Miss Mina Murray

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! If you’re in New England, I hope you’re prepared for the snow! If you’re in Los Angeles, I hope you’re prepared for me! I’ll be performing at Audrey DeLuxe’s Burlesque Bingo – The House of Knyle Edition on Sunday. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you! I’m debuting a new act and it’s very different from my usual style.

And now for your tip!

Use invisible lip liner to keep your lipstick from feathering.

Invisible lip liner is clear and creates a barrier so your lipstick stays put. Put on your usual lip liner and then run a line of this stuff just outside the line. I always use it and it’s kind of magical.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Use the same attachment method on all your detachable panel skirts.

If all your belts and panels have compatible snaps (or whatever else you use), you can mix and match your belts and panels, extending your costume wardrobe! I like to use the snap tape you can see in the photo and use the same size snaps for every costume. That particular belt has the burgundy sheer circular panels and rectangular black lace panels for two very different looks.

We also use this trick in our troupe costumes. We have a bunch of different sized performers, so we have belts of different sizes so that the panels can be swapped around. The snaps are sometimes set higher or lower on the belt to accommodate performers of different heights too.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It’s the first tip of 2019!

Fan dancing is much easier when your fans are right-and left-handed.

It’s quiet right now at BeauTease headquarters and we’re using the downtime for some skill-building. Everyone was eager to learn fan dancing and this tidbit came up while I was teaching. As you can see from the pictures, the staves of my fans open in different directions. This means you can hold the fans comfortably with the top stave closest to you.

Most ready-made fans are right-handed, which makes holding them in your left-hand awkward. It’s best to have the staves reversed for the left-hand fan before the fans are constructed, because it requires removing the support cord and restringing the staves. When ordering fans, specify that you want one right and one left.

At first, it can be hard to remember which one is which. You can discretely label them with an L and R on the back stave where it will be hidden by your hand. Or you could add a distinctive decoration to one fan, so you’ll know that one is, say, the right-hand fan and the one without is the left-hand. If it were a large rhinestone on the back of one fan, you could tell which was which by touch.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s the last Friday tip of 2018! Here’s something to reflect on for the coming year.

Be generous.

Not necessarily with money, although that’s great. You can be generous with your time, your praise, your wisdom, your kindness. Especially kindness.

I hope you have a wonderful 2019!

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

No ironing board? Use a folded towel.

A towel with give just a bit of padding and protect whatever surface you’re using from the heat and steam.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Earlier in the year I showed you how to make and steam a Christmas pudding. Now that your pudding is good and aged, it’s almost time to serve it!

Take your finely-aged pudding out of its aging container and unwrap it from the cloth. Get your pudding basin and butter it well, then slip your naked pudding into it. Wet the pudding cloth, wring it out, and tie over the top of the basin with your pudding string just like you did before. Steam the pudding for an hour or two until it’s heated through. You really can’t overcook it; just make sure the water never boils away.

Traditionally Christmas pudding is served with hard sauce. It’s not called “hard” because it has booze in it (although it does), but because it can’t be poured. You’ll have to scoop it onto your warm slice of pudding where it will melt into a puddle of deliciousness.

To make hard sauce, you need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup superfine sugar
2 Tablespoons booze

Superfine sugar, also called bar sugar and caster sugar (in the UK), can be a little hard to find. If you can’t scare up any, use confectioner’s sugar (I don’t care for it because it’s got cornstarch added) or grind up granulated sugar in the food processor. Straight granulated sugar will make your hard sauce gritty.

For the booze, use whatever you’ve been aging your pudding with. In my case, that’s rum. Usually dark rum, but my pudding drank it all.

Cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the booze. It’s that easy! Keep the hard sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Now to serve the pudding aflame!

Place the pudding on a serving platter, preferable one with a bit of a lip. Gently warm 1/2 cup of booze in a sauce pan. Turn out the lights in the dining room and place the pudding platter on the table. Get your camera ready. Pour the warm booze over the pudding and light the vapors with a long match. Voila!

