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

Same Old Story.

Ahh it's that time of year again. Along with New Year's Eve, I genuinely dread Valentine's Day. I try to make myself feel positive about it every year, but there is no escaping the loneliness. Sob sob. Yet again, I am single this year - I've just come to accept that - and so won't be receiving any cards, kisses or fine dining. Instead I'll have a nice hot shower, put on clean pj's and crack open a bottle of wine - I'll just love me instead.

Fully what I expect to look like tonight

That's enough of my Valentine's sob story - you've heard it all before anyway - so I thought I'd just share with you some stunning vintage Valentine's beauties instead.

Vintage Vegetarianism.

Frequent and long standing readers of this 'ere ramblings might remember that last year I gave up meat for lent. Well, I've done the same again this year. It's day one, I'm ill and there is left over chicken pizza in the fridge - it's torture! Anyway, onto the purpose of this post...

I've decided to do a bit more research into vegetarianism this year, and try to expand my food palette from veggie sausages (they are delicious though) and bland risottos. With a little tap into Google I've discovered a whole world of vintage vegetarian recipes! The best seem to come from the website called 'Vintage Recipes' (Imaginative, I know) although some digging has revealed quite a few have meat in, naughty naughty! They date from 1672 (how to boil samphire, and how to fry pompion - whatever that is!) to the 1920s. A lot of these recipes appear to be just how to prepare and cook vegetables, hardly enough for an entire meal! I will attempt to recreate some of them though, and share with you my successes - or failures!

Glancing down the list these seem to be my favourites:

Brighton Stew (1892) - a haricot bean based stew, yum yum yum!

Croquettes of Salsify and Celeriac (1898) - Although apparently I need a fire for this, gas hob will probably do!

Flan of Vegetables (no date) - This sounds like a good one hot for dinner and then cold for lunch

German Lentil Curry (1915) - Sounds like a dhal curry to me, not sure if I have to use German lentils (what are they?), so might substitute for chickpeas instead.

Legume Loaf (1918) - This is from the book 'Foods That Will Win The War & How To Cook Them' and sounds like a nice, nutty bread.

Minestra (1915) - Vegetabley, ricey dish mmm

Nut and Pepper Croquettes (1920) - I'm sensing a croquettey kinda Lent

Savoury Pie (1915) - Another beany, eggy recipe

I managed it last year, I'm sure I'll do it this year! What are you giving up/taking up for Lent? Do you have any favourite vegetarian dishes?