Rosie Scott Blog about Women

Sally and Steve first met at school in their hometown of Cowbridge. Romance blossomed after leaving school and almost ten years later, Steve proposed and their autumn wedding took place at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff.

Sally tells us more about their recent wedding, mutual love of anteaters and why a VW was the obvious choice for wedding transportation.

How did Steve propose?

I returned from work one Friday evening to find a trail of roses leading down the hallway into the lounge. At the end was Steve, down on one knee in his best suit and the most perfect ring, surrounded by our entire collection of candles and tea lights! Of course I said yes!

What made you decide on St Fagans as your venue?

Shortly after we got engaged we discovered that St Fagans was licensed for weddings. Steve and I have spent many weekends at the museum and with us now living away from home, it was perfect to spend our wedding day in such familiar surroundings.

We made use of a number of different buildings on site to host the celebrations. Our civil ceremony was in the beautiful St Fagans Castle, followed by a drinks reception in the Castle Buttery and our marriage blessing in the quaint Pen-Rhiw Chapel. We ended the day with our reception and party at the Oakdale Workmen's Institute. The museum train even transported our guests between on-site locations!

Tell us about your dress!

I wore the 1920s silk and catroux beaded lace dress by Charlie Brear. I was keen to find something that was quite delicate and not too structured - the dropped waist was so elegant and complimented the draped back beautifully.

Who supplied your flowers?

Suzi Thomas - Flowers With A Twist

We chose navy-centred anemones across all the bouquets and buttonholes with hints of autumnal orange and soft trailing ivy in my own bouquet. Suzi also added some blue thistle, which was a lovely touch with Steve having spent his stag weekend in Scotland a few weeks before.

The bridesmaids had very simple ivory and navy bouquets as these colours alone really complimented their navy dresses without being too over-powering.

Who were your bridesmaids?

My close friend Rebecca was my maid of honour. Steve's sister Kristy and another of my historical partners in crime, Sara, completed the trio.

What about the food?

Working closely with the in-house catering team Elior UK, we came up with a perfect menu. We opted for a selection of delicious savoury canapés served on Welsh slate at the Castle drinks reception including hot pork and leek wellington, hot duck leg bon bons and Welsh goats cheese herb and sun blushed tomato tarts. These were accompanied with sparkling wine finished with a seasonal blackberry garnish, and Sol beer served as alternative to wine.

We chose a hot buffet for the wedding breakfast, with slow roasted belly pork, Caerphilly cheese, smoked bacon and leek casserole and a butternut squash, white wine and sage risotto, all served with seasonal vegetables, new potatoes and mixed salad. We chose a very autumnal warm treacle tart with a gingerbread base and vanilla pod cream for dessert.

At the evening party we served a late 'afternoon tea' style buffet with finger sandwiches and cakes. This was all beautifully presented on vintage tiered cake stands.

What transportation did you decide on for the day?

I was born in the front seat of my Dad's VW beetle en route to the hospital so the wedding car was always going to be an easy choice! I fell in love with the 1958 Cabriolet 'Seren Haf' when Paul at LoveDub Weddings introduced me to their VW family.

What music did you opt for during the day?

Harpist Eluned Henry played for us at key points throughout the day. She didn't have any issues with our request for a Metallica harp arrangement to help calm Steve's nerves before the ceremony!

We booked The Marrionettes, a Bristol-based 3-part harmony trio for our reception. They played a selection of vintage and modern classics.

Are there any other quirky details which made your wedding unique, special and different to anybody else's:

Steve and I have a love of giant anteaters having come across them at Marwell Zoo near our home in Hampshire. I purchased two Swarovski crystal anteaters to be positioned on the cake as a surprise for Steve - one of which had a little black bow tie for the occasion.

My Uncle Geoff read two pieces for us during the chapel service, one of which was a book by Carine Berger 'The Little Yellow Leaf' in which he left us two leaves from the trees in St. Fagans that day. It was perfect for autumn and a lovely reminder of our day.

