Body Painting: Ancient Form of Ornamental Expression – Today’s Modern Art

Categories:

Makeup

August 6, 2012

When you put on your makeup this morning, you probably weren’t thinking that you were practicing a form of body art.  Body art, however, has expressed itself through the ages in many formats, and most certainly the use of ordinary cosmetic makeup is one of them. 

Body art has been around since the beginning of time.   From a historical point of view, body art dates back to the earliest days of man.  Well-preserved mummies in Ancient Egypt from about 2000 B.C. have been discovered showing elaborate tattooing all over the mummified bodies.  Body art over the years has been exhibited in numerous formats in addition to tattoos, however.  Body piercing, body painting, body re-shaping, scarification, dying with henna and even the simple use of makeup can all be considered to be forms of body art.

Today’s body art covers a wide range of mediums as well as levels of expertise in application.  Extreme body painting has become popular in many areas of the country, some designs exhibiting very prolific artistic prowess and expression with the paint literally covering the entire body from head to toe.  On a much simpler level, face painting is a popular practice that can easily be found at local fairs, carnivals, amusement parks and other events.  Body and face painting is a non-committal way of getting the truly compelling look of tattooing, but since the paint washes off, it isn’t permanent.  Since the effects of face and body painting are short-lived, this allows the wearer to go as elaborate and fancy as he or she may desire, truly experiencing the effects of the art, as some of the designs that are out there are in a word, amazing.

Other forms of body art that also resemble tattooing without permanence are airbrushed on stencils and the use of henna, a natural dye that stains the skin temporarily.  These types of “tattoos” are temporary as well and last anywhere from 5-10 days, depending on what type of ink, dye or paint is used.  In any case, these techniques allow the wearer to experiment with body art without any fear or regret.  An added bonus is that new designs and patterns can be used at any time.  What could be better?

Our complete line of face and body paint, stencils, airbrushes as well as other body painting supplies will get you started in experimenting with this exciting and dynamic form of artistic expression.  From the simplest designs to those that are very advanced and more elaborate, body art is here to stay.  Jazz up your best costume look with some of these easily created and fabulous techniques!

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Exciting August Movie Fun You Won’t Want to Miss!

Categories:

Costume Suggestions, Entertainment, Movie Themes

August 1, 2012

With today being August 1st, we thought we’d take a look at a couple of the movies slated to be released in August that look to be a lot of fun.

 

 

The Expendables 2

This action adventure film starring a whole plethora of action hero favorites (Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris & Liam Hemsworth) is set to hit the theatres August 17, 2012.  Just the casting alone leaves one wide-eyed at the possibilities for all kinds of high-speed mayhem and lots of insane exploding pyrotechnics.  Not a moving to doze through, this film promises to be a bona-fide testosterone-fest for those who love action–with a noble cause at its root, of course. 

The Expendables, a group of elite and talented mercenaries, have been reunited to take on another mission set up by the quite mysterious Mr. Church.  This job should have been a fairly routine one for this rogue bunch, but when one of their own men is murdered, this sets the scene for a plot of revenge and ultimate payback.  In spite of the best-laid plans, the Expendables find themselves deep in enemy territory and perhaps are even in way in over their heads.  For action and adventure that just won’t quit, plus a cast of characters that is fully capable of blowing your mind, don’t miss The Expendables 2!

Easy Costume Idea:  Want to re-create one of these action filled looks for your Halloween costume, but don’t know where to start?  Try some of our military law enforcement gear as a base for your costume look or use a dark color t-shirt and cargo pants.  Add lots of accessories–bullet belts, plastic knives, martial arts implements and perhaps even our “Che Beret with Hair” which will add some interesting military-inspired panache to your ultimate tough guy look! 

 

 

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green

It looks like Disney may have done it again.  The Odd Life of Timothy Green hits theatres on August 15, 2012 and from what we’ve seen, this movie is sure to be a sentimental favorite for families as well as kids of all ages.  The plot surrounds a young couple living in a small town, Cindy and Jim Green, who suddenly must face the heartbreaking reality that they are incapable of ever bearing their own children.  One night in an effort to assuage some of their grief, the couple writes down all the qualities of their dream son and buries the slips of paper in a box placed deep in the ground.  To their surprise and utter amazement, from the box of buried dreams, grows a child with some pretty amazing qualities and characteristics. 

Easy Costume Idea: Feeling creative and want to create a Timothy Green look of your very own?  This original look can easily be captured by using a flesh colored body suit and attaching silk leaves and other green foliage, all which are easily obtained from your local craft store.  Try on the body suit and using a water-soluble marker lightly dot the suit in a pattern where you want your foliage to “grow”.  You can buy leafy vines and drape them around the body suit, or plan to attach individual leaves in various locations. Take the body suit off after you have it marked with the locations you want to apply the greenery.  Using hot glue, (or alternatively, you can sew the leaves on the suit), attach the leaves and/or vines to the body suit.  Use your imagination and have fun with the look.  Make your Timothy as “green” as you like! 

