Retro Education: How to put on fully fashioned stockings

Thanks to the people at Secrets in Lace here's a great tutorial on how to wear a garter belt and stockings.

Margarita Bloom Review!

A few months ago I featured Margarita Bloom's fantastic website for browsing retro beauty products. Never content with just browsing I had to place an order, which I also mentioned later on the blog. The packaging is simply divine but how does what's inside measure up? I've had a chance to sample all the lovelies so here's a quick product review!

The Fairy Tales & Folklore luxury bath soak ($22) is a treat. As a bath soak don't expect it to froth or bubble up, it scents the water and creates a softening bath experience. There are large chunks of cocoa butter to moisturize the skin. I ordered sweet dreams which smells like snickerdoodle and buttercream, the scent is strong in the jar but dissipates in the water, in fact my only complaint is that the scent is not strong once it hits the water. I use two tablespoons per bath and I've gotten a dozen baths out of one jar. I would order this again.

The Joie de Vivre beauty potions treat bag ($15) was soooo worth the money. The samples were sizable and diverse, I was able to try a bunch of products and figure out what I want to buy full size. I already purchased another bag and I can say now that each bag is different, I actually liked my second bag MORE and I loved this one! I would recommend buying a sample bag with every purchase! Let's go through my samples for a mini-review:

Wanderlust Hibiscus & Ginseng Shampoo & Conditioner ($25 each) - I received these in the Roses scent and I think this is my favorite thing EVER. I had no idea I would love the rose scent so much and it stays on your hair for several days. I'm afraid to use it too much because I don't want to get too used to the scent! The shampoo is a very gentle cleanse so if you are super oily like me use a clarifier first then the shampoo for superbly scented tresses for the next two days. I will order this!
Splendor Wild Rose Violet milk+butter bath soak ($22) is pretty much like the bath soak reviewed above but the one difference is the floral scent lingered longer in the tub. Since the bath soaks have bits of potpourri this makes sense (and if you don't want the potpourri bobbing around the tub scoop the soak into a nylon knee-hi and knot the end.) I will order again.
Oh, Lolita! Bubble Gum lip balm must be discontinued or yet-to-be-released because it is not available to order on the site. Which is a shame because I LOVE IT! The bubble gum scent is perfectly pretty, the sheer pink color is heavenly, and this moisturizes like nothing else (I love Jack Black lip balms and this is on par with those!) I would order a full size if it was available!

Black Rose whipped butter scrub is another item that is discontinued or yet-unreleased, which is a shame since I really enjoyed the black rose scent. This is wonderfully scrubby and leaves the skin moisturized with oils and butters. The scent was strong on the skin all day and the softness! I will be ordering more scrubs as long as they are as good as this one!
Colleens Mixed Martini cooling cucumber toner mist is also not available on the site. This toner smelled amazing (noticing a pattern here?) and was wonderfully cooling on the skin. I experienced a bit of redness with this toner and it did not help control oil for me at all (I use a tea tree toner daily.) If you have normal and non-sensitive skin I would recommend this if it was available on the site, as it is I will be sticking to my normal toner.
Pinktini raspberry lime sea salt soak ($10) was the item I was most disappointed with. The scent was delicate in the package but disappeared once it hit the bath water. The water felt like I hadn't used anything in my bath at all. There were no flecks of cocoa butter or potpourri in this one so it completely disappeared. The scent was too delicate. I would not purchase this again.

The good news is that my second sample bag had all current products so maybe I just received an older bag. Ms. Bloom also mixes up customer requested scents and potions, which is very tempting with that bubble gum lip balm. This review was unsolicited and the products were purchased with my own money.

Must-haves: Joie de vivre treat bag, hibiscus & ginseng shampoo in roses, and Oh! Lolita bubble gum lip balm
Nice-to-haves: Fairy Tales & Folklore Luxury bath soak, wild rose and violet milk+butter bath soak, black rose whipped butter scrub, cooling cucumber toner mist for non-oily/acneic skin
Skip-completely: Pinktini sea salt soak

The perfect travel companion!

The perfect retro vacation is a road trip down Route 66 and what better companion than this old-school trailer? Travel in style like The Fancy Farmgirl and customize your own little piece of retro-refinery. Tie your hair up in a scarf, put on your Franca sunglasses, and grab your luggage for the ultimate glamorous road trip! With a trailer this cute I might be able to forgo indoor plumbing. Maybe.

Valley of the Dolls or Betty Draper?

I decided to post this feature in celebration of the season premier of Mad Men this past Sunday. Betty was conspiciously absent from the first episode as Don settles down with his new wife. What's in store for the former Mrs. Draper this season? I think this editorial shows a Betty a few years later, twice divorced and downing dolls and alcohol while the kids are at school and greeting the mailman in a Miu Miu coat. The character reference is obvious and the use of shadows are a reflection of Betty's eventual decline from the fresh pastel-loving girl from season one. Brilliant. This "Valley of the Dolls" editorial was shot by Rosie Huntington for Harpers Bazaar UK.

