The Thrifty Tanguera

Site/Blog Update

2011-12-07T07:46:00.001-08:00

Hopefully issues with the ability to comment are resolved. If not, please email me at infinitetango (at) gmail.com directly and I'll put in another ticket with Blogger.

Pimping out your Tango Shoes

2011-12-06T07:28:00.001-08:00

From UrbanDictionary.com:
Pimp Out: A term used to describe massive modification (noun: "mods") of something to make it standout and look attractive. The term is derived from the way pimps modify their cars with various colors, lights and other hardware.

Aesthetic Mods:

It started with the shoe clips which I still get here when I fancy a pair. I loved being able to match a plain pair of t-straps to just about anything in my wardrobe.

Then, my silver and black Jorge Nel (Mr. Tango Shoes) shoes started taking a beating and the shiny silver heels started to look really terrible. My cobbler said there wasn't much he could so I went to the store and grabbed some silver shimmer nail polish, and voila! Perfect match! New shiny heels for $6.95 plus tax. My cobbler, over at Austin Shoe Hospital, did tell me that he could easily re-wrap heels in just about any color leather I wanted, so for my other shoes that are getting worn out, I maybe getting the heels wrapped in turquoise leather.

The next step, I'm almost certain, will be glitter. I'm getting brave - especially on my shoes that are more beat up, since I don't have much to lose if it goes badly. Check out Bastet's post on Tango Shoe Divas:

While we're on the subject of glitter, my newest shoes from NeoTango, will almost certainly need regularly glitter application, which shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just about any well-stocked cobbler will have the glue I need, and the glitter I can match up in a craft store.

(That's me, in my new NeoTango shoes, filing at work. Just because.)

If you're coveting the trademark red soles of Christian Louboutins, you can apparently have your cobbler paint the soles for you according the Daily Mail.

Performance Mods:

To protect the ball of the foot, don't just add cushion - support the arch.

After my podiatrist gave up trying to get me to stop dancing in "ridiculously high heels", we negotiated a compromise. He thought by getting me to agree to wear orthopedic inserts (which I surely wouldn't be able to fit into my shoes), he would win and I would have to give up the heels. Well the joke's on him. After wrestling a bit with my shoes, I did actually manage to fit the inserts in my shoes. (These inserts will only work with tango shoes that have a complete heel cage. Open heels, or filigree heel cages, will not give enough support to the orthotic to hold it in place - even with the adhesive on the bottom.) These are the inserts I wear (the 3/4 variety - not the full sole.) Unlike cushions under the balls of the feet which only absorb shock, these inserts actually work a little bit like a lever and take some of the pressure of the ball of the foot by supporting the arch.

Converting Street Shoes with Felt Soles

I have two pair of street shoes (in beige and also in black) that are gorgeous (and very comfortable despite the 3.5" heel) for dancing and have substantial ankle straps that protect my ever-weakening ankles. The problem? Even though they have leather soles, the texture of the leather is very sticky on most of the floors I dance on. So I'm having the soles covered in felt to make it a little easier to pivot. The downside is that they won't take the abuse that my other leather bottom shoes do. If I had a cobbler that still worked with the thin ultra-flexi soles, I could just have them resoled, but I can't find a shop that has them anymore. So a friend has offered to cover the soles in adhesive felt - which isn't permanent, but considering the shoes weren't expensive anyway, it's a good quick fix.

What mods have you made to your shoes? What has worked well - and what turned out to be not-so-great?

Milonga-ready Make-up Part 1 - The Primers

2011-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Before starting tango, I was never much of a believer in primers - now, I'm a total believer. Especially since so many of the products I use are waterproof and transfer-resistant, getting skin smooth before application is essential because once that make-up is on, it's not moving.

For dancers, the benefit to using primers is basically just keeping make-up where you put it. I would have thought using the above-mentioned waterproof and transfer-resistant formulas would be enough, but I found that many of those products applied unevenly or didn't stay as true to color as I would have liked. Whenever I danced outside, even the waterproof stuff didn't always hold up.

A fellow makeup artist suggested a primer to keep my color products in place, and at first I scoffed. Most of the primers I had seen on the market were just overly-shiny silicone lotions that did little for my skin or for the performance of my makeup. My friend made it clear that I needed to be updated on the far more sophisticated products that are available now. So I asked her what she recommended, and asked a few other makeup artist friends, hit the stores and read reviews. (Two sources of reviews I really enjoy are InMyKit.com for makeup artists and Paula Begoun's BeautyPedia.com .) Here are the results of my

Primer Tips

- For photography: Avoid high SPF/titanium dioxide formulas unless you absolutely have to have it for outside wear. Titanium dioxide and other mineral based sunscreens/sunblocks tend to flash white or ashy in pictures. If you have to wear a high SPF primer, you may want to consider going slightly darker in your foundation, just for the photo shoot. Always do some test shots to see how the color actually looks under the lights and in the picture.

