Tag: high street

Charlotte Tilbury Velvet Underground Lipstick.

There’s nothing I love more than a beautiful lipstick and with Charlotte Tilbury’s products, that’s definitely what you get! I picked up this beauty yesterday after spotting it a few weeks before Christmas, when I fell in love with Lost Cherry.

It’s a slightly different style to Lost Cherry which is from the Matte Revolution range, whereas Velvet Underground is part of the K.I.S.S.I.N.G collection. The first thing that caught my attention was the shade of the lipstick, a vibrant fuchsia pink! Although I adore the colour pink, I tend to wear red lipsticks a lot more, I’m not really sure why, I guess I just feel they suit me better.

However, something about this pink felt a bit different to me, almost quite daring compared to the warm barbie shades I’m used to. I was pretty sure that I didn’t have another lipstick like it, however, I did realize a few hours later that this sadly wasn’t the case. When you have as many lipsticks as I do, this happens quite often, but fear not, Velvet Underground has a more glossy fuchsia finish compared to my other hot pink matte shade from Rimmel.

Charlotte Tilbury is quickly becoming one of my favourite make up brands, although I’ve only tried their lipsticks so far, they are so aesthetically pleasing and such good quality! I look forward to trying all of their other products one day too. Compared to the Matte Revolution collection, the K.I.S.S.I.N.G collection have a normal shaped lipstick tip, but still apply wonderfully.  There are currently 10 other shades available, my most wanted being of course, So Marilyn – need I even explain why?

Another lipstick on my wish list has to be Amazing Grace, I actually tested it the same day I bought Velvet Underground and it looked like a beautiful rusty red shade. I’ve said this before in previous posts and I’ll say it again, what I love about this brand is the lipsticks are so clearly inspired by so many Old Hollywood Beauties. That’s not just me assuming either, it’s stated on the website!

I decided to wear my new skater dress I bought in the January Sales on Very from South, for just £15 (!), it’s now gone down to £12.99 and is also available in black and pink as well a my colour, cobalt blue. I absolutely adore dresses that are modern but look like they’re from the 1940s and 1950s and this one is just that.

The lace detail creates such a classic vintage feel and it also goes in at the waist – a must for vintage lovers. It’s the rare combination of fairly fitted but comfy, personally, I wish it was slightly tighter on the waist but a belt shall fix that. However, for such a bargain price I really can’t complain! I absolutely love the simple button detail on the back of the dress, the littlest things definitely make the most difference.

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MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick.

If I had to choose a favourite Make Up Brand for Lipsticks and Lip Pencils, it would without a doubt be MAC. I’ve been using their lipsticks for years and I absolutely adore them. To be fair, the normal packaging isn’t the most glamorous  but, the quality of their lipsticks are absolutely wonderful and the sleek classic container is pretty iconic. All of their lipsticks have a variety of finishes; matte, satin, frost and amplified to name a few. Also, MAC often collaborate with celebrities and bring out beautiful collections such as MAC Viva Glam, which donate their proceeds to the MAC Aids Fund.

Therefore, I may have almost cried with joy when I saw on Dita Von Teese’s Instagram that she was collaborating with MAC to celebrate the release of her new beauty book; Your Beauty Mark. Dita is a huge fan of Old Hollywood like myself and so there was no doubt what shade her lipstick was going to be – red!

The lipstick is a blue tone red with a matte finish and Dita’s signature adorned onto the package as well as stamped onto the actual lipstick! It truly is a one of a kind and a classic red lipstick like no other! Furthermore, if you think the lipstick itself is beautiful – just wait until you see packaging! A stunning photo of Dita wearing the lipstick is imprinted onto the cover, unlike any of the other MAC lipstick packages which are usually sleek and simple. This is one case I intend to keep forever and ever!

Like all MAC lipsticks, the product goes on smooth and produces a lovely matte but vibrant finish, I didn’t even have to use a lip pencil before I applied it as it lasted for hours. Actually, as I’m writing this it’s still on now! Granted, it’s far from perfect as I’ve eaten a lot but, everyone would realize I was wearing red lipstick!

