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The Best Looks from Missy Elliott’s “WTF” Video

Updated: Nov 14, 2015 09:20
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After 7 years Missy Elliott dropped a hot-ass single this morning called “WTF (Where They From)” and it is the most [fire emoji] thing on the planet right now. I could write probably 700 words on how this song is simultaneously ultra-current and doesn’t sound like anything else out today, but I’m a comedian/beauty writer and luckily I can also write 700 words on how effing amazing every single look in this video is. Here are the five best ones, ranked, with the best way to get the look at home.

5. BLUE GRAPHIC LIPSTICK

Missy-Elliott-WTF-video-blue-lipstick

What do you mean “I can’t wear a line of blue lipstick to work”?? What are you, some kind of coward? Just kidding, I get it. This is more of a “just for funsies” look which is why it’s #5. Blue lipstick is pretty cool and there are a lot of different kinds and unfortunately most of them are crazy expensive. It’s cuckoo-bananas-crazy to spend $18 on a lipstick you’re not gonna wear a bunch. Here’s the scoop on getting around that: DUPES. DupeThat swatches expensive makeup and cheap makeup and tells you where you can get basically the same thing for sooo much cheaper. Here’s their swatch on the color Missy is rockin’.

4. SQUAD BEANIES

Missy-Elliott-WTF-video-squad

This one is easy. Beanies are cheap. Step 1: grab some for you and your buds at 7/11 on the way home, it’s getting cold. Or better yet, go to Walgreens or CVS because their rewards programs are better. Step 2: Get patches. There are 5000 of them on Etsy (this one might have to go on the beanies for my friends and me). Step 3: Use a simple sewing kit to put those patches on your beanies. Step 4 (hardest part): put on your matching beanies and learn a choreographed professional dance together. Step 5: friendship forever!

3. LICHTENSTEIN GIRL MAKEUP

Missy’s turnaround quick morph into a half face of Pop Art literally made me squeal (not sure if you picked up on this but I love Missy Elliott more than like 70% of my blood relatives). Halloween was last month and you probably saw at least five Lichtenstein girls running around, and if you didn’t know how to do that look, this tutorial is great and she sings some Missy at the end!

2. PUPPETS

Missy-Elliott-WTF-video-Pharrell-puppets

This is the #1 best thing about the video but it is not a “look” per se, so it got knocked down to #2. With Christmas just around the corner, you’re probably wondering what you can do to tell your loved ones “I love and respect you as a person” and also tell them “I’m a midkey creep.” CLEARLY the answer is a custom puppet. Marionettes like the ones in this video are ridiculously expensive BUT you could also just have a regular soft puppet made by Etsy merchant BrattyChickCo for a quarter of the price. Alternatively, you could just learn how to make a puppet yourself. Images in Motion (up in Sonoma, CA) is a puppet-building studio that offers classes on puppet building and puppeteering.

1. MIRROR JUMPSUIT

Missy 1.1

The award for “Raddest Tracksuit” goes to Missy Elliott because this outfit is as insanely cool as it is difficult to get a good screenshot of. If you’re interested in making your own mirror shard jumpsuit, jacket, or sock (probably not socks), check out this DIY tutorial for making a blazer and go out and sparkle!

Or you could just throw on a black trash bag and pretend you’re in the “The Rain” video like it’s 1997 again.

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Allison Mick

Allison Mick

Allison Mick is an Oakland-based comedian originally from Rochester, NY. Her comedy tackles topics like race, gender, and serial killers. She can be seen every Saturday at the Cynic Cave at Lost Weekend Video in the Mission. She’s been written about on earmilk.com and has performed in such festivals as San Francisco Sketchfest and the S.H.I.T.s and Giggles Comedy Festival in Humboldt County, California. She's also a writer now, apparently. Check her out at allison-mick.com.