Fun Find After Taking a Too Well to Work Afternoon

Hey ladies!

So I took off work early today and went to the Draper Savers to see if I could find anything. That store is very clean and organized. I was able to find a super cute pair of white patent kitten heels. I got them for $6... WOOHOO!!!

They looked great with my Tardis dress, I did FanGirl at work today... hehehe

Kisses until next time!

Ginger

 

 

 

Our Favorite Retro Reds

Today we want to talk about red lipstick. It's been around since lipstick first came about. Red. Scarlet. Rouge. It's the favorite color of most pin-ups or vintage makeup enthusiasts today. Here are our favorites and why:

Tara's favorite: House of Exposure's Helmet Red.

Why: It stays on all day. A little bit comes off here and there when I kiss the husband or drink coffee, but for the most part it has excellent staying power. It keeps my list moist and doesn't dry them out like that popular lipsense stuff. It's a color that promises to look good on any skin tone. 

The results:

Get your own:

Christina's Favorites: I have to say this was a tough one for me to write because I have SO many red lipsticks, but I was able to narrow it down to my top reds, some are favorites, some were favorites.. I don't really have a #1 favorite, so just know these are not in rated order, they are in a completely random order.

#1 NYX Liquid Suede in Kitten Heels
#2 Absolute New York Matte Stick in Dark Red
#3 L'ORÉAL Infallible 2-Step Lip Color in Continual Crimson
#4 Hard Candy Velvet Mousse in Tulip

Next to a window.

I tried to get some decent comparison photos here so you could see the various kinds of lighting that would affect the color of your lipstick. The NYX and Hard Candy are tied for my top favorite. 

#1 I like the NYX because it is more of a warm undertone red, and it applies velvety smooth. I talk about this brand my outfit of the day post from 6/8 & 6/9. It lasts all day, and I rarely have any issues with this brand. It leaves my lips feeling soft and moist all day.

#2 The Absolute New York is a standard waxy formula lipstick that I found to be a little bit dry, and a little bit on the purple side, but I got it free in my Ipsy Glambag, so I'm not complaining. It makes a good base to put a lighter red over, to add a more dramatic ombre look. 

#3 The L'ORÉAL I have a love/hate relationship with. It was one of my first 2-part lipsticks, and I thought it was great until I realized I hate 2-part lipsticks. When you first apply it it is all shiny and smooth and everything seems like it's going great but it is extremely sticky when it dries and you better hope you don't get a thick spot and you need to add more because then it gets all chunky and uneven and you basically have to hope you do not have to start over. Then you add the clear coat, which don't get me wrong, it does last for a long time, but then when you start to dry up and need to add more clear, which rubs more of the color off. If you do decide that you need to add more color, you better forget it because it just clumps up into little balls and rolls off your lips, which is incredibly disgusting. It's a little hard to tell in the photos but it is a blue-base formula, and it is slightly transparent as well. It was my favorite until I realized there are better lipsticks out there for me, but again, if you like 2-part lipsticks this may be for you. I know lots of women that love lipsense and lots that hate it, so it is definitely different for everyone.

#4 If I'm being completely honest with myself I bought the Hard Candy Velvet Mousse because it came in an adorable little tin with a mirror, that I now use for bobby pins in my purse (win-win). But I do really like the formula. It has more of a cold undertone to it, which works well in comparison with the NYX, I have found the formula for the two is very similar, but there is a huge difference between a warm undertone and cold undertone red lipstick. The formula is very creamy and smooth, and I can wear it all day without having to re-apply.

Sitting at my vanity, with soft white light bulbs.

Next to a window.

 I forgot to also add, the nice thing about the velvet mousse/liquid lipsticks, at least with these ones here, is that you do not need a lip liner. The formula is just thick enough that it does not run into my foundation, or off my lips when I wear them bare-face. The Absolute New York one however I have found does need a liner because it tends to spread as your lips warm up, since it is waxy. But again, the Absolute New York one also requires multiple applications, if you like wax-based lipsticks though it is great.

Next to a window.

  Here I attempted to remove the lipsticks with a Walmart brand makeup remover wipe. I didn't scrub too much, so as not to make my entire arm red, but as you can see, they all left a bit of a stain, which is to be expected with red lipstick. The L'ORÉAL left the darkest stain, remember I mentioned getting thick spots? The Absolute New York rubbed off almost completely in one swipe.

