Showing posts with label Carnival organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carnival organizing. Show all posts

Thursday, May 14, 2009

I have no Carnival Info. So I'll update u on myself

Just as the post says, I have absolutely no gossip, no carnival info to post on, This pre band launching/ post Trini Carnival season is a drab. Just with the occasional, St.Lucian band recreating costumes. There isn't much going on, that I know about to tell you.

So basically I've been spending time just being lazy, until my courses start. I am looking to take some cosmetology and advanced cake decorating courses to satisfy my thirst for learning more trades.lol.

I got my first blackberry, a 8320 for a grand total of TT$1630!(including the TT$300 customs charge and the TT$36 sky box freight charge) Take that b mobile with your ridiculous price of $3500! Isn't it cute? I already pimped it out with custom skins from Vision Skins and Unique Skins!lol All I had to do was just sign up for BIS everything worked great outside the box!!!


I am joining the gym from next month with the huzzy! Because I've thrown on alot of weight since Carnival and I now look like an elephant! lol


Oh I am also unleashing some bigger plans for Bags By Mimi this coming season, I'll be importing some necessities that will be unleashed as soon as band launching season kicks off!!!

Well anywho let me know what you my readers are up to! Toodles!!!lol

Saturday, February 21, 2009

my boots



so as some of you know, I was not going to paint my boots because they are too cute for that So i just added a feather boa that I got at Tulip for $125.00 ( yes allyuh I finally got it!)

Then I headed into the mall tonight after I met up with bunny!

So i got myself 2 stockings from Westport for $20 each and a hat

I went into Pennywise and picked up some Braid spray
  • Eye brow blades
  • Arista compact in Nutmeg! (Yes i got it!)
Then checked into Wonerful world
  • Some earrings that were on sale 2 for $12 to match with my costume
  • she gloo and duo eyelash glue( found the duo after i got the she gloo :-( )!
  • red cherry falsies!
Then got my pasty bra to wear under my bra for Tuesday!

I would say that I am all set!

SPICE collection review!!!! Part Deux!!!











So now onto the costume itself

So this is the bra, it looks the same as it did

The Waist piece looks good as gold also


The leg pieces, look shorterr and this the smarted thing I've seen, they but one elastic strap so that they can fit properly, very smart!
The arm pieces, I noticed were missing the feathers, so I added my own ( perks of left over stock from bag making! lol)

Neck piece is gorgeous! The sraps were a little long so I cut it and added velcro

Headpiece, the had an elastic band at the base, which if I even tried will take off any eyelashes and jewels I will have on for tuesday. SO you know your girl cut it as added velcro!( long live almight velcro!)

BackPack/ shoulder Pack
It looked good, but somehow I can't put my finger on it but it feels a bit differnt from the proto type! Butit's good still and surprsigingly comfy!



CONS
  • The looses sequins keep dropping a bit
  • The glueing is a bit untidy
  • Arm pices were a little stiff
  • Headpiece elastic just a bit too tight!
PROS
  • Even though the sizes were off the bra has good support
  • Easily adjustable waist piece.
  • Easily adjustable leg pieces.
  • Light backpack and headpiece
All in all I love my costume!!!




The goodie bag

SPICE collection review!!!!

So I was aiming to reach Spice at 2pm but due to certain issues, yuh girl did not reach until 3:15pm.
Anyway, when I arrived, I was greeted by a tenet and about 10 people for the most sitting under it.So my boy CJ who was handlin the tent, told me to take a seat n wait in a while, I probably waited for 15 minutes and then was called upstairs, we I meet 5 people in the front room, seated waiting to be called for payment.

After I waited about 10 minutes there, we were called to sit and wait till a cashier clears up in order for us to cash. ( Does this musical chairs sound familiar? :::(Insert cough here)TRIBE(and here)::: Anyway, moving, now this is where the real test of patience and waiting came through. I probably sat waiting for the cashier to clear for about 30 minutes. No lie. There were 3 cashiers, one dedicated to the right side of the room, and there were another 2. The other 2 were kept up for about 30 minutes. The first cashier, apparently a couple who register in Prive, their registration info was not entered on the computer so they had to go in d filing cabinet and manually find their files. The second cashier had a couple who were collecting for like the wholeee nation!

