Tag: pincurls

Dolly and Dotty Fashion.

Whenever I see photos of Old Hollywood Stars, I’m always reminded of one thing in particular, how truly timeless they are. So many of the images look like they could have been captured within this century and with vintage inspired dresses being readily available from modern stores, it just goes to show that the fashion from the 1940s and 1950s have never gone out of style.

Another Retro Style Fashion Brand I recently discovered is the simply gorgeous, Dolly and Dotty! Their beautiful fashions range from UK sizes 6 – 24, offering a huge variety for many customers. What I absolutely love about this Brand is that each style of dress has a different name, with many colours and patterns on offer. Therefore, if you have a favourite choice, you can simply click on that specific name and look at all the different versions available. However, with all of the products being so stunning, it’s no easy task choosing just one favourite dress, but, that’s definitely not a bad thing!

Ultimately, I finally narrowed my top picks down to three different styles and names; Annie, Natalie and Katherine. I wanted to select three significantly different dresses that simply had one thing in common – Vintage Style!

The Annie Retro Lace Floral Swing Dress I chose was the gorgeous combination of Pink and Grey. As soon as I saw this beauty, which is currently in the newly released section, I knew that I had to add it to my wardrobe. I think the colours together create a beautiful mix and are perfect for the Christmas Winter Season! I can’t even emphasize how intricate and awe inspiring the detail on the dress is, it definitely exudes Flapper Vibes and makes me feel like I would fit perfectly in a Speakeasy Bar! My favourite style of dress to wear is most definitely a swing style, as not only does it fit beautifully, it’s comfy too and no one can deny that’s not a must have!

The Natalie Retro Floral Swing Flamingo Story Dress, is quite possibly one of the best things I have seen in a long while. Not only is it a beautiful Peppermint Green, which is one of my best loved colours to wear but, it features multiple Flamingos, with the pink shade complimenting the green wonderfully. This item is amazingly in the sale section at the moment and the only reason I can assume why is because people may possibly be intimidated by the shade, which is such a shame as it’s absolutely stunning! The sweetheart neckline is another one of my favourite styles, as it’s so classically vintage and truly flattering for everyone. I’ve said it before and as we know I’m about to say it again, the little details are to me, the best part of clothes and the gathered bust and button detail is just perfection.

Last but not least in my wonderful trio of dresses is the Katherine Long Sleeve 50’s Swing Dress, which I chose in the Black/Pink/Gold Floral shade. With the Winter very much here, I really thought a long sleeved style would be most definitely appropriate and the added bonus of not needing a cardigan was also a plus too! The gorgeous pattern is so reminiscent of the Classic Hollywood Era and I feel is very transitional from both day to night. I’m all about accentuating the waist and the Katherine dress comes with a belt attached, which can be fastened either at the front or the back. Furthermore, when a dress has hidden secret pockets, you know that it’s most definitely a keeper!

Please note, I pride myself in making sure I write honest reviews and although I was fortunate enough to be gifted these items, I was not told to say any of the following statements I have made.

Lastly, a huge thank you to Polly from Dolly and Dotty for making this collaboration possible, I honestly can’t recommend them enough. Their clothes are such high quality and truly pieces of art, they make a modern girl feel very much like her true vintage self!

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TopVintage Retro Boutique Fashion.

As someone who lives her life in the 1940s/1950s Aesthetic, it truly brings me so much joy when I come across Modern Vintage Style Fashion Brands, the latest one being the beautiful, TopVintage Retro Boutique. This amazing Company was founded nine years ago and has since continued to grow from strength to strength, receiving many awards and recognition for all of their hard work.

Furthermore, not only does TopVintage stock over 40 Retro Brands, it features a huge variety of vintage style clothes ranging all the way from the 1920s to the 1970s. The main inspirations for Angelique, the creator of TopVintage are these four incredible Icons, Marilyn, Brigitte, Sophia and Audrey. The irony behind this is that all four of these Old Hollywood Stars, (one in particular – I’m sure you can guess who!) just happen to be some of my favourite ladies – a coincidence? I like to think not!

Therefore, as soon as I came across, The Florence Dress In Winter Red I knew that I simply had to add this beauty to my wardrobe! Not only do I love wearing red, this particular shade is without doubt a huge favourite of mine, especially in Lipstick form – which I’m sure you may have noticed. I just adore when a dress is fitted in all the right places, but is still comfy to wear all day long – people may say that beauty is pain however, The Florence Dress proves this no longer has to be the case!