And that concludes my favorite reds, but one thing to remember is that every lipstick in any color will look different for each person depending on personal preference as well as skin tone. Knowing your skin tone is very important when it comes to red lipstick, because it will help you determine which undertone will look best with your skin tone. I am a warm undertone, though I am pale, but I still prefer to use both warm and cold undertone red lipsticks depending on my outfit. I do hope you found this article helpful and I know there are a whole bunch out there that I have not tried yet, and I would love to hear your opinions on these, and let me know your favorites in the comments below!

Ginger's Favorites:

Two of my favs are the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Mega Matte and Lipsense Blu-Red.

I got the Urban Decay Mega Matte at Nordstrom Rack for about $10. Yes, I said Urban Decay for $10... (They have a dang good selection of high end makeup for super cheap prices. I know, who would have thought!)

I get the Lipsense from a friend at work.

Lipsense Blu-Red
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Mega Matte



Blu-Red
Mega Matte

Urban Decay Mega Matte

Urban Decay - Top
Blu-Red with Matte Gloss - Middle
Dark Pink with Blu-Red over it - Bottom

 You can mix the Lipsense colors to make new ones. Here I have used a Dark Pink base with Blu-Red over it. See how that deepens the color... I lover that!

Lipsense Matte Gloss
Lipsense Blu-Red

Note that on the Lispense I use the Matte Gloss. I can't stand shiny glossy Gloss. It is that wet, sticky, smack your lips all day feel that you get with any gloss, yuck! I love the Matte though. It covers the tackiness of the color but feels silky when it dries. I do put it on 3 - 4 times throughout the day and evening but in my opinion that isn't bad for a color that lasts until you scrub it off. I have not had any issue with drying out my lips that some people experience.

Using Coconut Oil as makeup remover

 I use coconut oil as a makeup remover. It works fabulous on my whole face, even the waterproof stuff... It also acts as my moisturizer.

Using Granier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water to remove Lipsense

I don't like the Lipsense Oops remover, it tastes GROSS and for some reason it irritates my throat. Oh! and it doesn't work as well as I would like for that price. My daughter had me use the Granier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water on the cotton ball to remove the Lipsense and I loved it.

The removers I use

Both removers are available at Target, Walmart, etc.

YAY for Platforms and Mary Janes!!!

YAY for Platforms and Mary Janes!!!

Hello ladies!

I have finally learned how to use the blog, so here I am with my first post. As I mentioned in my introduction... I have big feet, size 11 US. I also cannot walk in spike heels, I would break my ankle; I prefer wide chunky heels. So here we go...

I love me some platform Mary Janes!!! I tried two brands; the Ellie Eden Platform and the Funtasma Platform Mary Jane by Pleaser. Loved one, hated the other!

I love the Ellie Eden Platform! (shown in red) They appear to have a very tall heel, but the platform bottom raises the shoe enough that the heel height doesn't hurt my ankles. All the height without the hurt.

Notice the tilt at the toe of the shoe; super important! Without this tilt, walking is very difficult, kind of like feels like walking in flippers, and then all of the stress of each step goes right on the strap at the ankle. How do I know this, you ask... I also purchased the Funtasma by Pleaser Platform Mary Jane (shown in black).  They appear to have a very tall heel, but the platform bottom raises the shoe enough that the heel height doesn't hurt my ankles. All the height without the hurt.
While it appears to have a tilt in the picture, it is actually rather flat and my ankles were rubbed raw by the end of the day. The Pleaser Platform Mary Jane's were so awful and I ended up donating them to the thrift store!

For additional comfort, I use the Halter Pads by Pleaser in the toe of all of my shoes with any heel. The Halter makes my heels comfortable enough to wear all day. They are memory foam pads that go in the toe of the shoes and they are removable so you can switch them between shoes. When I bought them on Amazon they were ~$9 a pair, but they also had a box of 24 pair for $52. I did that math.. and bought the box. I have a set all of my shoes and my daughter grabbed them all of for hers as well. I have also given a set to a few of my friends to try out. I highly recommend them.
NOTE: Typically, I really like Pleaser's shoes, I have a few other styles that really like; it is just this style I don't like so far.

Kisses Until Later!

Ginger

Tara's Diner Story Continued...and Finished!

