Was Lady Gaga's Summerfest Performance A Fizzle Or Sizzlin' Hot?

The following is a guest post review from continuing guest blogger, Erin Shiely. Erin is reporting from "The World's Largest Music Festival," Summerfest, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA:

Last night as I walked through the gate of Milwaukee’s Marcus Amphitheater, I was enveloped in a mass of people decorated in lace, glitter, pleather and various other ornamental statements. It was the fantastically bizarre atmosphere one would expect when attending a concert by none other than the Marilyn Manson of pop, Lady Gaga.

A few of Lady Gaga's "Little Monsters" concert-goers

Concert-goer and friend of the author

The show opened with a curtain drop to reveal sets that can only be described as a blank phallic canvas for laser lights and trippy image projections. In a grand entrance Gaga emerged wearing a sparkly bodysuit and wings, carried by a team of scantily clad muscular men. She opened with a string of new songs from her November album Artpop which was met with less than stellar reviews. The little Monsters watched in awe of their decorated pop queen, despite a lack of connection to the songs.

Gaga and her phallic stage design

A swift change in energy was evident when Gaga asked everyone to “Just Dance.” In a triumphant rendition of old favorites such as “Pokerface”, “Bad Romance”, and “Paparazzi” the crowd awakened into a vibrant rave of singing and dancing. After an energizing slew of songs, Gaga switched gears and captivated the audience with a genuinely heartfelt piano ballad of “Born this Way.” All too often concert-goers are disappointed by an artist’s inability to perform live. Lady Gaga, delivered vocally in a way that most studio performers would only dream of attaining. Her voice prevailed vigorously on every note.

The author Erin Shiely (left), and friend 

Although Lady Gaga has been made famous for her energetic dance anthems, her enduring message of love and acceptance has spawned a fiercely loyal fan base. Many critics have described Gaga’s latest album as “desperate” or “washed up.” Despite the less successful Artpop album, her little Monsters are more than forgiving. In return Gaga always presents a fabulous spectacle, well worth the price of admission. 

Gaga, captivating the fans

Authors bio:

Erin Shiely is a graduate of Purdue University and resides in Lafayette, Indiana. When she isn't working as a Faculty Manager for Kaplan Test Prep, she spends her free time collecting vinyl records, and making homemade ice cream. Her love for music was inspired by her father who introduced her to classic artists such as Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and The Beatles at a very young age. To this day she enjoys a mix of classic rock and contemporary artists which ranges anywhere from Patsy Cline to Die Antwoord. 

Follow Erin on Instagram: @wordsfaded777

What do you think of Lady Gaga's new album? Did you see her Summerfest performance or another? What are your thoughts?

More from this post author:
Is Ultraviolence Ultra Seductive?

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*All photos in this post were submitted by the author.

Is Ultraviolence Ultra Seductive?

The following is a guest post album review by Erin Shiely:

Photo Credit: Erin Shiely 

Lana Del Rey has triumphantly returned with the release of her second studio album Ultraviolence. In contrast to her previous albums, Born to Die and Paradise, Ultraviolence exudes a much darker feeling complementary to Lana’s haunting vocals which fans have come to adore. With Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys as producer, the majority of the album keeps a melancholy tempo.

Photo Credit: @selenamarie318 on Polyvore

 The lead single West Coast offers a taste of 60’s psychedelic, yet a unique contemporary sound. In typical Lana fashion, the lyrics entice the listener with the fantasies and desires of a distressed woman who has an appetite for passion and lavish things. The recurring theme of fatalism comes full circle with the tracks Money Power Glory and F***ed My Way to the Top. There are moments where the imagery and ambiance is near pornographic yet beautiful in its own way. Fans are likely to recognize Lana's maturity as an artist with Ultraviolence but the darker sense may be an acquired taste for some. 

Photo Credit: @selenamarie318 on Polyvore

Authors bio:

Erin Shiely is a graduate of Purdue University and resides in Lafayette, Indiana. When she isn't working as a Faculty Manager for Kaplan Test Prep, she spends her free time collecting vinyl records, and making homemade ice cream. Her love for music was inspired by her father who introduced her to classic artists such as Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and The Beatles at a very young age. To this day she enjoys a mix of classic rock and contemporary artists which ranges anywhere from Patsy Cline to Die Antwoord. 

Follow Erin on Instagram: @wordsfaded777

What do you think of the album?

Related Content: 

Sweet & Metal West Coast Gal

Exclusive Brazilian Pop Star, "Bad Girl" Natalia Damini Leak

Katy Perry's "Unconditional" 50 Most Breathtaking Screen Captures

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Razor Review: Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive Vs. Schick Intuition Plus Sensitive

So I am super excited to share with you my very first product review! Influenster sent me a little package with a sample of the new Gillette Venus Embrace razor for sensitive skin for product testing purposes. If you don't know about Influenster, you can check them out here. You sign up, review products, and eventually you might get some thing free and new to test out! Yay!

Disclaimer: *I received the Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. All below reviews are my own and I have not been paid for any endorsements.

Now on to the razors...

My number one TOP favorite shaving product is Schick Intuition Plus Sensitive razor.

I did NOT receive the Schick Intuition Plus razor from Influenster but I am mentioning it because the Intuition razor is the gold standard against which I am comparing the Venus Embrace razor.