Overall, our wedding day was the most unique and special day of our lives. The team at St Fagans were so welcoming as a wedding venue and their vintage, historical feel fitted perfectly with our vibe for the day. I wish we could do it all over again.

Let’s face it, we’re all looking for a little bit of sartorial sparkle during the holidays.

But while most of us will brave the crowds at a nearby shopping centre or hit up a local boutique to find that perfect party frock, a select group will be searching for their very own made-to-measure designs.

“There are merits to both shopping experiences,” Vancouver designer Jason Matlo says of buying mass market versus bespoke fashions. “(But) I do think we are in a time where people are looking to get out of the standardized ways of shopping and are looking to support local artisans, which I am in fully support of.”

Matlo, who has been designing his own line for more than a decade crafting both ready-to-wear and made-to-measure pieces, says the interest in made-to-measure clothing has grown in recent years — especially during specialty seasons such as the holidays.

“The holidays are a season that require a certain level of elegance, sophistication and glamour,” he says. “There is a group of fabulous women in Vancouver that seek this type of fashion experience and have the means to afford it. These women embrace the idea and find the artisans locally to execute the garments.

“For those shoppers that want a dress that has impeccable fit, luxurious fabrics, interaction with the designer and involvement in the design process, this is a beautiful way to shop.”

Designer Nancy Lord agrees.

“When I started the business it was very difficult because women (here) did not dress up,” Lord, who has been established in Vancouver for 28 years and opened her flagship store at 410 Howe St. two years ago, says. “Now, it is a very different market.”

Not that either is complaining about the seemingly booming bespoke business. Because for most fashion designers, being able to create made-to-measure designs is as much a luxury for them as it is for their clients.

“I enjoy both ready to wear and couture design, but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed them equally,” Matlo admits. “There is something so creatively satisfying when working with a client that has both the design taste and financial means to create something one of a kind — spectacular in both style and craftsmanship.”

He says unlike the limitations placed on fabrication and design by traditional ready-to-wear collections such as body types and pricing, made-to-measure affords him the ability to take more risks with design and make upgrades to construction and textiles.

“When the piece is custom-made the price points are much higher and it means the design process is elevated creatively, the fabrics are the most beautiful and luxurious quality, all the beautiful finishes and ‘couture’ hand sewing techniques I love are able to be incorporated in the piece yielding a superior design experience for both me, my team and the client,” he explains.

So just how much does a made-to-measure piece cost?

“Depending on the piece, fabric, complexity and detailing a dress could run between $1,500 to $10,000,” Matlo says.

It’s a price point that is very consistent throughout this customized world.

Lord, who prefers to stick to more “chic-casual” designs rather than over-the-top evening gowns (although she will do both those and bridal by special request), says the cost of locally crafted, made-to-measure clothing is comparable to what luxury-calibre shoppers are used to paying at prestige brand boutiques.

“Our shirts start at $325 to $795 depending on the fabric,” she explains. “And we have pure cashmere coats that vary from $2,500 to $6,000.”

She says it’s less about the initial cost as it is about allowing women to “spend their dollars wisely” on pieces that will last a lifetime.

“When you invest in a good quality item, and you know it’s going to last, you know that you’ve spent your money wisely,” she says. “We have a client who we made a leather jacket for — 24 years ago. She came into the store the other day and it still looks brand new. She wears it almost every day, she loves it. The style has of course changed a little bit. And so I restructured it for her and she still has another 25 years in it.”

It is these steep price points that have made some local designers seek out alternatives that will allow their custom creations to reach a wider array of customers — and for Iliana Rosabal of Cache Couture Atelier, that alternative has taken the form of custom couture rentals.

“Essentially, we came up with this as a way to help women sparkle,” Rosabal says. “It’s an opportunity to dazzle in Haute Couture at a fraction of the price — (to) look like a million bucks, without spending it.”

