DWTS25 Week 9: Semifinals!

These semifinalists look really good in leather.

Round 1: Pro’s pick.

Drew and Emma - Tango Emma picked I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) to describe Drew because he is heartworking and he has Scottish roots, like the band that originated this song. Definitely a hilarious and memorable opener, but Drew got a bit rough with his handling of Emma. He was kinda skippy during the fast parts, and his feet turn in when he has cross steps. Anyway, Drew gets to be the first person to dance in a kilt and bobbysocks. 8-8-8 T24

LOLZ at Jordan and Mark doing the tango kicks

Victoria and Val - Contemporary This was supposed to be a waltz. On one hand, this song wouldn’t fit a waltz so that’s the good thing about changing it. On the other hand, I’m not sure doing a contemporary is the best idea given her spasms last week. I didn’t catch it. Did they mention it? I like the concept based around Victoria’s family home, but Victoria didn’t do much. She just stood or sat around and did hand movements. And I’m not sure there was much else she could do. The little hand signals I think are from Jenna’s part, since she knows ASL. I didn’t get the part where she was leaning on the door. Because it’s close to her heart, though, it was Victoria’s best emotional performance. 9-9-9 T27 I don’t think it should be a whole 3 points above Drew, because it was far simpler, though Victoria performed it better.

Jordan and Lindsay - Argentine Tango “Brother” by Needtobreathe isn’t the brother song I thought. Not a very apt AT song, but I felt like Jordan had great musicality with it. I didn’t think Jordan was emotionally disconnected, but I do think it was a bit loose and swishy for an AT. I think Bruno got a good word for it: mature. Lindsay hurt her leg during a pro rehearsal on Sunday and I could see her compensating a bit as she danced. I thought Jordan’s expression was a biiiit weird. They mentioned he scratched his cornea (???!!) so I guess that’s why. 9-9-10 T28

WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT THE SWIFFER AD

Lindsey and Mark - Contemporary Head High. Mark and BC’s song. Really Mark? Lindsey has a really cute slouchy hat, and I just realised that Mark’s hair looks different in every single rehearsal shot. Like Victoria, given Lindsey’s recent injury I’m not sure doing contemp is the best idea right now. I found Lindsey to still be holding back and as a result some of the more technical parts like the jumps looked a bit wonky. I think it would have been more mindblowing if she had been able to go full out. 10-9-10 T29

Frankie and Witney - Salsa So Frankie said that if he made it past week 8 he would take his shirt off. And he did open his shirt to show off his spray-tanned abs or lack therof. I dunno if the song reflect Frankie’s personality, but I think it definitely brought out his SWAG. I knew Len wouldn’t like the hip hop, but hip hop salsas are Witney’s specialty. The basketball dunk was kinda random in the middle but would have been great in a freestyle. Like his NSYNC samba, not the most technical, but hella entertaining. 8-8-9 T25 God bless Bruno on this night.

That tour pro preview number was super out of sync. Britt fell out of one of her turns. Oh well, they have, like, half a month to polish it. I don’t think I saw Lindsay in that number, probably because she hurt her leg during this number.

Round 2: Iconic former DWTS dances

Drew and Emma - Corbin Bleu’s Jazz from season 17 Ironically I don’t remember this dance as well as some of Corbin’s other ones. I didn’t expect Drew to be as dynamic as Corbin, but I thought Emma did a good job tailoring it to Drew. She didn’t hold back on throwing in so many big moves and extensions, even with Drew’s long limbs. I thought Drew’s expressions were quite funny an gave it a bit of character. OH MY GOD EMMA. That move is so scary, and they did it like FIVE TIMES?????? But Drew gave it his 110% and didn’t lose stamina. 8-8-8 T24 8s were low, I think he deserved one or two 9s.

Victoria and Val - Amber Riley’s Charleston from season 17 For the first time, I feel like Victoria really threw herself into this dance. Lots of time-wasting parts put in by Val. Victoria had a cute, flirty kinda of character that suited her and worked really well rather than trying to force Amber’s kind of swag. CAI was kinda hypocritical, praising Victoria for making the dance her own and nothing like Amber’s, but she criticised Drew for not being like Corbin. I think the troupe made the dance seem more dynamic than it really is, but Victoria actually didn’t move around much. She twisted one of her legs in rehearsal???!!!!! 9-10-10 T29 No way this was anywhere near Lindsey’s contemp. Still a very simple dance. I get that there’s only so far Victoria can be pushed, but 29 is a stretch. Amber only got 24 the first time she did it, but danced a whole lot more, and only in week 3 or 4.

