February Beauty Favourites

I am a fan of make up obviously however I do like to keep my products to a minimum these days and not have boxes overflowing with products. 

This month I have found a few new favourites that I wanted to share in a post now that I have tried and tested them. 

Barry M Lip Scrub £4.99 (Superdrug)

I always thought lip scrub was a bit of a fad however since I have started wearing more liquid lipsticks I decided to try one. Liquid lipsticks can be quite drying by the end of a long day. 

This lip scrub is Mango scented and sugar based. It's not so coarse that it irritates, because the skin on your lips is delicate. This scrub naturally starts to dissolve with a little water and left my lips really soft. 

It contains Vitamin E, Avocado and Jojoba oil to keep your lips moisturised after using it and I have found that it makes a big difference to the performance of my lipstick. The only downside I can find is that you are not supposed to eat this but it taste so nice! 

Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kit £6.99 (Superdrug)

I did a review of Make Up Revolutions lipsticks not long ago but I am sorry to report after initially being really impressed with them the products soon dried out and the wands warped in the bottles. 

I tried one of the Barry M liquid lipsticks a few months ago and now am happy to say they have lasted. This was the first one I bought in a kit with a lip liner as I generally don't use pencils. I am happy  I did as the Barry M lipliners are the traditional more waxy consistency that I prefer. 

The consistency is wetter than other liquid lipsticks when it goes on but this means I am not pulling the skin on my lips in applying it and they dry really fast. I prefer having a few seconds to push the product around so thats one reason I really love these. 

This shade is called "So Chic" and dries to a dark brown tone. I am really into dark lipsticks against my autumn and winter wardrobe. 

Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder £6.99 (Superdrug)  

Baking means something very different in my world but a loose powder is essential for setting my face in the morning. This one by Rimmel is perfect for me because it's not too yellow or pink, it's is a truly neutral for my skin tone. It lasts all day and doesn't clump or gather in fine fines. 

 It's not always the most expensive products that will perform best but finding products that suit your skin and your budget which is most important. 

Until next time 

Lots of love 

Lucy 

xxx

Spring Has Sprung OOTD Post

On Sunday I took myself off to the Pop Up Vintage Fair London at Alexandra Palace. Despite living close by I had never been to Ally Pally so I was dying to go. 

The fair was great, with a mixture of clothes, jewellery and furniture and I will definitely be going again! The weather was so lovely early in the day, so lovely that I rejoiced in being able to go out without a coat.

OOTD 

This dress was actually bought for me by my mum from the St Francis Hospice vintage event that happened in October. It was my gift because I couldn't attend (I was flying off on holiday so I didn't feel too sorry for myself)

It's a lovely 80's shirt dress with a beautiful springtime floral print on a yellow fabric. 

Since I had my hair cut my wet sets come out really short but I piled all my curls to one side to wear this fab hat that my aunt gifted me. 

My Miss Bella's Blooms hair flowers nestled underneath the hat for a really vintage style look. 

This tapestry bag was perfect to pick up all the colours in the print on the dress. 

Hotters of course, this pink pair tied the whole outfit together and are one of my favourites. Comfy enough to stroll around the huge amounts of stalls too! 

These deadstock screwbacks from my haul at Accessories of Old were the perfect pink for this outfit. 

With the pearl buttons on the dress I wore my peal necklace which is actually from Claire's accessories. 

I had such a great time at the fair I cannot wait for the next one. 

On another note when will this damn rain stop, I would love to do some more outfit posts soon, come on spring! 

Until Next Time 

Love

Lucy 

xx 

Spring Has Sprung at Miss Bella's Blooms

I would consider myself quite brand loyal and when I find something I love I can't help but shout it from the rooftops. 

I have reviewed Miss Bella's Blooms twice now which you can read here and here. 

When Miss Bella's Blooms put on their Instagram that they had started making their spring collection I headed straight over to their Etsy shop to take a look As their pieces are so unique I wanted to get first dibs. 

I wanted some pieces that will go with lots of different outfits as I like things that work hard in my wardrobe. 

The beautiful hairflower which also comes with a corsage pin is perfect for the coming spring but would work equally well in autumn with it's slightly burnt orange tones. If you have been reading my blog for a while you'll know I love multi seasonal pieces. 

The detail is as ever brilliant and there is no scrimping on the blooms, they are packed onto the base like a floral explosion.  This was £8.50

Underneath the flowers there are layers of leaves creating this gorgeous contrast. 

This next piece is a peaches and cream tone hair flower with a beautiful mixture of neutral tones. 

There are smaller flowers nestled amongst the larger ones creating detail at every angle, no matter how you wear this it looks great.  This was £7.50.

Miss Bella's Blooms have a great range of flowers on their Easy shop and I have been told that all their newer pieces will be coming with both pins and the hair slide making them totally multifunctional. 

Shipping for both was only £3.70 and as ever came packaged really well so the pieces arrived in perfect condition. 

