Bargain Booty.

A couple of weeks ago - the 16th February to be exact, the same day as the aforementioned Speakeasy - I went along to a vintage kilo sale in Liverpool, ran by Little Red Vintage of Bold Street. If you don't know what a kilo sale is it's basically a first come, first served basis and is a way of vintage shops to shift lots of stock quickly; you find garments you like, and you pay for them by the weight, this time £15 per kilo. Now, I must admit Little Red Vintage isn't my favourite vintage shop in Liverpool as I sometimes wonder if I've accidentally wandered into the wardrobe department of Midsomer Murders c.1997, but I was pleasantly surprised at the array of items available. Naturally, you're not going to find a mint condition 1930s ball gown at one of these events but there are plenty of later items along the lines of 'the 1980s does the 1950s' with most of the stock coming from the 1980s to the present. I did find a 1960s wedding dress, but as I have no purpose for one, and it definitely weighed over a kilo, I put it back - sadly onto a large pile which was going to end up on the floor, sob!

Enough rambling about the event, what did I get?! In total I got four items, one of which doesn't fit me so I'll be selling that on some how, and my total spend came to £10.80! Bargain!

(Apologies for not modelling these - I'm having a frump day with messy hair, no make up and nasty nails)

A little out of character for me, I spotted this 1970s (I think...correct me if I'm wrong) crop top. Initially I thought of it as a birthday present for my sister, but then I tried it on...why yes, this would look lovely with a pair of high waisted denim shorts! As soon as the weather is warm enough I'll be throwing this on for a night out!

This really is one of those items of clothing that looks disgusting on the hanger but trust me folks, this is a really nice playsuit. As a tall girl I find it hard to fit my long body into playsuits but this one doesn't cut me in half. It's green rose pattern on black give it a bit of a psychobilly edge, and the little wrap-over tie nips it in at the waist making it much more fitted.

Right, so...this looks really creased (and it is!) but when I put it on the creases do stretch out. I'm a bit scared of ironing it because the material feels really delicate, and I have tried everything from using the hair dryer on it to putting it in the bathroom when I shower to steam out the creases but alas, nothing is working. This dress is a little tight in the ol' chesticle department - everything is on me! - but it does look fabulous when it's on. I love the detail in the skirt, and the layering hugs the hips whilst not clinging to the tummy.

Finally the item I'll be selling on. This photo is cunningly deceptive into making you think that it is a shapely pencil skirt, but actually it's a frumpy wrap-around (this seems to be the theme of my purchases) skirt that is too tight at my waist but too loose at the bottom. But it probably cost me 50p so I'm not exactly complaining!

And that's it! I did find some bargains so I'll be looking out for another event like this in the future  but I'll save up my energy for the furious foraging that it requires!

Goodbye Money.

I feel I say this every year, but yes, Miss L Fire have released their Spring/Summer 2013 range. And yes, I want them all.

Again, the shoes look absolutely fabulous. The 'L' range are bright and colourful - beyond perfect for summer - and the regular range fills that space between shoes to wear to work and shoes to wear out, all with a lovely little vintage heel so you aren't falling over after one too many martinis!

If work wasn't so messy these would be perfect! Kon Tiki - £56.99

Again, would be ace at work - Mexicali - £56.99

It's a top up between the blue and red ones for me!  Sailor - £64.99

Love the height of the heel on these, perfect for us tall gals! Flora - £104.99

These come in black, red, green and blue, and I will take a pair of each! Tease - £109.99

Those are my favourites, have you chosen your's?

ps: I am accepting donations. Thanks.

Shhh! It's a Speakeasy!

Nearly two weeks after the event, I'm reporting back to you on the recent Speakeasy. Better late than never they say, and I was waiting for the professional photos to be published before sharing everything with you.

I had been looking forward to this night for months, literally months. It's very rare for me to find an event in Liverpool that I know that I am sure to enjoy, what with me not really enjoying modern music that much, and tending to dress a little...obscurely! This event had a lot riding on it's shoulders with my expectations so high, but, by heck, did it live up to it!

Our predrinks were spent with the company of Glenn Miller in the background and gin in the glass. Bliss! Easily the most I've enjoyed a predrinks in a long time!

Look! A proper polaroid!

