#but there's so much evidence around me of women who see makeup as a necessity and it just makes my skin itch like

[astrangergivingthestrangewelcome]

I do not think evangelizing on the double standard of women being expected to wear makeup everyday to grown women is actually productive or respectful (provided they are not judging me for not wearing makeup), we can all make our own decisions on how to walk through this world, however, it is true that whenever a woman in my daily life equates making themselves decent and presentable with having a coat of natural makeup on, I do have to viscerally repress the urge to shake them by the shoulders and scream that they've been had.

[remysinnerchicken]

A New Chapter

College sounds fake. The stories are everywhere online, from nightmare roommates to party horror stories to the constant reassurance that it will be the best four years of your life. There are tricks and tips on how to make your dorm room cozy plastered all over Buzzfeed and supposedly life-saving hacks for when you have to finally brave those communal bathrooms. Naturally, for an anxiety-ridden incoming freshman, those articles are eaten up with unabashed ferver.

However, what those articles fail to mention is that, while there are similarities, art school in the big city is a whole separate genre of fake. Roommates are still game of Russian Roulette, and the meal plans are still too damn expensive to be necessary, but there was something different about a school made up entirely of artists. Which, for Charlie Vega, was both a blessing and curse the moment she stepped foot on campus.

"This is campus?" Mike spoke up as he eyed the two buildings kiddie-corner from each other.

"There are other buildings around, but yes," Charlie quietly defended, "It isn't exactly green rolling hills, is it?"

"Where do you go to ditch class?" He raised an eyebrow, plastering himself to the window to try and scope literally anything out.

She shrugged awkwardly, "Pike's Place, I guess?"

"She isn't going to be ditching class," Their mother spoke up with an eyeroll, still trying to maneuver her way into the alley for car unloading, "Not when we're paying 50 thousand dollars a year."

He shook his head with a laugh, "Jesus Christ, kid. That much for singing and dancing classes?"

"You went to trade school for music in L.A., I'm not sure you have much of a position to judge from," She argued.

"I'm not judging you," He waved his hand casually, "I'm judging your pretentious school." His eyes scanned the now bustling alleyway and smiled at a woman in a bright colored shirt who had two large rolling bins with her. They exchanged nods and he got out of the car, ushering his sister to do the same.

The two emptied the tiny car's contents into the bins, Mike making small talk with the upperclassman helping out. She lead the two into a parking garage where people in a shirt just like hers stood beside bins just like theirs with freshman that looked anxious just like Charlie. She pointed to a tall Hawaiin man in a purple bandana, telling them to go "stand with him, he'll get you up the elevator."

By the time they had gotten to the eighth floor, Charlie was nearly reeling. The doors dinged open and she was greeted by a loud, excited voice.

"Hi!" The woman nearly sang, "You must be Charlie! I have your card for your room and a few papers for you to look over and hand back to me later tonight." She shoved the contents into her dazed hands and beamed like a million suns all fused together, "Go check out your room!"

Charlie took a second, realizing for the first time in thirty minutes where she actually was. She took a step back, eyes sweeping the doors in the hall and finding the one that belonged to her, just the second door down. She read Charlie and internally cringed, having forgotten to mention that little name switch to her family before they came. She looked back to the excited woman, finding her just watching with anticipation. She smiled awkwardly and went to her door, pressing the keycard to the reader and falling against the door as it opened.

"I made it," She announced loudly as she entered. She looked up to find her roommate, having stopped dead in her tracks the moment the door opened, and her two moms.

"So, you're... Charlotte?" One of the mothers asked.

"Charlie," She corrected, ignoring the way her skin crawled as she was acutely aware of her brother behind her. She came fully into the room, emptying the bins with shaking hands so that Mike could bring them back out to the loud woman.

"I'm Riley," Her roommate finally spoke up once Mike had come back. She stepped to the middle of the room, holding out her hand to Charlie.

She watched her wearily before shaking her hand, "Good to put a face to the texts."

"Same," She smiled before going back to organizing her side of the room.

"Alright, Charmander, you want to make your bed and start setting up or do you want to wait for mom?" Mike asked, sitting in the desk chair provided.

"Let's just wait," She answered quietly.

For what felt like hours but could have only been twenty minutes at most, Mike and Charlie sat and watched as the Winters set up Riley's half of the room. Every so often, one of her moms would strike up conversation, which Charlie tried to continue but her smiles were tight and her looks were fleeting. Eventually, the two women recognized how uncomfortable the girl was and left her alone, holding nothing but empathy for the anxiety ridden artist.

Just around the time that Sofia came back from parking the family car, the Winters left to go shopping for the extra necessities they had left back home. Together, Sofia and Mike put the art on the walls and made the bed, allowing for Charlie to put her knick-knacks where she chose, her clothes in the order she needed, and her plant in just the right spot in the window. By the time the room was setup, Charlie was sat at her desk holding her Scrump doll tightly against her body.

Danny Boy (9:32am): Hey, are you all setup?

She read the text over and over as if she couldn't understand a word it said. She looked up at her family as they made plans before leaving, and then back to her phone.

Charmander (9:34am): Almost. Mom and Mike are gonna bounce soon, I guess, but they want to go shopping first so I have some kind of food.

Danny Boy (9:35am): They're leaving so soon? Like, not even lunch?

Charmander (9:35am): :^) I'm dying inside.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat before they all headed out to a nearby grocery store, getting cheap and fast essentials that could last her until the next time her mom came into town. She had a meal plan afterall, but as far as they could tell, musical theatre majors were going to be driven into the ground so any kind of extra snacks would be appreciated. Of course, it wasn't the most fun shopping experience she had ever had, as she really just roamed the aisles without an appetite for ten minutes before her family started grabbing things they knew she liked.

Arriving back at the dorms, Charlie and Mike took the stairs with the groceries, making for an earlier goodbye with Sofia on the first floor before she went to fetch the car. Riley was still gone and, after a choked up hug between the two siblings, Charlie was alone in her room for the first time.

Charmander (10:32am): Is your roommate there

Danny Boy (10:34am): No. Is yours? Do you need a friend?

Charmander (10:34am): mike just left

Danny Boy (10:36am): :( Come up to my room. The doors open.