So after my mother unleash the bad Grenadian in her, and had some words with Anya ( no foul language! my momma has class ppl!) Anyway, the cashiers cleared up, we waited for about 5 minutes and got on our way. The cashier however did not check my ID and I am worried that if that is her regular practice that ppl could be walking away with costumes.

Anywho! I got my fully printed receipt and was then ushered (by the same girl who registered me, the one who modeled Peppercorns (she nice eh!)) Anyway, got ushered where i got FHO treatment, I was asked what bra size I would like to try on, Tried on several bras, until coming to a conclusion of a 36DD which by the way is no where near my size. I was shocked to see that the straps, weren't clear but where also red!! yay!!!!

Then I was asked what size is my waist, i said 38" and was presented with a large belt, tried it on, and apparently yuh girl lost reall inches because It was over big! So much so I had to change to a medium because no matter how much you had adjust it, it was just too big!!!


Afterwards, I was shown how to put on my back(well shoulder) pack! and got my panty and extra boyshorts, which btw i heard from bunny that they are the same as Tribe's own and I believe they may be locally made, but they fit good though!

After that, I picked up my stuff and headed to the last table where I got my goodie bag and band! I even have a band for the toilet, look ting!


So on to the goodie bag!
Goodie bag contained (this is female i dunno bout males eh)
  1. tampon
  2. monster condom
  3. another condom
  4. orbit white gum
  5. dentene ice gum (sample pack)
  6. banana boat sun block spf30
  7. banana boat aloe vera after sun gel
  8. aids/ safe sex pamphlet
  9. spice book
  10. dermae natural bodycare Organic Expressions Hydrating Day creme
  11. dermae natural bodycareTea Tree and E Antispectic creme
  12. dermae natural bodycare Organic Expressions Facial Cleanser
  13. dermae natural bodycare$100 Gift Certificate for Facial and consultation
  14. Wonderworld 10% voucher
  15. Spice/Monster cup ( just like the bmobile!)
  16. Sunsilk De Frizz, shampoo, Conditioner
  17. Advil Liqui - Gels


PROS:-
  • Cute goodie bag
  • GREAT customer service
  • SPEEDY cashing ( once it doh have any issues)

CONS:-
  • Only 3 cashiers
  • Bras weren't appropriately sized

SOLUTIONS:-
  • Perhaps they should designate a cashier especially for those who registered outside of the camp like in Prive and Wicked in White
  • and another for those collecting for groups of more than 3.
But unlike me, who had a relatively smooth collection, Sapo, on the other hand ( one of the bloggers) had to switch from her Scotch Bonnet Frontline to Cardamom Frontline, because of how the bra fit. The cups are short and therefore everything was outside for Sapo, so she had to switch. Also Rene also didn't get her Headpiece for Sea Salt FL till today and that costume was due for collection since THURSDAY!
But all in all for a new band, they weren't too bad for first timers!


Now here is the lineup
  1. Paprika
  2. Brown Suger
  3. Sea Salt
  4. Melilot Bleu
  5. Golden Basil
  6. Peppercorns
  7. Garden of Sage
  8. Mediterranean Borage
  9. Scotch Bonnet (WTF?)
  10. Cardamom
So d line up Shitty! let we not even go ther, but whatever, it looks like the reall party is at the back!

So we meeting at Memorial Park
Monday - 9am
Tuesday 6:30 am

Rest stop, is at QRC grounds.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Make up and SPF for OTR

Well campus carnival was last night! And oh gosh it was gooodddd!!!1 I don't know why it wasn't next weekend so I would've been in the right frame of mind for Monday and Tuesday.
So I applied Black Opal Creme Stick once again and I must say I am very pleased! It withstand all the sweating, don't mind it was the night time, I was still sweating profusely. With just a little touch up of arista compact powder ($14.95 Pennywise)

I think for the divas who don't want to go through the trouble of adding lashes an option is lash extending mascara. It really does work and I love it! I use L'Oreal Double Extend Mascara, It's a little on the costly side but its worth it!
And the tip Afro Chic gave once about the fix it spray and eyeshadow! Great tip! I tried it and my eyeshadow stayed on so well and was so vibrant that I even when I wet myface, it stayed on!!!