Weekly Expense Report: Stretching Your Fashion Dollar

When I got the flyer for Old Navy's dress sale I decided to drop my fashion dollars on quantity over quality. Isn't that what summer is all about, cheap disposable fashion? Now I just have to cross my fingers that they will withstand a wash.


The lime striped tie-front jersey dress ($15) is a perfect throw it on and go staple. I will anchor the neon color with a pewter studded belt and shiny purple heels.


I saw this highlighter yellow crepe tie-belt dress ($25) featured in Lucky magazine last month. I was thrilled that it flattered and I received so many compliments at work. Fashion advice--- Always pair a real belt with dresses instead of those little self-tie belts. Use the self-tie belt for your hair or as a scarf with a different outfit, but a cheap dress always looks more expensive with a real belt. I chose red.


This drawstring raglan-sleeve jersey top ($25) is retro perfection. It will look great with red trousers at work or magenta shorts and wedges on my day off. Maybe even those yellow jeans I plan on buying. I'm resisting going back to buy it in red.


The florals at Old Navy right now remind me of pin-up Hawaiian prints and this floral-print racerback tank ($18) is no exception. I will be pairing it with my high-waisted pencil skirts, wide-legged trousers, and maybe even my beloved magenta shorts.


Pin-up perfect denim capris? Check! These dark denim patch-pocket capris ($30) are super flattering. I feel ready for summer now.

Style Diary: Just Another Day at the Office

One of the best things about working in the fashion industry is that you can take risks when dressing for work. This outfit received so many compliments during the day. When I went home Mr. Anachronistic Style ran for his camera the second I came through the door! I'm wilted after eight hours on my feet so please excuse the flat hair. I love pairing blue and red together for a retro nautical look!




Outfit breakdown:
Blue ponte skirt - NY&Co (similar here)
Blue leopard top - INC at Macy's years ago
Red scarf - Vivcore Pretty You scarf $10
Red slingbacks - Me Too
White sunglasses - kate spade (similar here)
Red lipstick - Avon Red 2000 $7 worn off throughout the day and patted with gloss after lunch

Thursday's Movie Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1965) is one of those cult classics that no one has seen, which is a shame since the film is as poignant today as it was in 1965 (if you disregard that horrible cameo by Mickey Rooney!) Holly Golightly is a New York City party girl that makes her living by charming men into giving her $50 for the powder room. She is a woman of few possessions yet limitless style, the girl knows how to go from flat to fabulous in three minutes! What money she doesn't spend on rent she spends on clothes, her apartment is comprised of found objects and her one companion, Cat. The story is based on the novella by Truman Capote (and if you don't know who that is, please rectify that egregious sin immediately!) and has as many layers as an onion. The characters are so multi-dimensional for the time the story is secondary to their individual complexities. Yet the movie maintains an air of frivolity, Holly's life is like a perpetual party. Putting aside the gigolo writer love-interest, the fabulously scarce apartment, and Holly's no-one-can-own-me attitude you still have Holly's fabulous wardrobe. The outfit she wears to Sing Sing, that orange coat she wears for the day of I-never's, and the pink dress and tiara she wears when she has her breakdown are all style moments worth stealing.



Any Holly Golightly arsenal is incomplete without a Bumpit. You can further copy Holly Golightly's style with the fantastic eye mask and ear plug duo ($50). All you need is a men's tuxedo shirt for a very glamorous morning!

Like Sweets from Heaven

Marie Claire South Africa had this jaunty little spread for January 2012. Prada Resort 2012 invites the 60s-inspired patterns, sorbet colors and bold makeup to come out and play. The silhouettes are very 40s while the Pop Art patterns make the clothes modern again. Notice how the same hat worn multiple ways ties all the images together.

Weekly Expense Report: Beauty & the First Capris of Spring

Between checking out the Fall 2012 fashion shows and my everyday life I'm afraid I've fallen off the blogosphere. Ironic how inspiration finds you only when you're busy. I've started a running tab to keep track of all my beauty purchases this year, I want to know how much it costs to be me.


I couldn't let the limited edition Carousel Gloss Collection ($65) slip through my hands. I've been drooling over swatches for months and couldn't wait to try out these crazy colors for myself. So far I've worn cherry on top and I've been very happy with it, the beautiful packaging always makes me smile! Hurry and order yours before it is gone!



When mixed with water that green mud up there becomes one of my favorite cleansers--Lush's herbalism ($28.75/8.8 oz). I love to use this cleanser in the morning to wake up my skin, tighten pores, and slough off dead cells. I use the Tea Tree Toner Water ($20) morning and night to remove leftover makeup, tighten and prep my skin. My last bottle lasted me a year!


Meet my new summer uniform. Bright capris + heels + top + bright lipstick will get me through the warm weather. If these babies don't stretch out horribly and retain their fitted pin-up perfect shape you can bet I'll be ordering the other six colors of the slim fit twill capris ($50).

Diana Agron does the 60s

Yet another celebrity I'm not really sure why they are famous yet looks killer in mod style. I'm really loving the Miu Miu coat and Tarina Tarantino earrings. These lady-like structured styles and pale pink lips are thanks to Nylon magazine.