That was the first place she differed from all the generic articles online. She had a friend from high school that was also attending her school of choice. She wouldn't say they were best friends, no, but they had certainly seen some things together. From homecoming disasters, to first heartbreaks, to gender revelations, to say they had history was a bit of an understatement.

Which is how Charlie found herself sitting in Daniel Knowles' room, streaming with tears as he hummed while putting away Poptarts. She wasn't offended, in fact she kind of preferred that he ignored her. It was sort of just a moment for herself.

Until he decided to actually talk to her about it.

"What is it that's freaking you out so much, if you don't mind me asking?" He inquired, not even looking in her direction.

She looked up, eyebrows drawn together and shoulders rigid, "Well... I mean... I've never done anything like this. I mean," She sniffed and swiped at her nose, "I lived with Mike for that one year. But it was different, I was still home with everyone. I was in a small town. I had somewhere to be. I had Mike."

"Well, you have me," He shrugged.

"Why am I the only one who's not excited?" She suddenly asked.

He paused then finally leaned against the counter, looking at her. "I don't think you are," He finally said, "I think everyone just says that they're excited so they can cover up how dreadfully anxious they are. But you don't tend to do that. You... Well, Charlie, you wear your heart on your sleeve and, ya'know, that's not a bad thing."

"I didn't use to do that," She mumbled to herself.

"No, you didn't," He agreed, "But then some larger than average poop broke your heart, you got sad, and now everyone knows you feel approximately all of the time because you just stopped hiding it. Which is a good thing if you ask me. You're here to study acting."

"So, I should be able to act like I'm not a horrible mess," She defended.

"Nah, I think it just makes you more genuine," He smiled, "You're very in touch with your mess."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, wiping underneath them to try and remove any evidence of her sobfest. A quick look through her camera on Snapchat and she could see that somehow her Wal-Mart brand makeup stood the emotional test and was looking just fine. With that in mind, she turned so that Danny was in the background of the photo and snapped a selfie. She posted it to her story with fake enthusiasm, mostly putting on a show for their friends back home, before setting her phone down and curling up in the chair she was sat in. For the next hour or so, she watched as Danny, soon to be joined by his roommate, set up their room. Or at least tried to.

She eventually spoke up, seeing how uncomfortable he already was with his roommate, "Can we stop by my room? See if Riley's back and grab my computer?"

"Sure," He answered quickly, dropping what he was doing and grabbing his keycard. "I'll be back, Nate." He didn't wait for an answer before he left the room, Charlie at his heels.

It was only when they reached Charlie's room only a floor down that either of them said anything. She bit back a cheeky smile as she unlocked her door, "He's... certainly a character."

"I don't trust him," Danny deadpanned, "I, can already tell that I'm going to hate him."

With no sign of her roommate, Charlie let out a sigh, "I think I'm going to like my roommate. I don't know. I don't know if she's going to like me."

"You'll be fine," He drawled.

For the next several hours Charlie and Danny bounced from one floor to the next, answering calls from friends back home, sorting out their rooms, and trying to have any kind of communication with their respective roommates. Eventually they ended up on the floor of Charlie's room for a good forty minutes just talking to Riley before she left again to go to a family dinner.

Alone in the room, Charlie rubbed the back of her neck, "So, like... My family's gone... I don't have dinner plans."

Danny looked up from where he lay on the floor, "Oh, I'm sure my family can bring you out."

"I hate your mom," She scrunched up her face at the thought.

"So do I," He shrugged, "But it's food."

After a moment, she nodded in agreement. They called Danny's mom and sorted out dinner plans, and soon enough they were headed out, pressing the elevator button and waiting.

A tall person with incredibly light blonde hair rounded the corner and, seeing that the button was already pressed, stood back with their hands in their pockets, staring at the door. They sort of kicked at the ground a little impatiently, never quite standing still. They had a softness about their face despite having a completely blank expression.

Charlie took a minute to just stare at their shirt, silently admiring the design and briefly wondering if it was a reference to anything. Then, having realized they were staring at this stranger's chest for an indeterminate amount of time, she looked at their face. "Hey," She said, gaining their attention, "Uh, I realize now that it looks like I was just staring at your chest and I look weird. I was checking out your shirt."

They blinked then smiled, "Oh." They looked at their shirt, almost as though they forgot what it was, "Yeah, thanks! I like it." They looked back at Charlie, scuffing their shoe again, "I like your outfit."

"Thanks," She smiled, rocking back on her heels and tapping her toes together, looking down at her shoes shyly.

The elevator dinged open and all three of them got in, riding it down before branching off to their respective destinations.

Unfortunately what followed suit was one of the, if not the most awkward dining experience Charlie had ever had with Danny's family, which was really saying a lot considering the four or five years they had known each other. After a fight that had been sparked from absolutely nothing, Danny's mother refused to join them at the table, and it was just the two of them and his sister eating. With some awkward small talk here and there, Charlie managed to be the Switzerland of the family war, and got back to the dorm with enough time to spare before her floor meeting.

A couple minutes early, she and Riley crept out of their room and peered into the lounge, finding half the floor sitting in various places around the room. The two of them exchanged looks before choosing to sit against the wall on the floor next to one another. Riley focused her attention on her phone, while Charlie scoured the room with her eyes, noticing as each new person slowly filtered into the lounge.

What came by next was a bit of a blur, mostly a ton of information from their very loud and excited RA. Somewhere along the line Charlie made a remark under her breath, which the RA laughed brightly at, calling attention to Charlie by name. She ducked her head awkwardly, smiling a bit and noticing the way Riley chuckled in response.

Finally, as if the universe knew how to mess with her, they were instructed to find someone in the lounge to speak to. The catch being that it couldn't be your roommate. Charlie didn't miss the way Riley seemed to physically brace herself for the following conversation. It got worse when they found out they had to do it twice.

After a conversation with an upperclassmen that she absolutely forgot the name of despite hearing it multiple times within the past twenty minutes, she had to find another stranger to communicate with. She glanced around, recognizing the person from the elevator, but they had already found a partner to speak to. She rubbed at her arm uncomfortably before her eyes landed on what she had deduced to be the elevator stranger's roommate, due to earlier comments made in the meeting.

Perfect.

