Bandit In High Heels

Side Street (1950)

2011-08-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

*Slight spoilers ahead*

Some time ago, I took advantage of TCM On Demand to watch an underrated noir called Side Street. Between Farley Granger and a classic noir plot, I was definitely pleased that I tuned in. The premise is that swoony Mr. Granger is a part time mailman struggling to pay the bills with a baby on the way. In desperation, he steals what he believes to be $200, but soon discovers that it's a $30,000 payoff. This sets into motion a noir nightmare that ends in an edge-of-your seat car chase on the deserted streets of New York City. While some might argue that this is all standard noir, I can never get enough of those doomed by fate plots. The acting here is top notch with Farley as well as his They Live by Night co-star Cathy O'Donnell playing his young wife. I'm usually not a fan of those innocent good girl wives and girlfriends, but Cathy O'Donnell is the rare exception to this rule. No-one plays these roles with as much depth and feeling. On the bad girl side of things, Adele Jergens is perfect as the scheming Lucky. In fact, my biggest complaint with the film would be that her character was killed off too quickly. Jean Hagen finishes off the noir lady archetypes with her moving portrayal off a moll done wrong. If you love noir, I'd highly recommend Side Street, and if you're new to the genre, I'd still advise giving it a look. This movie should really be more well known than it is!

Jaynie Forever

2011-06-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

April 19, 1933 - June 29, 1967

Rumors are flying

2011-06-25T08:37:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've done a product review, so I thought I'd talk about a product that I've literally been using every single day since I bought it!

Lip balm has been a part of my life for just about as long as I can remember. I tried various brands throughout my childhood until one fateful middle school day when I discovered Carmex. From the moment I tried it, I was hooked. Sure, it smelled horrible and tasted nauseating (not that I ever purposely tried to taste it -- it's just one of the inevitable side affects of constantly wearing the stuff). I was willing to put up with it, because it was the only lip balm I found that didn't dry my lips out overnight. A few years ago, I tried to kick the Carmex habit for something petroleum free. It didn't go too well -- I found some balms that lasted fine for a few hours in the evening, but nothing that made it through the night. Then I became vegan, and decided to see if I could find a vegan replacement. Enter Crazy Rumors.

(I'm currently working my way through the "A La Mode" set; yum!)

I liked the balm I'd ordered from the get-go, but had little in the way of illusions that it would last me through the night. I was pleasantly surprised to discover my lips weren't chapped after a night with the Crazy Rumors balm, but figured it was just a matter of time before I went crawling back to Carmex. Well, it's been over six months and I am thrilled to report that I haven't reached for the Carmex once! Crazy Rumors lip balm has become its permanent replacement, and while I may not be able to find it at every (okay, any) grocery store, it has become an absolute must-have for me. I've tried several different varieties and my favorites have been the French Vanilla and the Banana Split. If you love lip balm, I'd definitely recommend checking out Crazy Rumors. You might want to sign up for their mailing list too, as they do have special promotions from time to time.

Middy update

2011-06-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

In honor of Marilyn Monroe's 85th birthday a few days ago, I figured it was high time for me to come out of hiding and start posting here again. School has been absolutely crazy, especially the online class I'm currently enrolled in. Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I had an assignment due Friday, on Saturday I had to redo an assignment from last week (the directions for these things border on incomprehensible, so I basically had no idea what I was doing when I did it the first time), another assignment due Sunday, one due yesterday and there's another one due tonight. Oh yes, and I have to complete a complicated two-part project (which I also don't understand) with a partner by next Monday. And I still have an on-campus class to keep up with, in addition to my full-time day job. I continue to go on only because the class will be over in three weeks. (Oh, how I long for that day.) Anyway, enough with the tedium...let's get on to the hair!

As I mentioned in the comments to my last post, I went ahead and brought the middy diagram -- with added notes about horizontal layers and no feathering -- to my hairdresser. I also brought along this photo to illustrate how I wanted it to look when styled. I asked my hairdresser if the photo corresponded to the diagram, and she replied that it did, which I guess goes to show that the middy (or a variation of it) was still popular in the '50s. For reference, my stylist has been cutting hair for over 20 years, so she's not fresh out of beauty school, but she's also not accustomed to '40s haircuts. In all honesty, the middy diagram made no sense to me, but I figured that was because I don't know much about cutting hair. When the hairdresser took her first glance at the diagram though, she appeared almost as confused as I was! After studying it for a few minutes, she began to figure it out and found an actual ruler to see how the lengths indicated would translate to my head/hair. After some measurements, she told me that she would strongly caution against cutting my hair exactly by the diagram. She felt that many of the layers would be too short to work with, and also wouldn't go well with the shape of my face. I told her to do what would look best, since I trusted her judgement more than Ivan Anderson's! (Sorry, Ivan.) The main differences between my haircut and the one shown in the diagram is that mine has longer layers, and less of them. As luck would have it, the indicated length of the middy actually did match up with the length I like my hair, which is right around chin-length. So if you were wondering how long the standard middy is, there's your answer!

It's been about three weeks since I had my hair cut, and I can honestly say that this is the best haircut I have ever had. The front bang section -- which I always spent the most time on trying to get right -- comes out so much better now, and I have basically eliminated the issue of ends that would fall after the second day of a set. I've only set my hair in perm rods since I've had it done, though I actually have a pincurl set in now. I'll post here if the results are particularly interesting! I found that the cut I got from bringing in the diagram definitely surpassed what I'd get from bringing in photos of a particular style I liked, which used to be my go-to method when I'd go to the hairdresser. By the end of the appointment, even my hairdresser, who didn't seem to be too keen on the diagram at first, told me that I should definitely keep it and bring it in next time! All in all, I would definitely recommend printing out a middy diagram and at least discussing it with your hairdresser if you're interested in the cut. I don't think you need to go a stylist who specializes in retro styles, just someone who is open-minded and willing to take the time to study the diagram. Sorry for the epic post, and I hope all of this will help someone out!

To Middy or Not

2011-05-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

My hair has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. As a child, it was super-thick and seemed to turn to frizz the moment a brush so much as touched it. As soon as flat irons became the rage, I bought one and used it faithfully until I started trying to recreate vintage styles. Over the years, I have experimented with numerous hair curling implements, and while I can truthfully say my skills have improved somewhat over that time, I still couldn't honestly say that I'm happy with my hair. The texture has also changed dramatically over time; now I feel like my hair is flat and lifeless, though that could be the weather this time of year. (Let's hope!) All of which leads up to the actual point of this post: I have heard some ladies say that curling and styling their hair is much easier after getting a middy haircut. If there is anyone reading this who has or has had a middy, what do you think? Does it make that big of a difference? Would you recommend it to someone else? Just for reference, my hair is about chin-length, I never do rolls or updos, I prefer to set with perm rods or pin curls, and I basically always attempt to have my hair in a vintage style. Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

You didn't think I'd forget, did you?

2011-04-19T20:34:00.001-07:00

So hard to believe she would have been 78 today!

I'm still here!

2011-04-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Between school and work, I don't think I've logged onto Blogger in a week! Rest assured, I'm still here and have some posts planned. In the meantime, here's some '40s showgirl photos!

I'm going to chase death up a tree

2011-03-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

RIP Farley Granger. One of the few leading men I'm actually attracted to, and someone who seemed like an all-around good sort. I want to watch They Live by Night and cry.

Quality upgrade

2011-03-28T18:29:00.001-07:00

Last week, I was on the phone with the admissions adviser from college. She told me that I would need a scanner for things I worked on at home, and my first thought was, "Oh crap!" While I have a scanner, the quality of my scans is abysmal. I knew that back when I had special scanning software on my old computer that they looked much better, so I played around a bit and was able to get the software to work on my current computer. In other words, YAY!! In celebration, here's a great montage of the legendary Dixie Evans performing her most famous act.

Houbigant - Quelques Fleurs

2011-03-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

When I first became interested in classic perfumes several years ago, Quelques Fleurs was tops on my lists of scents to try. I was just sure I was going to love it...until I finally located a tester and smelled it on me. Much to my dismay, the perfume that I thought would be the epitome of classic French glamour turned out to smell like floral insect repellent on me. Surely it was just a bad tester, I told myself. A legendary perfume like Quelques Fleurs just had to smell as good as I imagined! Of course, several other testers confirmed my first impression of floral insect repellent. Just as I was about to give up, I learned about the whole vintage vs. modern formulations issue and rejoiced; clearly it wasn't me, it was the reformulation! (I still comfort myself with this notion every time I try a modern version of a vintage scent and don't like it.) So when I found a small bottle of Quelques Fleurs parfum in an antique mall, I hoped that maybe, finally, I would understand the mystique. Luckily for me, the parfum smelled like a completely different creation than whatever came out of those testers. Very French, very glamorous, and exactly like what I imagined when I first learned of Quelques Fleurs. I'm not really a floral person, but QF is full-bodied enough to hold my attention. True to its name, no particular floral note seems to stand out; they all blend together in a nice rich harmony. If I find any more vintage bottles, I will definitely be snapping them up!

What can I say?

2011-03-23T18:43:00.001-07:00

In this moment of sadness, I thought I'd attempt to lighten the mood a bit with this cute clip.

RIP Ms. Taylor. No-one else will ever come close.

Catching up, yet again

2011-03-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

As of this afternoon, I can officially announce the reason why I have been absent as of late: I'm going back to school! I left college several years ago and never thought I'd return, but since I believe that life is a quest for self-improvement (and I'd really like to get a better job) I have decided to go back and try to get a degree. I'll be studying graphic design, so I'll hopefully be able to make my blog a bit more visually appealing! Speaking of visually appealing, here's a scan of one of my very favorite people, who once described her life as "a constant quest for self-improvement."

That time again

2011-03-07T17:48:00.001-08:00

This week I bring you the lovely Margie Vann wearing an awesome leopard print ensemble.

Is it April yet?