So basically here are the make up tips!
  • do make sure, you're brushes and sponges are clean before application
  • make sure face is properally primed
  • use fix it sprays and setting powders
  • use oil control/blocking mechanisms like Black Opal Oil Blocking powder. Mac Oil Control Lotion
  • Use fix it spray or toner on your brush or eyeshadow spong when applying! Keeps Eyeshadow on and bright!
  • keep a small compact with mirror and powder ( i use Arista, they're cheap and get the job done!)

Now on to the sunblock. How much is too much protection? As far as I've researched truthfully there seems to be no limit, just myths more or less about having to high a sun block. Tip do not buy your neutrogena sunblock in Pennywise Trincity because as the spf increases so does the price, I paid one flat price for my SPF85 sunblock in Pennywise Arima, so please be careful with choosing and buying sun block. In my opinion a sunblock of spf45 and higher is necessary! Don't go lower than that or else you will look like a turkey!

Sunblock tips
  • look for one that has dry touc, i.e doesn't go on looking pasty or greasy
  • buy sunblock not sunscreen there is difference
  • apply it often through out the day for best protection, so make use of those mini tubes ppl!
  • avoid rubbing into eyes, happened to my friend last year and she had a burning watering eye wholeee of tuesday!
  • put on sunblock before moisturizer, primer and make up!

That's all for today folks!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

On the road survival....when you and yuh crew split up

So after seeing Saucy;s post on TRIBE's Line up I am surprised a bit but happy at the same time, it's an ok line to not make any section feel inferior so placing a less attractive costume with another is all good to me. But the question arises.... "I'm in blue tanger and my crew in Green Honey creeper, etc. What do I do? How am I gonna find them?! Huh? Huh?HUH?!!!!"

Relax my friends. The solution is simple.....
  1. Have designated meeting points after crossing the 'stages' (can you hear my sarcasm with saying stages....scoff!) for example.:- You and crew have to split up to cross the stage downtown Port of Spain, aim to meet back up by KFC.
  2. Always keep a cell phone in hand ( and please try to leave your blackberry home...we ain't want nobody trying to thief your phone, it is carnival and the guntas will be on the prowl sorry to bust your bubble!) so that in the event you get detached or lost ring them up...do not text because on Carnival Monday and Tuesday the servers go haywire and sometimes you don't receive text messages at the time when they were sent....lets try 3 hrs later you'll get it....
  3. Try yuh very best not to stray from crew and band!!!!!! Very important! Especially to the newbies, don't stray because you see a man doing airbrushing tattoos and you want one, unless you know where the band going and your crew know where you going! stay your tail in the damn band! Always be accompanied by at least one person...please!
That's the end of my tips for today have a blessed day everyone...buh bye!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Carnival shopping!!!






So today my friend Sabrina and I set off to town to do some shopping!!! Stopping off to get some supplies and then west mall for some Carnival shopping.
So in my last post I told you guys about the Spray and the footless tights from Micles!!! Got me a pair today and will be heading back for two more monday!!!lol. As saucy said in her post today it comes in all the regular colours an up to XXXL!!!! What more yuh want?!!!

I also went into mac to get my consultation and finally I know my shade so I can order online!!!
I saw the mac store had the following, I didn't price it though

Prep and Prime sPF50


Oil Control Moisturizer.


The one thing i didn't see that I would've like was mac mattifier!

Also saw these hot adidas sneakers in Francis Fashion, come in gold an silver. A little on the expensive side but Fellas could get them! $795


Now onto Sabrina and the Monday wear bras!

SO she does regular and triangle bras. I have pictures of some samples of bras she has done, she will be doing some actual Carnival bras so i'll keep you posted. Sabrina also designs dresses, you can check out her designs here.




PS You guys need to checkout this blog!

Friday, November 21, 2008

To pay of or not to pay off?

