Haberdashery heaven - Maculloch and Wallis and a quick outfit post

I'm coming to the end of my week off, sadly, but have managed to fit quite a lot in.

On Thursday I met up with one of my best friends for a quick jaunt about town and a visit to famed haberdashers, MacCulloch and Wallis.

I first discovered this place way back when I was doing my millinery course (see earlier blog posts if you are interested) but never managed to make it there.  I'm glad I finally did though, the place is a treasure trove of millinery basics and trims, fabrics of all kinds and oh my good lord the buttons!

I didn't buy anything as the place isn't cheap and I'm not yet an adept enough sewer for fabrics of over £5 a metre!  I will be going back though, for some of this deco print and floral print fabric to make blouses.

 After the visit I then had the pleasure of meeting  My Vintage Dresser, her chap and another lovely chum, for a drink in posh old Holland Park.

I'm glad I had got myself suitably attired for such fine company:

1940's jacket in yellow, green and brown tweed with brown buttons, brown GAP 40's style trousers, Primark brown leather belt, 40's blouse with jet buttons, charity shop brooch and my lovely bakelite earrings.


Unfortunately I lost a single earring at some point in the day.  I didn't realise until I got home.  These things happen though.  :-(

Beauty Review - Maybelline Superstay 18 Hour Wear in 510 Red Passion

Red lipstick - it is one of the cornerstones of a vintage look and there is no getting away from it.  While I dabble with Coral and Rose and Pink and Plum my heart belongs to Ruby...

The problem however, with such a strong colour, is that it is more obvious when the colour transfers to your cup, cigarette, lover...and thus also more obvious when it has worn off your lips.  Not a good look.


Following a recommendation from one of the most perfect looking vintage gals around I recently invested in Maybelline's 18 Hour Superstay lipstick in Red Passion (colour 510).  Its one of those double ended (phnar) things with the colour in a lip gloss type pot with a sponge applicator on one side and a clear gloss on the other.

The packaging is quite nice actually, not as cheap looking as similar products from L'Oreal and Max Factor, despite Maybelline being a cheaper range.

I tried it first on Saturday afternoon, I was heading over to a friends for 6pm and so got ready at about 4pm (I like to faff, so tend to get ready early and then have plentiful faffing time after).  I used a lip liner (MAC Cherry) just around my lips and filled in with this.  The colour is a perfect match for the MAC pencil.  Once the Maybelline was dry I applied a very light amount of the gloss, let it settle and then used my usual MAC Ruby Woo over the top.  I then headed our the door for funtimes with the Vintage Mafia.

Luckily, given I didn't take any lippy with me, it lasted a good 12 hours, through eating and a lot of drinking.  And I really do mean a lot.  This is me, very drunk at about 3am, posing about and still with my lippy on.  Huzzah.  And around 40% of it was still there when I crawled from my bed some 10 hours later...

Yesterday I tried it without the Ruby Woo on top.  The pic below shows my lips just after applying, not a great photo as my camera is useless but you can see that its a strong, clean red.

It lasted a good 12 hours again, even through the eating of a very greasy pizza.

Sadly I haven't given it the kissing test, but when I do I'll let y'all know.


I have to say I'm very impressed with it, great colour, not as drying as expected and it does last very well!  A bargain at between £6-8 (cheaper online, as all things are!).  I might even give some of the other colours a go...

Below is a silly I took while trying to get a lipstick image - just for your amusement n'all.

Just a quick thank you

I just wanted to write a couple of lines to thank the folk who have put me on the list for the "one lovely blog" awards thing that's going round.  I try not to get involved in things that require you to renominate, I'd like to say I have a good reason for this but its just that the requirement to renominate makes me feel a little awkward and I don't want to spread the awkward on.  That and I'm MASSIVELY lazy.

Anyway, its been really lovely to see my blog pop up on more than five of those lists now, wowzers!  Thank you all, it is just what I needed to give me some motivation to keep going with this.  You are all lovely.

Basically, if I'm bothering to follow you and/or read your blog then that means I love ya.  :-)

Night peoples and sweet dreams to all.

xxx

Vintage knitting finds and shopping on the darkside.

Well hello there!

I had a fabulous Saturday! Despite a crashing hangover from too many grape juices with a pal the night before I managed to hoist my feeble frame out of bed and to the local charity shop.  My local shop isn't a big chain like Oxfam, instead its a hospice shop. I tend to find these are much better for a bit of vintage luck, both because they don't have "experts" on hand to price things up and because grateful people leave their worldly goods to these shops so you find all sorts of interesting bits and bobs that elderly folk have hoarded away.

In particular, this place is a gold mine for knitting supplies and lo and behold, what did I find on Saturday morning but three skeins each of some beautifully coloured vintage wool, one being Paton's, a brand I have seen listed in several 40's patterns.