Sadly, with all MAC products and especially special collections, they sell out – and fast! I’ve just checked the UK website and the lipstick is sold out on there. However, considering it’s been such a success I wouldn’t be surprised if they restocked in time for Christmas and I’m sure they will pop up on ebay, so fear not!

I recommend this to all lipstick lovers, anyone who wants to stand out and step out of their comfort zone and to all modern day vintage girls like myself! I really hope MAC continue to work with Dita, she is an absolute Beauty Icon!

As for my outfit today I decided to go for an oldie but goodie, a River Island dress I got off my mum for my 20th Birthday! I hadn’t worn it for quite a while, as you can probably guess – it’s not a day to day kind of dress. But I love the velour material, it almost looks like the dress is metallic, I haven’t got any other clothes like it! My favourite thing about the dress is the wrap effect detail, it’s such a simple but beautiful touch!

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Albert Dock.

Since Wednesday evening, I’ve been lucky to get to spend time with my beautiful best friend, Laura – even though she’s been full of cold, we haven’t let that spoil our time together! She’s been travelling pretty much for the majority of the year, so I’ve been looking forward to these few days since June, which was the last time I saw her!

Today we ventured out through the heart of Liverpool to The Albert Docks, the last time Laura was here we took some photos there and we thought we would give it another go. Laura is without doubt my blogging inspiration, she’s so creative, productive and professional – and has an amazing camera, what could be better?


The photos I took of Laura today are for Maison de Choup, a wonderful company which donate 25% of all their proceeds to Young Minds, a UK based charity which aim to improve the emotional well being and mental health of children and young people. As someone who has suffered with various mental illnesses, including anxiety, this is an incredibly important cause that is very close to my heart.



To help Laura choose the best lighting, we took some test shots of myself – and surprisingly, a few turned out quite nice! I love good quality photos but, I’m very aware that the better the quality the more noticeable my flaws are. However, if you can’t embrace your own flaws, who can?

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Winter Is Coming.

If I had to pick my favourite thing about the Winter Season, it would have to be buying a new coat for the cold weather! I absolutely love coats, not only do they keep you snug and warm, but they can often make an outfit!

I usually seem to find my favourite coats from Miss Selfridge and this year is no different! For Autumn Weather, I adore a trench coat, it’s such a vintage style and I love how it’s fitted. However, as beautiful as trench coats are, they aren’t very suitable for classic British Winter Weather, which is why my new coat is Faux Fur Collar Button style.

Last year, I bought a very similar one from Miss Selfridge, but it was in a navy shade. I’ve been after a red coat for so long and I finally have one! The shade is more burgundy, but I think it’s just the perfect colour for Winter. The black faux fur collar looks so lovely with the burgundy fabric of the coat and I just adore the buttons, they add such a lovely detail to the overall style. Not only is the coat beautiful to look at, but it keeps you warm, has side pockets and makes you feel ever so cosy!

The only criticisms I can make of the coat is that it doesn’t have a belt, that’s just my personal preference however and the coat  still fits very nicely. Also, if you buy this coat you’ll always have to make sure you have an umbrella handy as it doesn’t have a hood. However, you can always turn the collars up for extra warmth which is always a bonus! The coat was a pretty good bargain at only £69, which is definitely worth the price as you can tell it’s a quality product. What’s even better is it’s now in the sale for £55, so get it while you can and at an even better price!

For today I’m wearing a little black dress which also happens to be from Miss Selfridge! It’s a Peter Pan Collar Style dress,  fitted at the waist and flares out after, so perfect for any of you who love the vintage style as much as I do! I love the details on the back, the double button for the collar and the silver zip, the back of the dress is just as pretty as the front. The striped pattern and the dress lining gives the style even more structure in a subtle way.

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Floral Fever.

Flowers always brighten your day, therefore, I’m a firm believer in wearing them in your hair even when you’re not in San Francisco! I’ve always loved flower accessories, I’ve worn them for around eight years in my hair, maybe it stems my love of 1960s fashion, who knows? Maybe I just like to try and be creative.

I absolutely adore Accessorize, this shop is without doubt my go to for hair accessories, it’s so unique and quirky and I’d recommend it everyone! My mums favourite accessory are earrings and she shares my love for Accessorize too, sadly she didn’t find anything, but I did find some lovely flowers!  I hadn’t bought any in quite a while as I’m pretty picky with the sizes and shapes and try not to get the same old colours.