The event ran from 9pm until just after 3am - there was a dance class before but tickets for that went in a flash! We arrived a little after ten thirty, fashionably late, and the venue was already filling up. The Kazimer is built like an old theatre with the seating removed, so there is a stage, a large dance floor where the stalls should be, and stair ways up to the balcony. The balcony is where the absinthe bar is situated, and this is where we headed first...

On the other wing of the balcony is the set up for their regular themed photo shoot. It's been mug shots, picture frames and this time, poker tables!

First on was The Fire Beneath The Sea, band whose Facebook describe them as 'progressive rap' - not really sure what that means but they were good! I can't really describe what they sounded like but they got the party going for the main act. Riot Jazz. Riot Jazz were sublime. A nine-piece jazz band who mix traditional style brass jazz with rapping lyrics. If you like that sort of jazz fusion thing on a night out - you know what I mean, jazz that you don't have to know how to Charleston, Lindyhop and Foxtrot too - I'd definitely try and get to see them!

Fire Beneath The Sea

Riot Jazz

So yes, after many an absinthe (Hemingway's Dream is definitely up there in my top ten off-the-menu cocktails) we left, hair waves slipping and kohl liner smudging, with aching feet.

The next Speakeasy is on the 27th April - I might not be able to make it because of university deadlines but hopefully the next one will be inked into my diary!

Seventy Four Year Old Time Capsule.

Scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard this morning I came across one of my favourite posts ever. Now, I must admit, I do not know the source of this amazing information, or the photos that accompany it, but it was just too good not to share with you.

In 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Mme De Florian locked the doors of her Parisian apartment for the last time...and never came back. What she left behind her was a snap shot of time, portraying the life of a citizen of the Pigalle quarter just before a world changing event. The apartment was rediscovered after Mme De Florian's death some seventy years later, by her descendants, who described the discovery as if they were "stumbling into the castle of sleeping beauty".

The last photo is a painting of Mme De Florian's grandmother, the famous Parisian actress Marthe De Florian. Marthe was a lover of the artist, Giovanni Boldini, and their love letters were also found, tied with ribbon, in the apartment!

What a find! I can hardly imagine, if I left my house for seventy years, it would be this glamorous!

Roxie Reviews: MAC's Veluxe Brow Liner

As you all know I am some what of a MAC obsessive (this has not been aided by the recent addition of a second, yes second, store in Liverpool). I used to use their other eye brow pencil in 'linger', but I found, although the colour was perfect, it ran out far too quickly - not something I want for a product that retails at £12.50! I switched to using their eye shadow in 'courduroy' but it never gave me the look I wanted. So, you can only imagine my glee when I went into the MAC store to enquire about stuff in general that I was told about their new Veluxe Brow Liner that was coming out the very next day! Yippee!

The website says...

The artist's pencil of perfection. It fills, shapes and defines with a rich powdery formula that's matte and velvety smooth.

I really couldn't put it better myself. It has a glorious chalky texture that does not feel heavy on the  face but the powder sticks to the hairs all day, so you can rub away and your brows slide down your face. This light powder texture also means that it lasts forever! I have been using it every day for the past ten days and I haven't needed to sharpen it and the point is still pretty decent. It's really worth the £15 it retails for because I can see it lasting me a long time.

Unsharpened point still looking good!

As it says above the Veluxe Brow Liner is supposed to fill and shape the brow; I am currently suffering from patchy eyebrow syndrome (I don't know how, they're just atrociously wild and untameable at the moment) so this was a big plus for me. My left eyebrow is especially disobedient, veering dangerously towards looking like a tadpole, but using the pencil filled it in whilst still looking like it was hair there, rather than product.  This is also helped by the addition of a nifty little mascara wand style brush at the other end of the pencil to calm down the stray hairs into a workable shape before pencilling in your brows! Well done, MAC!

Nifty little brush - apologies for slight gunk!

I got the shade 'brunette' - apparently my natural hair colour is more brunette than blonde *shudders* - but the blonde would have suited me just as well. I chose brunette because I like that bold brow look, although I do have to be careful I don't leave the house with a so-called Scousebrow. Although the colour suited me, I can imagine this would be the main issue for other people out there. The website is cleverly deceiving in their swatches - the products themselves are actually all very similar in colour, except from the black. If you are fair haired or a red head, this product probably isn't for you as the colour might be too contrasting - that is if you are going for the natural look that is. 

Personally, I think this product is amazing - it is everything I look for in an eyebrow product, but I can see it's flaws for other people so because of that I give it...

4.5/5