It's a safe bet to say that the majority of us have at least a decent handle on how to apply eye makeup, especially given the emphasis on that particular facial feature that certain vintage looks call for (hello, cat's eye eyeliner!).
Some of us are old pros, others relatively confident in their abilities but not quite as resolute in their skills as they hope to be one day, whereas there is certainly a percentage of vintage make-up fans who are just starting out with learning how to apply old school cosmetic looks on themselves.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it's likely that you'll enjoy the instructional set of black and white photographs in today's post, which show the precise techniques used (on this model at least) back in 1950 to achieve a strikingly elegant, endlessly classic lined eye look.
{Dramatic, but certainly not overpoweringly so, and richly beautiful vintage eye make-up tutorial from the pages of a 1950 copy of Life magazine. Image via Van Michelle on Flickr.}
In this particular step-by-step guide we're taken through the five stages of achieving a striking early fifties make-up look, which include shadow, pencil (eyeliner), lower lid, and eyebrow, cumulating in a finished, polished face that is as timeless as the day is long.
I always delight in vintage make-up and hairstyle tutorials like this, whether I'm merely observing them as a fan of the past or taking detailed notes so that I can recreate the same style myself later on.
It’s always such a treat to chance upon vintage images like this and get a chance see exactly what products were used, as well as what steps were taken, to achieve the very mid-twentieth century make-up looks that I adore (as so many of you do, too) and emulate most myself.
A smidgen of sun burst forth between the mashed potato like mounds of pewter clouds for a couple of hours late this afternoon, giving me a welcome jolt of energy and spurring me onwards to put together a post I’ve been meaning to get to for ages: a new edition of the Pretty Link Roundup. I must admit, it’s been about a month since the last such post, if I’m not mistaken, so we’re long overdue for another one!
For those who may be new to Chronically Vintage (first off, a super warm welcome to you!), the Pretty Link Roundup is a frequently occurring post in which I gather an assortment of posts from various blogs (and other websites) that have caught my attention lately and which (generally) pertain to a vintage related topic. As well I post a weekly vintage themed video clip (usually from Youtube) and also extend the “Your Blog is an Inspiration” award to one blogger whose site never fails to fill my heart and mind with vintage inspiration.
So without further ado, let’s get the show on the road and jump right into today’s fantastic array of links!
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* Vintage Vanities and Old Hollywood Glamour: Bonnie of Love Your Place peers into the beautiful, often ornate boudoirs and dressing rooms of some of Hollywood’s most famous leading ladies of yesteryear.
* Mint Green for Fall: If you’ve resigned the wearing of mint green to the spring fashion season alone, it may be time to rethink this gentle shade as a fall hue, too. As the wonderful examples of colder weather wear in mint green here show, this hue can work wonders all year round.
* Elizabeth Taylor’s Beautiful Short Hair 1950s: Over the decades Elizabeth Taylor has sported many looks and numerous hairstyles, here the blog Diizdixo takes a gander at some of the ways Ms. Taylor wore her hair short (think pixie cut length).
* What is Broderie Anglaise: Adore Vintage delves into the difference between Broderie Anglaise (a classic type of white needlework/stitchery) and eyelet lace, in this lovely, example filled post.
* Winter Coats from the 1950s: This post is the stuff vintage coat dreams are made of! Teaming with glamorous, sophisticated, gorgeous examples of 1950s winter coats, it's sure to make everyone who reads it suddenly wish they had a vintage topper like these gems!
* Ruffled headband tutorial: Though headbands have been having a fashion moment as of late, this classic accessory has a long history and can make for a beautiful addition to any outfit regardless of if they’re in vogue presently or not. If you’re a fan of DIY and would like to whip up your own (easy to make) ruffled headband, swing by Heart of Light and check out her step-by-step tutorial on how to so do.
* The Everlasting New Look: Iconic, revolutionary, stunning, timeless, the Dior’s New Look turned high end fashion on its head when it debuted following WW2 and has left a lasting impression on fashion ever since. Here Yesterday’s Girl explores the classic, feminine silhouette that made the New Look so desirable. (And for more on this beautiful style, be sure to check out A Vintage Revival’s post, Christian Dior then and now.)