Don’t miss these fun and fabulous films and keep them in mind as inspiration for some truly amazing costume ideas! 

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Top 8 Superhero Qualities (And Why We Wish We Had Them!)

Categories:

Superheros

July 30, 2012

Flying:  Aside from being a really amazing way to travel hither and yon, having the ability to fly would have some distinctly cool possibilities.  No more sitting in traffic or being at the mercy of public transportation, or ever having to deal with those annoying airline schedules.  Flying skills not only would be uber-cool, but they would also offer lots of transportation flexibility.  All practicalities aside, soaring through the sky like a big ol’ bird just sounds like the epitome of fun.  Our favorite frequent flyer?  Superman.

Speed:  Superheroes that possess great speed probably use it for different reasons than the average Joe would, such as chasing after bad guys or running away from them as the case may be.  Speed would definitely come in handy however, for the average man on many occasions and in some ways, is almost as cool as flying. You would never again be late for an appointment (this includes hot dates, fellas) and getting to work on time would be a speedy breeze.  Our favorite speedster?  The Flash. 

Strength:  Strength is a cool as well as handy ability to have as well.  If someone parks their car too close to you and blocks you in–well, just lift their car up and move it out!  More likely as well as practical strength scenarios include moving furniture as well as opening up sticky jars–but in any case, being superhero strong is just downright useful.  Our favorite strong man?  The Hulk.

Stamina:  The ability to really hang in and go the distance with any strenuous task is a huge deal.  Superheroes use stamina for things like scaling walls, running as well as fighting; often having to do so for long periods of time.  Our ordinary human existences don’t usually require such great lengths of stamina–but it would definitely come in handy during a 3rd set tennis match or playing a long 18 holes.  Don’t underestimate how useful superhuman stamina could be while chasing after a couple of kids, either.  Our favorite enigma with super stamina?  Spiderman.

Telepathy:  Reading minds could bring with it all sorts of mind-blowing power.  Manipulating and/or reading human thought processes could be the ultimate control mechanism as well as a terrific source of information.  Practical uses of this ability may include being able to read the thoughts of others in order to understand what is really going on in their minds, such as in the case of understanding the opposite sex. Men have been trying to assert this power when it comes to women for years, but mind- reading is tricky business.  Telepathy might clear things up a bit–or you might find it’s just too much darn information altogether. Our favorite superhero telepathic?  Professor X. 

Invisibility:  The ability to make oneself invisible has obvious advantages.  Sneaking into places sight unseen gives superheroes the ability to glean information as well as to sneak up on bad guys and catch them off guard.  For us normal folks, the stealth-like ability to be invisible might come in handy now and then.  Getting pulled over for a speeding ticket?  Bam–go invisible.  Is your boss or spouse on the rampage?  Go invisible.  It’s probably not a quality any of us would like to own permanently–but let’s face it; the ability to temporarily vanish might have some useful benefits.  Our favorite amongst the unseen?  The Invisible Man.

Super Vision:  It’s no fun having to pull out your glasses to read a menu in a restaurant, but imagine being able to see clearly for miles and miles, and to perhaps possess other visual super phenomena such as x-ray or infrared vision!  Being able to see things that no one else can–and do so clearly–could be extremely practical as well as useful.  Seeing through solid objects like walls could make things like seeing what your kids are up to in the next room, really incredibly easy.  Our favorite of the super sighted?  Superman.

Healing ability:  Sickness, injury or being otherwise afflicted is one of the things we all must deal with from time to time.  Having an extremely powerful healing ability allows a superhero to recover from injury quickly so that he is back in action at a very rapid pace.  This accelerated healing power has many potential benefits for the common man. Get shot?  No problem, the wound is gone within moments.   Sick or plagued with an illness?  The body heals itself instantaneously.  No one wants to be hurt or ill.  Having the ability to recover quickly is a superhero quality we likely all wish we had.  Our favorite quick mender?  Wolverine.

No doubt America loves it’s superheros. Whether you’re a fan of Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, The Flash or any of the dozen other superheroes … you’ll find the perfect Superhero costume here at Halloween Express.

 

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ParaNorman: Can Just Being Norman Stop a Zombie Invasion?

Categories:

Entertainment, Movie Themes

July 25, 2012

Who’s Norman?  Norman is your average everyday “normal” kid, with average everyday “normal” kid problems.  Well, sorta.  Norman is a bit of an outsider at school, is definitely not at all popular, he get’s beat up regularly, and definitely is most comfortable being a loner.  These qualities in Norman however, are the most regular and ordinary parts about him.  What really sets Norman apart from all the other kids is his apparent ability to see and communicate with dead people…aka ghosts.  Talking with and seeing ghosts is all part of everyday “Norman” life, but it doesn’t do much to help him fit in with others and only deepens the ever-growing chasm between him and the other kids at Blithe Hollow Middle School.

Toss in a Weird Uncle:  As if things weren’t bad enough for Norman and his very abysmal social life; he also has a very weird and bizarre outcast uncle.  Although some efforts have been made to keep Norman from the truly strange and somewhat crazy Mr. Prenderghast (likely because of the eerie similarities they have personality-wise), Norman does eventually connect with him, only to get some startling information from him.