I also found three vintage knitting patterns.  There were more but I really only wanted these three.  The red 50's cardigan is knit in one large piece, so no seaming (yay!) and the little evening number is just beautiful.  I'd really like to post the full patterns up but I can't work out how to get scanned images onto my blog...any tips welcome.

 The whole haul only cost me £3.50, unfortunately not enough to remove the stain on my soul for following this up with a quick trip to Primark, where I picked up a leopard print brolly, leopard print socks, a peacock feather fascinator and some leather gloves and a belt.  The belt, being plaited, is pretty 70's looking, but I'm sure I can work this into a more 30's look with a hand knitted jumper, my new pleated skirt and the right hair.

I also bought some incredible (read incredibly bad) jeggings as a joke gift for my friend Fleur de Guerre which I gave to her that night, as we attended the inaugural Candlelight Club.  It was a fabulous night that I've only just recovered from.  I'd like to blog about it but I didn't take any photos so hopefully someone else will post something soon.  I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend, even yesterday's long slow recovery.

I hope you all had a fab time yourselves.

30's hair - Mervin wave'o'matics and pincurls - first attempt.

Well, I'm simple thrilled, I've been trying to get my hands on some Mervin wavers for so long.  They only come up on eBay occasionally and go for silly amounts of money, but I've finally got my sweaty little paws on some, mwahahahahaaaa!

My recent acquisitions are thanks to the lovely proprietor of my favorite vintage hair accessory site, Taste-T Vintage.  I have often looked longingly at this fabulous site but have never bought anything before, but this time I decided to bite the bullet.  The item I really wanted was sold but I emailed them and they went out of their way to dig out two wavers for me which were unlisted on the site, sent them promptly and included a full copy of the instructions.   I'll definitely be buying from them again.  I have to say I have rarely experienced such efficient and plain wonderful customer service.

I had the package delivered to work and my colleagues were stunned at the contents, I think they thought I'd bought some sort of kinky torture device!

It took me a few weeks to gather up the guts to try these out but I finally did it.

These things need to be used on very wet hair, so the ideal time is after you have washed it.  I simply side parted my hair and set a clip in each side, and pin curled the ends and back towards my face in quite small curls.  Please excuse the tired and sleep-bloated face, these pics were taken the morning after sleeping on these beasts!

So, what was the result of my slightly awkward nights sleep!  Well, I'm very pleased with the first attempt.  The waves didn't take quite as strongly as I'd hoped but I hadn't used setting lotion so I'm confident that things can only improve.

I took the pin curls out first and brushed out gently and then took out the clips and brushed over the waves even more gently.  I shaped some curls around my face using my Hold-Bob curling tool. and sprayed into place with Tresemme Freeze Hold hairspray.  I didn't sort the flyaways, I was running late for work and had to sprint out the door.

I also exaggerated the 30's look with elongated brows.

I've found the waves last a few days if you simply clip them back in at night, on dry hair, with some of these:

Do you have some wave clips?  How do you use them?  What do you think of my new do?

Revlon Emerald City matte polish review

So, I finally got round to trying this baby, and I have to say I'm thrilled so far.

I applied the hole reinforcers for my half moons and then applied a basecoat, and then painted on two coats of the Revlon "Emerald City" polish.  It went on very smoothly and the brush is the perfect width for an easy paint. 

I used my usual Leighton Denny Miracle Drops to dry the polish but I have to say, it dried quicker than other polishes do with that so I'm fairly sure its a quick drying polish. 

The matte effect is really unusual, especially a matte with sparkle, its almost suede-like and because of that I decided not to use a top coat - it would be a shame to waste that unusual finish.

I've worn it for a day now and though there is some light fade at the tips there is no chipping so far depite two baths and some washing up. 

I've had a lot of comments on it today, so its certainly an attention grabber.  All in all, I'm very happy with this polish despite the slight sparkle which I thought I'd find off putting.

Here is a pic, pardon my bad moonicure, I did a bit of a rush job as I had a guest and two playful kittens present at the time!

Has anyone else tried this?  What did you think?  i'm definitely buying the red colour in this line next!

A very lovely giveaway

Now, I don't make a habit of publicising other peoples giveaways because I'm usually too lazy or self obsessed to be bothered, but this one got to me.  Why?  Well I've been wondering about hair adornments lately, its too cold here for my hair flowers - they look wrong on a wintry day and when worn with knitwear.  I need something more...substantial.

...and lo and behold what did I stumble upon this evening but Vintage Belles - Belle Blossoms blog giveaway.  Just look at these beautiful treasures:

Pop over there and take a peek!

I'd love to try making my own too, I'm sure I have a crochet pattern around for some cherries and I could go and gather real conkers and acorns...naaah, it'll never happen!