2011-03-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

I know that I have once again been neglecting my blog, though for once I actually have a somewhat decent reason (I plan to share this reason soon, so stay tuned!). This means that even though I've known for close to two weeks that Guerlain was coming out with a new lipstick line, I'm just posting about it now. As you may know, I'm kind of obsessed with lipstick, and Guerlain lipsticks are my absolute favorite. Any announcement of a new Guerlain lipstick is exciting to me, but this one (to be called Rouge Automatique) is particularly exciting. Let's run down why.

1. They are modeled after a vintage line of Guerlain lipsticks.
2. They will all be named after classic Guerlain fragrances, and it just so happens that Guerlain is my favorite perfume house.
3. They will have typically over-the-top packaging which involves a gold square tube with a push-up lever.
4. They will give me the opportunity to match my lipstick with my perfume!
5. They will probably cause me to buy shades I don't even want, just because they happen to be named after my favorite perfumes.

Actually, reason #5 is more terrifying than exciting, and I'm already afraid that my favorite Guerlain perfume (Vol de Nuit) will be matched up with some shade I would never actually wear. In the meantime, check out this amazing Guerlain site with loads of info and photos to obsess over!

Interrupting the regularly scheduled programming...

2011-02-28T18:40:00.001-08:00

...to bring you one of my favorite performances from a great lady. Ms. Russell, you shall be missed.

Glamour scan time

2011-02-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

Another one from A Pictorial History of Burlesque from A to Z. Today it's the one and only Zorita!

Favorite finds of 2010

2011-02-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

I still have to photograph last week's flea market finds, so in the meantime, I thought I'd share the best things I bought in 2010: a Moss room divider lamp and a portrait of Kitty West (aka Evangeline the Oyster Girl). Apologies for not showing the whole lamp; trust me when I say it's awesome!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day tends to be a rather polarizing holiday. Personally, I'm firmly on the pro side, because I clearly will love anything that promotes hearts and the color pink. And as a very happily single woman, I also take some pleasure in enjoying a holiday that single women are "supposed" to loathe. Oh, and Valentine's Day also gives me a good excuse to use my heart-shaped baking pan, which I used for a red chard frittata!

Here's to a lovely Valentine's Day!

Time Warp, again

2011-02-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

When I first heard of the Time Warp Wives special (by way of this article), I was immediately intrigued. Okay, it was basically the photos that got me (that kitchen!), and I resolved to watch the program myself. I saw it once on YouTube, and then it disappeared, much to my chagrin (I wanted to see the dressing room again). Since then, the program seemed to enrage many who took it at face value, leading to the ladies themselves speaking out about their misrepresentation. Now, a couple of years later, the program is back on YouTube and I finally got a second view.

In retrospect (no pun intended), it's pretty easy to see how manipulated the whole thing was. From the condescending narration to the Twilight Zone inspired music, I think it was pretty obvious that they were trying to paint the "time warp wives" as deluded fantasists. The narration is condescending and occasionally downright mocking. I'd be willing to be bet that the tea-time discussion about modern behaviors and values was the result of questioning by the host/producers. That said, I have to admit that I fail to understand the furor this program seemed to bring about in some corners of the internet. Are these people hurting anyone? Are they even so much as attempting to force their beliefs on others? Even if they were as out-of-touch as the article and program want you to think they are, I can't see how it would directly affect anyone who wasn't in personal contact with them. I sincerely doubt that the entire world of people with no interest in vintage will suddenly believe that all women who wear vintage clothing are completely removed from the modern world because of an exploitative one-shot, half-hour program.

Maybe I'm the wrong person to ask though, as I admittedly can relate to a fair deal of what the women themselves actually say. I'm not interested in clubs or drinking, and I pay very little attention to current pop culture or trends. It has nothing to do with trying to pretend it's another era -- these things just hold no appeal for me. It just so happens that I find the fashion, decor and media of a different time far more to my liking. Do I wish people could be more polite and respectful? Of course I do. It's not because I think that's the way people were in the past, but simply because I think it's nice when people are polite and respectful. I have no idea why people think these are old-fashioned concepts. While I can't speak for the women of Time Warp Wives, I can personally say that I (and I think many other vintage enthusiasts as well) prefer to combine the parts of the past I like (the clothes! the movies) with welcome modern advances (feminism! the internet!). There are many aspects of the '50s which I have no desire to ever recreate. Like so many things, living a "vintage lifestyle" is like a buffet -- you can choose the parts you like, but you don't need to take everything out on the table. But enough with my blathering...let's get on to the important stuff.

The dressing table!

The kitchen!

RIP Tura Satana

2011-02-07T18:29:00.001-08:00

Can't believe she's gone. If you're not familiar with this legend, please visit her website now! Somewhere in my magazine collection are better-quality pictures which I promise I will scan as soon as I find them. In the meantime, check out this movie trailer; let's hope the film sees the light of day sometime soon!

Ode to snow days

2011-02-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have always loved snow days. They're like little pick-me-ups to remind you that winter isn't all bad, because you're at least getting an unplanned day away from work or school. I actually managed to clean up a bit, but other than that, I basically just relaxed and enjoyed the much-needed time off. In honor of the 19.5 inches of snow here, I thought I'd share this YouTube find:

A glamour scan for a gloomy Monday

2011-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

Phantom Lady...tomorrow!

2011-01-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

TCM is (finally) showing Phantom Lady tomorrow night (11:30 ET), and while I've been looking forward to it for the past, oh three months or so, I realize that the rest of the world may not be as aware of this important event. With that in mind, I thought I'd share ten reasons why you should try to catch, if at all possible.

- Ella Raines' fabulous hairdos and wardrobe
- it was directed by the great Robert Siodmak
- the version of "I Remember April" that plays during the credits is my favorite recording of the song
- it's a rare example of a film noir with a strong, sympathetic female lead (I'd say more, but it would be a spoiler)
- the pistachio/vanilla exchange between the cops (not as kinky as it sounds though)
- that great subway station stalk
- Phantom Hat! Not only does this movie have a Phantom Hat, but it actually gets a credit
- Aurora! She is so super-fab.
- TCM hasn't shown Phantom Lady in years, and who knows when they'll show it again
- and of course, the number one reason to watch the movie is Elisha Cook, Jr.'s notorious production code violation that must be seen to be believed!

If you get a chance to watch it, let me know what you think!

Four posts in one

2011-01-24T17:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start things off by sharing a bit about the Zoya polishes I mentioned a few weeks ago. They arrived last week, and I've been wearing Kali, the perfect bright pink, ever since. Between the dearth of sunlight and the hours I work, I didn't have a chance to take a decent picture of my nails during the week. They still looked pretty good yesterday, so I thought I'd share a photo.

Six-day old polish, no top coat, no touch-ups. I love Zoya.

In addition to my old manicure, I thought I'd also share my weekend baking revelation: the greatest pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies!I've always thought of myself as a passable-at-best baker; I've never had anything explode or come out completely inedible, but no-one has ever raved much about anything I've ever baked...until now! I shared these cookies with my family, who absolutely loved them -- my father, who usually doesn't even want to try my "weird vegan food" ended up eating more than anyone else. The only downside is they were completely finished off in less than 24 hours! I guess I'll just have to make them again; I found the recipe here if you're inclined to give them a try!

On a decidedly more downbeat note, I was saddened to find out about Jack LaLanne's passing. Check out this wonderful tribute for more on a man who was truly ahead of his time.

And of course, I couldn't leave you all without a glamour scan of the week! I thought we needed a little color in contrast to the dreariness outside. Of course wherever you may be could be a whole lot sunnier than where I am, but I think that no matter where you are, we can all agree on the fabulousness of Greta Thyssen's pink swimsuit.

Glamour girl of the week

2011-01-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

Going back to my Pictorial History of Burlesque book, today's glamour scan is of Sharon Knight. If you happen to notice a resemblance to a certain burly-q legend, that's because Sharon was her protegé!

The Locket (1946)

2011-01-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

Film noir + Robert Mitchum seems to be an inevitable formula for success, and The Locket is a good example. Falling somewhere in between film noir and melodrama, this film is more of a "woman's noir" than Nora Prentiss, which I wrote about several months ago. The Locket features a strong cast, interesting femme fatale and a flashback inside a flashback inside a flashback! Laraine Day stars as Nancy, a psychologically tormented jewel thief who ruins the life of any man who gets involved with her. For much of the film, Nancy seems to be the ideal mate, sweet and cheerful as can be, which only serves to make her moments of malice more chilling. This was my first exposure to Laraine Day, and I thought she did a great job with the part. Robert Mitchum's cynical artist was also a major highlight, though that wasn't much of a shock! The plot was more of a surprise, and I found myself really getting into the movie. If you enjoy lesser-known film noir and/or Robert Mitchum, I'd say The Locket is definitely worth checking out. It even appears to be readily available on DVD!

Gypsy!

2011-01-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

In honor of what would have been Gypsy Rose Lee's 100th birthday on Saturday, I just had to post a Gypsy pic for this week's glamour scan.

This is totally unrelated to Gypsy or glamour, but in the spirit of lifting the Monday doldrums, I wanted to say that the new blueberry muffin Larabar is awesome! It was totally the highlight of my Monday afternoon.

Zoya sale alert

2011-01-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Zoya is fast becoming my favorite nail polish brand: their colors are great, the quality is tops, they're cheaper than OPI or Essie, and they're vegan! If that's not enough, they're currently having an amazing sale: three free nail polishes! Check out their Facebook page for more info; sadly, this is a continental US promotion only. If you decide to partake, let me know what colors you choose! :)

Return of glamour scans

2011-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember that I used to post scans from my magazine collection on Mondays, in an effort to make the start of another week a little more glamorous. I thought I'd resurrect the idea for 2011; if nothing else, it means I don't have to think too much about something to post! I recently bought a copy of A Pictorial History of Burlesque from A to Z, which is filled with amazing photos. I'll probably scan more from it in the coming weeks, but I thought I'd kick things off with one of my favorite ladies featured in the book: Tana Louise. This is a very uncharacteristically innocent shot!