Customers can rent one of Rosabal’s designs for approximately 28-per cent of the retail cost of a gown, plus taxes. But while the dresses come at a discount, Rosabal says the customer’s atelier experience does not.

“We have customers in for a consult and initial fitting, which is included in cost of rental,” she explains. “If any alterations need to be done, we will customize accordingly and have it ready within a week.”

In a way, it’s like custom couture at a fast-fashion pace.

Now there’s something to (carefully) raise a glass to.

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Having worked with artists such as Ladi6, Stan Walker, Hollie Smith and Vince Harder, Sammy Salsa’s experience in ensuring his clients look polished for the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards has been one of his strengths as a stylist. Sam gives us his tips on how to look red carpet ready ahead of tonight’s awards:

1. Foundation

Just as important as the exterior of any outfit, the interior is just as vital. Having the right undergarments is the start for any red carpet look. The right shapewear, bra and underwear can make you feel confident and camera ready.

2. Perfect fit

This is a no brainer. Make sure your outfit fits. If it's too loose get it tailored to fit you in all areas. If it's too tight find another outfit!

3. First aid kit

No, not the one that saves lives but one that will save your outfit! Having a compact kit (small enough to fit in your clutch) containing double sided tape, band aids, thread and a needle will save you from any unexpected red carpet boo boos.

4. Don’t reveal too much

Know the limits when it comes to showing too much skin. For example, if you’re opting for a gown that has a high thigh split, you don't want a plunging neckline. Balance the look out so that you are showing just the right amount of skin in all the right places.

5. Fashion vs costume

Once in a while there will be those that take risks on the red carpet by opting for something a little more avant-garde. Opting for something that looks accessible and put together will still have you looking fashion forward, and not like Annie on Broadway.

6. Less is more

Be strategic when it comes to accessories. Sometimes less is more and other times you just need that one statement piece to pull off a look.

7. Backup plan

Anything can happen from a month out leading up to the awards night — trust me it's happened! The best way to eliminate any stress is to have a backup outfit and make sure that backup outfit is just as fierce as your first choice.

8. Comfortable and confident

It's going to be a long night of posing for photos, partying with the winners and losers of the night so make sure you are comfortable. The confidence will come naturally from that. Also downing a few vinos beforehand helps.

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Few fashion events can rival the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in terms of scope and magnitude. With models dueling for spots on the brand’s prestigious runway and millions tuning in on television, casting the show takes on a special significance. For models, an appearance at Victoria’s Secret can serve to introduce them to a whole new audience, kick-starting their careers and putting them on the path to Angel status. The casting lineup at each show is hotly debated, with online aficionados building their fantasy Victoria’s Secret leagues for months in advance and seemingly everyone chiming in with an opinion on who ought to walk. Enthused fans aside, the final decision falls into the hands of John Pfeiffer, a fashion industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience casting some of the industry’s biggest shows. During fashion month, Pfeiffer handles model selection for everyone from Diane von Furstenberg to Michael Kors, but in the postseason, he and his team are dedicated to the creation of the ultimate Angel squad.

What defines a Victoria’s Secret model is constantly evolving. Over the years, the brand’s runway has featured several incarnations of the Angel, from the refined sexiness of Stephanie Seymour, Daniela Pestova, and Helena Christensen to the Amazonian glamour typified by Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, and Tyra Banks. Pfeiffer has been behind each shift, curating a cast that adheres to the mood of the moment yet retains the brand’s unmistakable aesthetic. 2015’s lineup is as accurate a representation of the current modeling scene as one will find. Led by supermodel mainstays like Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, the cast features an array of haute first-timers, including social media stars Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. With a focus on youthful joie de vivre and bombastic personalities to match those oversize wings, this year’s models are bubbly bombshells next door. On the eve of the show’s taping, Pfeiffer talked to us about making the final selections, the impact of social media, and the new faces to watch.

Since the show will be televised, are there concerns you have to address that wouldn’t come into play with a regular fashion show?