When the flames go out, slice and serve with a generous spoonful of hard sauce.

Here’s last year’s pudding and the proud cook.

If you make Christmas pudding, I want to hear about it!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Saturday we presented Brrrlesque, our winter holiday show, at Deacon Giles Speakeasy Lab. Most of us have a number of holiday- or winter-themed acts, but we didn’t want to just do the shame show as the years before, so each of us created a new number. I was a bit anxious as act development is not one of my strengths. But Scratch founds just the right song, I had the perfect costume already, and it all came together quickly.

Here’s the show! All photos by Scratch. Some of our audience members took some good ones that I hope to be able to share.

This was Betty’s new act — a reverse strip to “Winter Wonderland”. The picture was taken at the beginning when she’s in her robe and her clothes are strewn about the stage.

Devastasia danced to “Warm in December”. She’s got a great costume surprise near the end of the act. Venues will remember this one forever because the tissue paper snow she brushes off her coat will linger, despite the best efforts to sweep it up.

Technically this wasn’t a holiday number, but I’m sure Scratch gave it an appropriate intro. Artemisia had only done this Las Vegas-inspired act once before, at a private show, and it deserved a little more exposure, so to speak. Although this is a lovely shot, you really should see the costume, created by Artemisia and Burluxe.

Tahni tapped her talented toes to “Gift-Wrapped Boy”. I’m sorry we don’t have a picture right now of her adorable gift-wrap costume (which she made) and jingle pasties.

Here’s a few moments of my standard for the holidays — Duke Ellington’s “Sugar Rum Cherry”.

As a palate-cleanser from the striptease, Artemisia sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.

Betty brought back “Blue Christmas” — a perennial favorite. No pictures, but you can see a clip from last year.

Scratch stunned the audience with a Christmas miracle. No picture of that, since he was the one manning the camera.

This was Devastasia’s new piece to “Marshmallow World”. She really hates Christmas music, so she went for something wintery instead. We were all stunned when she showed up with this snow-white showgirl look. Not a scrap of black to be found!

Artemisia’s new act used a beautiful blue and silver cape (which she made) and some balletic dancing. Very wintery, very graceful.

I closed out the show with my new act, to the PMJ version of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of the glorious champagne-colored gown I wore (a find from Scratch — if you even have the chance, go shopping with him), but you get to see my beautiful Catherine D’Lish boa.

After the first show, we had a surprise treat! I was expecting Brigitte would be at the show since she’s local, but she brought some special guests, D.D. and Evie! Here we all are, BeauTease Classique!

It was so good to see everyone and catch up. I wish we’d had longer, but we had to get ready for our second show.

And that was our last performance of 2018! See you next year!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Your tip today is an old seamstress trick:

If you get blood on your fabric, spit on it.

We’ve all done it. You’re sewing along and stab your finger with the needle. Next thing you know there’s a little crimson stain on your sewing project. Quick! Dab some saliva on it. The blood stain will magically dissipate. I have no idea why or how it works, but I’ve saved my work this way. As soon as you can, properly wash the area with cold water and gentle soap to get out the spit and the last remnants of blood.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

This Saturday, December 15 The Boston BeauTease present our winter holiday show at Deacon Giles Speakeasy Lab in Salem, MA! You can get a little taste of last year right here:

We’ll be presenting some of your favorite seasonal stripteases. As a special treat for good girls and boys everyone is bringing at least one brand-new act. Be the first to see them! I’m very excited to show you mine!

For an added bonus, we’re bringing The Boston BeauTease Burlesque Boutique! Browse our hand-rhinestoned ties, pasties, and other goodies to find the perfect gift for someone special, or yourself! I’ll have copies of both my Little Books too!

Get your tickets right here! There are only a few tickets left for the early show. The venue is very intimate and we tend to sell out, so don’t wait!

Entertaining burlesque plus creative cocktails — treat yourself!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

You don’t have to move at the exact same tempo as your music.

Try moving at half time for drama or double time for excitement. Just make sure you’re still using the beat.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.