With the increase in countries officially declaring a recession (waiting for Trinidad and Tobago government to declare ours). Many of us like Malicious Jade would like to pay for our entire costume before the year's end. I personally was never in the habit of paying off my costume in advance, because of my own fear that something may happen and I would get my costume sold faster at down payment price than full price. But this year I've found myself thinking about paying of my costume, however I know I can't make end of the year so I am going for the end of January! Fair enough right?
So for those of you who can't decide I am going to give you the benefit of paying off and the benefit of not paying off your costume balance.

Paying your balance:-
  • You are free to spend or budget your money after knowing that you don't have to save some aside to finish paying for your costume!
  • Easy collection; while others stand in line your are zooming to costume collection and out the door !
Not Paying of your balance:-
  • So It's coming nearer to carnival and you fracture your ankle, or an old injury crops back up...now you have to sell your costume, It's easy for it to get sold at deposit price than full price! And if you don't get it sold you will not feel the burn of that $3000+ gone down the drain!

So this year I am playing it safe and paying for my costume when I can, Because you never know what can happen. And instead of paying the whole lump some how about maybe breaking up your balance and paying part of it. So you have a balance of $2500 pay $500 each week, that way, its not too much of a strain.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Let the games begin!!! ( My spice mas camp visit)

For 2k8 I got off to a really late start on carnival, I'm talking i started preparing for carnival 2k8 in January 2k8.lol. For 2k9 however things are gonna be a little different.
First off, I'm taking the chance and playing with SPICE a new band for Carnival 2k9 with an atmosphere of friendliness and fun.

So to kick off my Carnival preparations, the first thing I did was order my boots! I order these great boots from Cutesy Girl for only $12.99 US, and because my foot is size 10, a size 11 boots at $13US had to be ordered!

Second on the agenda ;which really should've been first , was registering for my costume! So I head down to Spice earlier today with my mother, when they say it is obliquely opposite Bat n Ball they ain't make joke nah! And I saw the little 'sign' that Afro Chic was talking about, it was barely noticeable with the rain washing it out and all! So meh mother with her crazy self park in front of Invader's gate and bawl
-"Well they ain't playing pan right now, so let's take a chance!"

Lol so we go up the nicely spaced stairs,(you aint go break yuh ass) lol and to my surprise the door was held open for my mother and I! (thank you!!!) We were greeted by a young woman and man. As I walked in the door I immediately saw the love of my life and gravitated straight towards it! My mother now talking about lets walk around....walk around? woman look it here!!!lol So I told the girl I immediately want to register. She must've thought I was joking. After I told her I want to register and took a little walk to see the costumes...I must say sea salt backline is absolutely stunning in person!!!! And for that price, I consider it a steal of a deal!!! But the beading on Mediterranean Borage is beautiful, the costume would be so nice on the road! So after hearing my mother ask where in this costume is it worth $3795 lol we finally settled on it after I had to tell her about her playin mas with the stick!

Anyways so I took a seat on their nice plush couch, and waited while the girl attended to me. The form very simple, checkbox for costume options, scotch bonnet has the option of the regular bra, which I of course did not take!!! (why you may ask since I have quite a bit of bosom.) because I am not paying money for cat in bag, I don't know if it looks the same. We were finished with registration in about 5 minutes. My only concern is that, they do get some more areas for registration after next week or so, when IP has launched and most people have made up their mind as their will be major hold up.

The mas camp isn't big, it's probably about the same space as TRIBE or Trini Revellers or smaller, however it is neatly laid out needless to say my mother was very impressed with them.

The rest of the list goes as follows ( in no particular order)

  • Get paint for boots and decorations
  • get monday wear
  • get make up
  • pay off the rest of the costume
  • carnival bag (sewn by moi!)
  • decorate my bling cup!
  • get stockings

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Carnival comin again!!!!

We are currently in the month of June with just about 2 weeks to spare till the band launches come flooding in.And of course you know I will be in attendance for SPICE, TRIBE and possibly Island People's band launches.
But anywho, since I started playing 'big people' mas, I've realised it is an expensive thing, that is if your gonna do it right; the divalicious carnival addict way! When i say the divalicious carnival addict way, i mean:
  • eyelash extension
  • sun protection products
  • boots not sneakers
  • extra accessorize your costume and boots
  • make up
  • Monday wear
  • Epsom salt(lol jus pullin yuh leg)
  • bling cup
This list, may be short, but after I tackle each aspect, you might just change your mind.
So i'll first start with Eyelashes. There are so many questions asked about eyelashes like, will they stay on all day? will they irritate me, I don't know which one to buy? should i just purchase any old eyelash glue?