One thing that’s different is that we don’t book anyone under the age of 18, which wasn’t always the case. Adriana [Lima] started with the brand quite young, and in the past before the show was televised that would occasionally occur. I don’t think the age thing has to do with the fact that it is televised, per se, but there was a conscious decision made many years ago that we wouldn’t book anyone under 18. That extended to the girls who are shot for the brand, which is an especially important issue right now.

How big a role does personality play in the casting process?

I think personality is one of the most important things. At this level of casting, we’re nitpicking physically because they’re all gorgeous. What makes a girl stand out is her personality, and there are a lot of ways to define it.

The casting process occurs over several days with my team. But on those last few days of casting, when we’re in the room with Ed [Razek], Monica [Mitro], and Sophia [Neophitou] and other people from the brand, camera crews, film crews—that is the first real taste. You see who is going to make it through because you’re seeing a hundred girls; truly, they are all gorgeous, and any one of them could be chosen from that standpoint. What you’re looking for is who captures your attention, who stands out from the crowd. If you can’t do it in that room, you’re not going to be able to do it on the runway.

With both Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid walking this year, do you feel social media has played an increasingly important role in the decision-making process?

It would be impossible not to be aware of social media. That fact that you’re aware of it probably colors your judgment in some way even if you strive to be completely neutral and judge the girls only by the guidelines. But I say this truthfully and sincerely: I think Gigi and Kendall make it in based on merit. You can’t deny that they’ve got this incredible following and have great backstories, but they have proven themselves as models. They’re not dilettantes; they’re both professionals.

2015’s lineup seems to be driven by youth, with many in the cast walking for the first time—was that a deliberate choice?

There are 12 girls who are doing the show for the first time this year and it happened organically. We spent the last two days doing the callbacks and whittling it down to the final list, which is a lengthy process. The stakes are so high for the girls because they really make an effort to prepare for the casting, and they want to impress. The stakes are high for us because we want to be making the right decisions. There are a lot of tough choices, but I think really good ones in the end. I’m super happy with every single girl in the show this year.

Among the new faces, who impressed you?

One thing that ties into not booking girls under the age of 18 is that we’re keeping our eyes on certain girls who maybe weren’t old enough last year but came of age this year. Valery Kaufman is one of those girls; this is her first time doing the show, and she is incredible. Bruna Lírio is another brand-new girl—she’s only been in New York for two months and hasn’t even done a show season yet. This is her first big show! She was amazing in the casting, so effortless and charming. She captivated the room.

I’m excited about Pauline Hoarau, who is so divine. It’s Bridget Malcolm’s first time doing the show as well and she looks amazing. I’ve known her for a while, and I don’t know—something happened and she blossomed. I’m also really excited about Leomie Anderson. She did well at the castings last year and just didn’t make that final cut, but she came back this year and wowed the room again.

How does that differ from the experience of working with the girls who have been doing the show for several years now?

It may sound a little cheesy, but sometimes when you see those girls and they come in for those fittings, you just light up. I met Adriana [Lima] when she was 14, and now she’s a mom with two beautiful daughters and has become this incredible woman. I’ve been casting for 20-plus years, so the girls I knew back then were kids. It is wonderful to see them become women, develop and grow as people, create families and be successful.

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Many women strap on heels for a night on the town with the intention of turning heads.

Holly Burt avoids them for that very reason.

“It leads to nonstop questions,” the 20-year-old tells The Post at her photo shoot at Tender Bar & Grill. Standing 6-foot-5 — and with 49.5-inch legs — Burt already gets questions about her height 20 to 30 times a day, even when she’s just wearing sneakers.

The Florida native didn’t even buy her first pair of heels until October. That’s when she went public with the news that her legs are a half-inch longer than those of Lauren Williams of Houston, who claims to have the longest of any women in America.

But with those eye-popping gams come some unique tall-girl problems.

