High maintanence?

I heard a passer by the other day make a comment about my appearance. To them I was apparently high maintanence. Which got me thinking:

Is the Vintage look really high maintanence?

guess you could say that the 'Bleached Blonde, tanned babe' is our Fashion opposite, so lets compare:

Lets start of with something small, the nails. My nails are kept filed and painted in the classic 'Dita Von Teese" half moon style. The fashion opposite would be french tips, would you agree? Both styles take time to be painted, and can be just as tricky to the unskilled hand. You can choose false nails, Either gel or acrylic. So I'd say the nails for either style are fairly even as far as labour goes. But which one looks better?

Lets move onto clothing. I think Vintage wins here. Yes I agree that sometimes things are hard to find. But what a great feeling it is when you finally come across the vintage dress or coat you have been after for ages. I think we (when I saw we, I mean us Vintage fiends) pick and choose our garments with a lot more care and thought than our modern day counter parts. Selecting items carefully to what suits us rather than buying up big on the latest fashion, only to find that it doesnt suit your shape or size and are tossing it next year to buy the next latest trend. I often see women in dreadful unflattering clothing, who have only bought it because of the brand name and that 50 million others are wearing the exact same thing. I like the idea that the dress I purchased 2 summers ago is still going to be suitable, attractive and stylish in 5 or even 10 years time and regardless how old I get it will still be appropriate for my age.

Now Lets take a look at Hair and makeup. Going darker is less stress on the hair than bleaching. You dont have to dye it as often or use toning products to stop it looking brassy and as far as styling goes, placing your hair in rollers isnt really that hard compaired to strainghtening. A set of hot roller may set you back $40-70 depending on where you buy them, however a GHD can leave you with an empty purse. Make up - The basic vintage look needs only a few basic items of course you can ellaborate on this just as you could with the 'bleached babe look'

I'm no hater of the bleach blonde looks. I've wore the look for a while and I'd have to say I get far more comments (10-1) from strangers now with the vintage look than I ever did with the bleached look. I understand that this is all an individual thing and some 'looks' are suited to some women and while they may look shocking on others. But as far as high maintanence goes I'd have to say. I work less on my 'Vintage' look than I ever did on the 'bleached' look. In the end as the old saying goes "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" BUT who works harder to get it?

But what do you think? I am intersted in your comments!

The war on fashion

As Australian's commemorate there diggers today on ANZAC day I felt it only right to dedicate this one to the women of the war. As a previous member of the Australian Army & the wife of a Soldier I am far too familiar with the uniform. Now less femine that there vintage counter parts. As it once was described to me as a "ladies Army", Women wore, skirts, stockings, heels, white gloves and lipsticks. This was even as late as the 80's. However the styles for women in todays army have been lost to the unisex parade dress, DCPU cams, and the only thing different to the mess dress is women wear a skirt rather than tailored trousers.

A little history:

A.N.A.S:  (Australian Womens Army Service) performed such tasks as clerks, signallers, drivers, cooks, orderlies, typists, telephonists, mechanics and A.A. crews, these women released soldiers for active service. The A.W.A.S. was disbanded in 1946, the newly formed Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, or W.R.A.A.C., carrying on its splendid tradition.

The Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) was established in April 1951 to help overcome a manpower shortage. During the late 1970s female soldiers began to be integrated into the Army at large and in early 1985, the WRAAC was disbanded. The last Officers' Cadet School parade (6 December 1984) on the WRAAC School parade ground saw the Officer Cadets and the WRAAC Contingent marching to the strains of "Soldiers of the Queen". Prior to the formal closing of the gates the WRAAC School flag was ceremoniously lowered and slow marched "off", to be folded and handed over to the Chief Instructor of the WRAAC School for safe keeping. The gates, which had been repainted for the occasion, were then closed by Major Diane McVicker of the WRAAC School and Mrs Gwen Ellis - sister of Colonel Best.

Product Review: Loreal Excellence Creme

Product Review:

Loreal Excellence Creme
Colour: Black 1

After years of being a brunette I decided to go back to black (pardon the Amy Winehouse pun) I've used a lot of colourants and none of them I was truelly 100% happy with. I've used Loreal before, but not the Excellence Creme range. I had heard a lot of good things about it by others so I gave it a go.