Although this dress is described as 1950s style, it’s incredibly unique in that it features so many trademarks from each decade! The butterfly sleeves give me 1970s vibes, the pleated bust takes me back to the 1940s, whilst the  simple but eye catching waist detail oozes 1950s glamour. With a fully lined top, no zippers or buttons and 95% viscose material, you can guarantee to look and feel like you’ve stepped out of the Silver Screen! However, if the Winter Red colour isn’t your shade, you can always choose black and remember, it’s impossible to go wrong with a Little Black Dress!

Anyone who knows me will be know that I wear dresses pretty much every day, therefore, it’s just wonderful when you find a dress that is perfect for both Day and Night! The Florence Dress can easily be dressed up for a night out or dressed down for a simple day, it’s all about the added accessories and style. To complete the Vintage Look, I decided to pin curl my hair and style the front pieces up into Victory Rolls, with a few added red floral clips to finish the Retro Style.

Not only is the quality of the TopVintage dresses beautiful, the packaging and overall aesthetic is so detailed and definitely doesn’t go unappreciated! I especially love the adorable gifts included in the parcel; a mini compact mirror and sweets, such a unique concept and thoughtful idea! I truly could spend hours browsing through their website, not only does it feature such a huge variety of dresses, there is Swimwear, Beauty, Nightwear and Accessories to purchase also! Every item available on there is inspired by Classic Hollywood and makes you feel like a true Vintage Star.

Lastly, a huge thank you to Anne and Laura at TopVintage Boutique for making this Collaboration a reality!

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Vivien of Holloway Fashion.

Before I even start to talk about Vivien of Holloway the Brand, I simply have to say how much I love that the lady herself, Vivien, spells her name just like one of my Old Hollywood Favourites, Vivien Leigh. If you don’t know who she is, I’d advise checking IMDB as soon as possible. Inspirations aside, now that I’ve shared my little Fan Girl moment, it’s time for me to focus on another favourite subject of mine; Vintage Fashion!

Vivien of Holloway was founded in 2000 by the lady herself, who from a young age had huge enthusiasm for 1950s Fashion and almost twenty years later, it has became a major phenomenon for all Vintage Lovers like myself! One of the unique things about Vivien of Holloway is that all their clothes follow vintage sizing, which continues the authenticity of creating wonderful reproductions from the era. I think this is such a unique concept, but definitely important to mention as if you know anything about Old Hollywood Fashion, you’ll know how different sizing was.

Research shows that the majority of sizes from the vintage era now vary by two, for example, I’m a UK Size 8 and my Vivien of Holloway dress is a Vintage Size 12 – with the measurements being 34-26-38. Although my hips are roughly 34-35 inches, the garment I’m wearing is fitted on the bust and waist but flared on the hips, so this didn’t affect the fitting.

Technical information aside, as my favourite eras for fashion are the 1940s and 1950s, Vivien’s dresses are an absolute dream and honestly, if I could afford to buy all the dresses – I’m pretty sure I would! There is so much variety in style, colour, length and pattern so I can pretty much guarantee there’s something for everyone on this amazing website.

As soon as I saw the, “1950s Halterneck Midnight Rose Dress“ I knew that I simply had to have this in my wardrobe! Floral patterns are without doubt my favourites to wear, I love recreating the 1940s and 1950s look, it makes me feel like my true self. Furthermore, it just so happens that pink is the colour I adore the most and roses are the flowers that have a special place in my heart. Plus, with the base colour being black, this adds further class and glamour by creating a bold shade contrast.

At £89.00, the clothes may not be the cheapest available to buy, however, if you want an authentic vintage reproduction and a beautifully made product, then every penny is truly worth it. This dress is simply made for the Summer Season and if you’re like me and live in dresses – you might as well wear it all year round! I love that Vivien’s dresses have so much versatility, not only would this look great for a Party, you could also happily wear it for a Picnic on a lovely sunny day. Plus, with the cotton fabric, you’ll feel comfortable all throughout the day and the stunning boned bodice creates extra curves and definition, giving you the ultimate 1950s Pin Up figure!

Although the dresses don’t come with petticoats or belts, there are a huge number of choices and colours to choose from on their website. However, if you don’t fancy spending money on further accessories, there’s no need to worry as the clothes look just as lovely without – it’s just great to have more options and Vivien of Holloway definitely has them!