2011-01-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hello again Bloggerland! I hadn't checked Blogger in a while, and I'm rather excited to see some new readers! Maybe you'll motivate me to post more regularly in 2011! Updating my blog is one of my New Year's resolutions, so we'll see if it actually sticks this time. 2010 was actually a pretty great year for me. I got to go to Viva Las Vegas, see Dita Von Teese perform, and take some burlesque classes myself. One of my aspirations for 2011 is to continue with burlesque lessons, so we'll see how that goes as well!

In addition to the above mentioned experiences, another major moment in my life occurred back in August, when I decided to become vegan. I'm a major nutrition geek, and that sparked my initial interest in plant-based eating at the beginning of last year. Then I read John Robbins' incredible book The Food Revolution and learned about the ethical and environmental aspects of veganism. The more I learned, the more I wanted to really give this a go. I think the real clincher came when I read a piece on Huffington Post that presented a vegan argument with a feminist viewpoint. I have identified as a feminist for over half of my life, and there was no way I could condone the practices it detailed. By the time I had finished the article, there were tears in my eyes and my mind was made up once and for all. Since then, I have acquired a new and very fun hobby: cooking! I didn't have much interest in cooking before I was vegan, and now it's one of my absolute favorite things to do. I love trying out new recipes and pouring over vegan cookbooks. Here's a picture of one of my new favorite creations:

Tofu scramble -- it's like scrambled eggs, but with tofu! Where has it been all my life?!

I hope all of you out there had an equally lovely year -- what were the high notes of your 2010?

Dear Project Runway

2010-10-28T20:25:00.001-07:00

To Nina: I always knew you were a visionless hack who was solely interested in sales; tonight just confirmed it. Figures that someone with your lack of taste and sensitivity would write for a magazine that churns out cruel, tasteless crap like this. Thanks to you and your magazine for reminding me why mainstream fashion media could cease this very second, and it still wouldn't be soon enough.

To Michael: In the past I always thought of you as the judge who actually championed artists; apparently I was mistaken. Maybe you are just bitter toward designers who aren't afraid to be creative while your soulless stuff hangs in sad department stores.

Jessica Simpson apparently knows more about style than both of you. You should both be forced to wear horrible Gretchen hippie sack things for the next 20 years or so. "Easy" and "sportswear" my arse.

Sincerely,
A cranky Project Runway watcher who missed out on a great '40s suit on Ebay to see your infuriating show.

Nora Prentiss (1947)

2010-10-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Nora Prentiss had been on my to-see list from about the time I heard of it. The idea of a 1947 "woman's noir" starring the great Ann Sheridan sounded too good to miss. In reality, I'm not sure the movie lived up to my admittedly-high expectations. Nora is the story of a square, family-man doctor who falls in love with a gorgeous torch singer. Of course, the price he pays to be with her ends up being higher than he originally planned.

The name of the film is a bit of a misnomer, since the central character is really the doctor played by Kent Smith. I'm pretty sure Smith is a major factor in my disappointment, since I find him about as appealing as a doorknob. I guess I'll always think of him as the buffoon in Cat People, and his regrettably wooden acting style doesn't help matters. My favorite film noir archetype is the femme fatale, and I was expecting the character of Miss Prentiss to be one herself. Not only is she actually a good girl (other than the whole being-with-a-married-man business), I have a hard time accepting that she’d prefer the boring doctor to the dashing nightclub owner (played with panache by Robert Alda). That said, there were some interesting plot twists that made up for some of the overly drawn out sequences, and Ann Sheridan is always a pleasure to watch. She wears some nice outfits as well, for those of you who are like me and watch for these things.

I’m guessing some people would argue with classifying this movie as noir; here’s my take. I once read that the central theme of noir is people doing bad things, knowing they’re wrong, but feeling compelled to do them anyway. If that’s the case, I’d say Nora Prentiss qualifies as film noir, if perhaps an atypical one. I’d say this is worth watching if you happen to catch it on TCM (that’s where I caught it; they air it occasionally), but might not be worth hunting down otherwise.

Recent finds...

2010-10-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

...and in this case, "recent" translates to "last couple of months." I really need to get better about this!

Backlog of finds

2010-09-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

As promised, a real post! Even if I haven't been documenting my flea market finds, I have still been buying. Here's what I've gotten over the past couple of months, or at least what I was able to photograph:

Pink poodle radio! I am too scared to find out if actually works.

Another lucite purse! Because I can never have too many.

Stars of the day share their favorite recipes. Of course just about all of them feature meat, dairy and/or egg products, none of which I eat. Reinterpreting them could be interesting!

Finds not pictured: two Swirl dresses, new batch of '50s pinup magazines, Ann Sheridan and Lana Turner autographs, and my personal favorite, a set of vintage poodle shower curtains.

It's been a long, long time

2010-08-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

What could pull me out my no-posting-laziness! Why only the most beautiful lamp ever created! Since I have no place to put it and will probably be unable to afford it, I figured I might as well share the fabulousness. Hope y'all are doing well, and I'll try to put together a more substantial post sometime in the near future.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

2010-07-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned in my Edward Bess post that I'm not really an eyeshadow person. I usually stick to lightly-applied neutrals, and always thought eyeshadow primers were for the beautiful eyeshadow-as-art creations I see online. Then it dawned on me that an eyeshadow primer might stop one of my bigget makeup pet peeves, the awful phenomenon of winged eyeliner smudging underneath my eye. With the hot weather around here, it's next to impossible to avoid, and I was willing to deal with adding another product in my routine in exchange for stay-put liner. I know that Urban Decay's Primer Potion is the go-to for eye makeup primers, but when I saw Temptalia's review of the new NARS primer, I decided to pick that one up instead. (I'll also admit to an unfair bias toward NARS because of my endless love for François Nars' photo of Mr. Pearl in a suit, hat and leather gloves, though that's probably a story for another time.)

Anyway...I've been using the NARS base for a month and now I can't figure out how I ever survived without it. It not only stops the majority of eyeliner smudging, but it has also given many of my liquid eyeliners a new lease on life. I thought my beloved Chantecaille Stylo was basically finished, since after several months of use, every time I tried to apply it, it would appear as a light, barely-pigmented squiggle. With just a sweep of the NARS base, its applies dark and evenly, possibly even better than it looked when I first bought it! In conclusion, this is a product that really does live up to the hype, and if you care as much about eyeliner as I do (hopefully someone else does!) it could become your must-have too!

My face for the world to see

2010-06-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've been neglecting this blog...so in lieu of having to think of something to write about, here's a photo from my VLV shoot with the incredible Viva Van Story.

Edward Bess - believe the hype!

2010-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I buy makeup online, sight-unseen, I'm usually disappointed (hello, Illamasqua!). So when I kept seeing raves about the Edward Bess line, available only online and in Bergdorf Goodman's, I didn't pay much attention at first. But as the reviews kept piling up, I found myself unable to ignore the urge to buy. Of course, I had to have one of the red lipsticks (there are currently two in his line), and since I felt silly just buying a lipstick (don't you love my justifications for buying more?), I bought an eyeshadow as well.

A couple of notes about the line: if you're looking for bright, bold in-your-face trendy colors, you will not find them here. The eyeshadow I purchased, Intimate, is a beautiful taupey (new word!) brown with very slight shimmer. I'm admittedly not an eyeshadow person, but this one is really nice and lasts the whole day.

I am definitely a lipstick person, and I must say that this one really delivers. As I mentioned earlier, there are two reds in the Edward Bess line: Eternal Passion, which is a bright red, and Midnight Bloom, which is more muted. I bought Midnight Bloom, and it's the perfect office red: not too bright, not too vampy, but it still definitely reads as red. The formula is very moisturizing, but thankfully not messy. It wears evenly and leaves a nice stain. I do have to touch it up a couple of times during my eight hour day, but nothing major. If you're looking for a dramatic matte red, you're probably going to be disappointed, but if you're looking for something a bit softer, this could be the ticket. Pricewise, the lipstick is about the same as Dior or Chanel, but the expensive shipping costs make it more in line with a Guerlain Rouge G, so beware! Overall though, I think this is a great lipstick and I hope Edward Bess ends up in more stores soon! For now, you can check out his site here.

The house of Serge Lutens (literally)

2010-06-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

In case you ever wondered why his makeup line is so expensive, this could be part of the reason. On a more serious note, this is truly one of the most awe-inspiring homes I've ever seen...it looks like it could be a movie set!

Very sad news

2010-05-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

As a corset lover, I tend to check the Staylace website on a near-daily basis for the pretty pictures. When I checked it today, however, I found myself with tears in my eyes. The top headline was an obit for the incredibly talented Amy Crowder of Wasp Creations. I am lucky enough to own a custom Wasp Creations corset, and I always hoped that I could meet with Ms. Crowder for an in-person fitting one day. Please take a moment to check out her site and her amazing work.

Summer Under the Stars, 2010

2010-05-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Every year, I look forward to seeing the line-up for TCM's Summer Under the Stars, the month where they devote one whole day to a particular star's films. I guess I got a bit spoiled over the past two years, as there was a Peter Lorre day in 2008 and a Gloria Grahame day in 2009. This year is a bit of a disappointment; it seems like a lot of the actors have either been featured before, gotten a lot of airtime recently, and/or made movies outside of the time frame I'm interested in. Yes, I know it's not about me; I will admit that the stars I would like to see featured (Elisha Cook, Jr.!) aren't likely to bring in the big ratings. But wouldn't it be nice if just once, TCM could forgo Elizabeth Taylor day in favor of a Mamie Van Doren day? For the sake of positivity, here's who I'm excited about: Thelma Todd, Gene Tierney, John Gilbert, Ann Sheridan...and I think that's it, off the top of my head. Oh yes, the complete lineup is here in case you want to take a look.

Happy Sabrina day!

2010-05-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sabrina was one of the fabulous blonde bombshells of the '50s, and a personal favorite of mine. In honor of her birthday today, I thought I'd share this 1956 article.