Norman is your average everyday “normal” kid, with average everyday “normal” kid problems. 

Zombie Invasion!  An ancient curse cast by a witch is going to create imminent disaster in Norman’s town, as a centuries old spell will cause all the town’s dead to return to life at sundown!  This event suddenly thrusts quiet Norman into the limelight, his special skills and abilities being exactly what’s needed to deal with the approaching zombie invasion!  Suddenly Norman has the opportunity to be the town’s biggest hero of all, but he only has until sunset to do it!  Can the most abnormal freak in town stop this zombie invasion?

Animation Masterpiece.  ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated film.  Each character is created in puppet form and then in order to animate the character; a small movement is made after which a picture is taken.  Another small movement is made, and then another picture is taken.  The process is extremely time-consuming, but this is the way each character is brought to life.  The average animator working on the film was able to create only about 5-8 seconds of film per week!  The zombie-awakening scene alone took well over one year to animate.

ParaNorman hits theatres August 17, just as summer begins to wind down and your Halloween season starts to wind up!  Don’t miss this thrilling animated Paranorman adventure! 

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5 Reason Why Batman Might Be The Most Slamming Superhero Of The Summer

Categories:

Entertainment, Movie Themes, Superheros

July 23, 2012

It’s already been called the year of the sequel.  2012 has been filled with the latest and the greatest of a whole plethora of stories as well as characters–personas that we already know well, understand and have grown to love.  Many of this year’s continuing sagas are focused on our favorite tried and true comic book characters.  Proving that audiences can’t seem to have too much of a good thing, “The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” have been bringing audiences in out of the summer heat to enjoy a really cool summer flick.  There is one film, however, that promises to dwarf all the others when it comes to sequels.  This is the mother lode, folks.  Think huge summer blockbuster.  Think “The Dark Knight Rises”.    

We think that Batman is “tres cool” and more likely than not, you do as well.  Boys and girls, this is the summer movie that matters. Here’s our list of 5 reasons why Batman might be the most slamming superhero of the summer, and here’s some reasons why you should definitely plan on seeing “The Dark Knight Rises”.

5.  Batman-He’s Basically a Normal Dude.  A radioactive spider didn’t bite Batman, nor does he have Kryptonian heritage. Granted, his alter ego Bruce Wayne, is a rich bazillionaire playboy, but aside from being completely loaded, he’s more or less just a regular guy.  Knowing this about him makes him seem a little more ordinary and even at times, a bit more vulnerable and definitely human-something we can all relate to.

4.  Alfred.  What can we say about Alfred–except that we all wish we had someone just like him in our lives.  As a child, Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents, at which time Alfred stepped up and took care of his charge, taking on the parental duties of Mr. Wayne like he was his own son.  Alfred is loyal to Batman and is like a father figure to him in the truest sense and forever is watching out for Batman’s back.  Batman’s dutiful Johnny on the spot is still able to quietly keep him in line, as Alfred always does his job with patience and elegance; his cool accent also doesn’t hurt.  We should all be so lucky. 

3.  Badass Batsuit.  Maybe it’s the mystical all-black theme of his duds, or maybe it’s the new muscularly enhanced Batsuit that is now favored by our caped crusader, but indeed, there is something very sexy about a man that is dressed head to toe, all in black.  Add a cool mask to the mix and you really have something.  Obviously, with Bruce Wayne’s face plastered regularly all over the society pages of Gotham city, the mask is a necessary implement that protects his true identity from being discovered.  At the same time, however, the mask also gives Batman an air of furtive mystery and sexy secrecy.  By donning his Batman costume, mask and cape, Batman easily becomes an elegant enigma.

2. The Batmobile.  We hate the idea that wheels could define any man, but let’s get real here.  Batman’s car-ha, if you can even describe it in such rudimentary terms, is the ultimate boy toy.  The latest Batman ride is sort of like a flying Lamborghini; what guy wouldn’t want to take a spin in that?  Look for some pretty nifty Batpod’s, too.  A lot of vehicular madness in this flick that is a true fan feast for anyone who digs toys with wheels. The Bat cave, where he keeps his toys, ain’t a bad thing, either.  Batman might have invented the notion of the man cave; he’s certainly set the bar high where that territory is concerned.

1.  Bad Guys.  We Mean it, Really Bad Guys.  The latest nemesis creating all sorts of chaos for Batman is Bane, a terrorist-like freak who will stop at nothing to advance his truly evil agenda.  That is sort of the point though, isn’t it?  We want our superheroes to have to save the world and up until now Batman has always delivered.  Has Batman finally met his match?   Of course, we can’t forget the ever-present Catwoman; the sexy, purring beauty, doing what conniving women always seem to do; that is, use her feminine wiles to confuse the issues and muddy the waters.  How will Catwoman toy with Batman this time?  With this femme feline around, you just gotta believe that big trouble is a-brewin’. 

The Dark Knight Rises–now in theatres near you. Don’t miss it.

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