Jordan and Lindsay - Paige VanZant’s Jive from season 22 YES YES YES!!!!!! AMAZING. SHOWSTOPPING. WOW. There was a lot of things nodding at the original number. The lighting was similar, there was parts of the choreo that reminded me of Paige and Mark’s. But there was a kind of...snazziness, that was uniquely Jordan and Lindsay. Instead of trying to differentiate themselves from the original performance, they ran head first into the challenge and paid a good homage to Paige and Mark while also putting on a fantastic performance and dare I say it, one-up Paige’s dance. Jordan did the double cartwheel with straight legs, which was better than Mark. Did they speed up the music ever so slightly? INSANE. And they still stayed in sync and did so much content. Also, Jordan subtly brought up Lindsay’s farting in David’s face from last season. Bonus. 10-10-10 T30

Lindsey and Mark - Meryl Davis’ Tango and season 18 Another couple that didn’t shy away from trying to match the original and did something great. Just argh, those flashy lights were so distracting. I agree Lindsey kinda stumbled on one of the turns. Again, still think she is holding back because of her rib. And from personal experience, the frame in tango, in particular, stresses a lot of the torso and back, so I guess that’s why. Someone pointed out on PureDwts that this is the first time Mark will be doing a standard tango for the show since season 11. 9-9-10 T28 Meryl looks really cute with that hair.

Frankie and Witney - Apolo Anton Ohno’s Paso Doble from season 4 Is it bad that I remember this song more as Shawn and Derek’s freestyle? Well, that was a remix so... Witney pulled some muscles doing the split move. I feel like Frankie was trying too hard so he looked very tense through his whole body rather than coming across as strong and fierce. Didn’t hit his spanish lines and sometimes looked like he was hunching forward a bit. 9-8-9 T26

And now for the elimination. Safe: Lindsey, DREW, Jordan.

Eliminated: Victoria. She’s very upset.

The moment they called Drew safe, I knew Victoria was going home. In another season, she might have gotten in, but Jordan and Lindsey are powerhouses and Drew and Frankie just happen to be very VERY popular with the main demo.

Julianne will be back to guest judge the finale. Is the finale really the best time to have a guest judge?? Why not bring her back this week?

In any case, I think Drew will be fourth and for the first time, I really don’t care who of the remaining three wins. I love them all.

Total scores: Jordan: 58 Lindsey: 57 Frankie: 51 Drew: 48

MARVIN CONTRERAS

On his skincare routine for dry skin and his go-to shops for the best in men’s fashion. 

“My name is Marvin Contreras (@marvizzzzle), I'm 19 years old and I live in Farmington, New Mexico. I graduated from high school this past year and I'm currently a freshman at the community college in Farmington. After finishing a semester or two here I will transfer to a 4 year University to get a degree in Journalism/Communications, and after that I plan on transferring to a fashion tech university to study fashion design or fabric styling. I am currently working a part time job as a host at Red Lobster (I know, very glamorous ). I love to go thrift shopping, I love blogging about fashion, I LOVE to listen to music, I love online shopping as well, I like to eat fast food (super bad habit), I enjoy watching Netflix very much, and I also love to read fashion magazines!

It took me a long time to fully understand the importance of a consistent skincare routine, so when I started I was a little lost but quickly found products that I adored. I guess I'll start with my nighttime routine because it's the more rigorous of my two. First, I cleanse my skin using my favorite cleanser, Neutrogena Naturals Pore Clarifying Cleanser, and my Foreo mini Luna face cleansing brush. When I first found the cleanser I was skeptical because I'd heard mixed reviews about Neutrogena, but the naturals brand is truly a gem. I love how gentle and refreshing the cleanser is while still being effective. I love the mini Luna because it allows me to really get deep into my pores and the vibrating feature feels so cool but also gives a great tightness to your skin when you're done. Next, I apply some type of acne spot treatment. I say "some type" because I'm currently in the process of choosing a permanent product. I've tried three so far and they are, Neutrogena Naturals' Acne Spot Treatment, Murad's Rapid Acne Spot Treatment, and Neutrogena's On the Spot Acne treatment. My skin is very dry and very acne prone due to stress and a terrible habit of touching my face, so that's why an acne treatment is crucial in my routine. So far I've really fell in love with Murad's Acne Treatment because it's the one that's given me the best and fastest results! It's definitely the most pricy of the three, but I believe that investing in good skincare is completely ok! So after the acne treatment I will put on my Caudalie Radiance Serum which I recently got as a birthday gift from Sephora, and I ended up loving it! I think it smells amazing and gives my face a nice glow after use. Then, once I've applied my serum & treatments I moisturize which is uber crucial for any type of skin! I use Ponds Dry Skin Moisturizer and it's most definitely my lifeline! I love how a little goes a long way and also how much it's helped my skin! When I've finished all of this I like to do a spritz of either my Mario Badescu Rose Spray or LUSH's Eau Roma Water. Both products give you a refreshing feeling and I think any kind of face spray is honestly just a good finishing point to a solid skincare routine! Side note: a big pet peeve/necessity of mine when washing my face is always having a clean towel...ALWAYS!

For my morning routine, it's definitely a much simpler and to the point process. I must say, I'm not the best at washing my face everyday but I try my hardest! So first I cleanse again using the Neutrogena Naturals Pore Clarifying Cleanser. Then I moisturize using the same Pond's moisturizer and that's it for the morning! I'm usually in a rush so I try to keep it as quick as possible. In terms of skincare I'd say my holy grail items are: Mario Badescu Facial Rose Spray and the Kate Somerville's Eradi-Kate mask (it's to die for!)