Vintage perfume mania!

2010-05-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

I am not ashamed to admit that I have way too much fun looking at photos online for upcoming local estate sales. I've seen all sorts of stuff, but a particular ad I saw last week really caught my eye in a big way. Along with the usual estate sale items was the biggest perfume collection I have ever seen. Not only were there seemingly countless bottles, but there were also huge perfume display pieces, leading me to the conclusion that this was not your garden variety perfume fan, but somebody who actually sold it for a living. Unfortunately for me, I had to work the morning of the sale, but my very obliging father (who is an antique collector himself) agreed to check out the sale for me. He was the first person in the perfume room, and inquired how much the bottles were. After being told that they were going to all be sold for one money, the man behind him piped up that he would take them all. Of course, my father couldn't let that happen and bought them! The only downside is that a lot of the bottles turned out to be dummies, but there's enough real juice to make it worth my money. Here are the highlights:

Doesn't everyone need three bottles of Narcisse Noir?

More Caron! One of the gold canisters is Bellodgia and the other is Fleurs de Rocaille. I've been wearing the Bellodgia parfum de toilette all day and it is wonderful!

Vol de Nuit is a particular favorite of mine, so I was super-excited to find it hidden away amidst all of the bigger bottles! Contrary to how it looks in the photo, it is *not* empty!

And that's not even the half of it...I also have bottles without labels, dummy bottles...enough stuff to keep me busy for quite some time! And if that's not crazy enough, I actually went to the sale myself to photograph the display pieces:

I was told these were almost all dummy bottles (otherwise I'd probably have a perfume store in my room right now):

Sidenote: I really wanted to finally join Perfume of Life to share all of this, but apparently they're not accepting new members. Do any of my kind readers know if they're an invite-only forum?

Happy birthday, Jayne Mansfield

2010-04-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

As anyone who has visited my blog before has probably figured out, I'm a major Jayne Mansfield fan. Like most people who were born after her heyday, I first discovered the name Jayne Mansfield in the pages of a Marilyn Monroe biography. I filed the name away, intrigued by the idea of another glamorous platinum blonde. When I finally got to see Jayne (on a long-defunct E! program called Hollywood Mysteries & Scandals), I was completely enthralled. Not only was she gorgeous, but she seemed so fun. I thrilled to the stories of her pink palace and her wild publicity stunts. Before long, I was collecting anything Jayne-related that I could get my hands on, and more than six years later, am still an avid collector of Mansfield memorabilia. (One of these days, I need to get my entire collection together to photograph!) I consider her my personal hero and my all-time favorite movie star. Most people who aren't Jayne fans don't realize how intelligent and driven she was, but I'm always happy to correct their misconceptions. No-one will ever be as exciting, fabulous and over-the-top as the divoon Jayne, and I hope everyone reading this takes a few moments to think of her on what would have been her 77th birthday.

VLV...finally!

2010-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Since I finally got around to uploading the few pictures I took in Las Vegas, I figured it was about time that I post them here and write a bit more about Viva Las Vegas! This was my first VLV (after wanting to go for years!) and it was so much fun; I'm already making plans to go next year!

I arrived on Thursday afternoon, checked out a few bands and then basically took it easy in my hotel room, as I wanted to make sure that I was rested and ready for the photo shoot I had booked for Friday! (Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be sharing the pictures once I receive them.)

After the shoot, I went back to the Orleans and waited in line for burlesque show tickets, which I almost didn't get! Luckily, they were able to dig up one last ticket for me. That said, I sat in the very last row of the theater, and as a result, the pictures I took didn't come out too well. Here's one of the amazing Catherine D'Lish, who I had wanted to see for ages.

One of the highlights of the whole weekend occurred during the show: getting to hear Dixie Evans' Marilyn Monroe impersonation! I was also totally blown away by Kitten DeVille's tribute to Dixie's famous "Casting Couch" act.

After the burlesque show, I saw the Teenagers, which was loads of fun. They put on a great show, and it was somewhat unreal to be in the same room as some of the people who sang on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love."

Of course, I had to check out the famous VLV car show on Saturday. I only took one car picture, and am kicking myself for not photographing more.

If you click on the picture and look really close, you may be able to notice that the lighter purple paint was glittery! I totally want a glittery car.

After walking around the car show for a couple of hours, I queued up to meet Dita Von Teese. I've been a Dita fan for years (I can actually remember when her site had a free Q+A section!) and was so excited to finally meet her. I was totally awestruck seeing her up close; she is absolutely flawless! She was very nice and complimented me on my dress (pink and black sundress I bought for $15 at the flea market last month!). After that, I was even more excited to see her show at the MGM Grand Saturday night. I had always wanted to see Dita perform, and it was totally worth the wait. I absolutely adored her "Lazy" and "Le Bain Noir" numbers. So glamorous, and I was just a few feet away from Mr. Pearl corsets! Probably the closest I'll ever get to one, anyway. I also enjoyed the Crazy Horse dancers, though I do wish Dita could have done a few more acts!

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, I also got to see Wanda Jackson perform when I got back to the hotel. I love Wanda's music so much, but always manage to miss her when she comes to town. Take it from me: if you have a chance to see her, do not miss the opportunity! It seems almost impossible to believe that over 50 years have passed since she originally recorded most of the songs she performed, since she sounds just like she did back then! She really puts on a great show, and I only wish that I'd actually gotten to *see* her. (The place was packed and I wasn't up to fighting the crowds, so I stayed toward the back of the room.)

On Sunday, I took advantage of the Orleans' shuttle service to check out the Guerlain boutique at the Bellagio. There are no Guerlain boutique near me (boooooo!) so I couldn't pass up the chance to visit one! I almost fell over when I saw the display with just about every Guerlain perfume in production; it was so hard to decide what to try! After a bit of deliberation, I ended up purchasing the delicious new Tonka Imperiale. I also wound up with a lip liner and a Rouge G (Greta). While looking up the Bellagio, I heard they had a gelato and sorbet shop that was a must-visit, so I made it a point to check it out. I ate the best coconut sorbet ever, and took a photo of their chocolate fountain:

I got back in time for the Charles Phoenix slideshow, which was another highlight of the weekend. I really enjoy his books and was excited to see one of his slideshows, which I would say are another must-see if you get a chance. On Sunday night, I checked out a great current group, The Modern Sounds, who play a rockabilly/jazz fusion sort of thing. Since I had an early flight Monday (and still needed to pack up all of my stuff) I went to bed early, though I am still kicking myself for not seeing Huelyn Duvall and Rudy Grayzell on Sunday night. And that was my Vegas experience! Next year, I want to see more bands, take more photos and check out the pool party! Maybe I'll see some of you there!

I'm back!

2010-04-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Actually, I came back on Monday, it has just taken me a few days to report back! Vegas was absolutely wonderful; I had a photo shoot, heard incredible music, saw an amazing burlesque show, met three burlesque legends, finally got to see Dita Von Teese perform, and just had an overall great time. Oh, and I managed to stop over at the Guerlain "boutique" (more like corner!) in the Bellagio and am currently waiting for my haul to arrive in the mail. Is is wrong that I'm already counting down the days until next year's Viva Las Vegas? I already can't wait!

MIA

2010-03-30T17:31:00.001-07:00

Between being swamped at work and getting ready for Vegas, I shamefully admit to totally neglecting my blog. However, I swear that I will write all about Vegas when I get back, and try to photograph the mountain of vintage bras that took over my bedroom last week. In the meantime, I unearthed a nice photo of Ms. Mansfield that I don't believe I've ever posted on the web before, and thought I should share.

See y'all next week!

Flea market finds!

2010-03-15T18:19:00.001-07:00

I missed my favorite indoor flea market for the past two months, so I was rather excited to get out and buying once again. It's really a shame it's only once a month; I so enjoy chatting with all my flea market friends and looking at all sorts of fun stuff. Here's what I picked up:

I had actually bought a makeup mirror earlier this year, but the lighting was too garish and it was nowhere near as cute as this one! I'm somewhat obsessed with the color pink, so I absolutely had to get it.

Not in the best good condition, but I got it for a nice price. It's also the source of my glamour scan of the week:

I'm used to paying extra for anything with Bettie, which made this magazine even more of a deal! I also have to add that I seriously covet Baby Carroll's garter belt.

18 pairs of RHT stockings in three boxes! Yay stockings!

Catch up + glamour scan of the week!

2010-03-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

I promised I'd share a bit about my latest vintage finds, and I plan to stand by my word -- even if it takes me a week. Last Saturday, I attended a local vintage clothing fair, where I managed to find a cute blue and white double breasted houndstooth dress, a sundress with a super '50s pattern, and a black satin bullet bra that fits better than any modern bullet bra I've bought (and cost less than any of the repros as well!). My clothing photography skills are even worse than my regular photography skills, so I'm not even going to attempt pictures. However, I'm planning to wear both of the dresses to Viva Las Vegas in a few weeks(!!!), so maybe I'll try to get some pics there.

I believe I also mentioned my new kitchen table in my previous post. I have absolutely no place for this thing, but had to buy because it was just so beautiful. Unfortunately, this also means that it is not photographable at the moment, but it's identical to the one seen here. My set is missing two chairs, but I am too much in love with the table to care! I can't wait until I can display it in all of its pink glory!

And now for the scanning! As my tribute to the Academy Awards, I thought I'd post a 1953 cover story on my all-time favorite Oscar winner, Gloria Grahame.

2010-03-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Last week was a rather long and stressful one for me; luckily, I had a nice weekend to balance it out! (Vintage clothing show + amazing pink and black '50s dinette -- more about both when I'm not getting ready to set my hair.) I just wanted to check in with a weekly dose of glamour, courtesy of the divoon Ms. Mansfield.

Your daily dose of glamour

2010-02-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, Monday is probably not your favorite day of the week. So I thought I'd brighten it up a bit by posting this Lili St. Cyr lingerie ad, which I scanned from the Italian reprint of her lingerie catalog. Totally makes me want a time machine so that I could go back and order everything!