She sat next to him, startling him, and just let the words roll out of her mouth, "Hi, I'm Charlie, you look uncomfortable and I'm incredibly uncomfortable, so we're going to talk."

He stared at her like a deer in headlights before cracking a smile, "Yeah, sure, that works for me. Uh, Scott. Matthews. Acting major."

"Musical theatre," She nodded, recalling him saying that earlier in the meeting, "So, we'll have a bit of a similar experience."

He pursed his lips, tilting his head, "Well."

"It can't be that different right off the bat," She furrowed her brow, "We do the same thing, I just sing and dance more than you do."

"Still pretty different," He adjusted his seating position just barely, pushing back his hair, "But ya'know, it's. It's whatever."

"Jesus, okay," She huffed to herself, "Uh, interesting fact? I wrote a book once."

"Wow," He looked mildly impressed before shrugging, "I don't know, uh, I went to Catholic school."

She blinked, "You... Really?"

He smiled- no, he smirked. It was definitely a smirk. "Yeah. It's just as terrible as it sounds."

"Yikes, dude," The more she thought about it the more she hated it. She had her own experience with having a wildly religious dad, so to imagine growing up and going through the Catholic school education system was just horrendous.

"I mean, it's fine," He cracked his knuckles absentmindedly, "It's just, ya'know, the surefire way to make sure your kids are never Catholic. That was a fun conversation."

"Yeah, I... I get that. With my dad," She looked down at her hands then, fidgeting with her sleeves.

Their RA called for their attention shortly after, and she could feel an awkward wall go up between her and Scott once they were no longer engaged in conversation. She didn't think anything of it, nothing more than a failed attempt at making a friend anyway.

"Alright, and one last thing before we head out," Their RA finally said, "I need to show you guys the trash room!" Somehow she managed to make even that sound exciting. She stood, startling Charlie when she was only around 5'1", and headed down the hall with the elevators. Everyone followed after her and the moment they walked in, there was a murmur.

"Wow, look, it's my home," Charlie said to herself.

Scott's roommate, Grace as Charlie learned, gasped and turned to her. Excitedly they whispered, "That's what I said!"

Charlie looked at them and grinned, "Oh my God."

When their fun adventure to the trash room was over, they were dismissed from the meeting and Charlie and Riley immediately took to hiding in their room.

"So, there's that weird... mixer, party thing on floor twenty," Charlie mentioned, checking herself in the mirror.

"I don't think I'm going," Riley said.

"Yeah?" She looked at her.

"Like, maybe for a little bit because I hear food's involved. But I'm not, ya'know, a people person," She shrugged.

"I get that," She smiled a little, "I'm mostly just going because Danny wants to. I probably won't stay long. It's been... a day."

And so they went, Riley bailing out after a few minutes. Charlie sat with Danny and a few friends she had met during an Accepted Students Day in June, but mostly she was aching to leave. After some dancing and a weird conversation with a boy from her floor she couldn't remember the name of, she retreated to her room, finding Riley already in bed.

After a tentative shower, Charlie crawled into bed for the first night at college. She didn't know how long she stayed awake, staring at her string lights with something heavy weighing on her heart, but eventually she was able to sleep with Scrump in her arms.

[glitters-gloss-and-glaze]

What is makeup?

As the title suggests, we would be talking on the very basic and stupid looking question,”What is makeup?. As funny and dumb as it sounds many people would rather laugh and say,” ah come on we do know what makeup is”. But do we know how, when and where did it originate? and why did they use makeup for? Let us talk on it, starting way back to the time when people actually invented makeup.

First let”s see what wikipedia has to say about it

make-up

ˈmeɪkʌp/

noun

noun: makeup

Cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance

It says that it is the enhancement or alteration of the appearance with the help of cosmetics, which ironically is true. But there is a lot more to the meaning of the term beyond wikipedia and the instagramy makeup tutorials we see. Makeup according to me is the trick to look flawless, more like hiding the flaws which make you feel less confident while facing people. In this age when everyone wants to look beautiful it has become more of a necessity than luxury. Talking of luxury let me throw light on the original purpose of why makeup was used when it was first invented or introduced.Let us go back in time like some hundred years into the Egyptian era.

Call it vanity, if you must, but spending quality time in front of a mirror is a daily ritual millions of women can’t do without, whether they’re preparing for an average day at work, a big event, or a date with that special someone. It all goes back to the ancient Egyptians, who were the first women to wear makeup.

In a way, the basic motive back then was the same as it is today- just like modern day supermodels, the well-to-do women of ancient Egypt wanted to look their best and saw the careful application of face-paint as a means to that end.

But unlike today’s modern women, they weren’t trying to impress that cute guy at work or the guy at that important job interview. And the Egyptian women weren’t trying to catch the eye of the burly construction foreman working on the pyramids or the local pharoah either. Their sights were aimed a little higher. They were trying to impress the gods.

Archeological evidence shows the Egyptian ladies were dolling themselves up as early as 4000B.C. This was mainly, or at least in good part, to please the gods, as the women felt their appearance was directly related to their spiritual worth. So the Egyptians created the first cosmetics (no word on whether they received makeovers at malls along the Nile.

They applied eye makeup called mesdement (from the ancient Egyptian word <>msdmt) a mixture of copper and lead ore, around their eyes. Green shades went on the lower eyelids; black and dark gray were applied to the lashes and upper eyelids. Dark colors were said to ward off “evil eyes”.

To complete the ornate look around the eyes, they added almond shapes of dark-colored powder (later called kohl) that might have been a combination of ingredients such as burnt almonds, oxidized copper, copper ores, lead, ash, and ochre . Kohl was believed to have medicinal benefits as well.

Egyptian women put a mixture of red clay or ochre and water or animal fat on their cheeks and lips- the first blush and lipstick- and applied henna to their nails. When it came time to remove all of these cosmetics at the end of the day, they used a type of soap made from vegetable and animal oils and perfumes.

Although these earliest beauty products the ladies put on were originally intended to please the gods, it doesn’t take much imagination to consider the effect these doses of makeup had on the local Egyptian men (probably similar to the first cave girl who realized the effect her short animal skin dress had on the cave men and boys she walked by).

