Make-up Tutorial!

If my make-up tutorial was too vague, here is a step-by-step video of the "Born To Die" look! Enjoy!

Eye Catcher

Well, now that I have covered Lana's hair, style, and diet; let me focus on her amazingly flawless makeup. Her face is always blemish free, with luscious lips, and big dramatic eyes. So first things first, what do you need? (I'll give a brief overview in case some makeup brands are too expensive)

• Foundation/Concealer
• Eyeshadow: neutral
• Mascara
• Fake Eyelashes (optional)
• Eyebrow Pencil
• Face Powder (bronzer, dusting powder)

Depending on how you apply everything, you can achieve Lana's flawless face with those products. :)

**Don't forget about red lips!

THIS

PLUS THIS

=

Counting Calories?

So, by this point we get it-Lana is perfect. But apart from her hair and style, how do we get the body!? The answer is..(drumroll)....nothing. Lana admits to not counting calories often, and exercises normally. Nothing extreme. Talk about perfect.

To prove this, LDR was seen munching on french toast with whipped cream at an American diner. Yum. This is another positive aspect of Lana. She is real, and will not change for the media. This is big in today's society where less than 50% of women are happy with their bodies. Be yourself, eat what you want, and stay true to who you are. You go girl.

LDR's Voice

Okay, so besides her intense song lyrics what does Lana have to say? Here are a few of her own personal quotes, and my opinion on what she is trying to say!

"It takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it, to know what true freedom is."

• To me this is a very inspiring quote. It is said that the things you own end up owning you, and Lana is acknowledging that. She is saying that in order to be free of everything, you must have it all and then get it taken away, but still survive. Know your limits.

"My intention was never to transform into a different person. What other people think of me is none of my business."

• This says a lot about Lana. She knows she i different and embraces it. That is why she is so unique, and teaches us to be ourselves no matter what. It's about not listening to what others have to say about you.

"I want to stay hopeful, even though I get scared about why we're even alive at all."

• I love this quote because it runs through everyones mind at least once a day. Whether you do not feel good enough, or you are unsure about the path you are on, it is always a blessing to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got."

• Amen sista! This is 100% true. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, so why keep doing it? In order to get anywhere, you must keep going forward.

Lastly, here is an image of my all time favorite LDR quote:

Picture Perfect

Okay, so like most girls I have been trying for over a year to get Lana's curls. Her hair is amazing. So shiny, flowing, and long. Here are a few things you may need to get the curls, and some tips!

Things You'll Need:

1. Curlers (small or large) Not a fan of curlers? A curling iron will suffice!
2. Comb
3. Hairspray

Things To Do:

• Part hair diagonally
• Curl all the way down to root with no fringed ends
• Curl inward not out!
• If using curlers, use bigger curlers on the top of head, and smaller ones on the bottom for maximum volume
• When taking out the curlers, roll them out slowly
• Brush out bangs area of hair, and tease at root
• Back comb top layer of hair
• Hairspray your head & you're done!

The Great Del Rey?

With up-and-coming film "The Great Gatsby" coming to theaters next month, some of LDR's lyrics have been chosen to represent the movie. Do they match the plot of the book? You tell me. I'll give a list of lyrics, and comment my posts yes or no!

1. Money is the anthem of success, so before we go out, what's your address?
2. Remember how we used to party up all night?
3. Big dreams, gangster, said you had to leave to start your life over.
4. Singing in the old bars, swinging with the old stars, living for the fame.
5. It's you, it's you, it's all for you, everything I do.
6. Sometimes love is not enough, and the road gets tough, I don't know why.
7. My old man is a bad man, but I can't deny the way he holds my hand.
8. Um, do you think he'll buy me lots of diamonds?
9. Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a f*cking dream I'm livin' in.
10. You're screwed up and brilliant, look like a million-dollar man, so why is my heart broke?

This to me is perfection. With "The Great Gatsby" being one of my favorite novels, and Lana one of my favorite artists, comparing the two gives me the chills. 

Covers

Like most artists these days, Lana has done a few cover songs. The two below are "Blue Velvet," and "Summer Wine."