(Pssst...click on the image to make it more legible!)

Diorshow Blackout mascara

2010-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Last year, I discovered the Dior Diva program. This is one of those nifty reward/bonus deals that makes one feel less bad about spending lots of money on Dior cosmetics. (I never know if it's a good or bad thing that LVMH doesn't have a similar program for Guerlain.) When I redeemed my Dior points, I was sent a cute little gift bag with a miniature lipstick, perfume, and Blackout mascara. I should note that my Diorshow Iconic is my all-time favorite mascara so I was excited to try Blackout.

The verdict? I think I'll be sticking with Iconic. Blackout isn't a bad mascara, I just don't feel like it's anything special. It was average in terms of length and volume, and smudged too much for my liking. I liked the cute little sample size though!

Bad bad blogger

2010-02-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

I will admit it...I've not been a very good blogger lately. I do have a few posts in mind, but for now I thought I'd get back in the swing of things by sharing some of the stuff I've been digging as of late:

♥ the pumpkin and sweet potato soup I made a few days ago
♥ Chantecaille's Dolphin palette
♥ Lush's Vanilla Dee-Lite body cream
♥ key lime pie Larabars
♥ finding my favorite Priscilla Paris song on YouTube
♥ getting out of work early because of snow!

Now stop reading my blog and go watch Kiss of Death on TCM, because it's a Fox movie and who knows when they'll show it again!

Creed - Sublime Vanille

2010-01-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, I received a letter from the Creed SA at Neiman Marcus to let me know that my purchase of a Creed flacon entitled me to a sample of their upcoming Sublime Vanille. My initial excitement (nothing is better than a good vanilla!) was fleeting; when I found out the price I was actually hoping I wouldn't fall in love. Well, I've received my sample, worn it a few times, and am happy to report that I didn't love it. It's a nice, somewhat generic vanilla with a bit of citrus to keep it from being overly sweet. I think the "Sublime" in the name is a bit of an exaggeration; I'd call it Pleasant Vanille, but I guess that doesn't have a $475 ring to it. Lovely bottle though.

Bandit in...ballet flats?

2010-01-13T17:22:00.001-08:00

While high heels are undoubtedly my favorite sort of shoes, even I will admit there are times where they're not the most practical. It's those times that I could really use a pair of ballet flats, yet I can't remember the last time I was able to wear them. My narrow feet literally come right out of every pair of ballet flats I've tried on over the years. So when I saw a pair of adorable Manolo Blahnik ballet flats on sale at Neiman Marcus, I really only tried them on for a laugh. I know that Manolos tend to fit narrow feet decently, so I figured that there might be some small chance that they'd work for me...and lo and behold, they actually did! Clearly, I had to buy them.

They're really comfortable and don't fall of my feet when I walk! Who would have thought such feats were possible? Now if only it would get a bit nicer here so I could wear them without fear of having to walk through slush in them.

What Katie Did sale!

2010-01-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

I always look forward to What Katie Did's semi-annual sales, and this one was no exception. I was so ridiculously excited over the idea of their full-fashioned stockings going on sale that I actually woke up half an hour so I'd be sure to have time to go buy a few pairs online before I went to work. Since it's so hard to find vintage Manhattan heel nylons, and new ones tend to be super-pricey, I couldn't resist buying three pairs from the sale! I also picked up a pair of the Havana heels, as I don't have any of those in my collection. Be sure to stop by the WKD site if you're as much of a stocking fanatic as I am; there are some great deals! Oh, and they have lingerie on sale too, including the lovely Lily range, which I bought last year when it was released. Have fun!

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liquid Eyeliner

2010-01-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

I have spent years in my quest for the perfect black eyeliner. I've tried liquids, pencils, every brand from Wet 'n' Wild to Clé de Peau, and in all that time, I don't think I ever found one I liked enough to purchase twice. However, it seems that I may have finally met my match with Le Métier's liquid eyeliner pen.

My favorite type of eyeliner is liquid with a pen/felt tip, as I find it the quickest and easiest method to get the defined line (with a wing on the end) that I want. The trouble with felt tip eyeliner pens is that they tend to deliver a watered-down line that I need to go over multiple times. This is not the case with the Le Métier pen, which goes on much more smoothly than most. It's not jet black, but you could build it up if you wanted that look (personally, I think a soft black looks better on me for everyday purposes). By the end of my workday, there's no smudges, fading (another problem I often encounter with eyeliner pens), and my "wings" are just as sharp as they were in the morning. Even taking it off isn't too much of a hassle. All in all, the only negative thing about the product is the price; I really hope it lasts a good while after all that I paid for it! I also kind of wish it had prettier packaging; Le Métier seems to have a rather minimalist aesthetic. Of course, this is coming from someone who thinks Guerlain has the best packaging out there, so that should give you an idea of where I stand. Overall, a great product, and I may actually even repurchase!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start off the New Year on the blog with some glamour, so here's a two page feature on one of my favorite pin-ups, Brandee Kayse:

The year in review

2009-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, you guessed it, an excuse to gush about some of my favorite things that I discovered in 2009!

♥ I was so excited to finally purchase Caron face powder back in September! Since then, it has become one of the highlights of my morning routine. Of course I have to mention their gorgeous swan's down powder puffs too!
♥ One of the best movies I watched this year was Phantom Lady. How can you beat a movie with a Phantom Hat (it actually receives a credit!) and a super-steamy code-defying scene starring Elisha Cook, Jr.?
♥ Manolo Blahnik shoes! Granted, I only have two pairs and I bought both at seriously reduced prices, but if I won the lottery, I'd probably buy the store! I have narrow feet and Manolos are the only modern shoes I've found that I don't step right out of. This reminds me -- I need to post about my latest pair here!
♥ A new (or at least new to me) makeup brand that I'm really loving is Le Métier de Beauté. After reading raves about them online, I couldn't wait to check out their products when they showed up locally. First I fell for the lip cremes, and now it's their liquid eyeliner (which I also need to post about!).
♥ Norton Records' new Benny Joy set was probably the musical highlight of the year. Alternate versions of all of my favorites, as well as plenty of previously unissued recordings. I don't buy a lot of new CDs, but this was an exception I was happy to make.
♥ When it comes to perfume, nothing would be able to compare with finally owning a flacon of Angelique Encens. It has now become my signature scent, though I do wish it hadn't been discontinued.
♥ My new vanity! I just got it in my bedroom and can't wait to put it to good use. I'll be sure to post photos once I have all of my stuff on it.

And there you have it -- some of my favorite things about 2009. This was an exciting year for me, and here's hoping that 2010 will be even more exciting, fabulous and glamorous!

Yay!

2009-12-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

I finally figured out how to make my scanner work with my new computer! That means you can all expect lots of scans in 2010!

Aura Cacia Organics Sweet Almond Oil

2009-12-26T10:19:00.001-08:00

This could probably be summed up in one sentence: where has it been all my life? Over the years, I have tried just about every eye makeup remover imaginable, and all of them have either a) irritated my eyes or b) forced me to use half the bottle in an attempt to get all of my eye makeup removed. I recalled reading that sweet almond oil worked well as an eye makeup remover, so I picked up a bottle by Aura Cacia at Whole Foods. This stuff is seriously amazing -- it gets rid of all of my eye makeup without a lot of hassle (or wasting a lot of product) and doesn't bother my eyes in the least. Brilliant!

Nuit de Noel revisited

2009-12-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

I decided today would be the ideal day to give Nuit de Noel another try, and this time, I "get it." Spicy, powdery gorgeousness -- exactly what I imagined it would be like. Apparently this is one for winter only.

Lippmann Collection - Holiday

2009-12-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

When it comes to nail polish, I prefer to save rather than splurge. So whenever I'd pass the Lippmann Collection displays in the department store, I'd just pass 'em up. That said, I wasn't exactly protesting when I received a bottle of Lippmann's Holiday polish in a Barney's GWP. I was actually quite excited to try it out, and since then, its become one of my favorite polishes.

Holiday is a clean bright red with lots of red shimmer. I tend to prefer my red polishes to be a bit deeper and bluer, but I've made an exception for this shade (I tend to do that for things that sparkle!). The polish goes on super-smoothly, and while I could get away with one coat, I do prefer two. The wear is very good; every polish ever chips on me eventually, but this one takes longer to do that than most. I'd definitely consider checking out more Lippmann nail polishes in the future, and I promise to update this post if I'm ever able to get a decent picture of Holiday on my nails. (For some reason, every photo I've taken of it doesn't even come close to how nice it looks in person. C'est la vie.)

Thierry Mugler - Angel

2009-12-15T17:57:00.001-08:00

Would you believe that up until this morning, I had never tried the infamous Angel? It's true. Due to its notorious reputation, I always meant to try it, but would always end up testing something else at the department store. Even the sample I received at Bloomingdale's sat untouched for weeks. I finally worked up the courage to try it out this morning. I tend to like strong perfumes and am a definite gourmand fan, so I was thinking that it could possibly be okay with my chemistry. And the result? A total failure. I am sure that this perfume smells lovely to many, many people, or else it wouldn't be as popular as it is, but on me, it smelled like a sweaty gym shirt doused with Pink Sugar. One thing I must say about Angel is that it has incredible longevity (yes, I managed to resist the temptation to wash it off; to paraphrase a great movie line, sometimes it's interesting to see how bad a bad perfume can be, and this one promised to go the limit). I must say I'm glad I finally tried it, and I'm happy none of my coworkers passed out from the sillage.

And now for a bit of good news: it turns out that my beloved Caron powders were not the source of my skin woes, so I am now happily powdering away again! Yay.