* The Glamorous Days of Flight: Once long ago in a world where dressing up for seemingly commonplace events was still the norm, men and women alike donned elegant clothes when they took to the skies for an airplane trip, and similarly the airline hostesses (flight attendants) of yore also sported much more elegant uniforms, as highlighted by the examples in this fun post by Some Like It Vintage.
* Cary Grant is the epitome of classic style: The title of this post says it all. Cary Grant was a superb actor and a fantastically nice dresser. His sense of suave, refined, dapper style will forever hold the bar up for men – of both the famous and every day legions – to strive for with their own wardrobes.
* Raise your glasses: A guide to vintage glassware: Knowing how to make a mean martini or a great G&T is only half the battle when it comes to ensuring you get the most out of your tipples, the right glassware is an essential ingredient in the cocktail for any great drink. Here Queens of Vintage stirs up some great advice that's bound to help make sure you always know which type of glassware will work best for your favourite drinks.
* Never before published photos of Marilyn Monroe: Few actress have ever, or are likely to ever be, as hounded by cameras as Marilyn Monroe was, a point that resulted in scores of photographs of her being taken over the span of her legendary career. Most of these images have surfaced before, but occasionally some are discovered that have yet to be seen, such as the never before published images of Marilyn in this Life magazine article.
* Vintage Cars, parts and oddities at the Hershey Fall Meet: If the sights (and sounds!) of a gorgeous vintage car are just the thing to get your motor running, cruise on over to this New York Times article and feast your eyes on the bevy of amazing vintage automobiles that were seen at the Hershey Fall Meet this past October. (Big thanks to my wonderful husband for bringing this link to my attention!)
* Sensible Shoes: Wartime Footwear 1942-45: While these days the words “sensible shoes” might call to mind rather clucky, matronly or unattractive footwear, there was once a time when shoes readily had the ability to be moth comfortable and pretty at the same time, as highlighted this is terrific image filled post by Miss Rayne of Vintage Chick.
* Autumn colours: Sublimely lovely hues in deep jewel, earth and forest shades swirl through the marvelous vintage fashion photos in this beautiful (and very seasonally inspirational!) post from A Red Lipstick.
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Bursting with a highly appealing mix of posts pertaining to vintage topics, fashion, stunning photography finds, and personal musings, the pages of Miss Lillibug’s blog are a whimsical, artistic, engaging source of beauty and interest.
It’s my pleasure to extend today’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award to the wonderful Miss Lillibug! Thank you, sweet dear, for the splendid array of posts you share with us all and for being a fantastic source of vintage inspiration!
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This week’s video clip was uploaded recently by Glamourdaze and features a terrifically lovely group of women throwing one of their friends a bridal shower. I feel that this video is relevant to my life because my wedding anniversary took place on the 14th last month, and though it’s been over five years since I tied the knot, I still adore looking at and daydreaming over gorgeous matrimonial related images, magazines and videos – especially vintage ones! :)
Yesterday I posted four images of myself from Halloween night. I was admittedly tremendously shy to do so, but if there’s any place I feel I can be myself online, it’s amongst you, my fellow vintage lovers, so I mustered the courage to share some photos here. The flood of staggeringly kind comments that poured in over those shots has shown me a valuable lesson: I really shouldn’t worry so much about silly hang-ups surrounding my appearance and that my shyness is entirely uncalled for when amongst good friends.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much, everybody, for your incredibly beautiful comments. Your words have bolstered my confidence and touched me to my core. I promise that I will be way more inclined to share snaps of myself and my outfits from now on!
Wishing you each a gorgeous, relaxing evening and fantastic Wednesday tomorrow!
...Time for celebrating the big and the small in life. Sending enormous birthday wishes out across the vast Canadian miles to my step-dad, while on the home front delighting in the fact that the first autumn leaves, tinged the hue of a school bus, have begun to appear. Over the next two days I’ll be relaxing, creating, spending the weekend with an equal measure of serenity and vibrant, hopeful energy...
