Dita Von Teese Shares Her Secrets to the Perfect Lingerie Collection, Flawless Skin, and Her Go-To Lipstick for a Hot Make-Out Session

In celebration of her new lingerie collection for HSN, a few of us got to take in Dita Von Teese’s burlesque show on its opening night here in New York City. To say it was impressive would be an understatement. Also amazing? Her skin, perfect red pout, and over-the-top costumes. I caught up with Dita to get the full scoop.

On the pieces of lingerie every gal needs in her closet…

“A set of black lace lingere that fits her perfectly and is both sophisticated and sexy at the same time. Whenever I buy a good bra I always buy several different pairs of the underwear—the bikini, the brief, the string—as many options that are offered because it gives your set longer wear and then you have a wardrobe. A good, sturdy garter belt with metal clips that fits well and functions well, I buy that too. Something with a splash of color. I love black lace over a splash of color.

Also, a really fabulous robe to make you feel good about yourself. Nice comfortable loungewear goes a long way in making yourself look good. If you look in the mirror in some stained T-shirt or old sweats I don’t think that can be too good for anyone to do too often!”

On her love of garter belts…

“I’ve always been obsessed with garter belts, ever since I was a little girl. I never equated them with sex; I just thought that was what you wore when you were old enough to wear hosiery. I equated them with old-Hollywood glamour and pinup glamour. I just think they make more sense, too. Instead of dishing out a ton of money for tights only to get a hole in one leg, if you buy a garter and two or three pairs of one style of stockings, if you get a run in one, pull it off, throw it in the trash and then put on another one. When choosing a garter belt pick one with metal clips. Plastic clips don’t stay. I also like ones with six straps instead of four. Six will keep the seams of your stockings from going crooked.”

On her favorite red lipsticks…

“Dior’s Dolce Vita, Guerlain’s Exces de Rouge, Makeup Store Devil and a really great one is Lipink. It’s like house paint! Bright, shiny red lips that will not leave their mark anywhere. That’s my go-to lipstick for a hot make-out session.”

On making sure her lipstick doesn’t smudge or fade…

“I always line my lips completely with red, fill them in and then put the red lipstick over that. Then I go over the edges again with the lipliner to make it perfect. MAC Cherry or Beet are both great liners. As for lipstick, choose a matte lipstick if you’re worried about it fading. One I usually wear for all-day rehearsals is MAC Ruby Woo. That’s really the key to staying power with red lipstick, it’s that matte finish.”

On her favorite makeup remover…

“I wear a lot of heavy stage makeup as you may have noticed so I use a MAC makeup removing oil that I really like that emulsifies with water. When it comes to exfoliating, I usually just go for the good old washcloth and a soapy cleanser. I use a retinol a few times a week at night, but I have super sensitive skin so I have to be careful about how much of it I use.”

On how she gets that perfect cat-eye…

“Practice! Above all, practice. You know, I’ve been drawing cat-eye eyeliner for over 20 years. I’ve gotten better at it over the years and have noticed that after all these years of drawing it if I don’t do it for a week I can tell that I’m out of practice. I like to use a black gel eyeliner (MAC makes a good one called Blacktrack) with a very thin brush. I start small and then sometimes it gets bigger because I’m trying to get the two sides balanced. I’ll be wearing that cat-eye until I’m 90! I can’t imagine anything else. It’s part of me. I can’t live without it.”

Are you a Dita Von Teese fan? Her lingerie and fragrance collection hits HSN on April 23, so mark your calendars and get ready to shop! In the meantime, what do you think of her fashion and beauty tips? Discuss!