To my surprise I found a beautiful set of turquoise, blue and silver flowers, not your everyday colours and knew that I had to add them to my collection. My favourite colour to wear is blue and I knew I had a few outfits at home that they would compliment. I also found a large red rose flower, my other favourite colour to wear because of my love for red lipstick and so I bought that one also. Sadly the prices for flowers can be fairly expensive, these were around £8.99, but for all the years you get out of them it’s worth it.

 I have a set of four red flowers, which are very similar to my new blue and silver ones, so I was pretty confident that I would like the way my new flowers fitted. However, I think I had my hopes set too high for the red rose, although I think it’s beautiful, I’m not sure if I think it’s too big. I guess I found it quite hard to place in my hair, but practice makes perfect, so I haven’t gave up hope on it yet.

I also found the most adorable key-ring, a beautiful red lipstick! Being that red is my favourite shade to wear, I was very pleased, however, that’s the only one available as far as I’m aware. Hopefully they will bring other shades out soon! The classic black and gold case make it feel like a true vintage lipstick!

My favourite make up brushes to use are the wonderful Real Techniques, I’ve used their Foundation, Blusher and Powder brush for years and I’ve recently started using their Lipstick brush too which I also love. I’ve had their Eye Shadow and Eyeliner brush on my to buy list for quite a while now, but every time I’ve been to Boots – they’ve been out of stock! However, luck was in my favour this time as not only did I see both brushes in stock, there was an offer for buy one get one half price, yay!

I first tried both today and was very impressed, not only are they very aesthetically pleasing, but they’re so quality made! The difference in using my Real Techniques Eye Shadow brush compared to my other one was very noticeable, none of the bristles came off and they were incredibly soft. The brush was shaped very well for shading and contouring on my eyelid and I can’t wait to use it again!

The Eye Liner brush is definitely my favourite, I love using the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner, the only problem is that with the original brush, I find it can be quite hard on the eyelid and too thick. Therefore, I was so pleased to try this new one, it’s made out of silicone and shaped very thinly, which is great if you like to build up the eyeliner like myself. I will be trying the brush with my liquid eyeliner too, hopefully I will have the same result!

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Sun In September.

I’m finally back with a new post! Well, it’s not been super long, but I have felt bad for not being very productive, hopefully today will make up for it! 

Today I wore one of my dresses from Miss Selfridge, I actually got it for my 21st Birthday of my mum last year, she knows me so well! As soon as I realized I hadn’t wrote about the dress I knew today was the day to make that happen. 

What I love about this dress is it’s kind of a mixture of everything, it’s very 1940s, 1950s and even a bit 1970s – not usually my style but I think it works perfectly on the dress. I love the overall lace pattern, it’s gives the design such a Classic Hollywood feel and is just so elegant and classy. The dress is also nipped in at the waist and flares out, so you’re not too constricted which is always a bonus. I love the sweetheart neckline, it’s pretty subtle because of the lace overlay and I really think the style blends so well together.

What’s unusual for me to usually wear are the flared out sleeves, I don’t really follow 1970s fashion, but I absolutely adore the flares on the dress, it makes it look more formal. The back is a plunge style and I don’t have many dresses like that, however I really think it’s such a lovely detail, especially for the back. A lot of clothes simply focus on the front details of the dress, so it’s nice to see the back look special too. 

I think my favourite thing would have to be the  rich burgundy of the dress, it really makes an entrance as it’s  not your average everyday colour you see people wearing. I also feel like it has an Autumn feel too, which is great as it’s September so the Seasons are changing.

The rest of my look today is pretty similar to my everyday style, my current favourite Lipstick is NARS Brigitte from their Audacious Lipstick Collection. All of the shades are based on an the Icons lipstick colour, this one being the beautiful Brigitte Bardot and I absolutely adore it. It’s not too subtle but not too bold, a nice nude peach which fits just in the middle. I also used my Maybelline Eye Shadow Pallet in The Nudes, there are so many shades and it’s great to mix and match. Today I went for a glittery nude colour for the base, a matte gold nude to shade my eyelid and a darker colour to contour the crease of my eyelid.