The connection between beauty and spirituality remained for centuries, until the Romans gained power. The Romans adopted many of the Egyptians’ cosmetic formulas, but their primary motive was to improve their appearance for each other (especially the Roman men). The “god factor” did not enter into it.

And ever since then, from the earliest Egyptian women and the earliest Roman women to Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to the high-school cheerleader to the teenage girl working her first job at the mall, the more things change the more things stay the same. As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the sight of a beautiful woman or girl turns heads, captures attention, and causes a great effect.

This was all about who invented it first and why was it used. And we can say that makeup did evolve and no longer is used to ward off evil or please gods but bring in confidence and look good.

[yeozus]

✞ LET GO.  (  SELF PARA!  )

WARNING! this contains quite a few possible triggers! please do not read if you are sensitive or queasy. otherwise, please proceed & thank you for taking the time to give this a read! this story takes place in incheon, south korea during january of 2005. 

               ❛   hey, hunter.  ❜

                a petite frame stirs almost immediately, though the movement is barely detectable beneath the aggregation of thick blankets - what is his illusion of a temporary safe haven. the pale lighting spilling into the tiny bedroom implies that the metamorphosis between night and morning has already taken place, and as hunter's eyes finally open, his bedroom window displays the telltale image of dark, nebulous cobalt graduating to the soft steely gray of early morning. without so much as glancing toward his alarm clock  ( which in this state of mind, would appear as nothing more than thick, red blocks with a colon in between,  ) he already knows of the hour - for sang-in has consistently woken him up just after 6am for the past five days. hunter hasn't thought to ask of this new habit, and he doesn't complain, either.

                at first, he'd been annoyed at the lack of rest this unspoken schedule imposes on him - nights at the club are unpredictable and can last anywhere from 2am to 4am. but, hunter realizes that he must be at his day job by 8am, anyway - and usually only finds a few hours in between to rest before heading straight to his evening job. waking up this early gives him time to collect himself and mentally prepare for the day ahead - though he's never been a morning person at all, he's willing to make the sacrifice for sang-in.

                he makes a lot of sacrifices for sang-in.

                ❛  i know, i know ... ❜  the seventeen year old mumbles in delayed response, a closed fist raising from beneath the blankets to rub the fatigue from his eyes. all that can be seen from his self-constructed chrysalis is just above his jaw, and as he sleeps facing the wall, sang-in's only view of the boy is a wild tuft of pink hair.

                hunter shifts unceremoniously, reluctantly throwing his covers up and out of the way so he can crawl down from his bed. he and sang-in used to share this room, roughly a year ago - but it became evident that the much older male could not handle being in the same room as hunter. many awkward, uncomfortable instances passed before the younger male took the initiative to force his roommate to sleep on the couch … a measure he hadn't wanted to take, but he grew rather tired of having to slap away wandering hands or move himself to another room when the elder's advances became too much.

                but he can't be mad at sang-in. he needs help - and at this point in time, hunter is the only help available to him.

                ❛  do you want any breakfast? it's nothing fancy, but there's some eggs and bacon downstairs. it's still hot.  ❜  

                sleepy, golden eyes look toward his roommate in surprise. usually, hunter would do all the cooking and keeping house - atop of working two jobs and trying to complete his high school education in the summer. but it's january now, so he doesn't have to concern about that. it's his final year, anyway - by september of this year, he'll graduate.  ❛  you cooked?❜  he asks the obvious, though out of utter disbelief,  ❛  sang, y'didn't have to. ya'no i don't mind ...❜

                ❛  you do everything around here,❜  sang-in sighs, placing his hand delicately atop hunter's bare thigh. the younger flinches at the touch, swatting the hand away immediately. he's let him do that too many times. it's lead to things he'd rather not relive.

                ❛  i gotta,❜  hunter reminds him, climbing down the wooden ladder to the floor, hugging his arms around his bare chest,  ❛  you got fired, an' no one's gonna hire you until you get clean. it's a lotta work, yeah, but i do it 'cause i know i have to.  ❜  

                sang-in sighs, slipping his hands into the pockets of his sleep pants. hunter is right – he's a 35 year old addict, no college education, barely scraped by in high school … he won't admit it to himself, but he's using this softhearted boy to keep him alive. he manipulates him - the only thing hunter is unwilling to give him is sex, but he knows why. sang-in is the one who recommended him to that club, the reason he has that job in every way … he's torn down this child's future to spare whatever is left of his own. the least he could do is make him some goddamn breakfast.

                ❛  i'm headin' out,❜  sang-in finally says after a silent moment, bloodshot eyes glancing at hunter as the older man starts to scratch at his neck,  ❛  got anything for me ?❜  

                hunter nods, and sang-in knew he would. he watches that lithe form climb back up to the top bunk, and the high shelves where a few of hunter's necessities lay neatly arranged to prevent them from falling or being lost. he grasps a black book, a latin cross imprinted on the front cover. opening it, he retrieves two hundred fifty thousand won and crawls to the edge of the bunk, placing it in the other's outstretched hand.  ❛  please make this last the week. it's all i can afford to give you - i still have to pay the electric bill, an' buy us some fuckin' food.  ❜

                sang-in nods in comprehension. hunter knows he'll be asking again by wednesday.

                he crawls down again, listening as sang-in shuffles through the apartment, and slams the front door behind him.

                time to get ready for the day.

                the pink-haired boy rushes around the corner, knowing he'll be late if he so much as stops to breathe. he'd fallen asleep upon coming home from his shift at the coffee shop, and he'd been so tired that he'd slept through both of his alarms. he hadn't even had time to find his counterfeit id, whatever coat pocket he'd left it in - but hardly ever does he need to use it. his boss takes care of everything for him.

                he stumbles in through the back door, every lost breath caught in his throat as he finally takes a moment to stop and collect himself. minhyuk and nikyong, the bouncers, collectively raise an eyebrow as he practically flings himself in after unlocking the door.

                ❛  hey, kid - you alright ? you look even more shook up than usual,❜  nikyong remarks, approaching hunter and studying his weary countenance.