“I can’t fit on a plane — I have to duck,” Burt says. “I’m literally walking like I have a broken neck, and if [someone seated in front of me has] the audacity to put their chair back, I won’t let them do that. I’ll push up against their seat with my hands.”

Riding the subway to Parsons School of Design each day from her Bushwick, Brooklyn, apartment requires ducking down, too. She also has to deal with gawking straphangers who shamelessly snap her photo. “That’s where I get the most attention.”

Burt’s yet to try and squeeze into a seat at a Broadway show, but she’s got a strategy when attending lectures at school. The graphic-design major shows up early to classes to get a front-row seat. That way, she can stretch out and no one has to climb over her.

Luckily, Burt can solicit advice from her family: She comes from a long line of sky-high giants.

“My mom is 6 foot, my dad’s 6-foot-3 and my sister’s 6-foot-1,” she says. “And my grandpa was 6-foot-8.”

When it comes to dating, Burt, who’s single, turns to apps like Tinder and Bumble — which usually list a guy’s height — to help weed out the short stuff.

As her Bumble profile says, she’s looking for her very own Yao Ming.

“I’ve had one type all my life, and that’s tall,” she explains. “It’s not like I have trouble getting guys. I’m a pretty personable person, so if I see a really tall guy, of course I’ll go up to him and say, ‘Hey.’ ”

She tends to meet men at trendy nightlife haunts in Williamsburg and on the Lower East Side. But Burt cringes when recounting the main pickup line she gets from guys.

“‘Whoa, you’re really tall.’ Then that’s over right there,” she says. “They’ll be like, ‘What’s your name?’ and I’ll say, ‘You can just shut up now.’ ”

Another challenge when your legs are more than 4 feet long? You can’t just pop into a store and buy pants.

“Tall orders are [usually only] available online,” she says. But sometimes even that’s not enough: “At Gap you can get a 35-inch inseam online, but I wear a 37-inch inseam.”

Burt’s favorite online retailer is alloyapparel, which specializes in tall sizes. When she finds something she likes, she buys in bulk.

“I swear I’m a normal girl!” says Burt, who wears a size 2 from the waist up. “I can shop anywhere really for [tops and dresses]. It’s just pants — and shoes. I wear size 11.”

Her favorite article of clothing right now is a Bebe bandage skirt, size XS.

“It gives [me] a really nice hourglass, and my legs look really awesome in it.” It just barely skims the tops of her thighs, and she’ll pair it with flat boots and a crop top for a night out on Ludlow Street.

Soon, she might have a camera crew tagging along: A major cable channel has contacted Burt about a possible reality show, and she’s more than game. But even though she gives supermodels like Heidi Klum — whose own legs are insured for a combined $2 million — a run for their money, don’t expect to see Burt stomping the runway anytime soon.

“I don’t see myself walking New York Fashion Week,” she says. “I’ve been hit up by one modeling agency that specializes in [body] parts — like ad campaigns that need a real leggy model — which is where I would be perfectly happy.”

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Baggy or slim? Boxy or narrow? This fall, the pants debate extends to the guys, too. Below, one Vogue editor tells us why this season, inspired by the likes of Vetements and Patrik Ervell, he’s opting for a wider cut. And over here, another point of view.

The first time I saw a guy in wide-leg pants, I didn’t know what to think. It was the early ’90s and the skater wearing them was a grade below me in high school. These days, a slouchy look is back in fashion—see the cult menswear designer Craig Green, for example, whose loose, boxy cuts appeal to women as well as men. But back then, those kinds of proportions looked really odd to my eye: The skater’s outsize pant legs were nearly big enough to obscure his Airwalks. This was before big pants had moved beyond hip-hop, skater, and raver circles and entered the mainstream, so I had no frame of reference for such an outfit.

But I found the style intriguing, and—as these things often go at that age—within a matter of months, I was sporting oversize trousers, too. For the next few years, loose-fitting pants and extra-large T-shirts became my go-to look. (I also skated, though never very well.)