Lastly, a huge thank you to Vivien herself for creating such an incredible Brand for all the Old Souls and Vintage Lovers!

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Misslyn Cosmetics.

One of the great things about Makeup is that it’s constantly growing and changing, with many new Brands being created and discovered every week. Therefore, it was with wonderful surprise, that I opened my post last week and discovered an unexpected Blogger Package! The parcel was from Misslyn Cosmetics, a Brand that was completely new to me and aesthetically, is my absolute dream.

Misslyn Cosmetics was founded in Italy over 30 years ago and is now distributed by Chleo Enterprises. For UK fans like myself, it can be purchased online from the wonderful Beauty Bay.

As soon as I saw the beautiful products I’d been so kindly gifted, I fell in love with them straight away – even before trying anything out! The packaging has a gorgeous retro vibe, reminding me of amazing Brands such as, Benefit Cosmetics and The Balm Cosmetics.

Misslyn aim to release a new Collection every six weeks – which is already incredibly impressive if you ask me! Plus, as I mentioned before, I was kindly gifted the perfect summertime makeup; their new Festival Vibes Collection. These products are simply a must for the Summer Season, when practically every week there is a different Festival happening. However, fear not, if you  love the Festival look but aren’t going to any then don’t worry – you can still fit this Collection into your weekend look or if you’re like me – every day!

The Festival Vibes Collection features the following items, Lip Candy Palette: Red Kiss Edition, Eye Love It Eyeshadow Palette: Eye Got It From My Mama, Nail Polish No. 139: Just Be Free, Nail Polish 394A: Endless Road and Jewellery Body Tattoos No.6: Mystery Land.

What’s wonderful about all of the makeup is it’s perfect for carrying around in your bag all day, they’re petite and easy to store!

If I had to choose a favourite product from the Collection it would have to be the Lip Candy Palette: Red Kiss Edition. There are two lip palettes available, a Red Kiss as shown and a Pink Kiss, so if you’re not a rouge lover like myself, there’s always another option! The palette comes with six different shades, which saves you carrying around a million lipsticks and prevents you losing any too – huge bonus! The colours are as follows: Popcorn Lovers, Candy Cane, Cherry Glaze, My Sugar, Honey Pie and Soda Pop; definitely a theme of all things sweet, which I love. I don’t know about you, but a good product name is a big plus for me and this palette without doubt passes that test! Furthermore, only three of the shades are hugely red, the other three have a brown and nude tone, so there’s even more options to mix and match with. Last but not least, the palette comes with a mirror and a lip brush, two very important things to have when applying lipstick and especially when you’re at a Festival.

Lately within the world of makeup, it seems that everyone is loving eyeshadow palette, myself included, although a lot of them are very big and not easy to travel with. However, the Eye Love It Eye Shadow Palette is the perfect product for on the go, not only is it a great size, it also features six different shades! As with the Lip Palettes, there are also two different ones available, Eye Got It  From My Mama and Eye Got My Eyes On You. Both products feature matte and shimmer colours, which are perfect both separately and together, giving you plenty of options. The eyeshadow names are: Daddy’s Girl, Daddy’s Darling, Daddy’s Credit Card, Mama’s Advise, Mama’s Favorite and Mama’s Genes. How adorable!? Within the compact there are three bold shades and three neutral shades, I usually wear a lighter shadow shade to contrast with my bold eyeliner, so I will definitely be using those frequently! I’m also excited to experiment with the bolder shades and branch out of my comfort zone.

If you’re like me and don’t have any art on you, then the Jewellery Body Tattoos are perfect for trying something new! They are all temporary, so you can pick and choose which ever is suitable for you at a certain time and know that it will last for five days. Two products are available in the Festival Collection; No.5 Indian Spirit and No.6 Mystery Land. If you’re after a bold, colourful look then I’d definitely go for No.5 Indian Spirit and if you want a more subtle look then I’d choose No.6 Mystery Land. My personal preference would be the former, however, both feature metallic gold and silver luster that reflect light, which is such a cool idea! Plus, they’re quick to apply and pain free – what could be better?