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{To meet fall head on in the most staggeringly beautiful fashion}
{If it is possible to fall in love with a photo, I have done so with this almost surreally sublime image of a vintage inspired young woman holding a huge floral print patio table style umbrella. Photo by Phillip Newton.}
{To embellish any surface with vintage charm, or more aptly, "with button" :) }
{Decorated and affixed with antique looking paper, these vintage ink bottles hold a mishmash of assorted old buttons, which you could certainly use or leave in the bottle for an adorable decorative conversation starter. 2” by 2.5” vintage ink bottles with buttons, $14.00 (US) each from Karla’s Cottage.}
{To inspire the most gorgeous, magical, amazing ice cream centered party of all time}
{If you only click through one link in this post, I implore you to make it this one. The photo above is but the tip of the ice(cream)berge. The page you’ll be taken to is chocked full of fantastically pretty photos of a decor and paper craft related ideas (including free template downloads for the labels and templates used throughout this magnificent post) to help you throw a pink, feminine, elegant, whimsical ice cream parlour themed party worthy of a princess! Image via Eat Drink Chic.}
{To carry the ethereal splendour of a summer bloom tucked into your hair any time of the year}
{Comprised of silken petals so delicate they nearly look like a genuine flower, this handmade bloom can be attached to a headband or comb and is made to order, ensuring you get exactly the kind of floral accessory you’re looking for. I can only imagine how enchanting this would look in person as part of a wedding ensemble. Custom made silk hair flower, $70.00 (US) from etsy seller Twigs and Honey.}
{To kick start the autumn crafting season off on an adorable note!}
{There is something so old fashioned and heart warming about the act of creating a stitchery by hand. I adore all manner of stitched arts and couldn’t help but share this free pattern for hand stitched wallet adorned with an immensely cute bird nestled amongst a sea of flowers. Image from, and pattern to create your own version available on, Cinderberry Stitches.}
Wishing you each a joyful, bright, wonderful weekend full of whatever you love to celebrate in this world!
Sunday greetings, my lovely dears! I hope that the (long) weekend is being especially kind to each of you. On this end summer is holding on for all its worth, sun glittering against an almost pastel blue sky, the fan still very much in operation.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has so kindly wished me well this past week. To be honest I’m still quite under the weather – 'tis the nature of contending with chronic illnesses. Yet – and I mean this with the utmost sincerity – each one of your touchingly sweet comments really do lift my spirits. You are all an amazing group of blogging friends, and I am very grateful for the vintage loving camaraderie we share.
A diverse array of sites composes the roundup today, from what may be one of the season’s last posts on the topic of vintage bathing suits to a look at the once highly popular snood, tons of great posts have been popping up on the vintage front recently that I couldn’t wait to share with you all!
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* Gourmet’s Favourite Cookies 1940s: Join the wonderful folks over at Gourmet magazine as they bake their way through popular cookies from the past seven decades, in series of post featuring a different cookie recipe (complete with photos of every cookie featured) from 1940 right through to last year.
* Vintage Fashion Forward: “Oh Julia”: Also on the subject of culinary related vintage topics comes this post from Vintage Indie highlighting pieces that can help you achieve a similar wardrobe style to that of Julia Child.
* Turbans: A headwear mainstay for women during much of the mid-twentieth century, turban style hats and head scarves were both fashionable and often functional for those (such as women working in WW2 era factories) who needed to keep their hair under wraps – literally! Check out the numerous examples of turban styles in Greetz from Tiz’s picture filled post on the subject.
* Make-up guide: how to re-create a forties look: The immensely lovely Amanda Newsum (Jitterbug Doll) teams up with Queens of Vintage in this post, to bring you helpful tips on how to achieve an authentic 1940s make-up look of your own (including recommendations for her favourite products and brands to use).
* Vintage inspiration: Anne Miller: Diana features the immortally beautiful Anne Miller in this post, bustling with photos and video clips, about an actress who continually provides her with vintage inspiration.