At some point in college, when many of the guys on campus started dressing this way, I gave up on baggy proportions and embraced the slimmer silhouette worn by characters in Trainspotting and favored by indie rock bands like The Make-Up. I was decidedly over big pants, and for years afterward my attitude would be, the skinnier, the better.

It was the late ’90s then, and Helmut Lang and flat-front pants held sway, though many men’s brands were still pushing relaxed denim. Hedi Slimane was a few years away from becoming creative director of Dior Homme, where his tiny suits and skintight jeans would help enshrine the slim fit. So I resorted to buying vintage and wearing women’s button-downs and jeans to achieve the look I wanted.

By the mid-2000s, though, finding slimmer menswear was easier. Designers like Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders and Thom Browne were cutting their clothing closer to the body. Toward the end of the aughts, the style migrated from the runway to the mall, where the Gap, H&M, Uniqlo, and other retailers helped to popularize the skinny-jeans trend, which continues today.

But an ultra-slim look no longer appeals to me the way it did even a few years ago. A looser, boxier silhouette seems more modern and represents an evolutionary step beyond the skinny fits I wore for so long. My interest in moving past this look was prompted in part by the recent men’s collections, as well as the slack, elegant styles worn by David Bowie and Bryan Ferry in the ’70s, but I’ve also been studying the slouchier vintage designs of Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto. And I’ve drawn inspiration from current womenswear, paying attention not only to labels like Vetements, but also to the way my wife, my colleagues at Vogue, and a lot of women on the streets of New York are dressing. They’re showing that choosing comfortable clothing doesn’t have to mean a rejection of style, and the voluminous, architectural trousers that many of them wear offer another way of presenting oneself.

Over the summer, I took a stab at a looser silhouette with relaxed linen trousers from Our Legacy and a carrot-fit canvas pair from Death to Tennis that were loose on the upper leg and tapered to the ankle. After years of skinny pants, the sense-memory evoked by fabric swooshing against my legs as I walked really brought me back. It also felt very liberating, and led me to my Halloween costume for this year: a ’90s wannabe skater in a knit cap; extra-large band T-shirt; Vans; and old, oversize Dickies work pants. It’s probably the most comfortable I’ve been in ages, and my wife was definitely a fan—she wants me to break out that look more often.

Now I’m ready to go even baggier. This fall, I’m eyeing Patrik Ervell’s monumental, Brutalism-channeling skater pants. And for spring I’m fascinated by Raf Simons’s leg-flooding, rave-and-Northern soul–influenced trousers. They’re a departure from his stovepipe jeans of recent years, and offer the most exaggerated—and exciting—silhouette of the coming season. It’s a shape that, while it does tie in to the ’90s revival—or perhaps refracts the ’70s through the prism of the ’90s—paradoxically also seems attuned to the way we live now, in which we prize dressing well, but with comfort and ease over the tightly fitted rigors of the very recent past.

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The last time I saw Claire Boucher, we were 90 miles off the Florida coast aboard the S.S. Coachella, a music-festival-meets-luxury-cruise from the promoters that brought you the desert romp of the same name. Boucher—more commonly known by her experimental alter ego, Grimes—was belting out hits from her 2012 Billboard-charting album, Visions, while her self-styled ponytail, replete with multicolored scrunchies (and a pair of cat ears), swung in the air.

The moment was remarkable for a few reasons, the least of which had to do with our proximity to dry land. With only about 100 people gathered in the small venue to take in Boucher’s action-packed live show, it was an intimate performance with the burgeoning pop star, whose career promptly went stratospheric. It was also one of the only times in recent memory that the Vancouver-born, Los Angeles–based Boucher took to the stage with her natural brunette hair, which she’s been dying a kaleidoscope of colors since she was 10.