Blue Velvet

• 1950
• Originally written by Bernie Wayne & Lee Morris
• Performed by Tony Bennett
• Top 20 Hit

This tune was later covered by Lana, and was used to promote her H&M campaign. 

Summer Wine

• 1967
• Recorded by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood
• One of Sinatra & Hazelwood's first popular duets

This song was covered by Lana this year with beau, O'Neill.

Single or Taken?

Last February, Lana was seen arm-in-arm with singer Barrie-James O'Neill. O'Neill is a member of the Scottish rock band "Kassidy." Currently, the two are involved on the 70-day tour.

Is this love real? Will it last? According to LDR:

"When I met my boyfriend… we always say that the entire time we were writing for each other, but we didn’t know it until we met each other. So, you feel like even though you didn’t know the  person then all the songs are for them now. That’s romantic."

Will there be a wedding? Maybe! In February, the two were seen together, but when blocking her face from the paparazzi LDR flashed a giant diamond on her left hand.

Upcoming Dates

As promised, I will post upcoming concert dates for Lana!

Please note: she is currently touring world-wide, the only known US performance is scheduled for Lollapalooza on Sunday, August 4.

Want to travel across the world to see her? Here's where she'll be for the next two months!

APRIL

20 (Saturday): Frankfurt, Germany

25 (Thursday): Munich, Germany

27 (Saturday): Paris, France

28 (Sunday): Paris, France

30 (Tuesday): Esch Sur Alzette, Luxembourg

MAY

1 (Wednesday): Geneva Switzerland

3 (Friday): Turin, Italy

4 (Saturday): Monaco, Monaco

6 (Monday): Rome, Italy

7 (Tuesday): Milan, Italy

9 (Thursday): Madrid, Spain

12 (Sunday): Birmingham, UK

13 (Monday): Birmingham, UK

15 (Wednesday): Glasgow, UK

16 (Thursday): Glasgow, UK

19 (Sunday): London, UK

20 (Monday): London, UK

23 (Thursday): Manchester, UK

24 (Friday): Manchester, UK

26 (Sunday): Dublin, Ireland

27 (Monday): Dublin, Ireland

29 (Wednesday): Amsterdam, Netherlands

31 (Friday): Brussels, Belgium

Paradise

Personally, Lana's new album "Paradise" did not come close to "Born To Die." This is just an opinion, however. I love her music no matter what so I will now touch upon why "Paradise" is amazing in its entirety.

1. F*ck yeah America! LDR never ceases to be patriotic throughout her music, whether she is mentioning our country, open skies, achieving the American Dream, etc, etc. I can't seem to get enough.

2. Bruce Springsteen, Elvis, Marilyn, & God. All 4 of these (people?) are mentioned variously throughout songs, and all 4 have been major influences on society.

3. Vulgarity. The fact that her songs are so subtle, yet contain such profanities is so awesome in my eyes. She knows what she wants to say and how she wants to convey it. None of this techno stuff that is taking over the music industry.

4. Lastly, love. And this isn't normal lyrical love. This is crazy, psychotic love between two people. She also sings about family ties which is endearing.

Clearly this album contains hidden gems, and after listening to it countless times, I have yet to get tired of it.

SNL (Saturday Night Letdown)

Over a year ago, on January 14, 2012, Lana performed on Saturday Night Live for her first time. Because she was so "new" in the music industry, the exec's of SNL were questioning the singer. Turns out, they were right. LDR's performance was mediocre at best. I don't blame her though, since SNL has been running for years on end, and is a home to some of the greatest (and sometimes brutal) comedians.

Apart from being completely out of key, LDR seemed awkward and her movements did not really match the tone or beat of the song. This is a clip of "Blue Jeans," which is one of her best songs. She also performed "Video Games," and "Born To Die," but all 3 received terrible feedback.

Note: LDR was the first-ever performer to be featured on SNL before an entire album was released.

Better luck next time, girl!

