Recent Work: Vintage Glamour

Hi Guys!
I wanted to share with you some of my work from a recent project I've been working on. It's part of a new business venture- Beaute Socials- with makeup by Jules of Dollface By Jules and photography by my husband Dylan.  It's a one-stop destination for glamorous beauty portraits & vintage inspirations- we have makeup/hair/wardrobe/photography in one studio located in downtown Savannah. Below is a look I styled that features 20's and 50's inspirations brought up to date. The thing I love most is that almost all of the pieces are thrifted!

Flapper Look:
Pale pink dress- H&M clearance
Beaded bolero- Charlotte Russe clearance
Headband- custom made by me
Fan- Asian Festival
Shoes- given to me

Fifties Look:
Dress- thrifted
Gloves- antique find (gift)
Veil hat- antique find

Stay tuned for more looks!

Refashion Rescue: Beaded Headband

Today I wanted to share a fun Grecian inspired look I did. The inspiration piece was this DIY headband I refashioned from the beaded collar of a top I had that was stained. All I did was cut around the fabric of the collar area with fabric scissors- all the way to the back so that I had two long fabric pieces. Then you can just tie those pieces together and pin for a headband or wear as a necklace. That's it!

The Details:
Headband- DIY refashion rescue
2 teal scarves tied together to make one- free (part of a uniform for a company I worked for)
Cotton lounge-around dress- thrifted
Floral wedges- hand me down from Stacy
Bracelet- part of a set from an Indian store in Atlanta 

Do you have any DIY projects you've done to rescue an old favorite? I'd love to hear about them!

What I Wore Wednesday

This is the story of one of those items you've had in your closet with the tags on it for years- but for some reason have never worn.... enter blue jeweled top.

I am in love with all things glitzy so I was never able to part with it and now I'm glad! (I'm definitely seeing a DIY jewel embellished top in my near future!)  I was going for something dressy but comfy enough that I could walk around town in. The top just didn't seem right paired with anything other than bold color so I went for all blue. The deeper blue of the jeweled neckline ties in the blue of the skirt. Love that the blues are a slightly different shade- makes it interesting enough to work. Totally digging the 1950s vibe! 

I was quick with my hair as you can see so I just pulled it back and did a lazy girl's casual version of the faux 40s bang roll= I just brushed some hair in the center, rolled it under to the crown, and used 1-2 bobby pins to secure it underneath. I read about the correct way to do it here by the elegantly beautiful Fleur at Diary of a Vintage Girl. I love the idea and plan to pick up a rat so I can do it correctly soon!

P.S. I totally realize it's lacking perfection in this photo, but I was able to redo and it stayed even & secure the entire day!

 

Outfit Details: 

Jeweled top- Joseph A. @ Belk 

Skirt- Primark

Sunglasses- thrifted

Sam & Libby flats- thrifted

nail polish- Crowded by Urban Outfitters

Happy Wednesday!

Pretty scandalous Pin ups

Just sharing some pin up prints I came across recently while antiquing...

"Black Magic"

I'm pretty much at a loss as to what to say....absolutely bewitching! Can you imagine the reaction in the 50's?

"Hold Everything"

Love everything about this print from 1954- part of a series called "panties falling down" by Art Frahm for the A.Fox calendar company. Yeah, there is really an entire series devoted to this theme. Wow. Don't you just adore her doll face makeup with ultra rosy cheeks?

Traveling back a bit in the pin up world to the 1930's, here are two (more modest) favorites I spied while perusing the web...






30s pin ups found via Pin up Passion. Check them out HERE to view more of these beauties!
...Stay tuned for more pin up beauties in the near future (I will be sharing some of my favorites from a new book that was just too irresistible to pass up!)

Satin Ribbon Lash Luxury

So I was feeling experimental one night recently and got this idea of cutting a satin ribbon to create faux false lashes!

All I did was take a razor blade and start shredding the ribbon. The pieces came out looking like false lash strips which is where I got the notion to do this look. I applied the strips with lash adhesive- not incredibly effective for long wear but I think works fine for photos.

I kind of like the Twiggy-esque look of this for dramatic bottom lashes.... kind of a neat (and frugal) alternative to using up lots of false lashes if you want to have fun with 60s makeup looks for photos.

This was really just a thrown together look.... I touched up my eyes with shadow to finish it off.

So what had me playing with ribbon in the first place is a tip I found in this book:

 
That being- in the 1950s, Elizabeth Arden recommended "velvety lashes"- a look to be achieved by scraping a velvet ribbon with a razor blade and then apply by rolling your mascara wand into it and then onto the lashes.