When we finally meet again, nearly three years later, it’s to talk all things beauty for this month’s issue of Vogue. Just ahead of her highly anticipated new record, Art Angels (out this Friday), Boucher’s strands are a fresh shade of Manic Panic purple with a wash of pink on top. “This is my album color,” she reveals of the precise lilac hue—a combination of the company’s Electric Amethyst and Mystic Heather shades—that she also wore front row at Louis Vuitton’s recent Spring 2016 show in Paris.

A self-taught beauty junkie, she’ll manage her own root touch-ups while she’s on the road this winter, part of her DIY mantra that hinges on looking ‘not professional,’ ” she says. “Sometimes when I’m doing stage makeup, I just want it to look weird and abstract, like I just smeared a bunch of crap on my face and let it live!” Still, there is a method to the madness that has the musician dipping into pots of black kohl liner, toting her trusty Kat Von D liquid eye pen across continents, and stocking up on beauty essentials sourced everywhere from Canadian discount stores to Kickstarter campaigns. Here, the 27-year-old talks natural skincare solutions, homespun energy drinks, and why she occasionally loves a really mean nail tech.

How do you choose your hair color for each album cycle or tour?

I just kind of go by vibe. Every time you do a color, though, everyone else starts doing it. I’m like, ‘Damn. I shouldn’t have Instagrammed this!’ I really wanted to do red this time, but I think Florence [Welch] just did it. And Bowie. And even Rihanna’s red phase is so iconic. I don’t think this [purple] color is taken, though.

Do you ever get as expressive with your makeup and nails as you do with your hair?

I have a kohl eyeliner that I use to make a smoky, goth-y eye, and I’m really into this one Kat Von D pen that’s super-easy to draw on, but I can’t wear lipstick; I look simultaneously like a baby and a lady of the night. I use lipstick on my eyes, though, like a red or a black—or even a lip gloss. I have all of these weird sparkly glosses from the dollar store in Montreal that are great. I also really like getting acrylics—really long ones in black, or navy blue.

Do you have a go-to L.A. nail spot?

I go to this nail salon that I found in Highland Park. They have pictures of all of these D-level celebrities on the wall, and they’re really mean to me. I love it when they’re mean to me—it’s kind of amazing.

Is beauty an onstage-only undertaking for you, or is it part of your daily routine?

Every time I leave the house, I guess I do a little something, at least my eyebrows. I always fill them in. I got this weird, white, organic Halloween makeup that I mix with regular foundation for a pale look, and then I fill in my eyebrows so they’re super contrasty. It’s subtle, though. Like, you can’t tell that I’m wearing clown makeup!

Is there a specific foundation you like to mix with said clown makeup?

Josie Maran. It has argan oil in it.

Are there other good-for-your-skin ingredients you find yourself gravitating toward?

I have Burt’s Bees everything and I take vitamin D, but I use olive oil more than any actual beauty products—and I eat a shit-ton of avocados. There’s also a great rosewater toner and a shea butter body oil that I really love that I got from my friend Alexis [Krauss] who’s in the band Sleigh Bells. She just started this website called Beauty Lies Truth, which is how I started getting more into cosmetics. She did a Kickstarter campaign, and if you pledged, you got a big box of ethically made products.

Do you make a concerted effort to maintain an ethical, environmentally conscious lifestyle?

Yeah, definitely, whenever possible. Vegans are too hard-line, but I don’t eat meat or dairy—and I never use plastic bottles. Every night, I fill up my purple S’well bottle with ice-cold maté [tea], and I put it by my bed, so when I get up in the morning I can just chug it. I’ve been infinitely more productive since I started doing it.

I imagine the maté boost also helps make music you can move to. Was that important to you on this new record?

Dancing is really important for me. I’ll make a slow song, but it’s important to me that the songs are fun and at their core, there is just an incredible love for music.

Do you dance a lot to get in shape for your live shows?

Training for a live show is emotionally and physically like training for a fight. This is so off-brand, but I’ve been really into the Ballet Beautiful workout videos. They’re really hard! ButI’ve also been skipping rope because the main thing I need to work on is being able to move more, dance more, and not lose the vocals.

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