Time for a "Merry" Opera

Ohhh long time no blog.  Well, it's only been about a week and a half, but it seems like a long time to me.  I'm also behind on reading and commenting on my favorite blogs.  Geez.

Anyhow, my parents, husband, and I went to see The Merry Widow by Franz Léhar at the Detroit Opera House about a week ago, and I thought I'd show you some photos of the evening.

Madame Butterfly in Detroit

I love how this look turned out.

So, what time is it?

Opera time!

Opening Opera Night in Detroit

The 2014-2015 opera season in Detroit has started!  Saturday was opening night, and the Richard Strauss opera Elektra is the first opera of the season.

Elektra is the story of a woman who is determined to kill her mother (Klytemnestra) and her mother's lover (Aegisth) for murdering her father (Agamemnon).  She enlists the help of her brother (Orest), but her sister (Chrysothemis) just wants a normal life with a husband and children.  Elektra's family tree looks something like this (she and her siblings are all the way at the bottom):

The scrim was painted to look like the family tree scrawled on a chalkboard.

The opera is quite interesting in that it is presented in one act with no intermission.  Elektra is on stage through the entirety of the opera.  It requires a soprano with great stamina and vocal range.  Christine Goerke was fabulous as Elektra.  Seriously sublime.

Elektra is a nicely "heavy" opera in the sense that it is both a tragedy and the music is kind of bombastic and grand.  I always describe this kind of music as the kind that "makes you feel like your stomach is being pulled out through your nose."  I felt slightly wrung out after the opera.  Love it!

Elektra's dress is all bloody!

The opera house was showcasing some of the costumes from this season, including Elektra, Madame Butterfly, and The Merry Widow.

I'm looking forward to The Merry Widow for the costumes alone.

Now, because this is a beauty blog, here are some photos of the makeup I wore on my face:

I'm not sure what happened with the lips in this picture.

On the eyes: Darling Girl loose pigment in Jeweled Taupe on the moving lid
                     from the LORAC PRO Palette
                               -- mix of Mauve and Sable in the crease
                               -- Nude in the inner corner by the tear duct
                               -- Cream under the brow
                     Physicians Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner liquid liner in Ultra Black
                     Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner eyeliner in Tommy Jet on the lower lashline
                     L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

Blurry to show the sparkle!

from left: DGC Jeweled Taupe (swatch over Fyrinnae Pixe Epoxy because that's how I wore it), LORAC PRO Palette Mauve, Sable, Nude, Cream

Look at that sparkle!

P.S. Pardon the super shiny forehead -- I remebered to apply my Mally Poreless Face Defender AFTER I took the pics, and I didn't have time to retake the photos.  I don't retouch my photos either (unless I'm attempting to make the colors more true to life).

Cheeks: NYX Powder Blush in Taupe to contour under the cheekbones
              Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush

Lips: YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Opera Rose (of course)

from left: NYX Taupe blush, Hourglass Luminous Flush blush, YSL Opera Rose lipstick

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to take any photos of my husband and my parents.  Boooooo.  Next time for sure!

Elektra got rave reviews, and rightly so.  It was amazing.

Time for Turandot FotD

It was opera night in Detroit again on Saturday.  "Turandot" by Giacomo Puccini was what we saw this time.  It is the story of a princess, three riddles (actually four), love, and death and is set in ancient Peking.  The famous tenor aria "Nessun Dorma" is in this opera, and it was goosebump-inducing.  The whole opera was, in a word, spectacular.  The music, the staging, the costumes, the singing, everything.

I decided to wear my semi-new YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick #29 in Opera Rose, because it is called OPERA ROSE.  The color is described as a  "vibrant rose pink" on the Sephora website.  It's totally opaque with one swipe, and seems to stain the lips very slightly.  I kept my eyes muted and let my lips really be the focus of my makeup.  I let my hair air dry (except for the bangs) and kind of do it's own thing.

The lipstick isn't this purple...

Products:

     Eyes: Urban Decay Naked 3 palette --
                    Limit on the lid, Nooner in the crease, Strange under the brow
           Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner in Tommy Jet on the lower waterline
           L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

     Cheeks: NARS Laguna Bronzer
                 Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek palette -- cool pink with sparkle (don't know the name)

     Lips: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 29 Opera Rose

I wore a blue dress that has a knot across the middle, and glittery gold heels.

My husband tied his necktie into a trinity knot.

He is not a ring person, so he wears his wedding ring on a chain.

Chandelier!

Just to prove we actually attend the operas with my parents, here is a rare photo of them!

My dad is 6'4" and my mom is 5'2"!

I feel so fortunate I get to go to the opera so regularly with my family.  It's always so fun and such a treat!

There are four operas every season (two in the fall, and two in the spring), so this was the last of the season.  Next season will include Elektra, Madam Butterfly, The Merry Widow, and Faust.  I'm already looking forward to them!

They shine a "Detroit Opera House" light onto the side of the opera house that faces the parking garage.

I don't know why the lipstick looks so purple in the full face photos.  And it looks too dark in the arm swatch pic, too.  Grrr.

Thank you for visiting today!

A View from the Detroit Opera House FotD

It was opera night in Detroit for me and my family on saturday.  We saw "A View from the Bridge", which is a modern opera (written in 1999) by William Bolcom based on the play by Arthur Miller.  It's the story of a dockworker named Eddie from Brooklyn and his niece Catherine who falls in love with an illegal immigrant who is a cousin of his wife.  Essentially, Eddie isn't okay with it (he is inappropriately attracted to and therefore overprotective of Catherine) and it all ends tragically.  What a story!

I love the Detroit Opera House.

I think my hair and makeup held up well.  The following pictures were taken at the end of the night, as I didn't have time to take any before we left.

Eyes:
     from the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette -- Nooner in the crease
                                                                Limit to blend out the crease
                                                                Strange under the brow
     BFTE loose shadow in Orchid on the lid
     L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara
     Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner in Tommy Jet on the lower waterline

Cheeks:
      NYX Powder Blush in Taupe to contour
      Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush

Lips:
      Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in Rose Aurora (limited edition from 2012)

from left: BFTE Orchid, Urban Decay Nooner, Limit, and Strange, NYX Taupe blush, Hourglass Luminous Flush blush, Elizabeth Arden Rose Aurora lipstick

In case you were curious, I wore a black sheath dress with slitted sleeves (the sleeves are elbow length, but have slits in them from the shoulder to the elbow, if that makes sense -- I think it's called a cold-shoulder style or something), and snake print pumps and a snake print clutch.

I wore Color Club Nail Lacquer Cosmic Fate on my nails.

My husband wore a gorgeous necktie.  (I matched my eyeshadow to it...)

Let's take a closer look at that Eddington knot!

The opera was quite interesting and intense, and rather different from most of the operas produced by the Michigan Opera Theater.  Wonderful evening!

Me and my husband!

Next month is Puccini's Turandot.  I'm already planning my makeup and outfit for it...