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PICTURES OF YOU

Today I would like to give props to Robert Smith of The Cure. The master of morbid make-up is 49 years old today. I'm sure he would hate to hear it, but he has become a fashion icon over the years despite having said that he doesn't care about clothing. He's also said that he hates the term "goth" and would never consider The Cure as such.

I've been following his career for over twenty years and there's no denying he has had an impact on the world of style. That big teased hair and red lipstick (Mary Quant Crimson Scorcher) that has become his style signature has influenced a multitude of performers and pop culture figures (The Crow, Edward Scissorhands, Neil Gaiman's Sandman, etc.). Legend has it that the lipstick look came about after an opium-fueled night with Siouxsie and the Banshees during which Robert grabbed Siouxsie's lipstick and went to town.

He's been called "pop culture's unkempt poster child of doom and gloom" so it's no surprise that he's inspired tons of goths, including yours truly, to tease their hair and wear lots of crooked red lipstick.The first time I saw him without make-up, I didn't recognize him. When talking about wearing a bare face, he has said: "Nobody notices me. Nobody thinks I'm me. But then I look less like me than most of the people coming to our concerts. "

He's still teasing his hair and wearing the eyeliner and lipstick except nowadays he's working with people like Ashlee Simpson (I must admit I love her song Get Outta My Head! This makes me wonder if he might have had something to do with that). He's even inspired a hair product from Lush called "goth juice."

Happy Birthday, Robert! Here's to another twenty years of Aqua Net and red lipstick!

dressing up dressing up

circa Japanese Whispers

Applying Mary Quant Scorcher Red

Exactly what about me says "goth" to you?

working the bird nest look

Still "Mad Bob"