What they state & What I thought:

• It covers 100% greys - I have a family history of greying young, so this was important to me, I dont have a lot of grey, but in my late 20's ive got enough to bother me and want to cover it up. Did it cover the greys, YES it did & quite easily too. I was very impressed.
• The protective serum cares for damaged parts of the hair - It came with a cute little tube of fabulous smelling serum that you apply to your lengths and ends before colouring. Did it work? well it seemed to. The ends of my hair feel like just after its been cut, all soft and smooth. Jusst like a trip to the hairdressers.
• Creme colourant is easly to apply - Yes it was. It came with 2 applicator tips, a thin nozzle and a combe tip. The nozzle was great for the roots & then appling the colourant to the lenghts with the combe applicator made it a breeze. There was absolutly no drips. I didnt cover my shirt durring colouring and I had absolutly no colour on my clothing or anywhere else in the bathroom for that matter.

Other Points:

• The smell was actually quite pleasent, it didn't over power you like some colourants do as soon as you open the bottle. Even after colouring my hair didnt have that 'just coloured' smell.
• Being Black it did stain the skin a little but came off very easily with a light shampoo. Now you can't even tell I coloured my hair this morning.
• The colour is rich and glossy. Im very impressed with the shine. There is no muddiness at all.
• The colour actually matched the packet.
• There was plenty of colourant in there to cover all my hair, which is just above my shoulders. If you have longer hair you will probably need 2 bottles just to be sure

The Score (out of 5)

Colour : 5

Ease of Use: 5
Cover Greys: 5
Smell: 4

Please note:

The opinion expressed here is purely my own. I have not been paid for this review, nor am I affiliated with the Brand. I purchased the product with my own money on my own free will. Sad.. but I had to add this.

Stockings, Pantyhose, Tights or Bare?

Arn't we spoiled for choice these days.  We have stockings that come in: lace top, stay up's, fish nets, back seams, cuban heel, plain nylons and not to mention all the colours. Then there are the pantyhose range that comes in all thicknesses, shapes, lengths, some for medical reasons, varicous veins. There are pantyhose in patterns, all types of colours, some for flatter tummies or sexier legs and not to mention all the tights that are available.

So with all this choice what is the right one to wear?

There are a few basic rules that I follow.

1. Never wear hosiery with sandals or open toe shoes. YUK! this reminds me of some fashion deprived old school teacher. Just don't do it. The exception: If you have a very shear hosiery you may get away with a peep toe heel, However try a back seamed nylon to take the focus away from the toe.
2. Never wear high waisted panty hose with low waist cut garment. again YUK! Can you imagine that, walking around with your hoisery sticking out the top of your pants or skirt.
3. If you are going for sex appeal stick with stockings not pantyhose. No potential lover or partner wants to see your knickers all bunched up underneath. It just isn't sexy. Plus its something about the stockings and garter belts that drive men crazy. Just remember to pair it off with a pair of sexy heels.

4. Don't wear shoes lighter than the colour of your nylons. What a tradgic look, dark nylons with beige shoes, it just doesn't work.
5. Too many patterns is a No No. If your garments have a lot of patterns in them wear a plain pair of hoisery or a patterned nylon with a plain garment. But if you are going to wear patterned nylon's keep your shoes plain too.
6. Fishnets to work, This is just a don't!. It looks trashy, not sexy in the office. You may get away with a very tight fishnet.
7. Finally consider pantyhose to stockings at the office. You don't what to be pulling at, or re-attaching your stockings durring an important meeting with the boss.

Where to get them:

• Secrets in Lace 
• What Katie did
• Bra's N Things
• stockingsonline.com.au
• Razzamatazz or Razzamatazz home
• Voodoo
• Pacific Brands
• Dreamgirl Au
• Fantasy Lingerie
• Instyle Lingerie
• Lingerie Australia

1940's makeup

The 1940's makeup was based on 'Natural Beauties', with a little help of course! It was a soft feminine look and really the easiest to re-create.

The base was made up of a foundation 1 shade darker than the natural skin tone, then a powder applied over the top 1 shade lighter than the skin tone.

Rouge was applied in reds, fushia's and pinks all with pinky undertones. Apply to the apples of your cheeks and blend well.

The eye's were kept fairly neutral in tone, with a small amount of eyeliner applied to the top of the lids, remember to keep the line thin. The eyebrows were manicured to perfect arches, you can use a sharp pencil to define in either brown or black. Most importantly the eyelashes. Apply beautifully thick soft false lashes and then a brown or black mascara over the top for the old-Hollywood glamour look. The day time look the eyelashes were kept fairly natural.

the lips were kept full and soft, colours such as red's, crimson, mustards were popular. The top of the lip was slightly exaggerated.

New blog coming soon

Hi Everybody,

I've been having troubles with my PC. it crashed everytime I went on the Net, so I've got myself a neat little netbook now. So the blogs will be better than ever.

Keep watch there will be a new blog shortly

thanks again for your patients

Dollz n Divaz xxx