                ❛  i'm fine,❜  hunter says too quickly, starting to remove is jacket and hang it on an unoccupied hook. the neon blacklights of the club's backstage bathe his skin a bright pink hue, more intense than his hair. another setback had been the time it had taken to get his roots bleached and colored, for if his boss so much as saw a trace of his natural color showing through, there would be hell to pay. he has an image to uphold, an image that brings in  MONEY. hunter wheezes out the second part of his reply, clearing his throat to appear more stable after running five blocks without a break,  ❛  i was just runnin' a lil' late, 's all.  ❜

                minhyuk breathes a worried sigh,  ❛  be careful, kid. you still lookin' for another job ?  ❜

                ❛  i haven't found anythin', ❜  hunter comments, running anxious hands through his hair,  ❛  no one needs some seventeen year old kid on deck. i was lucky enough to get this one ... ❜   LUCKY is an interesting choice of word for this circumstance … but the single thought of sang-in pushes him forward.  ❛  i have someone i needa take care of. look, guys, i gotta get ready to go onstage. i'll catch up with you over a cigarette or somethin'.❜  

              with that, the youngblood slides into his shared dressing room, finding that sweetae was already there, applying the last of her makeup. she glaces at him and smiles, an oddly warm smile for a woman as sad as she.

                ❛  hey, attilayah - i was starting to think something happened to you,❜  she murmurs, voice soft as she spins in the vanity chair,  ❛  you're never late.  ❜

                ❛  it's a long ass story,❜  hunter sighs, shifting positions with the older woman as she stands and he takes the seat on the cushioned stool. without question, she starts to brush his hair back to help him with his face.

                ❛  well, i'm glad you're here. the other girls and i would have been mighty lonely without you.  ❜

                hunter often forgets that he is the only boy on staff - yet somehow, the main event every night. men and women alike came to see him dance, hoped to get a private session with him - but the club's owner never allowed hunter to do private sessions, for fear that his real age may become apparent upon closer inspection. and always was hunter grateful for that … but since he'd undergone those  PROCEDURES to look older, his employer seemed to be more lenient with a lot of policies. hopefully, he wouldn't bend on this rule.

                ❛  have ya seen eunbin today ?❜  he speaks his boss's name like a plague, and sweetae only shakes her head.  

                ❛  no, but he's here. i saw his car when i came in. i don't know what the hell he's doing but, i'm not all that concerned about it.  ❜

                no one really was.

                by the time makeup and costuming work had been complete, hunter was hardly recognizable. bright yellow and hot pink makeup decorated his eyes, as well as bright silver rhinestones and thick, black liner. his lips were painted a petal pink and adorned in red gloss, and long, bulky lashes extended from either of his eyes. his hair had been flat ironed and styled so that one eye is partially shrouded behind the flirty pink tresses, and a gold, ornately designed ring had been pierced into his septum, replacing the standard silver one he'd come in with. his outfit was no more than a cluster of jewels and fishnets, though hardly did it matter, for everything but the shoes and thong would be removed by the end of his dance.

                long, slender legs balance seemingly effortlessly on the monstrous heels he's been given, as he's been working here nearly a year, he's gotten used to moving and dancing in such  RIDICULOUS shoes. his build is slim and toned, though a bit too thin in some places, due to his lack of eating. but it isn't as though it mattered, nor anyone cared - so long as he had a nice ass and was pretty to look at, he'd have enough money to make it through the next few months. he's talked of finding another job to replace this one, but, no options have been made apparent. as uncomfortable and anxious as being a stripper makes him, as long as he can hide it before the stage lights go out, he'll be successful.

              ❛  yeo !  ❜

              that strict voice startles him to the point where he nearly drops the earring he'd been trying to put in. golden hues lock on the aged, familiar face - an entire dimension of discomfort passing through his body, all at once. most referred to him by his stripper name between the wall of this godforsaken establishment, but one man never did.

                kwon eunbin, his boss.

                ❛  i heard you were late today,❜  his beady eyes pierce through the young man's soul – but hunter is far from afraid of him. though the man makes him extremely uncomfortable, he prides himself on the fact that he's perhaps the only dancer here who isn't scared of this soulless demon – though in unison with the rest of the cast, he depends on him. he must show him respect, or he'll be out a job that he knows he  NEEDS.  ❛  thought you could just slip in under my nose, did you ?❜

                ❛  i'm sorry, sir,  ❜  hunter mumbles, though he does not break eye contact. his fists are clenched, as is his jaw - though his shoulders are relatively relaxed, for such tension as he feels.  ❛  it won't happen again.  ❜

                ❛  you're damned right, it won't,❜  the man of middle age echoes,  ❛  if it does, you and i will have to have a lil'  CHAT. time is money. don't fuck with either of those.  ❜

                ❛  yes, sajangnim.  ❜  he can feel the other dancers' eyes on him - the fury burning for eunbin enough to scourge the back of his neck,  ❛  i won't be late again. you have my word.  ❜

                ❛  now, before i let you go out, there's an executive decision that i've made.  ❜

                hunter swallows thick in his throat. his eyes stare blankly ahead, lips pursing as he absolutely  HATES when eunbin says that - for it usually translates to the fact he's made some selfish decision that will negatively impact the masses of his employees. he hardly thinks of them as more than whorish pawns that he can play to his profit … and while it's wrong, no one can stop him. if they do, they'll starve.

                ❛  since you've gone through with the surgery, and you look  SO MUCH BETTER, might i add,  ❜  which translates to  SO MUCH OLDER, which is just what eunbin had wanted in  FORCING hunter to undergo the cosmetic procedures he had,  ❛  i feel much safer letting you do private sessions. we'll say … one to two a night ? i'll let you decide on that one. i feel generous enough,❜  

                hunter's shoulders tighten, then. his eyes fill with anger, averting to gaze at the wall to his right rather that have to see that  EVIL face he  HATES so much.

                ❛  so long as you're doing at least one a night, the club will benefit. and so will  YOU,❜  he extends his hand and tightly grasps hunter's jaw -still sore and healing from the reshaping it had undergone. what results is a  HISS, and hunter almost bares his teeth in result to the unwelcomed touch - but by the last minute, he'd managed enough hold on his composure not to make such a dire mistake.

