Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Use cosmetic-quality glitter on your face.

Sure, you could pick up glitter at the craft store for way cheaper. But what’s it made of? You don’t want glitter of unknown origin near your eyes or, especially, on your lips. No matter how careful you are, you’re probably going to ingest some flakes over the course of a show. Make sure your glitter is non-toxic and made to be on your skin.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 17 June 2016 at 1:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Podcasts are worth a listen.

Previously I advised you to watch burlesque (live and on the screen) and read about burlesque. Now consider listening. I tend to listen to podcasts when I’m cooking, especially things that keep me chained to the stove. I cannot tell you how many podcasts I go through during sour cherry season…

Currently I’m enjoying Lunch with Legs and Michelle L’amour’s Revealing. Listening to people talk about their passions is such a delight.

It’s not burlesque related, but Red, our frequent box office gal, is part of the trio that creates Anglofilles: Girls Gone Geek. If you like pop culture and feminism and politics and totally random stuff, check it out.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 10 June 2016 at 2:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! And best of luck to everyone performing at the Burlesque Hall of Fame this weekend!

Here’s your tip!

Clean your false lashes.

It’s better for them and for your eyes to give them the occasional cleansing. It’s easy and you only need a couple of items, which you already have (or should).

1. Take off your lashes.
I know that sounds dumb, but falling asleep while still wearing lashes is not unheard of… When removing them, grab the edge of the band, not the lashes themselves!

2. Peel off excess adhesive.
A little old glue can help the lashes stick better, but you don’t want a thick layer. Some recommend using tweezers, but I just use my fingernails to peel it off. Remember to hold the band, not the lashes when you pull off the glue residue. I’ve found latex-based glue comes off more easily than the non-rubbery stuff I use these days.

3. Put the lashes back on their plastic thingy.
It will help them keep their shape during cleaning.

4. Dampen a cotton swab with a gentle eye makeup remover and gently brush it over the lashes from band to tip to take off the accumulated gunk.
I like this remover from Atomic Cosmetics (of course).

5. Dampen a second swab with a little water and repeat the process to rinse the lashes.

6. Let them air dry on the plastic form.

That’s it! You don’t need to do this every time you wear your lashes, but occasional cleaning will keep your lashes looking good longer. And it’s got to be healthier for your eyes!

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 3 June 2016 at 1:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday (and long weekend for many)! Here’s another travel tip:

When traveling, bring your own makeup towel. The hotel/your hosts will thank you.

I bought a bunch of inexpensive and cheerfully-colored washcloths at Ikea and it’s no trouble to toss a couple into my suitcase.

Hat tip to those who reminded me of this tip: Iva Handfull, the staff at BurlyCon, and Rae Bradbury-Enslin, who hosts dozens of haunt actors every October and is tired of having her guest towels ruined.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 27 May 2016 at 2:07 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday!

I hope to see you tomorrow at the B.A.B.E. Spring SPECTACULAR Showcase! I’ll be performing my revamped Faerie Queene act, but you should really come to see the B.A.B.E. students.

We’ll have performances from notable alumnae Alice Azul, Elsa Riot, Kitty Levesque, and Sadie Hunter, as well as alumna-turned-instructor Lucie Luxe and instructor Devora Darling (you do not want to miss her Putting It All Together class in June!). The Burlesque Your Way students will be premiering their original creations! See, for the first time on any stage, what Devastacia, Honey Bee, Jeannie Martini, Lucky Penny, and Pearl Buttons have cooked up for you!

And now your tip! I’m currently teaching chair dance at B.A.B.E., so that’s the topic du semaine.

Your stage chair is not a seat. Don’t let anyone treat it like a chair.

When you bring your special dancing chair to a gig, it’s essential to your act and deserves to be treated the same as any other prop or set piece. That means no one should sit in it or put their stuff on it. Not that they would, of course…

So there’s no confusion, make it clear that this isn’t actually a chair. Lux LaCroix tapes a sign to the seat of her chair. When The BeauTease were sharing the theatre during our run of The Wrathskellar, we would put Stefan (our faithful chair — pictured with Brigitte here) upside down on a table and Scratch wrote on the underside of the seat “DO NOT USE”.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 20 May 2016 at 11:56 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s a tip for you travelers!

When staying in a hotel for burlesque reasons, tip housekeeping generously.

Despite our best effort, we make a mess, just by the nature of our business — glitter, sequins, hairspray, lipstick, &c. Even when we’re tidy we still leave more residue than your average guest.

This goes for costumers & cosplayers too!

M2Like this tip? There are more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 13 May 2016 at 10:55 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Today’s tip comes from the wisdom of Mr. Scratch.

If you apply to that festival or reach out to that producer, you may not be accepted or hired, but if you don’t, you surely won’t.

M2Like this tip? There are more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 6 May 2016 at 12:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! You’ll be pleased to know that your Faithful Correspondent is almost back to normal health, although still coughing most annoyingly.

But that’s not important. What is important is your Friday Tip. And here it is!

A cotton pillowcase makes a great storage bag for a boa.

It allows the feathers to breathe while protecting them from dust and sunlight. You could sew a loop of ribbon to the top of the case and hang it up. Also, to quickly fluff the boa, tie the end of the pillowcase shut and throw the whole thing in the dryer on air dry (no heat!) and tumble it for just a couple of minutes.

M2Like this tip? There are more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 29 April 2016 at 10:54 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It’s a glorious warm day here in Boston and one can finally believe that spring is here. The sour cherry tree at Stately Babydoll Manor has begun to blossom and in a few months I’ll be hard at work picking and cooking!

Here’s your tip!

Carry a foldable bag with you. You never know when it will come in handy.

I’m very fond of the sort of string bag that Russians call avoska (“perhaps-bag”, as in “perhaps there will be something at the store to buy”). They’re great for holding produce from the farmers’ market and of course I like best the one that my mother knit.

However, I always carry this nylon bag which folds in on itself until it’s about the size of my fist. It was from the swag bag at the Improper Bostonian “Best of 2012” party, hence the Patrón logo. I particularly like this one because it’s waterproof and every now and then I’ve forgotten to pack a plastic bag for wet costume items after one of my water acts.

Also, if you shop in Cambridge, where they’ve just started charging for bags, you’ll always be covered.

M2Like this tip? There are more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 22 April 2016 at 3:39 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I hope you don’t think I’m ignoring you. There are so many things I want to tell you, like an amazing accomplishment by a troupemate, revealing The Challenge, a couple of book reviews, and an exciting announcement.

However, after returning from a perfectly lovely Caribbean cruise, I was struck down by a nasty bug which has me coughing most unpleasantly and a bonus eye infection, just for fun. The result being that I’ve been more often found reclining on the daybed than I am sitting at my writing desk. But I wouldn’t forget your tip.

Today’s tip comes from the combined wisdom of my mother and Alice Azul.

To soothe a sore throat, drink hot lemonade with honey and grated fresh ginger.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, add a splash of your favorite spirit, purely for medicinal purposes, of course!

Yes, that is a fake plastic lemon. I only thought to take a picture after the real lemons were all squeezed out.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

Published in: on 15 April 2016 at 9:07 am  Comments (1)  
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