Flaxy Martin (1949)

2009-12-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

After attending an indoor flea market straight from boresville on Sunday morning, I decided to relax and watch Flaxy Martin. '40s b-noir + Elisha Cook, Jr. = must-see in my book, so I had to tape it when TCM aired it last week. Enjoyable enough, if somewhat generic. The highlights were definitely Cookie (yes, I'm biased, but he was a lot more fun than any of the other male leads) and Virginia Mayo as the title character. I really wish we'd gotten to see more of Flaxy, a totally evil femme fatale ("You can always trust her to double-cross you") with a great wardrobe. Virginia Mayo played her with a wicked glee that was far more interesting than Zachary Scott's morally confused lawyer, who got the most screen time. It was weird to see Mr. Scott play a character who wasn't a complete slimeball; I found his sort-of-good guy sort of boring, to be honest. The biggest disappointment was Dorothy Malone, who I usually enjoy. Admittedly, the nice good girl role she's stuck with would have been tough for anyone to make interesting, so she's forgiven. As for Elisha Cook, he plays the right-hand man to the big-shot gangster and has plenty of good scenes. He looked nice in his fedora too. Overall, not a complete disaster, but not a classic for me.

Chagrin Valley Pumpkin Orange Spice Soap

2009-12-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

I discovered Chagrin Valley Soap last year after seeing rave reviews for their products on Makeup Alley. I'd always been a shower gel sort of girl, but decided to give the soaps a try. I fell in love with them, but switched back to shower gels for the warmer months. Now that winter's in the air, I placed another order with CV and don't think I'll ever go back to gels again! I missed out on the seasonal Pumpkin Orange Spice soap last year, and was determined to have a bar this time around.

I'm so glad I was able to nab one, as this is one of the best CV soaps I've had yet. I'm crazy about pumpkin, and this soap smells like a pumpkin pie -- heaven! It has a great fluffy lather and leaves my skin nice 'n' soft. I just checked Chagrin Valley's site and it looks like the pumpkin soap is still in stock, so if you're interested, you may want to act now!

Fabulous movie alert

2009-12-02T19:20:00.001-08:00

Attention all American TCM watchers: the channel is showing one of my favorite films, Three Strangers, tomorrow morning at 11:00 am (Eastern time). As you may or may not know, Peter Lorre is just about tops in my book and this is one his best in my opinion. I totally swoon over Mr. Lorre in Three Strangers, and if you think that's crazy, that just means you need to watch it now! (Seriously, if this movie got the attention it deserves, it would go a long way toward banishing the silly clichés that dog Peter Lorre to this day.) Another highlight is Geraldine Fitzgerald as a gorgeous but evil femme fatale; watching her in this makes me dream of what she would have done with the Brigid role in The Maltese Falcon, a part for which she was supposedly slated. Unfortunately, Three Strangers, unlike Falcon, has never received its fair due and is woefully underrated. There has been no official DVD release of the movie, which means all the more reason why you should check it out if you can!

Lush Lemony Flutter cuticle butter

2009-11-22T09:59:00.001-08:00

I wash my hands a lot, so I've been dealing with sad dried out hands for ages. This year, however, my cuticles have been getting particularly parched. After looking up possible solutions to my problem, I decided to try out Lush's Lemony Flutter cream.

Lush is a brand that I have mixed feelings about. When I first found out that a store was opening in my area I was so excited. I'm a sucker for natural products and their whole concept seemed so fun. Then I got a copy of their catalog and was a bit confused. I'm not saying that natural ingredients are automatically superior, but when I think fresh and natural ingredients, propylene glycol and FD&C colors (which seem to pop up in a lot of Lush products) aren't exactly what come to mind. Not to mention that the smell of the stores sort of scare me. Regardless, I braved the place for the Lemony Flutter and am glad I did.

I must start by noting that like every Lush product I've encountered, Lemony Flutter has a rather distinct scent. It's odd and lemony and reminds me of some relative I used to visit when I was a little girl. It's still much better than Fresh's woefully misnamed Brown Sugar body cream though, so I'm not complaining. The cuticle cream is thick but surprisingly nongreasy; I can use it on my hands as well and not end up leaving residue all over everything I touch for the next ten minutes. It does a good job at keeping my cuticles moist, and while tub packaging isn't my favorite, it does make sense for this product. (FYI: I hear that if you save five of these empty containers and bring them to Lush, you'll get a free face mask.) Overall, a decent cream which I'd consider buying again.

Caron perfumes - my thoughts

2009-11-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

This post has been a long time coming, and in my defense, it's tough to write timely perfume reviews. For me at least, I often have to wear a scent a few times before I can even begin to write about it. It took a while for the Carons to warm up to me; some I haven't worked up the courage to try out again. Anyway, without further ado...
Pour Une Femme de Caron was the first Caron fragrance I tried and it was a dismal failure on me. You know those fragrance card ads you get in magazines where all of the perfumes have the same generic department store smell? That's what this smelled like. Everyone around me agreed to boot!
Violette Precieuse is a green-tinged violet that was a bit antiseptic the first time I wore it (it was still sort of summer at that point). I've recently given it another go and am enjoying it more. In fact, I may wear this one tomorrow!
Montaigne sounded like it would be up my alley, but turned out to be a rather run-of-the-mill floriental. Should probably retry this now that the weather's cooler and see if it will get more interesting.
Or et Noir -- now this is what I was hoping Caron perfumes would be like! A deep, rich rose with a tinge of amber. Very dramatic and definitely a special event scent!
N'aimez Que Moi was a letdown. The rose totally dominated to the point where I couldn't smell any other notes...except for a strange waft of gasoline. Sighsville.
Tabac Blond turned out to be the biggest disappointment of all. I was so certain I would love this perfume, but on me it smelled like the world's sharpest carnations that had been left in a dirty ashtray. And that's called...sad. I'm trying to convince myself that it's the reformulated version that's the problem, and that the vintage perfume would smell incredible on me. Of course! :)
Parfum Sacré seems to be a favorite among Caron fans but didn't work its magic on me. The opening was an atypical blast of pepper, but after that it turned into something pleasant but unremarkable. So well-blended that no individual notes stood out after the top note quieted down.
Nuit de Noel was another scent I was so looking forward to trying; it wasn't bad, it just smelled more like potpourri than perfume. I need to try it again though, and would be more than happy to have to revise my thoughts!
Aimez-Moi was inspired by N'aimez Que Moi, but actually worked on my skin! A wonderful violet drizzled with anise. Definitely one of my favorite Carons.
Alpona came as a total surprise to me. From reading the descriptions online, it didn't sound like my sort of thing, but I actually find myself craving it on a regular basis. Fruits, but not at all sweet. I'd really like to smell this on a man.
French Can Can is one that I can't remember too much about, which means I'll have to wear it again! I recall violets and powder.

So there you have it! If you're interested in Caron perfumes, I'd definitely recommend contacting the boutique and getting samples. They're certainly worth trying, and I'm currently trying to decide what's full-bottle-worthy. Major thanks to Diane at Caron for sending samples with my Caron order. :)

Recent acquisitions

2009-11-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to not buy so much stuff...or if I have to buy stuff, at least stuff that doesn't take up too much room. That was my game plan going into the flea market last weekend, and I think I succeeded! In my five years or so of collecting Jayne Mansfield stuff, I never once saw a copy of her book -- clearly a must-buy! (Especially since the dealer brought it just for me!) I tend to shy away from vintage earrings because I'm not a huge fan of screwbacks or clip-ons, so when I saw these pierced earrings made from vintage bakelite pieces, I had to buy a pair. The sunglasses came from a crazy estate sale I went to the next day, and were free! I'll chalk it up to the perks of knowing the person conducting the estate sale and constantly wearing cat eye glasses.

New addition

2009-11-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

My latest lucite purse...and it's a real beauty!

How corny would it be for me to say it's now the *star* of my collection?

Stockings for short people

2009-11-02T18:18:00.001-08:00

While 95% of my stockings are vintage, I will occasionally splurge on a modern pair. Such was the case when I saw that Stockings HQ was having a sale on Gio full fashioned nylons. I was able to justify this because 1. they were on sale! and 2. they have point heels and just about all of my stockings have Cuban heels. I basically cannot wear Magnolia's stockings because even the regulars are too long for little 5'2" me, so I was a bit worried that Gio would present a length problem as well. I am happy to report that this was not the case, so if you're short and looking for modern full fashioned stockings, I would totally recommend these. They look and feel great, and if money were no object, I'd definitely be buying more! You can check out the sale Gios here if you're interested.

Vinyl visions

2009-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

Even though lucite handbags will always be my number one purse loves, I've acquired a taste for vintage vinyl bags as well. Here's my humble collection of vinyl purses; two of them were made by prominent lucite handbag manufacturers, leading me to believe that many of them switched to vinyl once women started getting fed up with the impracticality of lucite.

My most recent handbag acquisition. This one is by Florida Handbags.

This one is by Charles S. Kahn. (Incidentally, I've longed for a pink lucite Kahn for years!)

My personal favorite of the three. It has a great confettii lucite handle, and I don't believe it was ever used by the previous owner...a very cool lady who also sold me her beautiful lucite heeled Springolators!

Clé de Peau Extra Silky Lipstick vs. Dior Serum de Rouge

2009-10-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a lipstick addict. I admit it. And while I generally have a price point of how much I'm willing to spend on a single product, I will occasionally succumb and spend a bit too much on one item. Such was the case when I purchased Clé de Peau's Extra Silky Lipstick earlier this year.

I bought the hot pink shade (I believe it's 04 but I'm feeling a bit ill at the moment and can't be bothered to actually get up and check!), which is very, very bright. The lipstick feels great going on, but suffers from the rare problem of being too creamy. Consequently, it gets a bit messy and always looks uneven, which drives me mad. The only way I can make it work is to apply a gloss over it, which sheers it out to the point that I can't see the worn off patches. Frustrating!

When I saw Dior's new Serum de Rouge lipstick, I couldn't get over how much it resembled the CdP. Of course, I had to try it.

