Festive Make-Up

Red Lipstick is for life - not just for Christmas!

There used to be a time when women would wear bright red lipstick whether they were cooking dinner, heading out to the shops or picking the children up from school. In fact there are still some glamorous ladies who do exactly that, such as Gwen Stafani. Her signature red lips can be seen in every single pic of her whether she's wandering round Primrose Hill or singing on stage.
Historically red-lips have represented patriotism and glamour - worn either to show support for troops during the 40's or as a nod to Hollywood sophistication in the 50's.

 

Nowadays however, red lips seem to be relegated to the festive season when it becomes 'Christmassy' to don crimson lips and nails. It's considered a 'night-time' colour or worse, the colour of harlots and femme fatales!

I say that grey drab days in the UK certainly call for a pick me up in the way of a flash of red on the lips and we should return to daytime glamour. However, it is true that red lips can be more 'high maintenance' than a nude gloss or balm, or a lipstick in a paler shade.
There are several ways to combat this - the first is to not actually use a lipstick! I tend to favour Maybelline's "Superstay 24" duo in Cherry Pie, particularly if I'm going to be eating or drinking a lot. The colour stains and grips your lips, and you can simply keep re-applying the clear topcoat so your lips remain moist. Also if anything is going to rub off on a wine glass or cup it will only be the clear topcoat and won't leave a nasty red smudge.

However, I am an Avon lady and I do love their Extra Lasting in 'Eternal Flame' which is one of the best vintage reds around. Using a matte lipstick like that (and if I go red I only EVER go matte..) means that the colour will stay on. Also, if you follow these tips from Lisa Eldridge it will ensure you have a lasting finish.

Plus, there is a lot to be said for that retro favourite Lipcote which works really well and yes it is still available (along with setting lotion, talcum powder and other seemingly forgotten favourites...) 

The only thing left to do is choose a colour that's right for you and this is why I like AVON so much. Most of their lipsticks can be ordered in sample size for 25p! Also, if you order a full size and then decide you DON'T like it you can actually send it back. Have you ever tried to do that at Boots or Superdrug? They won't take back cosmetics that have been used, but AVON will.

So come have a wonderful Christmas and I hope to see you at the next Cake It On! on January 17th at Crimson Heart, Leonard Street, Shoreditch EC2A 4QS to browse the catalogues, try the samples and order to your hearts content until you find the perfect red for you. 6:30pm onwards - see you there! xox

Cake It On! (AVON Campaign 13)

The Warring 40's!

"I'm not taking these rollers out til my man gets home from The Front.."

In a secret underground bunker (well...Crimson Heart in Shoreditch) we all gathered to learn the secrets of 1940's make-up and eat cakes which we'd made from our saved up and pooled together wartime rations. There were quizzes and competitions for fabulous Avon prizes, such as the one below: Attempting to draw stocking seams on your own legs in a 1940's style!

There were vintage manicures and hints and tips about some of the Avon products such as this. (This has a very naughty titbit of info to go with it so you'll just have to come to the next Cake It On to find out what it is!!)

And in general we just all decided to have fun and be idiots :)

Of course you can try the products when you're here and that's one of the benefits of Avon. Flick through the catalogue and if anything takes your fancy have a look through my vintage cosmetic case and grab yourself a trial size version. If I don't have it I'll order it in for free for you next time.

According to Grazia mag, you get a LOT of satisfaction with 2 pumps and a squirt...!

Cake It On happens once every 3 weeks in Crimson Heart and the next one will be a Marilyn Monroe special to coincide with the 50th anniversary of her death. You can expect fun, games, vintage hints and tips, tutorials for Marilyn's look, prizes, freebies and some of this:

So what are you waiting for?! Keep checking back here for the date of the next event and I hope to see you there xox

'Cake It On!' and Cake Club

Bake, Brew and Blend...
My two main enterprises 'Cake It On!' and The Clandestine Cake Club are meeting at the end of this month in one big cake-y/cosmetic-ky proper make-up bake-up.