- Always apply primer according to directions. Some go on as a first step in your skin care regimen, some go one right before your foundation, and some can even be applied after you've put on your foundation and powder. Read the directions carefully for best results.

- Try to match formulations. You'll usually get the best performance by pairing oil-free skin care with oil-free foundation and vice-versa. Some products, particularly "oil-control" products, will actively break down oils in the other products or treatments you might have used on your skin.

Favorite Eyelid Primers

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion Original, Greed (gold), Sin (champagne-pearl) and Eden (Nude): Eden is the most useful option if you have discoloration or darker eyelids - though it seems to take a little longer to set than the original formula. I go between Nude and Original depending on how much coverage I want - Greed is a bit too shiny for my no-longer-20-years-old eye lids, as is Sin, but they're a beautiful option if your eyelids are smooth. The formula is oil-absorbing and now finally comes in an easier-to-apply tube.

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer The Smashbox lid primer has only one color, but works very, very well. The color starts off a little dark on my fair skin, but blends out completely natural looking. The consistency is slightly thicker than the Urban Decay, but the texture feels a little silkier (though still matte) to me. It's probably best for oilier eyelids, rather than drier skin types.

MAC Prep + Prime (available in Light, Medium, and Medium-Dark): Great texture that can be used under cream, liquid and powder eye shadows. The Light color isn't really light enough for very fair, or porcelain skin tones.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (Original, Candlelight, and Glitter Glue): The Original and Candlelight are both oil-absorbing and keep a silky texture that you can still blend eye shadows over. Glitter Glue is best saved for the glittery (rather than shimmery) eye shadows, as it stays fairly tacky feeling to really grab "chunkier" eye shadows.

Mass Market Alternative - L'Oreal De-Crease Eye Shadow Base: talc-based, cream-to-powder no-frills, but still very reliable, eye shadow base. It only comes in one (peachy) shade and doesn't have quite the silkiness or ultra-gripping qualities of some of the other options, but it still holds its own against the pricier competition.

Complexion Primers

Cover FX Skinprep FX: Basic, though very reliable, silicone-based primer with a few key skin care ingredients to round out the formulation. It's not fancy, but it is very reliable.

Laura Geller Spackle Under Makeup Primer: A make-up artist and beauty editor favorite! This formula camouflages large pores and fine lines, keeps foundation very smooth, moderately controls shine, and comes in an airless pump that keeps the product fresh.

OC Eight Mattifying Gel: One of the more expensive options, but truly outstanding for very oily skin. It can leave a slightly white cast if not blended carefully and well, so I only recommend it for seriously oily skin - and not for photography makeup.

Urban Decay Brightening Potion Complexion Primer Lotion: Silky texture with ingredients that not only smooth the skin, but have (a few) ingredients to improve skin tone. It doesn't replace a good tone-evening treatment, but it can enhance the effect of another one if you've already got one in your regimen.

M.A.C. Prep + Prime Brightening Serum: Similar idea to the product above from Urban Decay, but the usage is a bit different. This product actually goes on before your treatments, not as the last step before foundation. I've noticed that this one not only improves the clarity of my skin (after about 6 weeks of use), but the hydration, though minimal, keeps my skin from trying to pull the moisture out of my foundation. (If you end up with slightly powdery streaks in your foundation by the end of the day, your skin may need more hydration - even if you have an oily complexion.

MUSI shoe clips update

2010-05-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

More MUSI shoe clips . .

I finally took my red MUSI shoe clips for a test spin Saturday night and just loved how they looked. One note to remember, when showing your friends how they work, be sure that you close the clasp completely before starting to dance again, or risk losing it during the next low boleo. ;) They stay on beautifully but only if you remember to close the clasp. I was also happy to note that the bows (made from a synthetic leather) did not catch on my stockings during leg wraps (the wraps where I wrap around myself, not my partner) or anything else. Yay!

Anyway, Beverly has more gorgeous shoe clips available on Ruby Lane that she just posted this weekend. Woot!

White and Red Faille rosettes, leather flowers - including gorgeous patent leather ones, but my absolute favorites out of these new beauties - the red leather roses, and burnt orange flowers with rhinestone center. *want*want*want* She's also posted several satin flowers that are so pretty too!

Oh my gosh, there are suede-looking ones too! *sigh* I need to stop looking now.