SO I've decided I will help you out!

Q: What glue should I use?


A:When it comes to eyelash glue, there's nothing else better than DUO eyelash glue. It sells for about US$6. a pop at www.walgreens.com or www.drugstore.com. The glue comes in white/clear, that goes on white and dries clear, and black. Preferably use the white/clear, that way mistakes won't be too visible. Ensure when you are applying glue to lashes, make sure that the ends get the most glue, because that is where the lashes are most likely to lift off from.

Q: What are the best lashes to use?
A: Sephora and MAC makes good fake eyelashes (most are US$10.00) and Shu Uemura makes amazing ones too, but the Shu ones can definitely be pricey.When it comes to false lashes I've found the drugstore ones to be just as good as any of the more expensive ones.

Ardell is a great drugstore brand of lashes, they're about US$3.00-US$5.00 a pair depending on where you buy them, and you can find them at any drugstore, as well as Walmart and Target. Drugstore.com Maybelliene and Revlon also make good, cheap false lashes right around the US$5.00 mark as well. Revlon has introduced the concept of self-adhesive eyelashes, which I have heard, worked great! I may just try those next year!

Q:How long can I wear lashes?
A:Personally I only like to wear false lashes once or twice and then toss them. It's a lot easier on the pocketbook to wear & toss false lashes when they cost less than US$5.00 instead of US$10.00-US$25.00 and on up depending on who makes them and what they're made of. It's also a lot cleaner and safer for the eyes.

Q:When and How should I apply them?

A:False lashes should be applied after you are finished with the rest of your eye makeup, except for your mascara. First hold the lashes up to your lash line, check to make sure they're not too long for your eyelid and if they are trim a bit of the longer ends off to match the length of your eyelid. You can curl your lashes lightly or leave them as is. Using a pair of tweezers to hold the lashes, very lightly apply a tiny, very thin strip of eyelash glue to the lash base. You might want to practice the lash glue line on your hand a couple of times to get it just right. Blow gently on the glue you just applied for a few seconds so it gets "tacky", this will make it less likely to slip around your eyelid and make a mess. Look downward into a mirror and using the tweezers or a very steady hand, gently lay the fake lash strip on top of your natural lash line. You may need to tap it gently in a couple of places (with your finger or the end of a makeup brush) to get it in just the right spot and to make the lashes adhere properly. Once the lashes are in place allow about 5 minutes or so for the glue to dry. After the glue is dry you can use your regular mascara (assuming it's the same color as the lashes your just applied) to blend your natural lashes in with the false ones. You only need a little bit of mascara to do this, don't apply as much as you normally would without the false lashes. And they're you go! If you want to apply some eyeliner to help further blend in your false lashes, I suggest a black liquid liner applied on top of the fake lash line (and just slightly above it) and winged out just a little at the end of the eye. If you need to apply liner after you apply your lashes, liquid liner is best because it's less likely to "drag" and cause your lashes to become loose.


or you can view theses videos

How to apply false lashes

How to apply false lashes vid 2
Ford models: How to apply false lashes
Sephora's how to apply false lashes

Q:How do i remove them?

A:False lashes should only be worn for one day or evening, and you should never sleep in them. They are best removed with an oily makeup remover applied to a cotton pad. Hold the cotton pad over your eye for about 20 seconds or so until the lashes slip out easily. The oil in the makeup remover will dissolve the latex in the eyelash glue, this is why an oil based makeup remover is necessary. You should never just pull or tug your false lashes out. Along with being painful this will also cause many of your natural lashes to be pulled out as well!

Q:Can i reuse them?

A:If you plan on wearing the same set of lashes again, use the oily makeup remover to gently remove whatever remains of the eyelash glue. Gently rinse the lashes off with water and set them back in the case they came in along the little curve the came on. Cared for properly you can expect a couple of good uses out of a set of false lashes, although as I mentioned I prefer to only use them a couple of times at most. A new fresh set is always going to look better and apply easier than a used set

Q:Where can I purchase these eyelashes?

www. drugstore.com
www.walgreens.com
www.madamemadeline.com
www.sephora.com
www.maccosmetics.com


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

THE BIG ISSUE!!!!