* An Interview With Vintage Swimwear Collector Pam Fierro: Collectors Weekly interviews vintage swimwear collector and expert Pam Fierro (of Glamour Surf), who talks passionately about her love of old school bathing suits and the history behind twentieth century swimwear in general.
* Q&A with Vintage Fashion Historian Heather Vaughan: Another must-read interview that I’ve recently come across is this piece from Debutante Clothing. They sat down with a very knowledgeable fashion historian (Heather Vaughn), who discusses not only about her interest in period and vintage clothes but also about what a fashion historian’s job really entails.
* In the booth: If you haven’t chanced upon this site yet, you’re in for a huge treat! Laden with vintage snapshots (of everyday folks – much along the lines as those featured in my weekly Saturday Snapshots post) that are presented in a photo booth inspired style, it is truly worth devoting a few minutes (or hours!) to.
* Only Bad Witches Are Ugly: Being one of the biggest Halloween fans (and thus a fan of almost anything relating to spooky topics) to ever walk the face of the earth, I just about squealed with delight with I read this recent photo filled post from Miss Matilda about the Wicked Witch of the West (from The Wizard of Oz).
* Snoods: If you’ve ever wanted to whip up your own snood – a once commonplace and often very lovely hair accessory – be sure to swing by The Vintage Style Files for instructions on how to crochet one.
* Allee Willis launches kitsch museum: I was recently contacted by someone on behalf of famed kitsch collector, pop culture artist and songwriter Allee Willis, who informed me that if you happen to be the LA area starting on September 14th you can check out exhibits devoted to all manner of retro and kitsch items at the Ghettogloss art gallery on Melrose Avenue. For more information, please follow the link at the start of this entry.
* Who’s the cutest in the animal kingdom?: While the general theme of this weekly post does usually centre around all things vintage, every once in a while a “nonvintage” link comes along that is simply to wonderful for one reason or another not to share with you all. Case in point, this New York Daily News piece crammed full of incredibly, fantastically adorable photos of all manner of baby animals (warning: cute overload!).
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This week I would like to present the Your Blog is an Inspiration award to A Red Lipstick. Insightful, elegant and endearing, there is a gentle, reflective – even sagely - nature to this wonderful blogger that draws me into her beautiful site and holds me captivated.
Thank you ARL, for the personal stories (such as when you spoke of the wardrobe pieces that you had acquired from your grandmother) and streamlined, wonderfully presented vintage fashion posts you share with the world. Your Please accept this award – and feel free to pass it along to whomever you fancy, if you’d like – with my heartfelt thanks for the continual inspiration and serenity your excellent blog provides me with.
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Though the various fashion styles of the 1950s are very familiar to most of us, it’s still fun to see them presented on mainstream TV such as in this CBS video clip from The Early Show with Julie Chen, which highlight outfits for both guys and gals. I particularly like the navy blue polka dot dress that the first model sports, which look is your favourite?
From somewhere in the neighbourhood, as I type this, I can smell the intoxicating scent of food cooking on a barbeque – a luxury which the stringent (no bbqs on the balcony) rules of my apartment forbid me from being able to take part in, too. However, I don’t mind that much, just being able to enjoy that familiar smell on the long last weekend of the summer makes me smile, and calls to mind so many pleasant memories of childhood summers, barbeques and the bitter-sweetness that came with the very last weekend before a new school year commenced (in general I was a big fan of school, but really who in their right mind doesn’t love summer vacation? ;D).
{From the car’s tailfins to the plaid patterned beverage cooler, everything about this page from a vintage barbecue cookbook is pure fifties goodness, and definitely makes me yearn for a cookout picnic. Image via Eudaemonius on Flick.}
What are you each up on this lovely Sunday? Has autumn rolled into town or are you still feeling the toasty warmth of summer?
However you spend today, I hope that you have a marvelous Sunday – and wish all those who are observing it, a fantastic Labour Day tomorrow!
