We all have things we like. You might like bodycon dresses, the colour black, cut outs. Your best friend may be in to watermelons, swing skirts, and novelty shaped buttons. I like all shades of yellow, dresses with lots of stretch, and peasant-style necklines. And, like anyone else, I get a bit excited when I find several of my favourite things represented in one item. In this instance, I have Doll Me Up to thank for this accumulation of Things That Make Amy Happy.
You guyyyys, Autumn is here! I know that, really, it’s been here for a couple months already and that next month actually marks the start of winter, but I swear the leaves have taken longer to turn this year than they usually do, so as often as I’ve been squealing and crooning in delight about it being fall, it’s only now truly starting to feel it through and through. And I am, as I’m sure you’re sensing, pretty freakin’ psyched about it!
I love that Autumn style means plaids and tartans, rich tones and moody colours, flannels and velvets. The gold leaves and our warm houses aren’t the only part of the season that feels lush with such snuggly style options abound, and this outfit from Doll Me Up I’m sharing with you today definitely feels like it fits in with the season perfectly.
Look, I don’t want to be dramatic but: me and this dress have been a long time coming. No, for real. So long.
For those of you who aren’t keeping up to date on Micheline Pitt’s incredible Vixen line you may not be aware that she sometimes posts sneak peeks of upcoming designs in her Facebook Vixen Salon group, wherein she will also ask for feedback on said designs. It was in this group that I first saw the design sketches for this striped glory that is the Dollface dress, many months back. It wasn’t scheduled to be released until SS17, so even back then those of us who were drooling over it knew we would be in for a wait.
I decided I would buy mine through Doll Me Up, a website I love to support when I can, so I mentally committed my purchase to DMU and excitedly awaited the dress’s release with cartoon-like wide fluttery eyes of anticipation. As it happened, this dress was so popular that it sold out through three wholesale pre-ordered phases over the entire spring season before DMU got their original pre-order finally fulfilled in July. As those months passed, I watched in the FB Salon and on Instagram as gorgeous pinup after gorgeous pinup got their Dollfaces from other stockists, while I waited, whimpering only a little, wondering if we were ever meant to be. Do you not love me as I love you, Dollface? Did I do something to forsake you before even we had been united? My heart (my closet) ached at the empty space set aside for this beauty, the money saved and sat waiting to be spent on it.
And finally, finally, it has happened! We are one! After a long journey, only a touch of jealousy but a great deal of excitement, I have my Dollface dress and she is just as wonderful as I hoped.
I like a peasant top. Or two. Or 11, if we go by the number hanging in my closet. I just feel like they’re a comfortable and flattering top to throw on to complete your vintage styled outfit. Whether you’re pairing them with capri pants, swing skirts or pencil skirts, they’re cute and easy to wear. I also happen to think an open-to-the-air collarbone is flattering for every woman, both an area of skin that is both innocent and sexy at the same time when exposed, and peasant tops are great for a bit of bear shoulder action.
I own 9 peasant tops by Pinup Girl Clothing, all of which are of their original, older design that doesn’t feature the new curved seam in the bustline. That new design isn’t to my taste, so I decided I was going to have to look elsewhere to fulfil my peasant needs in future if I wanted to expand my collection. Lucky me, Doll Me Up have recently released a wide range of their new Pleasant Peasant tops, available in 14 colours so far. At $24.99 a-piece they’re budget friendly, and featuring a smocked elasticated back portion rather than any zippers or button closures, they’re comfort friendly too.
I’ve reviewed the Milan dress by Heart of Haute before. It was much earlier on in my blogging career so the way in which I detail sizing and fit specifics have altered since then, allowing for, hopefully, a more helpful and accurate review that makes it easier for you to figure out if an item of clothing is for you and in which size.
When I reviewed the Milan dress in the red cotton sateen colourway, I found it had tons of give, although even then I didn’t stretch so far as to giving you the most helpful flat measurements (for reference, my L measured 32 inches flat in the waist, and up to 35 stretched.)
When spring came and I began eyeing the beautiful Bouquet floral colourway of this dress, I first assumed I could order it in the same L as my red Milan and come up smelling of roses (ba dum cha!) I noticed, however, that the size charts for the Bouquet on different stockists noted that the dress sizes smaller and that between sizes should size up. Considering this, I did what I could to determine the best size for myself, ordered the pretty, and decided it was worth giving this dress style and colourway its own review to pass on the information I learned to ensure you all end up with the best fit as well.
L.A. Girl Matte Pigment Gloss might be a bit of a mouthful as a product name, but it’s not messing around when it comes to providing a lip-full of colour.
As the name suggests, this lip colour is a matte strongly pigmented gloss–but, it’s
also kind of a liquid lipstick. Matte liquid lipsticks tend to be highly pigmented, long-lasting, and quite dry on the lips, since the matte finish and long-wear formula doesn’t allow for much moisture. The difference with this L.A. Girl Matte Pigment Gloss is that it really does seem to feel like half-gloss, half-liquid lipstick, taking the positives from both formula types to leave you with a comfortable, well-wearing product that stays put, doesn’t smudge and stays vibrant. I tested out 2 shades, Instinct, a vibrant red-tinted orange, and Bazaar, a warm mid-toned pink, to see how they applied and wore. Continue reading
If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll have seen past mentions of Doll Me Up . They’re my number one choice for getting LA Splash lip products delivered inexpensively to the UK, and my black evening dress gets a lot of wear, particularly as it’s easily thrown on when I make last minute plans. It’s comfortable and simple, yet people always compliment me on it. I’ve recently bought it in red and know that this dress, too, will become a wardrobe staple that receives constant wear.
Doll Me Up have really expanded their stock lines this year, offering a wide selection of cardigans, both cropped and not, one of the prettiest selections of hair scarves I’ve ever come across, and tons of separates to mix and match. More often than not I’m a dress wearing girl, but DMU have plenty to offer there too. Recently I got my little British paws on the Sunrise to Sunset dress, one I’ve been wanting for an age, and took to the Texan woods to photograph it for you with help of my dear friend Sarah.
I mentioned last week that I recently bought the Black Evening dress from Doll Me Up Darling in the same order in which I bought two of their Vixen Vondetta tops. I was torn between buying the black version of this dress or the red, as I want both, really, but I took the totally practical route of ordering this one because it was currently in stock. It’s a very simple dress and that’s a great thing, because it can be styled in whichever way takes your fancy. I like it so much that the red is definitely going on my wishlist now.
One of my favourite top designs from the 50s is the crossed front strap top. There are lots of brands that have their own version of this top, featuring different fabrics and priced across various budgets. I own two tops featuring this crossed strap neckline and both fall on the more expensive side of the budget spectrum for this kind of piece. I’ve been curious for a while about the Vixen Vondetta tops I’ve seen offered by Doll Me Up Darling, so I recently bought a couple so I could do a review for you ladies.
At last count this top comes in 14 colourways, which is the first thing I really liked about it. The second is that each top only costs $19.99 (around £13ish), which is about $30 cheaper than the next step up I could find in price range for this kind of crossed strap style. For ladies on a budget this means you’ve got an excellent option, in a lot of colours for many a potential outfit, for finding this kind of style.
Each top has a lot of stretch in it due to the fabric it’s made of, so despite Doll Me Up’s owner, Krista, insisting I would fit a M, I decided to buy both a Medium and a Lovely to see if there was a big difference in fit. I ordered the Navy in an Medium and the Burgundy in the Lovely. The only free day I had to get pictures for this post saw me photographer-free and trapped indoors as it rained, so it’s in-studio for basic pics this time!
Miss Amy May 