The Schick Intuition Plus comes with built- in soap around the razor and needs NO shave gel. Just add water! Yay! I'm allergic to shave gel so I have to use soap anyway. The Intuition razor takes that step out for me. It has 4 blades and is fragrance free with aloe and vitamin E.

 The only down side is that the Intuition razor runs out of soap by about the 3rd or 4th use and it is a little pricey for how few uses you get out of it. But I highly recommend it because I never get shave bumps when I use it.

 Tip: In a pinch, conditioner works well as a shave cream substitute, perfect for sensitive skin!

Image Source: Schick Intuition

The Gillette Venus razor has an aloe strip above and below the 5 blades. Yes, I said 5. Wow- a lot of blades!

 It's supposed to get a closer shave and help avoid razor bumps and etc. 

 Bonus: It has a nice razor holder for the shower. I recommend using this, because otherwise the aloe strip will stick to your tub and then become non-existent. Yes, I did that. Err. :/ 

Image Source: Amazon.com

For the sake of testing and comparison, I tried it first with water only and found it to be a bit itchy. It worked great on my legs and was better than a plain razor when used with soap, but it was still a little uncomfortable (read: it felt like sandpaper) on sensitive areas like the underarms which tend to have more bumps and wrinkles.

Tip: When switching out the razors, watch out! That razor is like a flying weapon. It flew across the bathroom, and I hardly pressed the button. They should make nerf toys with that technology! LOL.

Verdict:

Schick Intuition Wins!

The Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive razor for sensitive skin is better than a regular razor but not my top favorite razor. The Schick Intuition razor still wins in my book, but depending on the price or if I had a coupon I would keep the Venus razor around for my legs, but I definitely would not recommend use on sensitive areas. Step it up, Gillette!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillettevenus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gillettevenus

Hashtag: #ItsNotMe

Thanks, Influenster!

Boa Noite!

Twitter: @selenamarie318  

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SELENA MARIE

The Haley Boutique: Rogers, AR

Some of the Haley Boutique's accessories and undergarments merchandised on a Parson's style table display.

My coworker, Carly has been going on and on about how cute this shop is, and since they are having a Christmas in July sale right now, my friend Kristin and I decided to check it out.



Me, shopping: butterfly sequin top (thrifted), black denim shorts, Tahari sandals.

 5 out of 5 for overall presentation 

and special touches

The store is reasonably priced with items ranging from about $25-80. Almost everything that was on sale was about 75% off. I got some pretty sweet deals! More on those pieces soon... in the mean time I thought I would share some photos with you of the store. Thanks to the associates who gave permission to photograph!

Helen (center) was the one who helped me first. All the girls were very nice and helpful!

First of all, I have to say, the storefront was in a strip mall, which would normally make it hard for a  newer place like this to stand out, but they had a bubble machine outside the open doors, which added to the fun atmosphere. When I entered the shop, there was a cute butterfly display on the right and some free mini-cupcakes on the left for customer to enjoy. I thought that was a nice touch.



Cute: Cupcakes for shoppers!

The store associates were just the right amount of helpful. They weren't too pushy like some boutiques can be, though they were eager to take the items off my hands and put them in a dressing room for me so I didn't have to shop with my arms full. Before I knew it, I had picked out ALOT of clothes. But no worries, they didn't rush me in and out of the dressing room. As I tried things on, if I didn't want something, I set them outside the door, and they seemed to magically disappear (again, very helpful).

The dressing room area with a lovely accessories display!

 Once my friend Kristin had finished shopping, they held her items at the counter while I continued to try things on. She wasn't stuck being bored waiting for me because there was a nice little seating area with magazines outside of the dressing room space. I love the look of the nook which featured accessories merchandised to look sort of like little cubes with pieces of art lit up inside.

Seating area with magazines for Kristin to read while I tried more clothes on!

The only downside I found was that there were a few items on the racks that had some makeup on them (but barely- I mean my eye is trained as a technical designer to see this, and my bet is that the associates just hadn't seen it yet to spot clean or remove). This can be the case at any store that ladies shop at, so it didn't bug me too much.

Statement necklaces hanging from a clear acrylic jewelry display behind the couch. Modern fixtures accented the dusty green space.

Overall I would give the store a 5 out of 5 for overall presentation and special touches (like playing Christmas pop music for their Christmas in July sale, the mini-cupcakes, mint green tissue paper around my items, and the bubble machine). As a fashion insider, I would say the store owners put a lot of work into making this place a go-to place for local shoppers.

Bonus: One more thing, students get a 10% discount!

It didn't apply to me, however, because I am not in school. I already got a sweet discount because of the sale: I got about $400 worth of clothing for 93 bucks! I would definitely go back at sale time and I think it would be worth checking out again, even if there isn't a sale, when I need to find a cute new outfit for work or play.

I loved their selection of studded purses!

Great atmosphere.  Nice associates.  Pretty selection.

I highly recommend you check it out! See their Facebook page for more information.

*Please note: This was not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.*

Send your fashion questions to be featured in this blog with a personalized style board and get your styling questions answered for free by a professional image consultant! 

Twitter: @selenamarie318  

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XOXO,

Selena Marie