The first part of the photo tale was here....


The second part was here.


Now the full jingle and conclusion....I had a lot of fun working with Dynamite Dolls Photography on this!

Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to have fun. But her mum said, "You need to marry a fine boy and settle down, hon." Then a soda shop boy caught her roving eye...  

He was more than willing to take the cherry from her pie.

But much to her dismay once the fun was good and done...

She discovered that when it came to matters of marriage he agreed with her mum!

Much thanks to my mum and my husband for doing this fun shoot with me and for Dynamite Dolls for making it happen!

Outfit of the Day 7/8 & 7/9

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for a bit, I did mention having a wonky schedule, but I do hope you have been following the other posts on our blog, we have lots of wonderful things we want to share with you!

Saturday's outfit: 

This dress is called Diva Dress in Magenta from Rock Steady. After a quick search on their website, this color is no longer available, but they do still carry this particular style. This was one I got from Tara (Thanks Tara,) and I love it. This color is one of my favorites, it really makes my pale skin POP! The material is nice and stretchy and it has a little slit in the back for added movement. The only complaint I have about this dress is I feel like it makes my armpits look fat. I'm not sure if it's that way for everyone, but I have found with a lot of reproduction brands, all different ones (we'll get into that as we go on) have an issue with the right size for the armpit hole. If it wasn't pushing all of the skin/fat from my armpit out, it was sliding down my arm and causing my bra to show. Overall still a killer dress, but being a 34B in this size 7, I feel like maybe I'm just not big enough up top to keep it where I need to. I don't recall where the shoes are from, I bought them thrift, and I do not believe there is a brand printed inside the insole anymore. And now for something completely different... 

Lipstick:
I love lipstick, and I recently discovered my love for hot pink lipstick. It is a running joke with a friend of mine from when we were kids, his step-mom always wore hot pink lipstick so any time I found myself considering hot pink I would laugh to myself and say, I could never be as hot as Donna in her hot pink lipstick. Well, here I am in my "Donna Pink" lipstick and I am loving it.  Today's combination is a little different as I was trying to match the color of my dress, I went with L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss in Forbidden Kiss, and topped it with my "Donna Pink" NYX Liquid Suede in Pink Lust. I love both of these as they last all day without hardly any fade, but they do transfer in the first little while after application. The matte gloss is really smooth and creamy like the liquid suede which makes for easy application.

Sunday:

Sunday, funday! Amirite?! Feeling rather saucy this morning as we headed to our local swap-meet to hunt for treasures, but still trying to stay cool in this 100 degree weather. Also, featuring my "Donna Pink" lipstick to match my hot pink top!

Today's Look:

Top: My top I picked up thift, but the brand is Flying Tomato. This brand isn't sold online directly, it is only sold wholesale to retailers like Amazon, Nordstrom Rack, etc. After some hunting online I did find this particular style of top available here, but not in pink. I find it most comfortable to wear off the shoulders, because again, you guessed it, the arm pit holes are a bit tight when I wear them up on my shoulders. I'm beginning to think I just have fat armpits. Hah.

Shorts: These shorts are such a fun print, I'm a huge fan of floral, if you didn't already notice by following my Instagram. The brand on these is Beach Bash! by Art and Tatyana. I picked these up when the Tatyana Boutique in SLC closed and they were having a 70% off sale. They are just thin enough to be breathable without being see-through, but still mildly restricting around the waist, they do not slouch or roll one bit! They also have a hip zipper, which I find is a handy feature because it certainly beats having the top band be elastic. Unfortunately this print is no longer available, but I did find a pair for sale on Poshmark. 

Shoes: I generally try to keep it basic when heading to the swap-meet as we walk through dirt and gravel and uneven pavement, so I donned on my Converse All Stars.

Sunday, again: After the swap meet I decided to freshen up and get ready for a photo shoot with Tara and Ginger at the Ogden Union Train Station, which of course required a new outfit.

Necklace & Earrings: Both are vintage, faux pearls. I picked them up from my parent's antique store, and they got them in a lot of costume jewelry.