To complete my look I added two cream flowers to my hair, instead of going for the obvious red flowers I thought I’d try something different and I’m glad I did as I think they contrast well with the burgundy of the dress. I curled my hair with tongs last night and slept in pin curls, surprisingly the curls stayed in a lot better than I expected as I hadn’t washed my hair.


As Autumn is here I decided to wear my ankle boots, I absolutely adore them and it’s a nice change from wearing sandals. What’s great about the boots is they’re not too dressy but they also have a slight heel which makes you feel more formal than casual. I also adore the buckle and the suede finish, I’m all about the little details!

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Back To Black.

I really don’t think anyone can go wrong with a Little Black Dress, they can be dressed up for a Night Out, or toned down for a Casual Look, plus, they always have a vintage feel! As you probably have noticed from my last Look Post, I’ve been loving the online shop Very and my beautiful Mum once again knows me so well and found this dress for me.


The dress is fitted around the chest and has an adorable silver zip up the front, so all you need to do is step into the dress, zip it up and you’re ready to go! It’s such a simple style, but I find less to be more on this occasion and it’s just so elegant and classy, yet very comfy to wear.

The sleeves are a perfect length for English Weather, the half length is just right for keeping you warm, yet not too sweaty if we have lots of Sunshine. Plus, the dress is made out of cotton so it’s breathable and doesn’t stick to you when it’s warm. The dress falls just above the knee so it’s not too short, but not too long either – I find it to be just right!


You can actually get this dress in a raspberry pink, although it doesn’t look as vibrant in person.  I actually ordered the dress to see what it was like, however, I was very disappointed and felt it just didn’t work on me, so I stuck with my first choice.


I love how the dress has such a chic, flirty feel, everyone loves to twirl around once in a while. I think this dress would fit in  perfectly in Mad Men for one of the Secretaries. I feel this dress is perfect for all year round and it’s definitely one of my new favourites. I went for a more casual look today, but I will definitely try dressing this up to create a different vibe.


To continue my Vintage Inspired Style, I of course went for a bold Red Lipstick, it’s my favourite colour to wear and a must for any 1940s/1950s lover. I chose my Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque, I love how the glossy finish creates almost a 3D texture to your lips, they feel and look so much fuller! I decided to use the darker shades in my Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Shadow, which is pretty unusual for me as I’m always inspired by Marilyn’s light Eye Shadow, which contrasted with the Winged Eyeliner. Plus, I tend to feel that darker Eye Shadow sadly doesn’t suit me as much, but I gave it a try and overall, I think it turned out okay!

I decided to take the rare decision of not Pin Curling my hair after I’d washed it and left it in it’s natural style, fairly straight with a  bit of a wave – nothing special unfortunately. I also did something I never do, I styled my hair with a center part! Since falling in love with Vintage Hollywood, I’ve always worn my hair parted to the right side as I love to create a big curly wave when I do my Pin Curls. But, I thought it was worth changing it up, needless to say it only lasted for yesterday’s look.

My Mum and me went to see Inside Out, which was absolutely adorable and so inspiring, my favourite emotion was Disgust, I absolutely adored her look and she was so sassy. and it was a nice change to not be asked for my age too. As it was pretty cool outside I wore my Trench Coat from Miss Selfridge. I didn’t get a picture of it, but I absolutely adore this style – it screams 1960s and I definitely recommend getting one if you haven’t already.


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Think Pink.

Although I love the colour pink, I don’t seem to wear it that much, nor do I have many pink items in my wardrobe. However, I decided to style a really girly look today, similar to my Vintage Style of course, but with lots more pink!

My Mum thought it would be a good idea to get me out of the house and we went to see Hot Pursuit at the Cinema, with Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon. I’ve adored Reese Witherspoon ever since Legally Blonde came out in 2001 and I’m obsessed with Sofia Vergara as I’m obsessed with Modern Family. It’s only just came out today in The UK, I’ve been wanting to see it for SO long! We both thought it was great and I will definitely be buying the DVD, so don’t let the Critics influence you!

