Functioning on the theory that leopard print is a neutral (it’s true, don’t even try to argue,) I think it stands to reason to say it can be dressed up or down. Yes, that somewhat comes down to the cut of the clothing item in question, because, no, neutral though it may be, I still wouldn’t recommend wearing a pair of leopard print capri pants to a wedding, but lucky for us, this off the shoulder Lily dress is a lovely and suitable dress for many an occasion.
I’m not a huge jewellery person. I don’t have pierced ears and I never really got into rings. My hair always seems to tangle around the clasp of necklaces, which also twist as I wear them, so more often than not I just forget to put them on, even though I own many. Mostly, I love a brooch and a bangle. Or, well, three bangles, more specifically, because as a lover of colour blocking my accessories I typically like to stack together matching bangles of varying widths. That makes Splendette my perfect bangle maker because every release comes in 3 widths, as well as in 3 wrist sizes, so no folks get left out. Let’s take a look at their lush new Spring Florals line.
It’s official–spring is here! According to my mum it’s not official until the date of the spring equinox, which happens to be today, but in my mind there are three things that mean it’s spring. 1) March arrives. I function on a basis of 3 months per season, so March means spring. 2) The daffodils are out! Yes, some of the more eager varieties arrive at the end of February, but they don’t really get going locally until March. 3) It just feels like spring. This does comprise of a marked increase in sunshine, always a welcome feature, but there’s also something much harder to define in this feeling, a sort of freshness and joy in the air which to me smells like spring. So, since we can all now agree it is spring, both in official terms and my rigorously unscientific Amy terms, it’s time to start looking at some spring-summer goodies! First of the season is this duo from my favourite, Miss Candyfloss.
Once you’ve been in the vintage-inspired modern-made clothing realm for long enough you’re often able to recognise which brand made an item of clothing at first glance. Some brands are quirkier with their prints, others have certain signature design details they repeat over and over. For me, I’m usually able to recognise a The Pretty Dress Company item from the timeless simplicity of its design. Typically sleek, understated and endlessly chic, they’re a perfect mixture of 1950s silhouettes meeting the modern world, wearable for vintage lovers and current-fashion lovers alike. Today’s Myla dress is another perfect example of TPDC’s refined elegance.
Once upon a time black dresses just didn’t call to me. I wanted colour, prints, everything paired with red! All bold all the time, this bitch is underlined! Fast forward a few years to present day Amy and my tastes have changed several times over, these days favouring darker, rich tones, and definitely, finally, appreciative of a good black dress. And this Scarlette? Oh, she’s a good black dress.
It’s not often polka dots catch my eye, despite them being prevalent in the vintage-inspired clothing world. There’s something about black polka dots on white, though, that I really love. Maybe it’s the cute, fun feel that polka dots give off warring with the most minimalist, simple colour pairing possible. I think it’s as chic as polka dots are able to get, but it still retains their whimsy.
I keep seeing people counting down to spring, but I just spent 3.5 days in a dim, chilly house without power due to Storm Eunice, with the wind whistling in our chimney and regular bouts of rain, so spring currently feels quite far away. It’s been so wet and dreary one could be mistaken for believing it was the depths of autumn, not almost spring, and the only time the sun has come out since last Friday has been alongside blasting winds. With all that in mind, it feels perfectly apt to focus today on tartan, a print that always feels best to me in the cold weather months. Thankfully this one can at least brighten up all this dreariness with its bursting yellow.
I did a styled 3 ways post back last Spring about the Deadly is the Female Claudia gown, as a one off. That post was inspired by the fact that I didn’t let myself buy a dress I really wanted until I realised just how versatile it could be for me. This post, though, will almost be the opposite; I wanted the Tilly Velvet prom dress by The Pretty Dress Company for a couple years, but because it was so obviously an occasion dress, and also happened to be outside of the budget for what I will usually spend on a dress, it was totally off my conceivable buy list until it went on sale this January. Even once it was on sale I couldn’t help but um and ah over it, not just because I’ve largely got into better habits about fully thinking through bigger purchases, but also because it mostly felt like a special occasion dress, and as much as I love those and believe they need not be saved for best, realistically I couldn’t deny that I have so many fancy dresses that I really didn’t need another one, especially in the (hopefully!) tail end of a pandemic. Continue reading
I’m usually a liquid lipstick wearer, because I don’t have the patience and attention to detail necessary to eat more carefully, regularly check for smudging or transfer, and reapply when needed, all of which creamy bullet lipsticks require of their wearers. However, one of the many joys (deep sarcasm) the pandemic has bestowed upon me personally is that after 14 months of wearing FFP2 grade masks for 8 hours a day 5 days a week at work, my usually oily-combo skin is now dry and flaky in certain areas, and my lips, which typically only require lip balm overnight, now freak. the. fuck. out. when I wear long-lasting lipsticks. If I wear my Holy Grail lip product, the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks for, say, a Saturday blog shoot for a few hours, my lips will now feel incredibly dry and perhaps chapped for several days afterwards, necessitating endless lip balm applications until they recover.
Since my skin is now high maintenance, I haven’t been thrilled by the notion of my lips becoming so too, and as such I’ve been eagerly awaiting the UK launch of Maybelline’s Ultimatte Color Sensational Slim lipsticks in the hopes they would give me the matte finish I crave in a lightweight but hydrating formula that my lips would be less mad about. Do they? Let’s take a look.
Regular readers of this blog know Maybelline’s Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks are my Holy Grail lip product. If you’re a stranger to these parts and found your way here looking for an overall review of the Matte Inks then you can read my original review here, as well as my many subsequent posts containing swatches and shade comparisons from different shade releases. Today I’m swatching the Birthday Edition shades. Let’s get to it!
Miss Amy May 