                ❛  yes … sajangnim.  ❜

                ❛  good,❜  eunbin maliciously coos, finally removing his hand from that  PRETTY, PRETTY face,  ❛  now, it seems as though it's about that time. ladies, prep the stage for yeo. he's got a big night tonight.  ❜  again, he turns to the youngblood, a falsely sweet smile placed across his chapped lips,  ❛  and, don't look so sad. it's not sexy.  ❜

                that seductive facade employed, the crowed simply devoured him, as per usual. down to the very last bit of clothing, which he teased halfway down his hips before giving a wink to a very lucky lady and sauntering offstage - he couldn't miss a beat. he was burning fire, he was everything they came to see and more. and he  HATED every second of it.

                admittedly, though, not  EVERY second. there was something exhilarating about the way the crowd screamed his name  ( the throwing of money was a little degrading, but, nonetheless he needs it,) the way they so openly and unabashedly adored him. even if it was just for his body, he could pretend like it wasn't.

                the short trek from the safety of his onstage illusion to the hellish reality that awaits him behind a thick, black curtain certainly isn't long enough for him to get his thoughts together. all he's wearing at this point are, as promised, skimpy lace underwear and 7 inch heels, with pink and blue flashing lights embedded in the soles. a biting chill runs down his spine as he doesn't even have the time to visit his dressing room before he's bombarded by eunbin, and a man that looks to be about his age.

                immediately, hunter slips his stage mask back on - expression going from a deer in headlights to some mythical creature that elicited seduction with its every move. lids hang low over his eyes and golden eyes peer through thick lashes - that mixture of sin and innocence his trademark, the very aspect that puts him at center stage every night.

                eunbin appears pleased with this shift, as does the suited stranger.  ❛  ATTILA,  ❜  begins the club's owner,  ❛  this is the man who paid  MOST GENEROUSLY for your company tonight.  ❜

                hunter only takes a moment to study the look of the salt-and-pepper haired man - dressed in a tom ford suit and expensive looking shoes. what odd attire to come to a strip club in, but he doesn't particularly care about his character - as he's  CERTAIN  such sentiments are reciprocated. he just wants to get this over with.

                ❛  well, it's nice t' meet you,❜  he says in a honeyed voice, low and fluctuating in tones for a harmonious effect. his lashes flutter invitingly despite the fact that he wants to vomit.  ❛  i'm flattered you'd put up so much money just for me. makes me feel real …❜  SICK, ❛  special.  ❜

                hunter can tell the man is looking his body up and down like a piece of meat. but how else would such a lustful character regard something made for nothing more than his pleasures ? hunter would much rather do this with a woman - it may be an unnecessary bias, but he feels as though a female would be less likely to tear him apart like this man looks to be a  SHARK in a fancy suit. the wolf exhales shakily, almost breaking character - though under eunbin's scrutiny, he manages to play it off as a playfully flirty sigh.

                despite his gorgeous ensemble, and the ferarri car keys jingling in his hand … something about this man is  UGLY. aside from the lone fact that he must be old enough to be hunter's father.

                ❛  you are special,  JAGIYA.❜  that sickeningly sweet tone goes right to hunter's stomach, and though he responds with a rehearsed giggle, the urge to tear out this man's throat steadily rises in him. though he's promised to himself he'd never kill a human unless they  REALLY DESERVE IT … and all this man is guilty of is being a pawn to societal lust.  ❛  now, come with me. we've wasted enough time standing here, right ?  ❜

                NO, hunter wants to say. but he gives a charming eye-smile and takes the man's hand, swallowing down the urge to scream. hopefully minhyuk and nikyong would look out for him in case hunter's previous assessment of this nameless man proves to be true, and he gets some  BRIGHT IDEAS in favor of not following the rules of a private session. the most emboldened of these regulations also the most violated: NO TOUCHING. hunter could not count how many times the cast would complain about wandering hands - maybe he'll get lucky, though. maybe this man knows better.

              wrong.

              as soon as the door closes behind them, hunter making to pivot sensually and use the mirror on the back of the threshold to his advantage, he's met with a very unpleasant look in the other man's eye. pure CARNAGE, and as a wolf, he can recognize it. but no - that glower is all human. all despicably human.

                but he hasn't touched him. that's a good sign - so hunter keeps going.  ❛  now,  OPPA, what 's it that you want, hm ~?  ❜  he bites back the urge to call him  AJUSSHI, hiding his scorn behind that pretty smile and hypnotic body. his skin is milky and soft-looking, even the protrusions of his hip- and collarbones look like gentle, pretty slopes. it's amazing how good of an actor he can be in this instance - in actually, all he's  WILLING to do is maybe spit on this man.

                but sang-in needs him.

                ❛  you're so pretty.  ❜  the man says, drawing closer. to avoid being backed against the door, hunter shifts his back and increases his proximity to the loveseat in the corner of the private room. this doesn't stop the nameless man, however, and in defiance of his feral instincts - for the  SAKE of both himself and this human before him, he swallows down every urge he gets to defend himself against a larger predator. wolves are aggressive and relentless when threatened, and though hunter's blood has come to boil, he tries to keep up his act to distract himself. his smile never falters.

                ❛  sit down, oppa.  ❜  hunter entices,❛  and i'll show ya just how pretty i am.  ❜

                the man does what is instructed of him, and hunter coordinates in his brain exactly how he will do this to preserve the fraying ropes of his sanity, keeping him from breaking. he doesn't have a lot of time, so he moves quickly, raising one of his legs onto the cushion of the loveseat, boxing his one-man audience in with his body. he makes an effort not to make any contact with him, however - aside from that flirtatious stare.

                ❛  you have such nice clothes …❜  hunter coos, licking his lips faux-innocently,  ❛  i would hate to mess them up.  ❜

                ❛  don't worry about that,  ❜  the man releases him of any worry he may have had about that, though hunter hardly even hears what he says,❛  there's plenty more just like them.  ❜

                how did a rich man stumble into  THIS part of incheon ?  hunter muses, he must have some sort of business here … some career stepping on the heads of the poor to markup his own value. again, that sickness in his stomach makes itself known, but every time it worsens, he just smiles more.  ❛  that so ?   ❜

                hunter gets tired of talking to him, and the man must have seen no value in this exchange, either, for he seems more focused on the way hunter's body moves. what a predictable and simple-minded person. biting back his disgust, hunter grinds down onto him - doing as best he could to ignore the erection prodding him - what a  PIG, and oh, how the wolf wishes to devour him … in a way far different from how the older man must be envisioning himself doing to hunter.

                though it isn't long after such a hostility is conceived that the wolf feels a tight  GRIP at his hips, pushing him further down into the man's lap.