Gangsta Nancy Sinatra

Lana Del Rey has been dubbed the "Gangsta Nancy Sinatra" because of her music style, which coincides with her fashion sense. I am quite jealous of the many styles she is able to pull off effortlessly. Whether she is wearing a ball gown, or a garbage bag, Del Rey seems to look fabulous and unique. Her fashion sense is one many girls envy, and try to pull off. In music videos Lana wears awesome outfits, accompanied by eccentric accessories, whether it be a crown of flowers or a tiger. But these music video looks also reflect her personal style. On the street she can be seen wearing studded cutoff jean shorts and a rocker tee, and her music mirrors that. However, if her song is a soft rock melody, she will dress up the video by wearing outfits inspired by "Old Hollywood." In her "National Anthem" music video Lana is seen in white dress pants with a lilac blouse, which reflects the 60s. Not only is this outfit classic, it is trendy. This music video also features several other 60s inspired outfits, and I want almost all of them! Lana's blurring of street and career fashion is changing the fads seen today. Her hard rock persona mixed with her soft rock style has dubbed her the "Gangsta Nancy Sinatra."

Tattoos

Lana Del Rey has many tattoos on her, but not everyone is sure what they say. Well, she has 5 in total, but will sometimes get temporary ones as well. The permanent ones read: "M," "Paradise," "trust no one," "die young," and "Nabokov Whitman." Each tattoo is very unique and the meanings have been discussed, but still remain unknown.

As for the non-permanent tattoos, Del Rey has had the infinity symbol, and "life is beautiful." Each tattoo she has gotten has been on her hands, except for "Nabokov Whitman," which is placed on her arm.

Video Games

     "Video Games" is the title of Lana Del Rey's claim to fame. The single was released in 2010 off of her album "Born to Die." Del Rey wrote the song, accompanied by Justin Parker, but released it via internet on June 29, 2011. The song revolves around a girl, whose boyfriend does not acknowledge her, but she still loves him. Del Rey's voice caught the attention of critics who approved of her pop ballad style. The song spread world wide, making it to number one on the charts in Germany. If you youtube the music video, you will find it and not quite understand it. That is because Del Rey directed and edited the video herself. Among being nominated for many awards, "Video Games" won the "Best Contemporary Song" in 2012. "Video Games" is Del Rey's only song to reach the chart in America, ranking at 91, and later to 11.

Before Fame

          Originally Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey was born on June 21,1986 in New York City. She grew up in Lake Placid, NY, and attended the Kent School in Connecticut in order to overcome alcoholism at age 14. Del Rey claims that her inspiration comes from her first love-alcohol, and that her early teenage years were the worst of her life. She began to sing at bars in her town, and did not fully believe in herself, but at 19 was signed by an indie label. Unfortunately, the label went out of business, but her father later helped her reach out to the market in 2010.

             Del Rey's first performance was in a bar, wearing a yellow t-shirt and jeans. She had her guitar and played an original song that required a mere 3 chords. When she began to sing the entire bar became silent and focused on Del Rey. She finished the song, received no applause, and ran out of the bar leaving her jacket on stage. Someone ran after her and screamed that she should come by his bar to perform sometime. Del Rey's old music approach and unique voice was so fresh that everyone was in awe.

Who is Lana Del Rey?

            Lana Del Rey, formerly Elizabeth Woolridge Grant of New York City, began her career at the age of 20, and was first recognized from her hit single “Video Games.” The single scored her a joint record contract with Interscope Records and Polydor, which led to the recording of “Born to Die.” Since the “Born to Die” release, Del Rey has performed around the world, released new singles, and released her new album "Paradise" in November 2012.

           While recording the "Paradise"album, Del Rey caught the attention of the clothing company H&M, and she represented the fall campaign. This campaign includes a cover of her new song “Blue Velvet,” which reflects Del Rey as an artist and H&M’s new look. The image that Del Rey portrays for H&M is classic, yet simple, with hints of “dark charm.”

            With her debut album “Born to Die,” released in January 2012, and her recent contract as H&M’s new spokeswoman, Lana Del Rey is continuing to make her mark in the media. The 26-year-old models her music after the 1950s and 1960s, and emulates that of “Hollywood sad core,” with hints of underlying American patriotism. Del Rey represents the bad-girl-meets-Hollywood image, and reaches out to her listener's in very interesting ways. This unique music style influenced H&M’s fall and winter clothing lines, which led to the hiring of Del Rey as the endorser.

            Del Rey toured during 2012, but is currently performing live shows across the United States. No upcoming tour dates have been released, but I will keep you updated!