Both my husband I have been in rather desperate need of new eyeglasses (or more accurately stronger prescriptions for our lenses) for a while now, so this week – on different days – we each found time to squeeze in an appointment with the optometrist. Darling husband got an absolutely fantastic pair of Ray Ban frames! They have the most amazing pattern on the arms, it has the appearance of the wood grain on a classic Edsel station wagon, and is so delightfully vintage looking I almost squealed with glee when he selected that set of frames in the shop.
I already have frames that I’m wild about so I got new lenses put into them, but while there I grabbed some prescription sunglasses – a first for me (I’ve only been wearing glasses for two and a half years), as they were one sale (lenses plus frames) for more than half off. Had it not been for the sale, I never would have contemplated it. But being nearsighted I felt that being able to see clearly outdoors even on the sunniest days would be wonderful (not to mention a safety conscious) boon, so I selected a classic looking pair of DKNY frames in an elegant tortoise shell pattern that (if I may so myself) goes wonderfully with my fair skin and red hair.
{How fantastic is this stylish young gal sporting her fierce cat eye glasses? Off the charts fantastic! While neither my specs or sunglasses are this pointed on the ends, they do have a somewhat similar feminine and curvy shape to them. Photo via suz1212’s Flickr stream.}
I know that not everyone adores wearing glasses, but – and this could be due in part to the fact I love my perfectly pink-plum hued pair of shades that somehow work just like a neutral and have yet to clash with anything I’ve worn – I don’t mind in the least. Of course I wish I had perfect eye sight, but I figure that considering that I don’t, it’s wise to make the best of the situation and embrace my “second set of eyes”. I’ve always thought that glasses were beautiful and fancied how they looked on both gals and gents, so when at the beginning of 2007 when I started to need them myself, I was as happy as one can be upon learning their eyesight isn’t stellar any more. I mulled this over and realized that part of the reason is because I’m super (I really do mean beyond extremely!) allergic to nickel, which means that I often have to avoid metal jewelry. However, my glasses (and now sunglasses) have plastic frames, so I can wear them without having to worry about keeping my skin from freaking out.
On a totally different note, something else that absolutely brightened my week was when I found out that Chronically Vintage had been the given a beautiful write-up on the blog Buttercup Bungalow, including a mention of a recent link in last week’s pretty link roundup about Bride.com’s piece on ten ways to add a dose of Mad Men style to your wedding. I’m utterly touched to be featured on this wonderful site and sincerely thank Buttercup Bunaglow for writing about Chronically Vintage.
A slew of delightful and diverse links make up this week’s roundup. From choosing the right shade of red lippy based on your skin tone to how to dress yourself (if you’re chap) – or the gentleman in your life – in impeccable 50s style, these fun and informative vintage themed links are bound to contain something that will catch your interest.
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* 10 Muppets and their Mad Men counterpoints: Discovered via my friend A Rambling Fancy’s great blog comes a humorous post on Flavourwire.com that compares ten different Muppets characters to their Mad Men counterparts. I chuckled all the way through – so much fun! :)
* Co-ordinating your various online shops: A handy entry on the subject of ensuring your assorted online stores (be they devoted to vintage, craft related, fashion, etc) are all able to sync up, from a woman who's been selling and collecting vintage wear for the better part of three decades.
* I Want Candy (part 1): Giulia shares some of her favourite candies and sweet treats (such as Nutella, a definite fave at our house, too!), including a selection of scrumptious candies that have been around for ages.
* How to Look Smart & Stylish (Men): A detailed, thorough and interesting article on the subject of how to ensure you (or your favourite fellow) always look handsomely and smartly dressed in true 1950s style.
* Betty Grable hair: Queens of Vintage delves into the strikingly gorgeous “peak-a-boo” hairstyle that Betty Grable made famous in this post, which includes step-by-step tips (and photos) from the beautiful Amanda Newsum on how to achieve this iconic style yourself.
* Pigtail fad (1940s): Frank of Bulldog Vintage traces the popularity of pigtails amongst adult women during the 1940s, which he feels can be linked back to the bow adorned pair Judy Garland sported in the Wizard of Oz.
* The Vintage Princess Phone: Natasha shares some beautiful photos – and a vintage ad – of one of my absolute dream “wish list” items: a pink princess phone! A must visit post for anyone who also loves this classic telephone (in any colour).
