Mina Von Vixen

The following is a blog post written by the fabulous Mina Von Vixen, which includes her thoughts about working with Appeeling and our products. You can also head over to Mina's website and find the blog post there, along with many other wonderful things from travel posts, to photos, and fashion.

Enjoy!

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Women in the golden era of burlesque were no stranger to a regular burlesque club raid along with a few arrests on their record for showing too much skin. Minsky’s was famous for it, hence the 1968 movie.

These women fought the sensors in the best way they knew – glamour! They attached nipple tassels or pasties to their breasts which allowed them to perform almost nude on stage, they still had to follow strict rules regarding their modesty, but they made it work in a dazzling way!

A short while ago the Toronto based business Appeeling approached me with outstandingly shiny and glimmering nipple pasties and tassels. I was sent a few pairs and I couldn’t wait to try them on. They came in excellent packaging too! You don’t need to fear for the safety of your tassels when they come in their own little set of draws. Huge advantage.

The Josephine Jewel (nude) set were my absolute favourites. Usually pasties have a rigid back to them to allow easier jewel application, the Josephine set didn’t, instead, they have used a silicone base so it adapts to the shape of your chest perfectly. No more worrying about a slip on stage! They’re heavy – but to me, that means more robust, and more craftsmanship. The jewels they have used just won’t stop glittering – every time you step out into the light it's like a disco ball lit up the room.

The Dancing Diva set is breathtaking. I love the waterfall of rhinestones as it trails off. The base of this set is almost invisible but does an excellent job of covering everything it needs to. They’re designed so that when you apply them the waterfall of rhinestones fall in just the right flattering place. They’re absolutely beautiful.

Similar to their sister pair, the Dancing Queen set is much smaller than the Dancing diva set, but still has beautiful delicate chains of rhinestones hooping underneath them to give a bigger bust feel. They also follow a similar design pattern – The base is almost invisible on these too. Perfect for any Artdeco themed act or outfit for that matter.

And then there is the Lolita la Chance set. They look and feel like the good old fashioned set we all know and love. Simple (but effective) sequins rolled into the shape of a love heart with swirling satin tassels. I did notice one difference though – The Appeeling set is a lot more pointy, which I loved! Usually, when you buy a set of simple heart tassels, they’re very flat and flimsy. Not these – They’re robust and not budging anywhere. This set is perfect for beginners, a hot night in or just practicing your tasseling game.

I was also sent a pair of Fairy Fantasy pasties, they’re stunning! I was much too shy to wear them on the shoot as they’re very see-through. They’re designed with elegance in mind, and if you want sparkle – you want fairy fantasy!

Apeeling celebrates body positivity; they believe you should shine no matter what your body type. They also do incredible things for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and LGBT Youth Line by donating a portion of their proceeds to the charities. What's not to love?!

To see more images, head over to my Instagram page.

All photography and video by Dag Nammett.