For my "beauty" or make up routine, I don't go crazy at all. I like to give my brows a little bit of life so I usually begin by tweezing and perfecting any spots that need to be polished. Then I brush them out with a spooly brush and finish off by using Benefit's Gimme Brow gel in clear. I love the natural yet polished look it gives my brows, which is why it became my go to! I would really love to try Glossier's Boy brow in clear, and honestly I think I'm going to order it this week. Another thing that I'm passionate about is my lips. I have a pretty big set of lips so I like to keep them healthy and smooth! My lifeline is Vaseline's Cocoa Butter lip balm, it's honestly the best thing to ever happen to my lips! I NEVER leave the house without it.

In terms of fashion, this is where I have the most fun. My personal style is (I'd like to think) eclectic, adaptive, yet classic. Fashion is one of the most important things in my life and I try my hardest to make that present in my outfits. You can always tell how I'm feeling by my outfit. Sometimes I'll be feeling fierce and throw on a sexy cropped top and high waisted denim and other days I feel lazy and just wear a t shirt and Levi's. One thing you need to know about my personal style is that it's all about denim for me. I am an all out denim fanatic! Everything about denim makes it my "right hand piece" if you will. I love the endless amounts of options there is with denim. If I had to choose a Top 5 list of my fashion icons (bc there are way too many to name any less than 5) they would be, 1. Beyoncé: she's my inspiration for everything, but fashion would be a big one because I've always admired her sense of style. It's very fun with lots of quirky twists, yet she manages to look SO chic! 2. Bella Hadid: the minute she burst onto the scene, I was hooked. In the world of models, it wasn't very common to find someone badass yet glamorous, until Bella came along. I absolutely love the way that Bella can add an effortlessly chic feel to any and all of her outfits. I love her versatility and the way she can wear one thing one day, then something completely different and new the next. 3. Solange Knowles: like her big sister, Solange has such a fun and whimsical sense of style, but can still end up on Vogue's best dressed list! I draw so much inspiration from her Insta feed alone, but when I see her outfits anywhere I feel a sense of joy. Anybody that can pull off monochromatic outfits of all colors and proportions like her , is someone I want to be like! 4. Camille Cherrierre: if you don't know who Camille is, you're missing out on worlds of inspiration. She is a British blogger who I've followed for quite some time now, yet I still haven’t gotten tired of her amazing and ingenious outfits. She brings a certain effortless and fresh element to the fashion world and that's what I love about her! 5. Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen: it shouldn't be any surprise that these two princesses are on my list. I have loved and adored everything about these two since I was a child watching "Full House." But it wasn't until they really grew up and began to make a name for themselves in the fashion world that I started to draw inspiration from them. Their laid back yet uber chic senses of style have inspired countless outfits of mine, and it will continue like that. There's something about their minimalistic vibe that almost makes me want to own just two pieces of clothing (but not really, lol).

When I shop, I'm almost never looking for anything in particular. I literally just shop to shop. And the same goes for the places I shop at. I never have a specific store in mind, I simply just search up whatever store comes to mind and hope for the best. Although that doesn't mean I don't have some favorite stores! Some of my favorites are H&M (I love their message and mission, but also the prices & pieces are spot on), ZARA (also love their pieces and prices, good for designer dupes), Urban Outfitters (always been a fan of their vibe and I looooove the variety of brands and pieces they have), Mango (they have a unique variety of clothes at great prices), Grailed (it's an amazing site for great designer pieces that are being resold at much lower prices), and lastly I get basically all my denim from Thrift Stores. I love the experience of thrifting and I love that you find something new every time! Thrifted denim is honestly such a beautiful thing because the jeans have so much life when I find them, and I love adding my own story to them. Fashion. What a beautiful and alluring thing it is. I love the way that a good outfit can make me feel. I love that fashion is able to be shifted and manipulated to fit an individual's personal style. Fashion is my life and forever will be.

If I had to choose 5 items that are my absolute favorite, I'd say (in order) they'd be:

My vintage Levis denim jacket, I got it for $2 at a yard sale and I've been infatuated ever since.

Every single pair of Levi's 501's that I own. I have about 8 pairs of 501's and I'm in love with each and every one of them. The fit is my favorite and all of them are vintage so they have the amazing vintage fit that is everywhere right now.

My Hanes x Karla Welch white tee is my absolute favorite of my expansive white tee collection. It's crazy soft and clearly made of the finest of materials and it was only $30!! How can you say no to that??

My H&M white leather sneakers are my go-to shoe. When I got them I knew that I'd get the most use out of these. They're the perfect staple shoe and I love how they easily go with any outfit!

My ASOS leather pants are my lifeline during the cold months. I'm obsessed with how they can make any look feel sleek. Eventually I'd like to invest in a much more high quality and durable pair, but these were under $40 and they certainly do the trick!

All of these pieces are significant to me because they define my signature style. They're not only my favorite because of how they look, but how they make me feel. When I'm wearing any of them I feel like I'm at my best.”

Marvin Contreras interviewed by The Site of Style