                NO.

                ❛  let go.  ❜  hunter doesn't hesitate to command, trying to slap the hands away and dropping his act almost instantaneously. the man does not let him go, however, and hunter nearly GROWLS  as he orders him again.  ❛  i said  LET GO. you aren't allowed to touch me.  ❜

                ❛ calm down, jagiya,  ❜  panic is rising at the same rate as anger in hunter's blood, the use of that pet name causing him to nearly snap then and there.  ❛  i just want to make this more  FUN, for the both of us.  ❜

                ❛  then try a prostitute,  ❜  hunter says coldly,  his disgust now  EVIDENT.   ❛  i'm not a whore. you can't buy me that way. take your fuckin' hands off me.  ❜  he starts to raise his voice, hoping that either nikyong or minhyuk will hear him and come to his aid. he looks toward the door. nothing.

                his jaw is grasped for the second time today, and he's forced to look into those  UGLY  eyes. it reminds him of something he's seen before, but his recollection is hazy. but just that glare makes the scars down his lower back tingle  - his body remembering what his mind cannot. withholding his true strength, he tries one final time.

                ❛  let. go.  ❜

                ❛  i don't think so, honey. stop acting like this isn't something you want - or keep it up, rather. i like it.  ❜

                violently,  hunter smacks his hand away from his face and tries to squirm out of the iron grip digging into his hip –where he's certain bruises are forming now. he gets halfway off the man's lap before his thighs are grasped and he's pulled back, hunter's face now locked with  AGGRESSION  as their eyes again meet. the man reaches to pull down his underwear, and that is the final straw. hunter's hold breaks, and he raises a clawed hand, striking the man across the face.

                it happens so quickly;  blood stains the floor in a crimson flash, hunter able to  HEAR  the massive droplets hitting the floor and creating thick pools. the man cries out, his left eye socket  POURING BLOOD  as its rightful eye is loose from the thin veins connecting it to his brain. hunter jumps off of him, losing his footing as his legs give out and he falls onto the bloodstained floor, his clawed hand soaked in the man's sanguine, and thin patches of torn flesh.

                claw marks from his middle, index, and ring finger are glittering red, the imprints deep into the man's aged flesh as he shouts again, swearing out of utter  PAIN. he's still bleeding - blood is everywhere. the couch, the floor, all over both of them - hunter comes to his senses all at once and realizes what he's just done. his eyes widen and his whole body quivers … the man is still alive, but for how long ?

                at least he said not to worry about the suit.

                the essence of imperfect timing, minhyuk and nikyong burst into the room, the door nearly flying off its hinges.  ❛  KID, are you okay ? we heard screaming -  ❜  minhyuk stops mid-sentence as he takes in the scene. nikyong covers his mouth.

                hunter looks at both of them, eyes as wide as they possibly could be, 'twas a wonder how they did not simply roll out of their sockets. no one says anything,  the man's cries of agony are enough sound to fill the room. the victim looks up, left eye disconnected completely from the nerve adhering it to his brain, socket completely void of anything but the blood spurting out of it. his face is utterly destroyed, his mouth torn and the bone of his nose exposed by the ripped flesh.

                ❛  what the  FUCK  happened here -?  ❜

                the next hunter realizes that he is alive,  that his conscious is working and that he, indeed, witnesses his own existence -  he is wrapped in a blanket, nikyong and minhyuk, as well as most of the cast crowded around him. eunbin is pacing, and when he notices that hunter is awake, he all but  SNAPS.

                ❛  you little  ANIMAL,  ❜  he shouts, startling nearly everyone in the room. the two bouncers are on either side of him, seemingly protectively, and hunter nearly falls from his seat, the sudden shout startles him so.

                ❛   sajangnim, please -  ❜  sweetae speaks up, her tiny voice nothing compared to the way eunbin's bellows throughout the room,  ❛  attilayah was just trying to defend himself - the man broke the rules, and was trying to hurt him -  ❜

                ❛ RAPE HIM,  from what i saw,  ❜  nikyong cuts in, preventing the owner from yelling at the one who'd spoken up,  as he looked like he was about to,  ❛  the kid's underwear were down below his ass, and he was covered in bruises. cut him some slack - he did what he had to do. ❜

                hunter cannot find words to speak toward his own defense, so he is grateful that the other employees do it for him. eunbin, however, stares knives into the boy's eyes - and even through this state, hunter does not back down from him.

                ❛   that guy died on  OUR  property. how are we going to explain this to the police ? to anyone ? we'll get shut down for sure. i'll go broke.  ❜

                no one seems to be surprised that all eunbin can think about is money, despite all that's happened. hunter finally finds the strength to say something, though the scene plays over and over again in his mind - though he's been cleaned and taken care of, he can still feel that ripping flesh beneath his now-retracted nails. thankfully, no one seems to outwardly question just  HOW  he's clawed half a man's face off … though it seems as though he bled to death.  ❛  i'll … i'll plead self defense. that'll get you off the hook, won't it ?  ❜

                ❛  YEO, no matter how  GORGEOUS  that skimpy lil' body of yours is, people aren't gonna come to a club where some guy was  KILLED.  we have no choice. we have to hide the body. unless you all want to be out of a job, it's the only choice we got. he'll go missing for a while, but no one's even gonna remember him in a few months. it'll be fine. we'll be okay.  ❜

                hunter sits where he is, frozen, as everyone else rushes to complete the task. some horror is present in all of their eyes,  but desperate times do call for equally  DESPERATE measures.

                ❛  kid, you go home.  ❜  nikyong says, just as he's about to leave the room.  ❛  you been through enough tonight. go get some rest. ❜  and without another word, he's gone.

                hunter closes his eyes, though briefly opens them to try to decipher the face of the clock on the wall. 4.30am. he'd better get home.

                sang-in will still wake him up at 6.

