5 things you didn't know about glamour girl ​Dita Von Teese

Dita Von Teese is Hollywood’sresident glamour girl. The burlesque performer is known for her dark hair andluscious red lips and while the model appears to exude confidence wherever shegoes, she tells HELLO! that wasn’t always the case. When she was younger, the 43-year-oldreveals, “I felt very ordinary. I felt I disappeared.”

The bombshell brunette admits she was even teased about her looks. “I’ve beencalled Dracula and Elvira,” she says. “I’ve even been made fun of for lookinglike myself.” These days, the author of Your Beauty Mark, which is astep-by-step guide to eccentric glamour, is aiming “to empower people,” becausethere are “there are no ugly women in the world.”

Here are 5 things to know about the performer-turned-author:

1. She detests UGG Boots.You won’t see Dita rocking UGG boots with the fur any time soon, as she named them as her fashion bêtenoire, or pet peeve. “Or T-shirts with weird logos on them," she added. "Those things just distract from one’sbeauty.”

2. She does her own hair and makeup.Surprisingly, Dita says she “almostalways” applies her own makeup and does her own hair. The glamour girl, whodoesn’t have a “glam squad” says, “Icreated the look myself so who betterto do it? I like the ritual of getting ready.”

3. She also colors her own hair!When it comes to maintainingher stunning dark locks she admits, “I color it every two weeks. I do it myselfas I hate going to the salon – I hate making appointments and spending themoney.”

4. AmyWinehouse is one of her beauty icons. “My beautyicons are women who dare to be different,” Dita reveals. “[Writer] Anna Piaggi,[fashion editor] Lynn Yaeger, [singer] Amy Winehouse – their looks don’t begfor approval. I want to empower people to be who theywant to be.”

5. Like anymodern girl, she needs good lighting. In the past, the burlesque performer admits that she has turned down fan selfiesbecause of the room’s lighting. “I feel bad sometimes when I say no to afan who wants an iPhone picture but we’ll be in the worst lighting possible andI think, ‘I don’t want this to be my legacy.’”

Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour by Dita Von Teese is published by Dey Street Books (Harper Collins).

The full, exclusive interview with Dita Von Teese was originally printed in HELLO! #1408, now available via digital download.