When I read this I didn't have a velvet ribbon on hand so I haven't tried it yet but as you see I got another idea from the satin ribbon.

Retro Makeup by Lauren Rennells is honestly a must-have book for anyone who wants step by step instructions for recreating a vintage makeup look. It's filled with TONS of images and I love that there are lots of examples and interesting tid-bits that are lesser known. Even if you know a bit about vintage makeup already, you will find this book useful. To date it's really the best vintage makeup guide book I've found. (Emphasis on guide here because unlike lots of others out there this book will show you how to achieve the looks and give you the context).

More info available on the book here.

Also, Lauren has an awesome vintage beauty blog that I follow that you will want to check out if you love vintage makeup and hair- Bobby Pin Blog.

If anyone tries this with velvet ribbon let me know how it turns out!

DIY modern 1930s nails

Ever need to get a fill-in but no time to get to the nail salon? Or like me, you just want a way to make your manicure last longer? Personally, I love this quick fix solution- such a modern update on the half moon manicure that was so stylish in the 1930s....






all over color: urban outfitters smush
Moon color: obsessive compulsive cosmetics






If you know me, you've probably noticed that I'm a big fan of the half moon manicure and all the different possibilities for color combos! I have so many favorites and there are different techniques out there so I will be doing a follow up post on this subject later along with a little more history!

For now, here's my quick shortcut technique for getting the look that can be accomplished in a matter of minutes for the lazy fashionista that wants a funky update on this vintage manicure style. FYI- The reason this can be done so quickly and you don't notice imperfections much is because of the texture of the glitter.


How to:
1) Likely you will need to first apply a fresh coat of your existing color or a similar color I'd you don't have the same polish. Let dry- doesn't need to be completely dry though.

2)Using a glitter nail polish of your choice (I prefer silver, gold, or rainbow-shown here), apply only to the moon area at the base of you nails, creating a curvy half circle shape. I recommend starting out small and then making the moon area larger if desired.

3) Reapply glitter to make more opaque if desired (that's the look I did).

4) Let it dry a bit then finish with a clear top coat avoiding the glitter area.

Tip:
Look for glitter polish that is more opaque/thick with lots of sparkles than translucent and you will get the look much easier. Also, the thicker the glitter, the more it camouflages the space where you need a fill-in (if you have fake nails).

Old Hollywood Glamour at the drugstore

If you are a lover of vintage and love beautiful packaging (who isn't?) then you must know about this great little find....


It's Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder- the original formula back in time from the 1930s in a similar packaging to the original. Only thing is... now its in a plastic container versus the original cardboard box packaging. There are many dealers selling the original boxes on ebay so if you come across a cardboard one hold on to it! I came across the powder in my local CVS a few months ago for $6 and had to scoop it up! It looks gorgeous just sitting on the dresser but luckily I like what it does- mattes the skin and sets makeup. It comes with a fluffy powder puff and is offered in a range of colors including Translucent (which I will probably get as well), but the color I have is neutral (best if you want a more warm/yellow tone).

Here's what the display looks like.

Parisian Francois Coty started out selling fragrances and powder during and after the years of World War 1 in Europe. Interestingly enough, he became incredibly wealthy during this time- enter the beginning of the lipstick theory! Coty developed his cosmetics offerings to compliment his fragrances...even the lipstick was scented to mimic the fragrance. The beauty and quality of the packaging was of utmost importance to Coty, as evident in the ads below. Many women even re-purposed the empty boxes when they were empty, using them to store sewing notions.

1940s ad featuring shade recommendations for blondes and brunettes.

1940s ad featuring the variety of "fragrance" options available- each in their own specially designed package.

Left to right: L'Origan, L'Almant, Paris, Emeraude.

"TO BE IN FASHION TODAY, FACE POWDER MUST BE FRAGRANT TOO!" 1932 ad explains the seduction of Coty's "haunting fragrances" featured in the powder.  

1935 ad features women dressed in a variety of modes- from sportswear to evening wear, illustrating that Coty is for every gal! 
(This ad is an interesting illustration of the decades new popularity of active outdoor lifestyles simultaneously existing alongside the deco decadent glamour).

What a great way to add a little vintage glam to your makeup bag!

Sources:
Adclassix.com
Elizbeth Z. Coty collection 
Francois Coty: Fragrance, Power, Money (book) 

http://nancyfashionfancy.blogspot.com
http://vintagepowderroom.com