I recently reviewed the Nars Powermatte lipstick, a product I love but simply cannot bring myself to use for daily-wear because I am stingy and £25 for 1.5g of product makes my heart sad. So, imagine my delight when I heard rumours that Kiko Milano (admittedly, I brand I had never heard of) make a matte lipstick that performs as a Powermatte dupe, and at only £8.99 for the same 1.5g of product. Obviously, I immediately ordered one in red, and was thrilled when it arrived as I found I loved it just as much as the Nars Powermatte. I ordered a few more shades to add to my collection and so here I am, writing you a review and ready to show you 5 swatches from their shade range of 24 colours Continue reading
Outfits April 2022 to February 2023
It feels kind of redundant to write an intro into these accidentally-only-twice-yearly outfit posts now because I can’t help but feel I need to point out that I’m not a deeply unsocial person (not deeply, anyway,) who never does anything, I’m just a somewhat-unsocial person who has vulnerable loved ones that I can’t risk passing anything along to, thus curtailing my social life. So, in line with not wanting to harp on that once again, I’m also gonna stop Continue reading
Maximum Solange [Hell Bunny]
A dress made for sunshine and good times, Solange is a maxi dress that’s ready for fun. Offering rainbow-but-not-really, it boasts yellow, sky blue, white, pea green, and deep red stripes for a bright, playful print.
Hey-a, Adelaida! [Hell Bunny]
Hell Bunny always offers great tropical prints, typically creating one or two new ones every year for their spring/summer range. This year sees the return of the Ukulele print from SS21 but now in pale blue and green tones, and the release of this lush Adelaida print, a darker, earthy take on what I often think of when I think of tropical prints—namely, colour and lots of it. In fact, the Adelaida print doesn’t feature tropical flowers at all, and yet something about the print still tells my brain it’s a tropical print, but like, in a chilled way. Is it just me?? Let’s take a closer look so you can decide.
Heidi, Ya Peach [Hell Bunny]
One of the great things about dressing in mid-century inspired clothing is that you can achieve a fully authentic look and yet with those the same clothes you can often create an outfit that feels very modern. The day dresses especially easily translate to modern looks, as a cinched waist and flared skirt has been considered a flattering silhouette ever since. So, for folks who can only or want to dress vintage part time, having a wardrobe of versatile pieces that can be worn dressed fully up as well as smartly to work or casually at play is crucial. To me, therefore, a solid-coloured swing dress will always serve well, because it can inevitably be styled to fulfil all those functions. Today we’re looking at Heidi as just such an option.
Let’s Circle Back [Timeless London]
Here’s the thing about vintage inspired clothing companies—they know how to do a great skirt. And by great skirt, I mean FULL CIRCLE, baby! Flattering AND fun (you know, because of the swirl factor), you really can’t beat a full circle skirt, and this woollen Sophie skirt by Timeless is a sustainable winter gem. Oh, and did I mention it comes in several different checks? Because it does, and here’s two of ‘em!
Sustainable Helena [Timeless London]
Give me a sleeved, check dress when it’s cold outside and I will feel happy and cosy in my heart, even if my actual limbs still require tights and boots. I think one of the things that intimidates newcomers to vintage fashion is the idea that one must get unbearably cold in winter if one wears dresses year round, but I’ve always found that knowing how to style an outfit for practicality as well as appearances is a skill that serves one well no matter your aesthetic preferences. And speaking of practicality, how about looking at a sleeved, checked dress from a brand who think it’s pretty practical to make clothing from sustainable and recycled fabrics so they limit their contribution to climate change? Yeah, I think that sounds pretty good too! Let’s get at it.
Nancy Do Good [Hell Bunny]
I’m one of those people who is always early. The mere thought of arriving only on time, let alone late, stresses me out, so I prep and I plan and I arrive early, even if that means sitting in my car for 15 minutes before I turn up, only 1 minute early, to an appointment or social gathering.
Hell Bunny is the brand version of that. Twice a year, they’re the first brand in the vintage-inspired clothing world to begin releasing their latest line, sometimes getting out their first seasonal pieces before other brands have finished releasing their last straggling items from the season before. It always makes me chuckle. And so, many of their SS23 items have been out for weeks now, with others coming soon. This Nancy dress was one of their first spring drops and while I greatly appreciate Hell Bunny’s reliable promptness, it is in fact still January and was 2°c when I shot these photos, so please think warm, spring-like thoughts for yesterday’s Me as we look at this dress together.
Nars PowerMatte Lipstick Review + Wear Test
I love trying out new lipsticks, so if social media ads tell me a new lipstick is long-lasting or transfer-proof I’m going to be very tempted to try it out. Unlessss that ad is from a premium brand like Nars or Dior, because I’m sorry, a new product from any brand is a bit of a risk–they all claim to be incredible in a myriad of ways, but personal body chemistry, preference and use plays such a big role in how a product works for you, so dropping £20-35 on a product that I might hate is just too much of a gamble for me. Plus, drugstore products are so good these days, often it’s not necessary to opt for luxury, certainly not for day to day wear. However, the Nars Powermatte ads really made me curious, and since I got a great bonus at work this Christmas I decided to treat myself by picking one up in the shade Notorious. Continue reading
Ms Margot [Lady V London]
I told you at the weekend all about how much I love the Stella dress by Lady V London, so much so that it spurred me to buy this Margot dress because I loved its similarity of shape, simplicity, and the identical fabric from which it’s crafted. Margot is sleeveless, but that’s never stopped me from wearing a great dress in cold weather. Let’s layer up and take a little look, shall we?