I have to confess, at first i thought those are bullet holes on her chest and blood is flowing out of them but I'm glad those are beautiful flowers :)
Congratulations on the painting, I really love it. I can recognize myself a bit in that woman as my hair has a similar color.
I've never seen painters use make-up for creating art, but then again, what do I know? I'm not an artist. When reading about it, my first thought was, it won't resist in time but you were smart using lacquer, that makes it resistant.
I really appreciate the work in progress photo. It's always nice to see details and am always encouraging everyone to upload step-by-step photos as it can be very helpful to others.
I really love it! Keep up the good work!