* Older is wiser: While not necessarily vintage themed, this superb post highlights a number of middle aged and older actresses (such as Julie Christie, Sophia Loren, Blythe Danner, and Isabella Rossellini ) who are shinning proof of timeless beauty and grace at all ages.
This week I’m bestowing the Your Blog is an Inspiration award on a truly gorgeous site that I just discovered a few days ago, by the name of GirlWhimsy.
Though this blog is new to me, it’s already become a colour-filled favourite. Packed to the rafters with a diverse array of stunning, diverse, often adorable vintage themed images from various decades, this blog full pure, fabulous, endearing eye candy. Thank you for the marvelous inspiration your blog fills me with, Debbie. I love what you are doing on your pages!
On the video clip front, the focus is on Rosie the Riveter this week. We're channeling Rosie's trademark look via a hairstyle inspired by this American WW2 icon, care of the talented Iris of All the girlie things. Use this handy step-by-step tutorial to master a classic Rosie inspired look in mere minutes.
Can you believe, my dears, the August is dwindling down so quickly? Sure, I’ve bemoaned the heat at times (goodness knows it has been on the rather stifling side this month!), but when all is said and done, I truly do love so many aspects of this toasty, copiously sunny season – and will be able to enjoy it even more now thanks to me beautiful new sunglasses.
{Yes, summer can be harsh at times, but until this duel climate, Jetson inspired world becomes a reality, it's probably just best to make peace with whatever season you're in at the moment. Illustration via What Makes the Pie Shops Tick?'s Flickr stream.}
Not too sure what life has on the agenda for me that’s noteworthy this week, but whatever it is, and no matter how sizzling the weather, I’ll be sure to greet each day with a smile. Because, love winter as I do, when I’m outside waiting for the bus in -30°, snow pummeling me from every angle, I know I’ll be wishing like mad that it was August once again.
Wishing you each a gloriously, serene beautiful week ahead!
*PS*
If you haven’t already done so and would like to, be sure to swing by this post and enter for your chance to win an absolutely adorable, chic Alessi brand kitchen timer from Chronically Vintage and AllModern.com. All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner, but hurry, the contest ends this Tuesday night!
Happy Sunday, one and all! How are things in your neck of the woods? I hope that you’ve each had a fabulous weekend (and that the heat in your neck of the woods hasn’t been too unbearable!). Many happy goings-on have transpired here this week, thanks in large part to my 25th birthday on Friday. It proved to be a special, fun-filled day from sun-up until sun-down, and I really must thank my darling husband for everything he did to make this my best birthday in ages!
{Jubilant, colourful and sweetly wonderful, this photo from Simply Claudia on Flickr, perfectly captures the spirit of how my birthday felt this year.}
On the blog front there’s been no shortage of activity either! The links this weekend feature everything from what to look for when buying Lucite purses to photos of charmingly pretty old school belly dancers. Our Youtube clip of the week is a definite must-watch for those who love vintage Hawaaii looks, as it features instructions on how to achieve a terrific luau approved hairstyle. I hope you enjoy these fantastic links - I would love to hear about any other must-read posts you’ve encountered recently.
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* Sewing on a budget: Nine seriously handy tips to help keep your sewing costs down that any sewer or crafter is bound to appreciate.
* From Towel to Beach Coat in Five Easy Steps: A simple-as-pie vintage pattern and five quick steps is all it takes to transformed a pair of beach towels into a darling beach cover-up with loads of summer style appeal!
* Vintage Belly Dance: With a history stretching back to the days of Babylon, belly dancing is an ancient, beautiful art that still turns heads to this day! To see what belly dancers looked like in the mid-twentieth century, be sure to check out the lovely photos in this post.
* Five Tips Towards Glamorousness: A handful of easy, quick tips (like wearing lipstick and using an eyelash curler) that can help any gal feel even more glamorous.
* Get back to work Mama!: Fashionista extraordinaire Super Kawaii Mama shares her thoroughly useful tips, ideas and outfits (care of beautiful Polyvore sets) to help moms everywhere transition back into the work world while putting their their best fashion foot forward.