This is because of my Avon campaign dates and mental personal schedule all falling around the same time. So while I'm still on this charity ration diet, what better way to pay homage to the women of the era by not only re-creating their recipes but also re-creating their look and having one big Blitz extravaganza! If your'e not a member of Cake Club and want to be then click on the pic below and join the network in general, then look for my Shoreditch group:

www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

And if you want to attend the event you don't HAVE to bring a cake! This is a joint event so you can do either. In fact what I find at a lot of Cake Clubs is that we have soooo much cake left over. We cakey people are sharey people so come along anyway, have a bit of cake and just have fun. There's a war on after all :) xox

Tuesday Tip #7 - Ration Fashion

Mmmm How To Get Edible Stockings...
It's common knowledge that during WWII, many women had to 'Make Do And Mend' and even though my month-long charity ration diet only extends to my food (thank God!) it still gets me thinking about other products, especially toiletries.
During the war, Max Factor stopped making their normal cosmetics and instead made camouflage make-up for troops, Stratton stopped making lipstick casing and instead made munitions casing... I wonder how we'd feel if our favourite mascara was suddenly just unavailable and we had to mix charcoal and Vaseline together to put on our lashes instead?

But the really big one is stockings. Remember, it wasn't only fashionable for women in the 1940's to wear stockings, it was proper. They didn't walk around like women do nowadays with their thongs sticking up over their Juicy Couture tracksuit waistbands or with their skirts so short you could see what they'd had for breakfast... They were more modest. To not wear stockings meant you were half undressed - a bit like like going out in your work-clothes and slippers.
That's why wartime women went to such great lengths to achieve the look of stockings. Initially, with nylon being rationed, a leg-tan cream was produced (by Max Factor). It had the added benefit of being manufactured too thick, so it went even further because it could be watered down by the consumer. Eventually Max factor caught on and thinned it down.
But soon even that was too difficult or expensive to get hold of so women were very industrious and used gravy browning or tea bags to stain the legs, then drew a 'seam' down the back with eyebrow pencil or eyeliner. You could either get a friend to do it or rub the pencil down something long and straight, like a 30cm ruler, and 'press' it into the leg. It seems the gravy browning method was more popular, despite the fact that it used to attract flies in the heat! Also you'd have to wash it off before bed. We all know the biscuity horror smell of 'fake-tan' sheets...imagine if that was gravy?
I also do like the modern interpretation of this, a tattoo of a stocking seam on the back of the legs. 

I'm obsessed with the idea of getting it done, although I won't because it would limit my stocking selections and I'm obsessed with them too. Perhaps I should just draw them on sometimes.... As if I have that kind of patience!!

New Look!

Primark!

It just goes to show the utter determination wartime women had to be seen as feminine and to Keep Calm and Carry On despite all the struggles. Think about how we feel when we have an 'off' day. I can't be bothered doing my hair or putting on make-up sometimes. I'm not sure I'd have the kind of strength to cover my bloody legs in gravy, especially if my fella was off fighting a war somewhere. Jeez, when I don't have a boyfriend I don't even bother to shave my legs!
So this post is for the women - determined, resourceful inventors of the Victory Roll, we salute you xox

Tuesday Tip #4 - Eyeliner

Glamorous 'Retro' Eyeliner
The easiest thing to do to give yourself a little vintage glam is the eyeliner flick which got progressively bigger from the 40's through to the 60's. No matter what other make up you have on your face or what you're wearing, this is a nod to a bygone era which will change you from 'half asleep' to 'hottie' in seconds. 
I wear this look for myself, not because I want men to 'fancy me' but because it's my own little homage to the women of the past and it's the one part of my personality I can get away with displaying at work (more than I can with hair and clothes).

But it's worth noting that the look can really only be achieved with liquid eyeliner that has a brush attachment, or a brush and an eyeliner pot - don't buy those crappy pointy foam wands (like the one below) which are meant to make life easier because they just won't work. It's hard to tell from the pics but this is too rigid...

I bought this one by mistake once when I wanted a brown liquid eyeliner, but I kept it as it does have a use even though it's not it's intended use: I think it's really good to use to put a beauty spot on when you're doing vintage looks like Marilyn or Jean Harlow. Pencil is a bad idea for that - use one of these instead.
Anyway, the liquid eyeliner I use at the moment is a Rimmel one that looks like this...

as it's one I bought ages ago. Now that I'm selling Avon I've ordered an eyeliner brush and Supershock Eyeliner so I'll let you know how I get on with those when they arrive. (I think it'll be better for late 50's looks more than anything, as eyeliner got thicker then) but I'll give it a go so I know whether to recommend it or not. The basic idea is that the bristles are what allow you to 'glide' and create the winged effect, so anything too rigid is just more hassle, not less. Also, take a look at the below pic:

Any Marilyn Monroe tutorial that tells you to use a black liquid eyeliner is totally wrong - she wore a brown pencil! I'm not a pencil eyeliner user (in general) but I've ordered an Avon one, especially because Pixiwoo recommended it (below) and I'm going to show you how to recreate the Marilyn look at the next Cake It On. 