Dress: This dress style is called Ophelia, it is a popular one from Lindy Bop. I'm not sure if they have a name for the print, all I could find was Turquoise floral. I like this dress a lot (another one from Tara,) but as with all my other Ophelia dresses, the pleating on the top can get annoying when it doesn't stay pressed like it is suppose to. The belt does not go with the dress, I stole it from my Bernie Dexter dress and the shoes, well I'm not entirely sure. I picked them up at the mall in a shoe store, but they are cheap china shoes and the back of the buckle is sharp and cuts my foot, so don't buy cheap china shoes. Anyways, I was off on my way to take some photos, with my husbands help, but I almost missed the train!

Stay tuned for these photos, as you will see them appear here, as well as on our Facebook page, and my photography page on Facebook.

Until next time!

XOXO

Christina

Do you have a similar outfit in your wardrobe? I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram!

Have a question? Drop it in the box below!

Outfit of the Day

Today's outfit was partly for a photography shoot with fellow bloggers, Christina and Ginger. So I went to the nines. I sure drew some funny glances when I wore it to the dollar store and grocery shopping first! But I felt fabulous. Here it is:

 Dress: Lindy Bop. Older style, no longer being made, but you can buy one similar. Link in name. With Lindy Bop, I'm a UK12 and my measurements are 36-29/30-41

Shoes: Chase & Chloe

Hat: Got it from some Asian site a long time ago, but you can get something similar.

Jewelry: Earrings are from Charming Charlie and the necklace is the real deal vintage from Etsy.

Do YOU have a no-longer-made Lindy Bop dress you love? Post it and tag me on Instagram!

Meet, Jackie, Creator & Owner of BOWTOX. Get Your Vintage-Inspired Bowdanas

Tara: Welcome, Jackie! Please, tell us a bit about yourself. What got you into the pin-up lifestyle and when?

Jackie: Hi guys I’m Jackie, lover of my family (Husband, 2 beautiful kids, and a dog), sewing, car shows, food, beer & friends! I got into the pin up/ rockabilly style back in '04 or so. I’ve always loved being a little different and noticed! Having crazy hair or a beautiful dress, even though I don’t always dress pin up, I love when I do!

Tara: You are the creator and owner of Bowtox. Tell me, what is Bowtox? What different things do you make and sell?

Jackie: I started Bowtox back in 2010 when I was fed up with buying hair bows. Next thing you know Bowtox was born. I don’t really sell many bows anymore but that is where it all started! Bowtox “Give your hair a lift” get it 😉. I make a variety of things hair bows, bowdanas (my number-1 seller), aprons, half aprons, make up bags, kid aprons, pillow covers, bibs, pennant banners, Christmas stockings, purses, lanyards, hobo bag, car seat canopy and lap blankets. I'm always trying to find something new to make, right now I’m working on a new purse and skirts!!


Tara: I'm just going to throw some photos of your awesome stuff here real quick. Potential patrons, Jackie's material is ever-changing with the times/trends. She always has some Star Wars or some cherries or day-of-the-dead material for sure though. I personally have about 4 bowdanas already. It's the perfect solution to a bad hair day! She also makes most of the hair flowers I wear in my hair. I have some orders on the way and I will be sharing them on here!

Tara: You’re UT based but do you accept clients from across the USA?

Jackie: Yes, not only the US but worldwide!

Tara: If a non-UT based customer is interested in purchasing a Bowdana or anything else from you, what’s the best way for them to get a hold you?

Jackie: Head over to my Facebook group; that’s the best way to keep up to date will all things Bowtox!

Tara: What do you love the most about your job?

Jackie: I love I can work from home and be creative. Working from home is so convenient, if I cant sleep, I can work, while my little one is napping or playing I can work. If a customer needs an item fast, I can hurry and make it. It’s a lot easier than having to go to an office everyday, its available at all times.

Tara: What do you dislike about it?

Jackie: Trying to juggle home life and work life. Sometimes it's hard to balance being a mom and working at the same time. Also not having supreme privacy while I'm working; someone is always home with me and it's hard to always stay concentrated. Sometimes it's hard to be my own boss.

Tara: Do you have any future events UT residents can find you at?

Jackie: Yes, I will be set up in Endless Indulgence Retro Wear on the 1st Friday of every month for the Art Stroll!

Tara: For those who don't know, that's on Ogden's historical 25th street. Please see a previous post for information on location. The Friday art stroll begins at 5 p.m.

Social Network Links you’d like people to follow:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/bowtox

Instagram: bowtoxandposh