Getting In Touch With My Inner Sexy: Burlesque Dancing With PurpleLab, Gorgeous Bloggers, And The Fabulous Veronica Varlow

I am not ashamed to say that the thought of getting a lesson in Burlesque dancing (with one of the greatest teachers, no less!) was quite intimidating. I am not always comfortable with my body and with the idea of allowing myself to feel sexy in my own skin. Eager to meet some fabulous fellow beauty bloggers and the brains behind PurpleLab and her team of sassy gals, I set my insecurities aside last Thursday and joined in on a few hours of meeting, greeting, and yes, learning some Burlesque moves! Assembling at the Gates in NYC, the great Veronica Varlow was our guide to getting in touch with our inner beautiful selves, and she was all about spreading the message of female empowerment. Before we got into the dancing, we got together as a group to listen to Veronica tell the inspirational story of how she ended up getting into the world of Burlesque and what led her to achieving her dreams. She then got us all sharing something about ourselves - what accomplishments of which we were proud in the last month, what we would love to be doing with our lives in an ideal world, what qualities we like in ourselves, and what we find sexy in others.

Introductions made, everyone feeling a bit more comfortable, we all donned our feather boas and long gloves (both purple, of course!) and got ready to learn some moves, guaranteed to make the boys go wild.

Some things that I took away from my lesson in Burlesque:

1. Carry your purse in the crook of your arm, you'll instantly look sexier and more appealing.

2. Don't rush into a room to find your friends, rather stop at the doorway and take time to scan your surroundings. As people's eyes naturally look towards the door, you need to make an entrance. Walk in with a confident swagger, and you will be sure to be noticed.

3. Perfect the sexy walk; walk "slow and steady" and after each step, pop your hip!

4. Slowly pulling down your glove to expose your elbow will make the boys freak! Just a little bit of skin is all it takes!

I learned a lot about myself from being able to let go and allow myself to be sassy. It was truly a lesson in self-confidence! I would totally do it again ;-)

Here are some pictures of me with the rest of the Burlesque dancing crew!

L-R: Sharon, Karen (PurpleLab creatrix), me, Aly (of eBeautyDaily), Shoshi (of http://www.lusciouslifestylediva.com/) , Dee (of The Candid Commentary)

L-R: Adina (the lovely Krasey Beauty), Sharon, Karen, me, Aly, Shoshi, Dee, Morgan

Everyone wearing the purple boas and gloves! How hot are we??

L-R: Me, Evie (Product Pasha), Adina, Aly, Veronica Varlow, Karen, Sharon, Shoshi, Elizbeth, Dee, Morgan

And for a shot of me and Veronica:

If you haven't yet checked out PurpleLab's Huge Lips Skinny Hips lip glosses, you must!! Once again, you can find some info on them at the PurpleLab website, including where to purchase.

Special shout outs to Veronica Varlow, Karen Robinovitz and her girls Dee, Sharon, Morgan, and Elizbeth (who is Miss Baker Extraordinaire!), and the fabulous bloggers Krasey Beauty, Aly Walansky, Product Pasha, and Shoshi! You ladies, rock!