So I work at a little clothing boutique downtown, and recently I've been able to dress some of the mannequins. It's tricky sometimes, because I've got these specific styles that I like, but I can only use the things in the store, so sometimes I end up using different accessories or things I didn't expect.
These are two I'm particularly fond of. Steampunk Natasha from last week and Mori-girl Natasha from today (all our mannequins are called Natasha, lol). I'm not sure of all the brands of the items, but I'll share which ones I do know.
My afternoon class is cancelled today, so I feel like doing something pointless and indulgent. And really, what's more pointless and indulgent than couture fashion? Maybe that famous ice cream sundae with gold leaf and gold spoons and imported African vanilla and a half dozen dairy butlers to serve it, but aside from that... not much.
Haute Macabre, one of my favourite favourite blogs, just featured the Christian Dior Fall/Winter 2010 collection (my, they do start early) and it is Truly Lovely. It has a frilly French-countryside-libertine-y feel that I like.
This dress was obviously very happy to make it to Paris Fashion Week.
The dress isn't my favourite of these, but I thought this picture was hilarious, as the model appears to have misplaced both an arm and a leg. No doubt that's a sign of how much the dress costs.
And this outfit would have been bad-ass if the model didn't look so displeased about the end of the runway. No, you can't just walk in that gorgeous coat forever, sorry.
These are just a couple of the looks I liked best. The soft, earthy colour palette is nice for spring, and I like all the ruffles and sleeves on the dresses. And the necklaces! The only thing I'm really not digging are the giant top hats. Maybe it's just my Alice disdain, but those look neither rakish nor elegant, just cartoony.
In other news, spring break was mostly great and I have some things to share from that, and I got some glorious new yarn that deserves a post all its own. Maybe later!
I've been doing a little interwebs window-shopping since the holidays are coming up, and a lot of my favourite spots are breaking new things out. After gathering up some stuff that caught my eye, I realised... it was all grey! Maybe it's the cool weather rolling in or something. Anyway, I thought all grey was a bit drab, so I threw some lovely purple in there to go with. Yea or nay?
Also, I'm really sorry I have to do this, but this song has been stuck in my head for a week, and if I have to walk around hearing it, then so do you. Muahaha!
Y'know, I'll be the first to admit... I'm not much of a Lady Gaga fan. She has a lovely voice and all, but 'not giving a shit about what people think' is not a valid excuse for dressing like a 1980s costume department rejects mannequin accessorised with endangered animals, various Tupperware, Christmas lights, and origami. I'm beginning to think that even she doesn't like what she wears.
Joy and delight burst forth from my mailbox Monday afternoon -- in the form of three mineral eyeshadows from Sweet Libertine cosmetics. This company is a one-woman operation, and I was recently in touch with the one-woman, Sarah, to do a review, and she sent me some samples. I must say, I am impressed!
I picked three colours to try: Thai Silk, Copper Penny, and Statuesque. The small eyeshadow pots cost $5 each (very reasonable!).
I applied the big spots with my finger, and the textures of these dusts are nice and silky, with exceptional coverage. A light-pressure rub across the spots smudged them a little bit, but overall they have good staying power, and the wet-brush-applied smudges didn't move at all.
I love the colours, but I'm just blown away by Thai Silk. I don't usually wear a lot of oranges, but this is such a bright, rich curry-copper that I may not be able to resist. The description for Copper Penny says it has a "touch of shimmer", which actually came out as an orange glitter to my eye. I'll probably stick to using it as a liner. And my first thought about Statuesque was that it looked most similar to the Lime Crime Princess Caraboo, so I did a comparison. In fact, I swatched every green I have. I'm not sure why this picture came out so pale... but there you go.
Top to bottom, left to right: Avon mark Dragonfly and Vintage Khaki, MAC Sprout, Sumptuous Olive, Fiction, and Femme Noir, TKB Lotsa Lime, Sweet Libertine Statuesque, and Lime Crime Princess Caraboo. Do you think I like green eyeshadow or something??
Statuesque on the bottom there is a lighter pine-y green, with golden sparkles, while Princess Caraboo is a darker emerald colour that just has a bright shine.
I did this little number with Thai Silk and Copper Penny. Usually I wear purple when I want the green in my eyes to stand out, but Thai Silk did the trick today. Makeup mavens, forgive me -- I never put liner on my waterline, it bothers my eyes just too damn much.It wore very well today, despite a handful of times I forgot I was wearing it and started to rub my eyes, but you can see how it held up against smudging. A little more on Sweet Libertine... I was sure to ask Sarah if she mixes her own colours. She says that when she first started the company, she did sell some unmixed pigments, but those are currently being phased out in favour of her own blends. I have no doubts that Sweet Libertine will be on the Mineral Makeup Mutiny's list of colour-creators soon -- and with high marks if the dusts I picked are any indication of Sarah's eye for colour. These dusts are also friendly to sensitive skin (my skin is somewhat picky, and I had no irritation issues with these at all), and many of them are also good for vegans -- presence of carmine is noted in the shadow descriptions.