I went for shade 840, otherwise known as Crimson. My only real gripe about this lipstick is the name, since it's not crimson at all, but a deep bright pink. I was very pleased to discover that the wear of Serum de Rouge is much better than the Extra Silky; it's not quite as "silky" so it lasts longer and looks neater. It supposedly contains special skincare ingredients that will make your lips healthier, but I can't really comment on that part of it since I've only worn it once! Another point for Dior would have to be the fact that the lipstick is retractable; CdP's is not. I love the trademark Dior cannage case as well, so yet another point in Dior's favor. Combine all of this with the fact that Serum de Rouge is more than $20 cheaper than Extra Silky Lipstick and I'd say it's a landslide for Dior! Proof that the most expensive product isn't always the best. I do wish they'd come out with a true red though.

Caron mania!

2009-10-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are my thoughts on the Caron haul I mentioned in my previous post. I bought loose powders in Translucide and Vénitienne, a pressed powder in shade 00 and the most divine pink powder puff! Here's a picture of all the loveliness:

Translucide is my "everyday" powder; it matches my skin tone beautifully and just evens everything out a bit. I don't like a lot of coverage for everyday wear, so this is perfect for me. It's not drying in the least, and this is coming from someone who has issues with dry skin. Vénitienne is a shimmery pink powder that I've been using for special occasions (okay, I haven't had too many special occasions since I received it, but that's the general idea!). When I say shimmery, rest assured that the shimmer is very fine and just about imperceptible on one's face unless you're really looking for it. Like Translucide, it feels wonderful and is completely non-drying.

The pressed powder comes in a beautiful silver compact with mirror, and is just as high quality as the loose powder. All of the products I received have the most beautiful sweet rose scent; one of the reasons I look forward to using my powder is just so I can smell it! Another reason I love applying my loose powders is the aforementioned powder puff. Of course, I chose one in pink, and I smile every time I use it! I love my powder puff so much it's slightly frightening, haha! It's really a shame that the Caron powders aren't more widely available, as they're such high quality and actually cheaper than many high-end brands. If you're interested in them, give the NY boutique a call; Diane, the manager is super-nice and will help you choose the right colors.

Coming soon: my thoughts on the Caron fragrances I sampled!

My fabulous birthday weekend

2009-09-30T17:44:00.001-07:00

Apologies for being quiet -- rest assured that I have lots to write about! It was my birthday last Saturday, and I celebrated by going to downtown Chicago. Before I left for the city, I opened up my birthday present to myself: a package of Caron wonderfulness! Of course, this deserves a whole post to itself, which will be coming soon. Anyway, back to Chicago...my first stop was Barney's, where I went on a mini Chantecaille spree which consisted of the Protected Paradise eye shadow palette (beautiful colors that are a joy to apply!) and an Aquablush in Charming, a pale pink. I tried out Serge Lutens' Un Bois Vanille (nice but uneventful vanilla) and thanks to a very kind Barney's SA, was able to experience the Frederic Malle fragrance chamber!

The fragrance chamber is a huge clear cylinder; the SA opened the top half, sprayed the perfume of my choice, and then I got to stick my head in and inhale! The perfume I chose was Lipstick Rose, which I loved; it smells like Guerlain lipstick! (When I tried to explain this to my gentleman friend later in the evening, he was rather confused by the concept of a perfume that smelled like a lipstick.) I also picked up Fresh's Brown Sugar body cream (great cream, but totally misnamed as it smells like lemon!) in order to get Barney's gift with purchase. It was totally worth it; talk about a gift that keeps on giving! The GWP was filled with all sorts of goodies from just about every brand that Barney's carries.

I saved Neiman's for the next day, where I picked up a Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in Dragon. There's been a lot of hype around these liquid lipsticks, and I can tell you that it's justified. Dragon is a gorgeous deep blue-based red that lasts all day. I wore it to work and only needed to touch up once, so it's a winner in the lipstick longevity department. My favorite part of Neiman's is the their Guerlain perfume selection. I was so excited to see they're now carrying Spiritueuse Double Vanille, as they didn't have it the last time I was there. It's a heavenly vanilla with a cool smoky note laced in; I'm already considering buying a bottle (eek!). I also tried out Iris Ganache, a sweet creamy blend of goodness. To be honest, I kind of want that one too! All in all, a wonderful weekend; I hope any one reading this enjoyed their weekend at least half as much as I enjoyed mine!

!!!!!

2009-09-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm actually typing this, but right now I am actually happy that I'm not going to New York for my birthday this weekend...because I'd be kicking myself if I wasn't there for a Creed perfume boutique!

Now I must go next year when it is open. :)

My favorite bathroom

2009-09-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was telling a gentleman friend about the incredible bathroom in The Women. Of course, images speak louder than words, so today I decided to send him a photo of this wonder. Much to my delight, I did even better and found a video of the entire bathroom scene on YouTube! I firmly believe that whoever made that bathroom a reality should have won some sort of Academy Award that year...and continue receiving them for every year since! This is the stuff that dreams are made of:

I dream of Cookie

2009-09-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

I thought this was funny, and while I may be the only one who thinks that way, I figured I'd share it. Every now and then, I'll dream about Elisha Cook, Jr. I should mention that while most classic film fans fantasize about the likes of Clark Gable and Cary Grant, I swoon over Elisha Cook, Jr. Yes, I know, I'm special. Anyway, last night I dreamt that VH1 was doing a retrospective survey of his career with clips from various movies and TV shows (none of which corresponded to actual roles, of course...). The weirdest part of all was that my sister -- who in reality, can't stand old movies -- was watching with me and complaining that they weren't showing enough early clips!

If anybody's still reading, I received Caron powder samples in the mail today, and the one I've tried so far is every bit as lovely as I imagined! Expect lots more Caron talk here in the near future. :)

Leopard Springolators!

2009-09-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a couple of pics of the leopard print Springolators I mentioned last week. I should mention that I have a serious love for leopard print, so it doesn't get much dreamier than this for me!

Leopard print Springolators have always been one of my vintage holy grails; unfortunately, they always seemed to be selling for much more than I wanted to spend. I lucked out on these, though -- they're real beauties! They also make me thankful for having small, narrow feet (yes, they do fit, in case you were wondering!)

Lingerie roundup

2009-09-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

It looks like September is the month for new lingerie collections -- first there was What Katie Did, then Dita's Wonderbra party edition, and just this morning I received an email that Agent Provocateur's fall range is now available. Even though I bought WKD's leopard range last year, I have to admit this new cheetah one is tempting! I actually like their underwire bras far more than their bullet bras, which have never fit me right. As for Dita's stuff, I heard that the quality of the last collection was so-so, so I'm safe on that one. It sure looks cute though! I can't justify AP prices at the moment, and I think my favorite of their new items is the AP's new corset charm bracelet anyway. Don't worry, I'll be passing on it -- $190 and they don't even say what it's made out of!

A long, long week

2009-09-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Even with a much-needed day off work on Monday, this has been a hard week for me. Between getting mixed up because of the holiday and a whole lot going on in my personal life, I totally forgot about all of the movies I wanted to tape! Typical. Anyway, these are few of the things that are currently making life more tolerable:

♥ Chantecaille's Le Stylo in dark brown
♥ 365 brand strawberry banana applesauce
♥ knowing there's a new episode of Project Runway tonight
♥ the leopard print Springolators I received in the mail the other day (as soon as I get around to charging the battery of my digital camera, I'll be sure to share pictures!)

Hope y'all are having a better week than me -- or maybe you'd like to share with me what's currently keeping you sane! :)

Cat People (1942)

2009-09-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, I'll get in a mood where I just *have* to rewatch one of my favorite movies, and yesterday it was Cat People. I discovered the film (and its sequel of sorts, Curse of the Cat People), when I was in high school, and have loved both ever since. Cat People is a perfect example of why I love old movies -- it's about what's not seen or said, but what the viewer fills in with their own mind. Some people consider it a horror movie, but I never really have; it's haunting, but not horrifying. A definite must-see, and in my mind, a movie that can be rewatched over and over.

A brush with pinkness

2009-09-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

After a particularly unpleasant doctor's appointment this afternoon, I figured I deserved a treat or two...one of which came in the form of a macaroon (which was delicious, by the way!) and the other was a little Guerlain splurge:

On appearance alone, I love this brush; it's so cute and tiny compared to my other ones! I know it gets mixed reviews on Makeup Alley, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy using it as much as I enjoy looking at it!

September TCM highlights (according to me!)

2009-09-04T18:57:00.001-07:00

One thing I look forward to at the start of every month is to look over TCM's schedule and jot down what I need to remember to tape that month. (Yes, I am still living in the 20th century and record all my movies on VHS tapes!) Here's what I'm looking forward to in September:

♥ the Joan Blondell marathon that beings at 5:00 am on 9/8
♥ the '50s crime/noir movie marathon that begins at 8:30 am on 9/9!
♥ the pre-code marathon that starts at 5:00 am on 9/25 (can you see I'm big on the marathons this month?)
♥ They Won't Forget on 9/30 at 7:00 pm (one at night finally! This was Lana Turner's first movie, and her boyfriend is played by Elisha Cook, Jr.!)

And just in case anyone reading this wants to watch these movies too, I'm using central time for this post. So if you don't live in midwestern America, you may want to check out the TCM schedule to see when they're airing by you!

My new favorite lipgloss

2009-08-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have to start this out by saying that every time I go to Neiman Marcus, I either cannot move two feet without getting bombarded by SAs, or there is absolutely no-one at the counters and I feel like I'm in a cosmetic ghost town. When I was at Neiman's a few weeks ago, it was the latter phenomenon. I originally went in to check out the Guerlain fall stuff, and the new, fancy Guerlain counter was completely abandoned. So I wandered around and was pleased to discover a Le Métier de Beauté counter! However, not only did the LMDB counter have no-one at it, it had no testers either. Luckily, a nice roving SA noticed me standing there like an idiot, and managed to help me out.

She pulled out a hidden plastic bag full of testers, and the first thing I picked out was the Lip Creme in Framboise. When I swatched it on my hand, I couldn't help but let out a "wow" -- this is, without a dobut, the most pigmented liquid lip product I have ever seen! The SA said it was more of a liquid lipstick than a gloss, and I'd have to agree. Of course, I had to have it.