Beverly also said that if there's a particular color you're wanting to go with your shoes, to let her know. She has tons, and only posts a fraction of what's available, so shoot her an email if there's something specific you have in mind.

Meanwhile, I'm going to go back to making my wishlist.

Dressing for the milonga - a practice of pleasure

2010-05-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Some intriguing reading from UCLA's Marta Savigliano . . .

"The milonga environment is thus charged with a female sensuality that is beyond everyday life parameters, and the women who practice it enjoy it. It is a practice of pleasure. In the milonga not only do they have the choice to publicly expose their body shape with an aesthetic that defies otherwise accepted age parameters of old and young and their corresponding ethical (mis)judgements [ . . .] but this practice also asserts their ability to compete with younger milongueras' strategies of visual seduction. In the milongas, mature women are still in the running. Plump, bony, or 'out of shape' female bodies are not to be concealed because what (really) matters is the confidence with which the milonguera moves her body on the dance floor."

. . .

"The decisive moment for the judgement of the milonguera's beauty resides in movement, not in the still pose as is the case with pin-ups and models."

- - Nocturnal Ethnographies: Following Cortázar in the Milongas of Buenos Aires
Marta E. Savigliano

A few of my favorite things

2010-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Fishnet Tights - Nothing says "I take my tango seriously" like fishnet tights in every color of the rainbow. Okay, maybe not. But I still can't help wanting a truly silly variety of colored fishnets. Thankfully, WeLoveColors.com has fishnet tights (and a ton of other tights) in 51(!!!) colors. Can you believe it? Each pair is $9 and they hold up very well.

For a huge selection of fashion tights and pantyhose (mostly from the Leg Avenue company), check out Exotic Dancer Supply - great prices!

Shoes... This has been the most frustrating part of equipping my closet for tango. I keep trying tango shoes on (Comme il Faut, Darcos, Neotango and Greta Flora) and none of them seem to fit. I have very oddly shaped feet that require a wide toe box, but a very narrow heel. The answer I get again and again is that I'll just have to get shoes made. No thanks - way too expensive.

The only pair of shoes that has fit beautifully without adjustment is the "Ziba" ballroom shoe from Elegance/KelaCi. The trick to this show is that the beautifully soft suede over the toe box has a buckle that's adjustable. However, even though it was a gorgeous fit, it's very soft (as ballroom shoes are meant to be) and just couldn't take the beating I was dishing out. So I took it to my favorite cobblers over at Austin Shoe Hospital and had them put a smooth sole on it for $28. I couldn't be happier! Of course I've worn these so much that the quick grip sliding buckle has just about worn out. So I'll be taking them in to have a real buckle put on.

More good news, this shoe is available at the DanceOnlineStore in soft black suede, or tan satin for only $75 (less than half of what I paid at full price). Of course the real beauty of that particular model of shoe is that you can get it in tons of colors and heel types, either by ordering from a local store that sells Elegance shoes (in Austin, that's Movin' Easy), or from DanceHappy.com (base price $85) if you already know what size you need. The downside is that you have to pay not only the full price, but additional fees for the custom leather and/or heels.

Shoe Brooches/Clips - Those adorable Greta Floras with the leather flowers are quite a bit out of my price range, but these little beauties (pictured below) from "Not Just MUSI Bows" are just the thing to dress up my plain-jane black tango shoes. I also wear these kinds of clips on my head scarves. My latest favorites pictured below, a set of red leather bows and bronze and silver leather flowers. You can sometimes use vintage (or not so vintage) clip earrings for this - but the clips for earrings tend to have a bulkier hinge that can be more noticeable and uncomfortable depending on how the clip is made. Shoe clips/brooches tend to have very flat hinges and are much more comfortable.

Reversible Skirts: I have a ridiculous number of reversable skirts. I especially love the ones from Three Fold Gifts/Magic Skirts which are colorful, beautifully patterned silk/rayon blends that can be tied (theoretically) a hundred different ways to create dresses, tops and other skirt styles. Here's a helpful instructional video on how the skirts can be tied.

I also had, before I started learning tango, several very long reversable skirts (much like these from Orvis.com) that were beautiful and swishy - but much too long to wear for tango. So I found a seamstress at my local Cream Vintage clothing store and had them each shortened with a small slit on opposite sides for even more freedom of movement. So now I'm up to 5 floral reversible skirts and two silk "Magic Wrap" skirts. Travel packing should be a breeze now!

That's it for now - more soon!

Welcome to Thrifty Tanguera

2010-05-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

I decided I needed to have a separate place to post about all of my tango-related fashion, beauty and music finds.

If you'd like to share links please let me know and I'll add it to the resource list I'm working on.