I can't wait to wear these to some of the vintage events coming up this spring. 

Until Next Time 

Love 

Lucy 

xxx 

In Retro Specs with Specsavers

In the back of our minds most of us know our eyes are important but it can be an area we neglect to get checked, only checking in when we notice a problem. 

As a HR lady I remind people to get their eyes checked in the office but it was my good friend Catherine's experience which you can read all about here that really pushed me to get my eyes tested. 

I booked an appointment at my local Specsavers, you can do this online and it is really easy so there is no excuse, it literally takes seconds. They will send you an email and a helpful text reminder too! 

My experience at Specsavers was very reassuring, first my eyes got photographed by two machines that took images of my inner eyes and these were sent through to the optician in minutes. Before I knew it I was sat in front of a screen reading D...T...F...K... 

The optician was the first in all my eye tests to explain without jargon what my prescription means, that it is very slight but as I work in front of a screen all day I should be aware of it and limiting the strain on my eyes. 

She also said I have very good veins which I took as a compliment! 

Choosing my glasses was best part and as Specsavers had a deal on I could get two pairs at the cost of £69.00 or more for the price of one. 

The first pair I chose was this slight cat eye frame, I'll probably use these more for the office as they are very smart. 

I love the subtle frame on these, adding just a hit of colour. 

The arms of these are a mottled design with some flame red hints, they are just interesting enough for me but will coordinate with most things which is what I want in a daily pair of glasses. 

For my second pair I chose a more defined black frame with a white rim, these are bolder but still classic too. 

I love how the white edge makes the winged shape, it's really eye-catching. 

The price tag also includes the lenses, I love the one price up front approach. Specsavers also do a range from £25.00 and even with a smaller budget you can still get something classic and stylish. 

In total including the sight test I spent £109 on my new glasses. Glasses might feel like an expense but your eye health is worth it and if you are going to wear them everyday you should wear ones you love. 

For anyone needing some style inspiration for eyewear visit their hub here: https://www.specsavers.co.uk/loveglasses

Until next time 

Love 

Lucy 

xxx

Accessories of Old - Haul Post

Some in the vintage community, especially those in London, might know of the treasure trove that is Accessories of Old. 

The unassuming storage container in Fulham is packed to the brim of vintage dead stock accessories. 

They only have sales very occasionally and this weekend they hosted a three day event starting on Friday. 

I headed down there on Friday morning, so good is this sale that is was worth booking a half day off work for! 

Here is a little look at all the things I got...

Brooches 

Spring and Easter are on their way (I hope!) and this cute little basket will look great with some spring florals and pastel outfits. 

I love this unusual plastic brooch with white butterfly, it's in perfect condition. 

Lockets are a favourite of mine as are dangle brooches so this picture book locket pin was a no brainer for me! 

This little stag is made out of plastic and has lovely intricate details. 

I love autumn and this harvest brooch is the perfect colours for my autumnal coloured clothes. 

I love reverse carved lucite and this brooch has such bright colours but I also love the white surround that made it even more eye catching. 

I am not much of a royalist but this brooch with it's unicorn representing Scotland and the lion representing England caught my eye. 

This bamboo style brooch is a bit special, I have a smaller orange one like this but this is a larger version that I found tucked away in a corner of a box. 

This leaf brooch is mock mother of peal and a perfect addition to my collection. 

Another unusual dangle brooch, I love windmills and the little clogs make it really special. 

Hats are an essential part of my vintage life. A hat brooch was an obvious choice for me! 

These two medal brooches will make great collar clips, I like the fact that they are a little different from each other but would wear them together. 

I couldn't resist this little accordion, I know an accordion player and bought her a brooch recently but I might keep this one. 

Collar Clips 

I adore horses and this was too good to pass up, It will look great being showcased on a white collar or on a cardigan. 

Earrings 

Fruit is a big thing in vintage jewellery and these perfect condition tutti fruity earrings had to come home with me. 

These earrings are screw backs and will be perfect with some of my 60's style dresses many of which are pink for some reason. 

I loved these more atomic style earrings that are very light weight, they had these in lots of colours. 

Necklace 

This necklace is another locket, I love the romanticism of it, I must find some photos to put inside. 

Bag Handle 

I was thrilled to find this, a colleague of mine is going to show me how to crochet and I want to make a white bag to go on this. Hopefully I can have it ready by the time we go to Twinwood. 

Dress Clips 

I was happy to find two matching dress clips and in dark green too, these are plastic and I have a pink 1940's dress with a green pattern that these will go perfectly with! 

Gloves

To find gloves in such beautiful condition, unused, and in my size is almost too good to be true. 

My Haul

The sale was very well organised and we were given rubber gloves to dig through all the treasure, 15 suitcases full in total. 

You can follow them on Instagram @accessoriesofold1

I hope you enjoyed this peek at my haul. 

Until next time 

Love 

Lucy 

xxx