Unrelated, a yarn-plus-eyeshadow combo is officially the most reliable product to offer if one wants to make serious cash off me.GENIUS. I am on pins and needles for the next set to come out.
Would I get Sweet Libertine shadows again? Absolutely. I predict that the eyeshadow colours will be like Pokemon -- gotta catch 'em all.The other colours all have this great vintage palette, deep blues and greens, rich reds and browns -- all very wearable while still making a statement. And there's glitters, blushes, foundations, and pressed shadows to be had, too. Check them out!
Since I posted those pretty crocheted-y bits yesterday, I thought I'd share something I've been making for a little while. It's a scarf. It's gotten much longer since I took that picture, and I've put the fringe on one end. And yes, that IS an accurate picture of the colour (although I'm not sure why it appears to be glowing).This scarf is seriously blue. It's blue-raspberry-slushie blue. Arctic-ocean-tidal-pool blue. Neon-sign-in-Tokyo blue.
It'll be on my Etsy when it's done, if anyone's interested. I've got a half-dozen things finished now, so I can list them without having my shop look too sad and empty.
Also, back on Halloween, I participated in beauty blogger Grey's little scavenger hunt contest, and I won a prize! Woo! I just got it in the mail on Monday... a set of TKB mineral eye dusts and an eyeliner brush! Top: Lotsa Lime. Left-to-right: Sparkle White, Starluster, Travel to Neptune, Hilite Violet, and Diamond Cluster.
I don't use a lot of white and silver glitter on my eyes, but the turquoise- and violet-shifting whites are too pretty not to keep. I may pass silver sparkle Diamond Cluster and bright Sparkle White on. Watch this space! :D
Considering how much I know about couture fashion (read: not much), Alexander McQueen usually impresses me. But I saw this video of his spring 2010 collection and... well, I'll just let you watch it.
"And left, and right, and left, and right, and left..."
"Just one more trip down the runway... NO! Mustn't say 'trip'!"
"I'm starving... I think I'll have a sunflower seed after the show..."
"The legs are your meal ticket... please don't break one..."
"Just don't... look... down..."
And in case you just couldn't get enough of "What the Models Were Thinking", all these ladies will be starring in the upcoming straight-to-VHS horror-fashion special, "The Boobs Have Eyes".
Inspired by the crisp, glorious weather that fall has brought me, at least for a couple of days. I would wear this in a second.
Also, AllSaints has started selling in the US! Right now, their only brick-and-mortar place is in the New York City Bloomingdale's, but at least I could get free shipping if I shop online. Yay for me, woe for wallet! D:
This is the entry I originally had planned for last Friday. I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and let it have today's slot, because it is SO not with my mood today (which is GORGEOUS outside, very cool and sunny). But, I found this photographer's website that I hadn't seen before and just fell for it all utterly. I'm sure I'll fawn over many more of his serieseses in the future.
TCM is playing lots of lovely old movies today, all starring Lillian Gish, for her birthday. It's hard to believe that her film career ran for over 75 years -- from silent films in the 20s right up to 1987!
Happy 115th birthday, Lillian!
The 20s had such a great look. Lightly smoky eyes and those vampy dark lips. Round, young faces, tiny waists, and wavy hair. Loooove ittt.
October's child is born for woe, And life's vicissitudes must know, But lay an opal on her breast, And hope will lull those woes to rest.
It bothers me that a lot of times, while other months get to keep their natural stones, October's is replaced by man-made rose zircon (and December's turquoise is replaced by blue zircon) -- snoozefest! Opal is so much more beautiful. It's bizarrely underappreciated.
Opal trivia:
Ancient Greeks believed that wearing opals granted the abilities of foresight and prophecy. Medieval Europeans thought that opals gave the wearer powers of invisibility. Some people today still believe in the magical properties of opals -- that they promote good eyesight, inner healing, and other mystical benefits.
Black opals are the rarest kind. They are not actually black -- they just have a dark background, with blue, green, purple, or orange fire.
Queen Victoria favoured opals in her jewellery.
Opals were once believed to be bad luck, especially if one who was not born in October wore them.
The Olympic Australis is the largest opal in the world. Although it remains uncut, it is valued at about $2 million.
Opals have always been my favourite stone (with emeralds a close second -- can't get enough of green!). I have an opal pendant that I love to wear, even though it is a man-made, and I used to have a pretty ring, until last year when my apartment was burgled and it was most maliciously pilfered from my jewellery box. I mean to expand my collection of these little lovelies soon -- as an October girl, it would be a shame not to!
These little treasures are actually bookmarks, go figure! Too bad the two pearly ones aren't in a set together, those are my favourites. I think I would have to be reading a very beautiful old book to use them, though.
I am not a poem. I am not a flower. I am a girl. I have a blog, and several sets of long, pointed wooden needles. I can use them both at the same time, but I can't guarantee the results.
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