satisfied look on their face, some leftover icing on their fingers, and sometimes even sprinkles in their hair. Some have a greedy look on their face, and are convinced they’ll die if they don’t eat a cupcake now.

Top Hattie by Mega

Josh the rabbit was fat and happy.
He was fed 3 times and took a nappy.
Every day at ’round half past six.
Josh could hear his magician’s stick.
Tapped three times, a quiet alarm.
And he was picked up with a lighted charm.
Smiles from cheering rosy faced kids
Was the reason Josh did what he did.
He lived long and grey and silver and white.
Josh the rabbit lived in delight.

Abracadabra by Nanda

The city was so gray lately: buildings, pollution and sad people wandering aimlessly through the streets. Katherine was running through the grayness, suffocating and wondering if that was it: the colorful world she once knew had ended. How could anyone be fine with that? And then she stopped –  she had an idea, a plan. It would take all her strength, but she was ready. She took position and shouted the magic word as loud as she could – ABRACADABRA! – and a rainbow appeared on the sky.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cupcake needed a new adventure. Her store in which she owned, was not challenging her anymore. She had heard about the new bakery just down the road and thought of a new adventure. She had it planned in not even ten minutes time. Cupcake would apply for a job at the new bakery and steal the ideas and use them for her own.

Little did Cupcake know that the bakery she was applying to would change her life forever and finally, for the good. For the young mad sitting across from Cupcake asking her why she wanted to bake for them would be her future husband.

Young Berto could not resist gazing into Cupcake’s eyes. As Berto continued his interview with the beautiful and talented Cupcake, his fingers gently brushed across her velvet soft skin and as he touched her, a surge of electricity shot throughout her body. “You’re hired.” He whispered ever so solemnly. Staring into Berto’s loving eyes, she then realized, the only thief here has just stolen her heart. (Cupcake Thief, by Terri)

* * *

Through the pink of dawn she creeps,
A sparkle in her eye,
She has a plan she knows the way,
To the kitchen and the cupcake tray.
Swift and sleek beyond belief,
It has to be, the cupcake thief! (Cupcake Thief, by Angelinfishnets)

* * *

Pixie hated her mother’s “mischief management” program. She’d been caught drawing on the walls (again) and was now confined to her mother’s room (because there was nothing in there that she could draw with). Starting to get bored, she opened the top drawer and found her mother’s makeup. Pixie chose the brightest lipstick she could find and began carefully removing pictures from the wall. (Mischief Managed, by Soma Blue)

* * *

It took Clair a few years to master them, but compared to her cousins, that was fast. She told everybody about them but nobody believed her. On television, it looked much easier to show your true self. She tried all the tactics she had seen on her favorite show, “Samuel the Kid Wizard,” but none of them ever worked. Clair would always use magic to file her papers and use the rest of the day to relax in her cubicle. “Abracadabra.” she muttered silently under her breath. Papers flew in to the air, scattering themselves all over the cubicle, just low enough that they wouldn’t be seen by the others, and neatly placed themselves inside their respective folders. It wasn’t until the one day that she peered over in to Mauricio’s cubicle and couldn’t believe her eyes that she would find another! He was relaxing! “Hey, what’s doin’?” she asked. He looked surprised and tried to hide the neatly filed papers sitting on his desk. “Umm, uhh, I was just getting back to work and, uhh…” he stammered as he tried to escape the conversation by picking up his cell phone and saying “I’ll have to call you back, honey!” Mauricio wasn’t married, he hadn’t even been on a date in six months! Was there another? As Mauro continued with his fake conversation, Clair quietly mouthed “Abracadabra.” “W-w-what did you say?” “Abracadabra.” only this time, louder. (Abracadabra, by Erika)

* * *

The money was too good to just leave in the iron safe, and Gisela knew greed better than her best shopping friend. She was a clever gal, sneaking past security guards and lasers like a butterfly. Then something strange happened when she approached the green: It glittered. She touched the bills and the vanished in a sparkle. “Drat,” she cursed, her purple lips in a pout. “Well, you can’t win them all.” (Mischief Managed, by Stephanie)

Thank you for your wonderful submissions – we had so much fun reading your stories! xoxo

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Fable winners have been picked! Go to the site to see who. :)

Deerlings: What do you think of our new Shop By Look feature?

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Every August we celebrate a gleeful occasion: the birth of our community. Since 2008, Doe Deere Blogazine has been a place of positivity, inspiration, and encouragement to young women everywhere. We are a community of girls of all ages & walks of life, all uniquely different but who have several core values in common. We incorporate self-expression into our daily lives and have a taste for all things edgy & slightly odd. We find inner strength through outer beauty by making a statement to the world with our clothes and makeup. We each possess a special gift that we’re eager to share with the universe.

We are not perfect. Sometimes we feel angry, insecure, and make mistakes, but always find a way in the end. We are tough but girly, considerate but driven, love ourselves but care about each other too, and see a silver lining on even the darkest of clouds. I am proud to be a part of a community that doesn’t judge, supports each other, and is filled with forward-thinking women. If you ever wondered where all the talented, creative girls hang out, this would be the place. ;)

Doe Deere Blogazine is designed with you in mind. Unlike other blogs, it’s not a one-way narrative but, instead, an ongoing discussion where readers’ comments are as valuable and valued as the posts of the author. Five thousand deerlings log on every day to read, learn, discuss and pass the glee on to others.

In recognition of the fact that the blog is a collection of its readers as much as it is its author, I invite you to participate in a special Anniversary Box of Delights!

Doe Deere’s Box of Delights: Anniversary Edition

What is a Box of Delights?
It’s a mystery box filled with hand-picked goodies I put together especially for the winner. Lots of love goes into these, but this time I’m making it extra-special! The only way to find out what’s in a box is to win it.

How to enter:
Tell us in comments: what makes you, YOU?

You have until August 19th to submit your answers. Winner will be picked at random & contacted by email. Good luck!!!

Our winner is Abby (comment #39)!

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