Last week I was looking for a dress to wear for my Grandad’s Funeral, I had no luck finding anything in the stores, so I decided to look online. Although the clothes always look lovely and are definitely my style, before now I’ve rarely bought anything from Very before. Most likely because it’s only online and I like to find dresses when I’m out and about. I definitely will be going on Very more often from now on though!


Once again, my amazing Mum came across a lovely Black Crochet Double Layer Dress for only £29. The dress also had two other options, one was Hot Pink and the other was Floral, of course, being a 1950s girl at heart – I chose the Floral. This one was slightly more costly at £35, but still a pretty good price! This dress is perfect for Spring and Summer, so it was the perfect time to buy it and with England’s Weather, the Polyester Material isn’t a problem.


What’s great about this dress is that it almost looks like a top and a skirt put together!  Of course that’s not the case, but it’s fun to keep people questioning. There’s also no zip either, so you literally just pull it over your head and tada – you’re ready! Even though there’s no zip or buttons, the dress still is quite fitted yet it’s comfy and you can happily stay in it all day.

The dress is just full of details, the underlay has almost a Pink Tint to it, it’s so pretty and there are so many things to see. For example, the little embellishments are so important and really make an outfit, such as the pleats in the skirt. The Crochet pattern has such a Vintage Feel, it’s timeless, classy and really defines the dress.

Whilst the top half of the dress is subtle, the skirt is full of colour and contrasts by really standing out. The Printed Skirt is filled with Butterflies and Flowers, just beautiful, artist and a modern twist on a classic pattern. This dress is perfect for a day out in The Summer Sunshine, but you can easily dress it up too, it’s versatile!


To compliment my dress, I wore my Baby Pink Cardigan from New Look. It furthered the Girly Chic Vibe I was aiming for and kept me warm at the same time! I love how all the Light Pastel Colours on the Cardigan and Crochet Top contrasted with the Vibrant Neon Flowers and Butterflies.


For Accessories, I wore my Nain’s Jewellery, her Watch and Necklace, which are incredibly sentimental to me and mean even more whilst I’m trying to come to terms with the loss of my Grandfather. I wore my Pandora Ring which I got for my Birthday last year, to add even more Pink to my Look. I added my Owl Earrings because of their Vibrant Colours, which I bought from Accessorize, where else?


I applied a Gold Loreal Eyeshadow to my eyes for a Summer Glow and used Miley Cyrus’s Viva Glam Lipstick to complete  my Make Up. I felt that the vibrant tone of the Lipstick really suited my Skirt Pattern, although for some reason I wasn’t feeling this colour as much as I have before. I applied the rest of my Make Up as usual, concentrating on my 1960s Eyeliner Flicks, they are a must for me.


Lastly, I Pin Curled my hair earlier this week and simply brushed my hair and sweeped it to one side, clipping it back loosely. I was inspired by the beautiful Veronica Lake and aimed to achieve her Iconic Bombshell Curls from the 1940s. I decided against any Hair Accessories because I felt like that would have been too overpowering.

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Little Black Shoes.

A few weeks ago my mum kindly bought me a new pair of High Heels and for me, getting new shoes is not a common thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love shoes, they can make such a difference to an outfit, I just hate breaking them in! I seem to be prone to getting blisters and sore feet when wearing new shoes, so it’s put me off buying new ones unless it’s absolutely necessary.

However, my Mum is the opposite, she loves buying shoes and I can’t blame her really, she just has a lot more tolerance and wears blister plasters – a must! Being inspired by my Mum, as always, I buy most of my shoes from Clarks and that’s where my new pair are from. Luckily, my mum waited until I had decided which pair I wanted and they ended up being in the sale for half price!

From memory, I’d say I have two pairs of Heels and one pair of Wedges, which I’ve had for around five years. I’m quite happy to wear the same pair once I find a classy design that goes with most outfits. Needless to say ninety percent of the time I go for black heels, you really can’t go wrong with them! The last time I bought a pair of Heels was before I went to Hollywood in August 2012, so it’s been a while!


The great thing about Clarks Shoes is that they do half sizes, so many places don’t and a lot of people, myself included are in the middle between sizes. My feet are pretty small at only a UK four and a half, but that’s okay with me, they’re actually the one body part I’m quite kind to myself about, which makes a change!