It's soooo interesting the lengths she went to with her make-up, and last time I re-created the process it did make me look quite like her!

Just as a final thought, Pixiwoo are usually really incredible at doing vintage make-up tutorials such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marlene Dietrich so check them out on their YouTube Channel :) See you soon xox

The First Cake It On! Event

April 23rd at Crimson Heart
On a grey and rainy day I found myself tying a bandana around my victory rolls to keep them sheltered from the elements. I carried my white petticoat in a bag lest it should be splashed with dirty puddles and I bolted across Shoreditch with my 'Avon lady' bag in tow!
And I'm so glad I did because despite the horrible weather we had a fantastic turn out and a really great night at Crimson Heart .
The first thing I'd like to do is thank the fabulous Vivien of Holloway for the incredible cupcake print circle dress and aforementioned petticoat which I wore throughout the event, to many 'Oooh!'s and 'Aaah!'s and 'Give me a twirl!'s from the ladies:

http://www.vivienofholloway.com/

And as the girls entered the secret little cafe below the vintage shop above, I played classic tunes from Blue Lu Barker, Connie Francis and ok I'll admit: a bit of Shakin Stevens...

On the menu was CAKE of all kinds - from Mia's sister's signature Ginger Cake to little mini chocolate cupcakes all washed down with lashings of lovely tea - or fresh coffee if you want to be sacreligious ;)  You can also bring a bottle of any alcohol you fancy and pay a minimal corkage fee - and you'll be provided with glasses, ice and even a little umbrella for a retro twist

The aim of the event is to give you a chance to look through the catalogue at your leisure as well as have a chat amongst yourselves and be comfortable. But we all come together for interesting facts about Avon, product demonstrations, games with prizes such as Who's got the Funniest Pin-Up Name? and tips on how to re-create the vintage look.

But the best thing about buying products this way is that you can take a look through the catalogue and if there's something you'd like to try I will purchase a sample size for you for free for next time. That way you can try before you buy at no cost to you :) How many times have you bought a foundation that's turned out to be the wrong shade or a day moisturizer that's just so greasy you can't leave the house for an hour while it sinks in? Well never again with AVON! And the best thing is, Cake It On! happens every 3 weeks - the day after the products are delivered to me - so you will have them to try there and then at the event!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000616104102

This time I also had the fantastic milliner Enola Rose (engrossed in the AVON catalogue, above) selling her beautiful retro bows...Paloma Faith is a fan! And she will be appearing again, as will many other vintage style gurus.

So what are you waiting for? Next Cake It On! is Thursday 17th May so make sure you're there xox

Headscarves

Tuesday Tip (Tried and Tested) #1
Headscarves are your Friends!
I think this is one of the easiest and most effective tips to start with for 'vintage' styling if you're going for that 'Land Girls/Rosie Riveter' look of the 40's or more of a Rockabilly 50's image. It's simply because I'm the laziest person EVER and want to look the part with minimal effort sometimes, especially if I'm going to work. So this is the look I sported to work today (to my boss's usual eye-rolling haha)...

It's only a little one purchased from the lovely Enola Rose Designs, and it's great for work when I want a little bit of eye rolling but not to give people a coronary. (I get away with it a bit more because I work in an old museum and when I look 'vintage' here people just think they've seen a ghost...) But it really is an absolute godsend when you don't have time to style your hair but just want a little nod to times gone by. If you have a bit more time for prettifying then you can do something like this...

...which is really simple yet really effective. Of course there is another reason this is such a great style - it's for the reason they used to do it 'way back when'...to cover your pin curls! I can't tell you the amount of times I've had my curls covered in work all day then gone home and taken them out, ready for a night on the town ;) Similarly, it's much comfier to sleep on when you're letting your pin curls set in overnight. So make friends with a headscarf or bandana immediately and attend my Cake It On! on April 23rd for some great examples by Enola Rose, as well as some demos :) 

'Enola RoseDesigns' on Facebook

Until next time xox