* A Guide to Vintage Lucite Purses: A lovely, detailed, well written article that explores the beauty of Lucite purses and guides fellow fans towards knowing what to look for when shopping for these handbag gems.
* Polka Dot Vintage Dresses: Couture Allure gathers up a marvelous assortment of dresses decked out in timelessly pretty polka dots. (Each one is a treasure, but the 1950s Jonathan Logan number really caught my eye!)
* Finding Ginger: Care of the terrific site Old Hollywood Glamour, I recently discovered a blog devoted entirely to the immortally gorgeous starlet Ginger Rogers. Be sure to stop by for fun facts about this talented actress and for oodles of great 30s, 40s, and 50s fashion inspiration.
This week’s video clip features the lovely Iris of All the girlie things as she takes viewers through a very thorough step-by-step tutorial on how to create an adorable vintage Hawaiian girl inspired hairstyle, that would be perfect for any luaus or other tropical get-togethers (or getaways) you might have on the horizon.
The highlight of this past week was definitely my birthday on Friday, but the joyful spirit that swirled throughout all of it really helped to establish summer on the right foot. I hope that each of you are encountering many reasons in your own lives to celebrate, and that your summer days will be filled with many vintage delights!
I keep odd hours. I’m a night owl and I admit it. Always have been, likely always will be. Almost romantically I sometimes like to think that my penchant for the wee hours of the morn hearkens back to the fact that I was born at night, thus setting my internal clock to a PM schedule from day one. Whether there is any merit to this notion or not, is really anybody's guess.
There’s a serenity that befalls the night in which I often find my mind feels sharper, more invigorated – fine-tuned even. As such I often work, write and do all manner of productive tasks while a lot of the world is getting their beauty rest. Though this can mean I’m short on sleep at times, I rarely mind. I’d take feeling alert at 3am and a little sleepily at 3pm to never feeling entirely recharged just about any day.
{Like these studious ladies from the 1950s, I often read – be it books or blogs – at night. Photo via UMW Centennial’s Flickr stream.}
At the moment there’s a wide, curvaceous moon poking out from behind some concrete hued clouds as I put together this Pretty Link Roundup (which spans two weeks, as I missed posting one last weekend due to the fact I had family in town). It's sweetly enchanting and, unlike the sun, can be stared at safely for as long as I wish ;)
While beauty abounds in the night sky, it also runs rampant through the blogsphere! This week I’ve corralled a number of diverse links that span everything from summer hats to a modern line of vintage inspired workout wear. Also be sure to check out this week’s video clip – or should I say two clips – both care of vintage beauty maven Casey (of Casey’s Elegant Musings).
* Recession fashion - 1930s: Roslyn takes a look at the fashions that recessionistas of the 1930s were sporting.
* That Perfect Arch: Few techniques in the make-up world can so quickly define the look of an era as the eyebrow. In this post MissRedLips delves into what makes for a perfectly arched eyebrow and how you can achieve a pair for yourself.
* 1940s Trousers: I’m not sure about you, but I often feel like I need a fair bit of inspiration and style guidance when it comes to getting the look of vintage trousers right. Thankfully posts like this one that are full of pants wearing gals are there to help! If vintage shorts tickle your fancy too, drop by this article from Retro Ways on the subject.
* Sweaty Betty: Over on The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife I read what has to be the first blog post on the subject of workout wear that made me squeal with excitement. Seems a clever gal called Jessie Pavia has decided to produce a line of vintage/Rockabilly inspired exercise clothing under the brand name Box Wine Betty. This cool new line will be available soon, and you better believe I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled to see more of their products!
* The Pros and Cons of Vintage Fashion Shopping By Location: The title of this handy post does a fab job of explaining what it’s about, but I’ll add that not only are numerous pros and cons listed, they’re laid out so as to correspond with various categories of vintage/second hand shopping such as estate sales, consignment stores and flea markets.