[ashleysportfolioblr-blog]

Project 3: Rhetorical Analysis

Project 3 Rhetorical Analysis: The Change In Beauty

We see advertisements everywhere, they are on posters, billboards, our televisions, and even in our cell phone applications. They are inescapable and are easily perceived as a nuisance. Advertisements are used to promote and popularize a certain product, organization, or company. They encourage us in witty and intriguing ways to buy what they are selling.But there is more to an ad than most would think. Most advertisements use specific strategies to inform readers or viewers about their products and to get their message across in an easy and understandable way. These strategies usually involve imposing arguments and use ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos to effectively peak the interest of their targeted audience. There is clear evidence of this in the two Maybelline Cosmetics advertisements that I have chosen to analyze. Both are very different as the time periods are decades apart and the strategies used for selling the products are completely opposite in delivery. I chose these ads to expose the major difference between the perception of the need for beauty products now and in the past.

1956 MAYBELLINE AD ANALYSIS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjqGripHWTs

The first advertisement I chose is a Maybelline Cosmetics ad from the year 1956. During this time period, the beauty standards were completely different and makeup was seen as more of a necessity than just a beauty enhancer. I chose this ad specifically because I believe it shows the parallels between the way we perceive makeup now versus back then. I find it interesting how the advertisement almost was insulting toward barefaced woman by saying things such as “Every woman needs mascara even brunettes”, which implies that women who are not a brunette probably need mascara. Also, in the ad it shows a before and after as if the woman in the ad was not beautiful without a full face of makeup. It then goes on to have a jingle that sings, “All the guys make eyes at a girl whose eyes are lovely with Maybelline”, with 3 men appearing out of nowhere to stare at the woman's face. This basically, in itself, is stating that women are only wearing this makeup to appeal to men's standards. The argument that this ad is essentially making is that you are not beautiful or desirable until you are wearing Maybelline Cosmetics. Back then, I believe this was an effective way of getting women to want to purchase their products as most advertisements during that time period were targeted toward men anyway. Most advertisements were about appealing to men's needs and satisfaction, this probably received a positive public reaction and was not seen as controversial at all. There was not much of logos in this ad as there was not very many logical arguments supported by facts. Ethos was a common theme in this ad as they were using before and afters of a bareface to a made up face to convince the audience that they needed Maybelline so they would be “beautiful”. There was a large amount of pathos in this ad as well because they were targeting women's feelings on their appearance. They were telling women that men will find them more attractive if they are wearing their products, which they accomplished in the form of a jingle and also by saying things such as “your eyes will look larger and lovelier”. As for kairos, because of the time period the argument was appropriate for the that time and was effective. The audience, in this scenario, is females and the main goal is to make them feel as if they truly need this product. I think this ad wants you to feel insecure. Cosmetic companies make a profit off of others insecurities because the more inadequate they feel the more they will purchase the product to feel more attractive and that is exactly what this ad does. The visuals in this ad were definitely doing a good job of furthering their argument because, as I previously stated, they showed examples of what it was like it you were to wear Maybelline and basically how much better your life would be which, during that time, was probably very convincing.

2016 MAYBELLINE AD ANALYSIS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ysN7AKAnE

The second advertisement I chose is a more modern Maybelline Cosmetics commercial.  Now that we live a less sexist society that does not necessarily revolve around pleasing men's standards, the approach to these cosmetics commercials have slightly changed. I chose this ad specifically because it is the complete opposite of the first I ad I chose. It’s about empowering women and having them find the strength within the power of makeup. The entire message was basically saying that women should have confidence when they look in the mirror and that your personality makes you beautiful not just the makeup that you wear. The ideal audience for this advertisement was women and I think this was specifically targeted at young women as that was the age that was most represented in this advertisement. The argument I feel this ad is making is that anything is possible when you are wearing Maybelline Cosmetics. Throughout the commercial they say things like, “put on your strong face, your nothing is going to stop me face” or  “stand tall and proud, go out and make it happen”,  this is arguing that these products will make you confident.  It uses Ethos a lot in this commercial by saying very empowering and uplifting things about women and that these products will build confidence in you which is certainly convincing. There was some qualities of pathos as well because of the emotional aspects of the commercial. Especially when the commercial said things like “and if sometimes that mirror is clouded by doubt or insecurity, this is for the girls who know what to do…” it is undoubtedly relatable to the audience they are reaching out to. There is not much logos in this ad as there is not any facts or logical information in this commercial. This ad does include some aspects of kairos because it is fitting for this time period and it was very effective in its approach. The public reaction to this advertisement was very positive and supporting, it was not controversial at all. I think the main goal with this advertisement was to boost the confidence of women and also state that makeup is confidence not a cover-up of your natural beauty. It definitely made you want to feel strong and empowered. I could see this ad in the type of situation where young girls may need to feel more comfortable in the skin or are reaching out to feel less insecure this ad could be a way of making them feel more comfortable with who they are. The visuals of this ad definitely further the argument. They show woman walking around in the street strutting and looking very confident, they also show them doing things in the workplace and taking charge.  This furthers the argument that these products will empower you to do great things.

COMPARISON ANALYSIS

These two ads were completely different with totally different motivations but are both very effective considering there time periods. If that 1956 Maybelline advertisement were to play on television today the backlash would be catastrophic and if the 2016 Maybelline ad were to have aired during the 50’s there would have been a lot of upset mainly about how woman cannot take charge. But what both ads have in common is that they both are trying to promote the beautification of women. Both commercials state how makeup can be beneficial though they state different benefits they are both still essentially promoting the same thing. If I were to chose an ad that had the most effective approach it would be the 2016 Maybelline advertisement. I think this definitely had a lot more layers to it and pulled at the heartstrings by showing that women can do anything and that makeup can help you be more confident in your true self. I think this positive approach was more effective than the underlying negative approach that the other advertisement had. It also used ethos, pathos, logos, and Kairos in a more effective way than the 1956 commercial did which contributed to a more convincing advertisement.

Advertisements are creative and interesting ways companies sell their products to their targeted market audience.  The 1956 Maybelline ad succeeded in drawing the insecurity from the audience to encourage them to buy there makeup. The 2016 Maybelline ad succeeded in drawing the confidence out of their audience to encourage them to purchase their cosmetics. Though the two ads I selected were different in almost every aspect they both succeeded in convincing their audience to purchase their products.