Not only are these shoes really aesthetically pleasing, they’re quality made and have padding for the soles of your feet. Sadly, the first time I got to wear my new Heels was on a very hard occasion – my Grandad’s Funeral which was yesterday. I wore the shoes for the majority of the Day Time and I can actually say, they didn’t rub once! I have no sores or blisters on my feet and I kept them on all day.  I apologize for my lack of Nail Varnish, when I was younger I wore Polish on my Finger Nails and Toe Nails for years and it started to turn them yellow! So I just keep them natural now.


The Heels have a very Classic Vintage Vibe, which is exactly what I go for with my Style. The shoe Heel is a good few inches, not too high, but not a Kitten Heel either, however, because the shoe is thick and wide it’s not uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and you feel supported. As the shoes aren’t too specific for any occasion, I feel you can both dress them up and down for Evening and Day Time Events.


The base of the shoe is Patent Leather, which I think is such a beautiful added touch and really adds to the overall appearance. To contrast the base, the straps are suede and not only are they beautiful, they keep your foot extra secure. The only slightly frustrating thing is that the suede catches material, but it can be removed so it’s not a big deal. The final touch on the shoe are the sequined flowers which compliment the suede material and stand out subtly, and the silver buckle, both making the Heels almost sparkle.


I can safely say, that these shoes are timeless and as with my other heels, I will be keeping these for a long time and wearing these in many years to come – unless my feet grow of course! 

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Mela Loves London.

Today I chose to wear a dress I bought from Dorothy Perkins last year by a brand called Mela Loves London. As soon as I saw this dress I knew that I had to have it! It’s very different to your average High Street dress and really goes with my Vintage Style. I can’t tell you the exact name of the pattern but it’s very similar to Rococo and has an elegant appearance.

I love the collar, it’s so 1940s and really compliments the style of the dress, you can’t even feel it so it’s not uncomfortable and adds such lovely detailing.  The light beige and midnight blue  work as a great combination together and it’s not something you see everyday so it makes a nice change. 


The dress is fitted around the waist and bust which further emulates the vintage style I love and flares out just below with some beautiful pleats which further add to the aesthetic detail. The only downside I can think of is the zip! I have a few dresses which have similar styling and material and they are so hard to zip up to the top, it can be very frustrating! 


To match my dress I decided to wear my beautiful ring from Pandora that my lovely parents bought me for my 21st Birthday last year. The ring is silver, my favourite and has a beautiful dark blue stone in the middle. I love rings ,but I find them hard to wear all the time for a number of reasons, one, my fingers are very small so not a lot fit and two, I find it frustrating when washing my hands. 

I decided to further accentuate my vintage look by wearing my Clinique Color Pop Lipstick in Cherry Pop. I made the mistake of applying my Max Factor Lip Pencil first, so the colour didn’t turn out it’s usual shade. I always apply my Lip Pencil first to create my lip shape, but I find with Cherry Pop that it’s better to put the Lipstick on first and then blend and shape my lip line after.

I used my Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner for a change instead of my usual Liquid Rimmel Eye Liner and I really liked the results. It’s a lot less intimidating than using a liquid liner and although the brush isn’t as small and defined overall I was very impressed. I tried to differ my Eye Shadow slightly by using a Gold Loreal Shade and my usual Nude Shade below my brow bone. I’m inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s Eye Makeup and keep the lids pretty natural – besides the Eyeliner of course. However, I do hope to try and start experimenting with other shades, I just find new Eye Makeup styles very hard to apply. 

I took my Pin Curls out on Tuesday morning and as I only brushed each curl out individually in the evening they’ve lasted pretty well. Therefore, I decided to go for a Brigitte Bardot Bombshell Waves look, I brushed the curls and twirled the hair around with my finger. After that I teased the back of my hair around the crown of my head and then the front to create a Veronica Lake Peek A Boo Bang.

To complete my look I added some Pearl Earrings that my mum bought from The High Street years ago, Pearls are my favourite and are the ultimate vintage accessory. My name also means Pearl so I have an extra soft spot for them!

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