* 8 Beautiful Summer Hats: With the warm weather barreling down on us, now is the time to ensure you’re ready to face the sun’s rays head-on with a lovely (vintage) summer hat.
* Boho Starlets: While boho (short for bohemian) has been a fashion buzz word and popular style for numerous seasons now, its roots actually stretch much further back, as this lovely photo filled article shows.
* Evolution of the household 1950 to today: Women’s Day magazine takes a gander at the price of everyday items, homes, and wages, as well as other related statics, from every decade between now and the 1950s.
* Barbie make-up tutorial: Featuring a lipstick shade that is not too far off from that one that I recently mentioned liking, this tutorial style post – complete with absolutely gorgeous photos – shows you how to create an old school inspired Barbie make-up look.
* Working on the land: No matter what they were doing, however much drudgery was involved with the job, I’m always struck by the underlying element of beauty and grace that seems to have prevailed through women of the WW2 era, as evident by the hairstyles in these photos of female farmers (or these workers that were featured in Life magazine).
* Vintage Scarf Blog: I just discovered this blog devoted entirely to the sale and subject of vintage scarves a few hours ago and wanted to share it with you all. Vintage scarves are a marvelous way to add colour and style any outfit and it never hurts to have another spot to source them from!
I hope you enjoy this week's selection of two wonderful clips featuring timelessly gorgeous “girl next door” vintage style make-up, that accompany this extremely handy article on the subject.
{Girl Next Door Make Up pt.1}
{Girl Next Door Make Up pt.2}
Before the morning breaks I think I’ll have a very light late supper (I’ve been craving unbuttered popcorn with a hint of salt and a crisp Red Delicious apple for three days, so that’s probably what I'll grab from the kitchen) and schedule this post to appear more towards noon, when I’m sure far more of you will be awake! (Are there any other fellow night owls amongst my lovely readers?)
{I’m off to rustle up a quick nibble before calling it a night - wish my apples were situated in a crate with a label this adorable on it! Darling vintage label from the pages of *julia’s terrific Flickr stream.}
I hope that you're each doing really well, and that you have a serene and joyful Sunday!
Over the last few weeks of spring I’ve probably watched more YouTube videos than I did in the past year combined. What spurred on my clip viewing frenzy, you might ask? A desire to better hone my vintage hair and make-up abilities. While I don’t feel like the novice that I did as the lone vintage wearing teenager in my high school, I have no problem admitting that I have more confidence in my “modern look” make-up and hair skills than my forties and fifties ones.
While I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach the level of mastery that some of the deeply talented ladies on YouTube (and within the vintage community as a whole) have, I definitely feel that through watching clips from the five channels below, I’ve both learned a lot and improved some of my skills.
I’ve highlighted one video from each stream and also linked to the video creators’ respective channels. Should, like myself, you be looking to improve, brush or beginning learn from scratch the secrets, tips and techniques of gorgeous vintage make-up and hair experts, I can’t recommend these channels highly enough!
{The vintage hair and make-up looks Casey produces in her extremely easy to follow, detailed videos are every inch as lovely as her vintage blog – which I also recommend you rush over and check out!}
{Sweet as a button and wonderfully skilled at reproducing classic hairstyles (and make-up looks) from everyday life and movies alike, Aya of Strawberry Koi is a huge vintage inspiration of mine.}
{A whiz at forties and fifties hairstyles, Ashley’s video stream (LisaFreemontStreet) is a treasure trove full of fantastic vintage hair styling tutorials.}
{With her beautiful voice and excellent instruction giving ability, Super Kawaii Momma is a joy to watch. Not only is she a masterful vintage blogger and dresser, but she’s an expert on achieving old school hairstyles.}
{Iris of the romantically titled ilovegerardo channel knows more than a little about hairstyles of kinds, but it’s her stellar series of Pinup tutorials that really have me hooked on her helpful videos!}
I want to take a moment and extend my heartfelt thanks to each of these five amazing women. You’ve each helped to boast my confidence on the beauty front and provided me with oodles of inspiration. I hope, dear readers, that they’ll be able to do the same thing for you!
Twigs and Honey