Year after year it is being brought to the attention of Trinidad masqueraders that the carnival costumes that they paid Us$400-us$500 for are being re-sold at a fraction of the price at other carnivals and carnival-like celebrations across the world. Recent articles by fellow blogger, Saucy
are now bringing the issue to the fore front. The big question on my mind is why are we paying us$400-us$500 for the same service that persons in foreign carnivals are paying us$90- us$100 for?

In my reply to saucy's post you may find the possible and only logical explanation that these bands can give.

" mimi said...

my only question is, after I save my money, and i purchase this costume for $400 to $500 us. and see the exact same costume selling for a quarter of the price i paid, why are we paying 5 times the amount?

maybe an explanation for this can we found in the importation costs, taxes and other sundry costs such as bar licenses for every truck, employment costs for all those bar tenders and people serving you food as those bands are no where near the monstrosity of 4000-6000 people chipping with them. Perhaps all these should be taken into consideration. But one can also counter argue that bulk buying is less expensive always results in cheaper production and purchasing costs, so a band of 4000-6000 people should have lower overhead costs shouldn't they? hmm or perhaps, the reason why Trinidad carnival prices never decrease are because trinis will pay at any price to enjoy the wining, gyrating and niceness on carnival day. I myself, have been guilty of indulging in this sinless pleasure.

these bands (wee international et al) have not experienced the level of success thatg IP, TRIBE, Trini Revellers and GENESIS have encountered, thus desperate to make a profit, they resell their costumes. how can blame them,the statemnt always stands.
"One man's rags is another man's riches"

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

my carnival preperations pt 2. - Make up!!!

Now, I have a reputation of looking good at all times, therefore its only right that I upkeep this tradtion on carnival monday and tuesday. So i've decided to reveal part of my make up scheme for my dear readers.

my carnival preparation

ok readers, since last I posted i promised photos of my sneaker project,make up and my costume.
sneaker: black reebok classic
project aim, painy a silver sneaker wit nice beading on the back to compliment my costume, titania.

before


after


  • first step, i cleaned any dirty surfaces off of shoe.
  • second step, I sprayed my first coat of primer paint and waited for 30 mins then sprayed first coat of metallic silver paint.




  • third step, I apllied a second coat of metallic silver paint to cover up any imperfections on the shoe (since it was very much broken in and had creases and thing)


  • fourth step, I applied the big beads first, which are pink.
  • fifth step, add on small clear crystals.







So thats my shoe projects so far!!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Carnival is almost here!!!

 It was the week before carnival, all were in a rush for supplies but mimi. lol. It's been a while since i've updated but i've been busy with school, work and my costume!!. lol. I must admit i;m the kind of person who hates be disorganized when it coems to import thigns such as carnival. So this post is to help my fellow masqueraders whom have not really gotten their act together yet.

First step, create a list.
Now creatign a list eliminates the running up and down to the saem store over and over because of memory lapse. This list should include your accessoires and what ever necessities needed for costume.
My list comprised of:
  1. stockings from micles
  2. face jewels
  3. spirit gum
  4. spirit gum remover
  5. spray on glue
  6. pink glitter
  7. extra boy shorts
  8. earrings to match costume
  9. purse to match costume
  10. boots or sneakers
  11. neutrogena spf55 sunblock lotion
  12. Spray paint for boots or sneakers
  13. wings for my titania costume
2nd and 3rd step. Locate where items can be found and budget

For many of the items needed you can visit Samaroo's, Tulip Productions, Naipaul's, Wonderful world and eye Candy.
You should call around these places, pricing your goods, so that you can manage your money accordinlgy and not have to waste gas and time looking for these items. It allowas you to also select the place with the better price, thus avoiding the heartache of seeing the same good for 3/4 or 1/2 the price paid.


I hope this was helpful to most masqueraders. I fulfilled evertything on my list except for boy shorts and glitter.
In my next post i'll disclose my carnival appearance

Carnival 2k9 Bags!

The Addicts on Display