The last products I was kindly gifted from the Festival Vibes Collection are two Nail Polishes; Just Be Free and Endless Road. There are two other shades available from this specific range, but if they aren’t to your liking then there’s sixty other polishes to choose from – so plenty of choice! Just Be Free is a beautiful coral summer shimmery nude, definitely the perfect shade for this season and the daytime. Endless Road is a nude shimmery shade which contrasts wonderfully with Just Be Free and would be just right for the night. Both have a ultra glossy finish and dry in just sixty seconds! Furthermore, the polishes features a special widespread applicator brush which is meant to adapt to the shape of your nails, meaning it can be applied in one swipe. I can’t wait to test this out!

For today’s look I chose to wear the shades, Candy Cane as a base coat and Cherry Glaze over the top. Both colours glide on perfectly and are very pigmented with a matte but glossy finish. Plus, did I mention they smell absolutely gorgeous too?! For my eyes I wanted to create a subtle summer glow, that would contrast with my winged eyeliner. So I used the shade, Mama’s Genes for the overall base coat, Daddy’s Credit Card for my eyelid and Mama’s Favorite for above. Each shade is pigmented but buildable and is nice and simple to apply. Ultimately, I can’t wait to try out all of the shades and create more looks!

Please note, I pride myself in making sure I write honest reviews and although I was fortunate enough to be gifted these items, I was not told to say any of the following statements I have made.

Lastly, a huge thank you to Michael from Chelo Enterprises for gifting me these amazing products!

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MAC Ruby Woo Shadescents Lipstick.

For red lipstick lovers, Ruby Woo is without doubt known as the ultimate crimson shade to wear. It has been one of MAC’s best selling products for years and has celebrities like Dita Von Teese name it as one of her favourite colours to wear. As shocking as it sounds, I’ve never actually owned my own Ruby Woo, that is until now!

I knew that it was finally time I bought Ruby Woo when I saw that they were releasing a new Collection Called MAC Shadescents. Six of their most popular colours have been specially repackaged to shade-match each lipstick – with a unique perfume available too.

I absolutely adore the special packaging and design, it is just beautiful and MAC have truly outdone themselves. I know a lot of people like the simple, sleek original design of their lipsticks but I much prefer this, it’s so mesmerizing! I’m actually tempted to buy the other shades in the Shadescents Collection just to have more of these beautiful products, however I like to think that even I’m not that frivolous!

I really hate to say this, but one big downfall of the Shadescent Ruby Woo is that the finish is different to the original lipstick! I bought this thinking I’d be getting the iconic matte texture, but for some reason this special edition is a retro matte instead. As much as I’d love to embrace the retro format, being a huge vintage lover myself, I much prefer matte. I find the retro matte finish to be a lot harsher to apply and feel and look pretty drying. My friend actually has an original Ruby Woo and I swatched both on my hand, the colour slightly varied and hers was a lot more glossy than mine. I am honestly so disappointed that for whatever reason MAC felt the need to change the format for the special edition, why try and fix something when it’s already perfect?

In all fairness, I did contact MAC with my issue and they offered to send me a new one, but I’d have to give my Shadescents back to them, although I’m pretty sure you can’t resell lipstick? I decided against this as I’d rather be able to repurchase it in the store and make sure it’s a matte finish and not a retro matte. I have a lot of MAC lipsticks, I’m guessing around 20, so I’m a huge fan of the Brand, but this is definitely something I was ultimately pretty disappointed with.

To emphasize how much retro matte isn’t for me, I only have one other lipstick with this finish – Relentlessly Red, which ironically I purchased because of the texture! I’ve checked the other shades in the collection and as far as I’m aware they all match the original finishes, it’s just Ruby Woo that was changed for some strange reason.

Ultimately, I’m pretty happy to have this in my collection, simply because it is extra beautiful with the special packaging. Who knows, maybe the retro matte format will grow on me the more I try and get used to it? Ironically enough, after wearing it again for this post today, I did actually quite like the retro matte texture! But I do definitely recommend putting on a good few layers with a lipstick brush first as like I said before, I found it to be quite harsh to apply without. I’ve noticed that I do seem to use a lot more product with a retro matte finish lipstick, compared to the matte textures.

Overall I have not lost faith in MAC, I just like to be as honest and authentic to others as I can be. I wouldn’t want others to buy the Shadescents Ruby Woo for the packaging and get a different format like I did. I love the colour and I’ll just make sure I purchase  the original whenever I can.

All I have to say to MAC is, if it’s not broke – don’t fix it!

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