I'm happy I splurged, as the color is gorgeous (shimmering ruby), the wear is exceptional (still looks great after an eight hour work day and minimal touch-ups), it's not drying and it smells delicious! Of course all of this comes at a price (a wince-inducing $36). The only other downside, and this is to be expected for something this pigmented, is that this is not a quick-swipe and run-out-the-door type of product. You definitely need a light (ask me how I know this...!), careful hand and a mirror when applying this stuff, as you will end up with a mess otherwise! It's worth the effort though, and I'm really interested in trying other Le Métier products now!

Rediscoveries

2009-08-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about cleaning (or at least making some sort of attempt at it!) is stumbling across things I forgot I had. Three cases in point from over the weekend:

1. OPI Chick Flick Cherry nail polish

I discovered this in the bottom of my traincase, along with all of my failed attempts at trying to find a MAC lipstick I liked and old dried up pink nail polishes. I have no idea why it had been banished; I'm wearing it right now and loving it! Deep cherry reds are my favorite for both lipstick and polishes, and I'm really impressed by how well all of my OPI polishes have held up. This just may be my "new" favorite nail color!

2. Bésame Cosmetics Feather Light Dusting Powder

Hidden along with all of the Bésame stuff I bought during one of their closeout sales was an unopened jar of powder. I figured I might as well give it a try, and it's really quite nice! Lovely smell and not drying in the least! Discontinued now of course, though I bet there's still a few floating around the internet somewhere.

3. Gorgeous fur-trimmed belt-backed vintage suit jacket
Some time ago, I bought a bag of vintage suits at the flea market...and never got around to actually trying them on! I'm trying to get around to getting rid of all the vintage that I'll never wear, so I figured it was about time to dig these out. And lo and behold, there was this stunning suit jacket. Now I'm looking forward to fall so I can actually wear it!

Latest Ebay acquisition

2009-08-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Three pairs, yay!

How I love stocking welt logos (now there's a sentence you don't read everyday...). Click for a close-up!

Gloria Grahame will be here soon!

2009-08-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow...24 hours of Gloria, Gloria, Gloria! In case you couldn't tell, I can't wait.

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.jsp?startDate=8/13/2009&timezone=EST&cid=N

A good day for the internet

2009-08-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

My personal cosmetics holy grail is Caron. From the moment I saw a photo of their perfect pastel powder puffs I was in love. The fact that one of their perfumes (Narcisse Noir) is mentioned in Sunset Boulevard puts them over the top in my book of fabulousness. The fact that their products are almost totally unavailable in this country just makes me want them even more. So you can imagine my delight when I checked their website and saw they have an online shopping option coming soon! In the meantime, drool over the prettiness and marvel at the animated butterflies that hover delicately over the perfume bottles. Swoonsville!

Equally exciting is seeing that TCM's blog is doing a week-long tribute to Gloria Grahame in anticipation of Gloria Grahame day on Thursday. It's so exciting to see her finally getting some of the recognition she deserves!

A sucker born every minute...

2009-08-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

After seeing all the hype surrounding the UK makeup brand Illamasqua, I couldn't wait to try some of the products myself. Now that Sephora is carrying the brand, I finally gave in and treated myself to a lipstick and a nail polish. And the verdict? Meh. I bought the lipstick in Wanton, which is a great office color (the Sephora description is actually spot-on), but the texture and wear reminded me of MAC. Since I am possibly the only person in the universe to not like MAC lipstick, this was not a good thing. It felt dry, thin and migrated to my teeth! Initially, I was a bit angry with myself for not trying one of the reds, but now I'm relieved that I didn't spend my precious red lipstick funds on one of these!

As for the nail polish, I bought Louella, which is supposed to be a shimmering candy pink. For some reason, there is *no* shimmer in mine at all! What a disappointment. I want shimmer, damnit! (But not enough to bother with sending it back, heh.) The color is a bright bubblegum pink, and I did need a new one after my old Essie bubblegum pink got too thick. Anyway, the application was not good -- I found the polish too thick and had a hard time getting nice even coats. Unless it goes for days without chipping, I think I can safely say that I would not buy another polish from them; OPI and Essie go on much better, are cheaper, and can be bought in person.

Anyway, I hate to be a downer but it looks like this just isn't the brand for me. Oh well. I guess Guerlain can breathe a sigh of relief!

ETA: Polish has chipped on a couple of nails...and I painted them last night. AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGH!

Good news

2009-07-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Project Runway is my favorite current TV show, and I have to admit that I was a bit bummed when I found it was moving to Lifetime. I'm sorry, but in my mind, Lifetime will always be that station that specializes in lowest-common-denominator bad-things-that-can-happen-if-you-happen-to-be-female made-for TV movies (phew!). Between that and the disappointing fifth season, I was rather "meh" about the upcoming season...until I found out that one of the contestants is a corset-maker (among other things)!

I've checked out her Etsy shop in the past, and am currently drooling over this party dress. Swoonsville!

Guerlain - summer 2009

2009-05-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

Now that I've finally had a chance to get a look at all of the items I was interested in for Guerlain's summer 2009 collection, here are my thoughts:

- the eyeshadow palette (which seems to have already disappeared from Nordstrom's site): absolutely gorgeous! This was the only thing I ended up buying, and I love it so far. So pretty, and wears well, even without primer.
- the new Meteorites: looks nice in the compact, but I managed to pass.
- the new KissKiss gloss stick colors: none of the colors did it for me, which is a shame because I love this formula. I ended up buying a Shu Uemura lippy instead -- I'm sure I'll blather on about it eventually!

Bésame is back

2009-05-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

I still remember when I first heard about Bésame Cosmetics several years ago and desperately wanted to try the line. Maybe it was an inevitable letdown, but by the time I actually got the products, I found them to be a solid "meh." (Thanks to their multiple closeout sales, I was able to try out most of the line.)

The colors of the lipsticks were great -- the formulas, not so much. They were too drying and a bit messy, even with lipliner. I have to admit that my favorite part of Bésame was the packaging, but those cute little compacts were the devil to open -- not to mention the fact that, size wise, they seemed better suited for my Blythe dolls than for me. Despite all of this, I was intrigued by their promise of an all new line...which has apparently been launched!

The site is redesigned and does look lovely, though the previous emphasis on vintage appears to have vanished. Right now their product line consists solely of an lip product set -- a lipstick (with a new, "natural" formula), matching liner, and what has to be cutest lipstick brush I have ever seen (is it totally wrong that I sort of want the set just for that, despite the fact that I don't even use a lip brush?). Part of me really wants to try the new formula, but the other part of me remembers my bad experiences with "natural" lipsticks -- they are never RED enough for me! Not to mention that for the price of the set plus shipping, I could probably buy another Guerlain Le Rouge G, which I'd rather have anyway!

Thank you TCM!

2009-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Gloria Grahame is my favorite actress. And every year, when TCM does runs "Summer Under the Stars" in August, I say to myself, "Why can't TCM have a Gloria Grahame day? Surely, just once, they can go without a Bette Davis or Katharine Hepburn or some-other-major-star-they-always-seem-to-have-a-day-for day, and have one for Gloria Grahame?" And lo and behold, they actually are having one (Thursday, August 13; scroll down and see for yourself!). SO EXCITED!

My latest purchase

2009-05-13T14:53:00.001-07:00

I like to plan ahead. Actually, what I really like is to plan my outfits ahead! All the way back in February, I was invited to a convention in May (it's a week from Friday). After months of looking for the perfect top, I finally stumbled upon this:

Strangely enough, it was from an online shop that used to be one of my favorite "real life" places to shop before they closed a few years ago. I received it yesterday and it fits like a dream!

Prettiness

2009-05-10T12:42:00.001-07:00

A flea market dealer who I'm friends told me that she had a present for me...but I didn't expect it to be this lovely!

Pardon my dust

2009-05-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've had an odd week -- I recently switched to a new computer and had surgery on Thursday, so thinking of things to write about had gone on the back burner. Since I've spent the last couple of days basically taking it easy, I have had plenty of chances to watch movies though! When I'm not feeling so hot, I tend to turn to personal favorites. On Thursday night, I watched The Bad and the Beautiful, one of those movies that never gets old. My favorite actress, Gloria Grahame, is positively a joy to behold -- if only she could have gotten more screen time here! Then I woke up early (okay, I was having trouble sleeping) to catch my beloved Elisha Cook, Jr. in Thoroughbreds Don't Cry. One for fanatics only, I'm afraid, as Mr. Cook had less than a minute of screen time. You do get to see him in a jockey uniform if you pay close attention. After that, I watched my other favorite actor, Mr. Peter Lorre, in a couple of Mr. Moto films. Perfect escapist fare, and what can beat Peter Lorre holding a fluffy kitty?

My new computer has a DVD drive, so I can do screencaps now! YAY!

Happy birthday Jayne Mansfield

2009-04-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, she was the last movie star in the true sense of the term. Hard to believe she would have been 76 today...

In other news, I watched Phantom Lady last night. Incredible '40s hats and hairdos, but for me, they were overshadowed by the super-sexy "I can't believe this got past the censors" jazz club scene. As much as I love pre-code naughtiness, I have to say that at least for me, post-code naughtiness is even more delicious (especially when it features Elisha Cook, Jr.).

Talking, singing, dancing...makeup!

2009-04-16T18:04:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, I was able to watch The Dolly Sisters for the first time. Definitely a "whistling the scenery" type of movie -- light on plot, but ever so lovely to look at! Betty Grable and June Haver's Victorian-meets-'40s costumes are out of this world, and I'm still wishing for my own outrageous fur-trimmed dressing gown. My favorite musical number features a bevy of beautiful, singing, make-up products! You must see it to believe it:

Incidentally, a certain very well known burlesque dancer is a fan of this movie, and you could certainly tell from watching that clip!