Happy Birthday, Marilyn Monroe!

"Marilyn is as near a genius as any actress I ever knew. She is an artist beyond artistry. She is the most completely realized and authentic film actress since Garbo. She has that same unfathomable mysteriousness. She is pure cinema.” 

- Joshua Logan, director of Bus Stop (1956)

Until next time,

All "Set"! or How I Pin Curl My Hair

Hello, darlings!

Today I am going to show you a quick pictorial/tutorial on how I set my hair to get that beautiful 1940s/1950s vintage style.

Part Three of the A Lady's Charm Series will be posted tomorrow, as I have been doing quite a bit of research on it!

Anyway, on to the tutorial!

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Introduction

If you're new to the vintage scene, and want to go the whole nine with makeup, hair, etc., you really should learn how to create pin curls. The way they fall and mold the hair is like no other set or style out there, and really makes one feel "finished" as far as getting ready is concerned. 

It does take some time to master, and luckily, living in the age that we do, there are scores of YouTube tutorials and books available to use as teaching aids. 

LisaFreemontStreet and CherryDollface are two gals on YouTube that I've found to be most helpful. And though I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, I've heard Lauren Rennells' book Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Hairstyles with Step-By-Step Techniques is a wealth of information as well.

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To Use a Setting Pattern or To Not Use A Setting Pattern?

Setting patterns and their use are up to you! They are notoriously difficult to do on oneself, and if you're new to pin curling, they can be quite frustrating! It's best to not follow any specific pattern, especially for beginners, and just find what works for you.

Also, such precise setting patterns were mostly used by hairdressers of the period.

Setting your hair is not about being perfect, and as LisaFreemontStreet says, it's all about being happy with the style in the end. And if you're not, that's okay too, just each time you pin curl, try to get better at it. 

However, if you want to recreate a specific style from an actress -- Hedy Lamarr or Rita Hayworth, for example, then you will need to use a setting pattern, as their styles have a specific set in order to get the hair to mold and lay as theirs did. 

I myself do not use a setting pattern, and it took me six months to a year to find a set I could master and was pleased with the result. 

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Tools

To create a pin curl set, you will need the following:

- A rat tail comb for sectioning and parting

- Metal pin curl clips or bobby pins to secure curls

- Some sort of mousse or setting lotion 

  (Like Lay-Rite Grooming Spray or Motions Foaming Wrap Lotion, or you can make your own.)

- Your hands

- A nylon, chiffon or silk scarf to protect your set while sleeping

Optional: a small barreled curling iron (mine is 1/4")

Note

A pin curl set will be easiest to mold on day-old hair. It can be done on freshly washed hair, but your hair will thus be softer and may not be as willing to cooperate. 

Setting one's hair is also ideally done at night and slept on, as the set needs to be left in at least 12 hours to really take hold. 

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When I do what's referred to as the "wash and set", I begin by washing and prepping my hair. I use Pureology shampoo for color treated hair, and rinse with warm water. After, I apply apple cider vinegar from roots to tip as a rinse to help minimize frizz. The smell isn't too pungent, I find, and does not strip out my color. I let that sit for 30 seconds, and rinse that out with warm water. Finally, I apply a style starting conditioner by John Freida, and leave that on for about 30 seconds as well, and rinse, this time with cold water to boost shine.

Post shower, I gently towel dry my hair by squeezing the water out of it, not rubbing. Once my hair is no longer dripping, I use a wide toothed comb to untangle it, then apply a L'Oreal mousse from roots to ends (bangs included), and run the wide toothed comb through again to distribute.

Then I let my hair air dry completely, and set my curling iron on to heat up, which takes about 20-25 minutes to get it really hot.

I realize that I probably should mist my hair with some sort of heat protectant, but I do not have the budget at present for that, and use things I already have, so I just heat style my hair without it for now.

Once the curling iron is ready, I take the rat tail comb and create a deep side part on the right side of my head. Once that's smoothed, I separate out 1/4" equal sections of hair and make sure each section is free of knots or tangles, and curl them, allowing them to cool slightly.

I then mist the ends with my own version of a setting lotion - a mixture of two parts water to one part curl shaping cream, and using two fingers on my right hand to wrap each curl, and rolling downward with my left hand, I roll the top lock on the heavy side of my part into four standing pin curls, or pin curls that stand up from the scalp. Standing pin curls create volume, and look something like this:

The sides and back of my hair are sectioned, curled and rolled in the same fashion: around two fingers on the right hand and rolled downwards toward the scalp with the left hand, and misted on the ends with setting lotion.

However, these pin curls are flat, meaning they do not stand up from the scalp, and look like so:

(Side view, the curls above the ones nearest to my ear are side views of the standing pin curls mentioned earlier.)

(The back view. I ran out of pin curl clips - oops! - so I secured the remaining curls with a single bobby pin.)

If sectioned properly, you should have room to curl your entire head without running out of space. As I said before, I take 1/4" equal sections to make my curls, and including the four stand up ones, that equates to approximately twenty-one curls for my entire head, in rows of three to four, excepting the top and sides, which are smaller rows of two.

The curls, when rolled, should be entirely smooth and not twisted or bent in any way, as it will result in a curl with a kinked appearance.

Once all the curls have been placed, I mist my entire head very lightly with a bit more of the setting lotion, and leave it to dry for 12 hours or so, and brush out. 

When you are setting your pin curls the night before, it is wise to tie a nylon, chiffon or silk scarf around your curls loosely to protect them while you sleep. Cherry Dollface shows you how to tie a scarf around your curls in her wet set video. (The scarf tying portion begins at 12:37).

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The brush out tutorial will come this weekend!

Until next time, 

Honoring our servicemen and women - "Over There" and at home!

Johnny get your gun, get your gun, get your gun

Take it on the run, on the run, on the run

Hear them calling you and me

Every son of liberty

Hurry right away, no delay, go today

Make your daddy glad to have had such a lad

Tell your sweetheart not to pine

To be proud her boy's in line.

Over there, over there

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming

The drums are rum-tumming everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over there, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over over there.

Over there.

Johnny get your gun, get your gun, get your gun

Johnny show the Hun you're a son of a gun

Hoist the flag and let her fly

Yankee Doodle do or die

Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit

Yankees to the ranks from the towns and the tanks

Make your mother proud of you

And the old Red White and Blue.

Over there, over there

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming

The drums are rum-tumming everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over there, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over over there.

Over there.

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Until next time, 

Vintage Gal On A Budget

Hello, darlings!

In today's rough economic times, we are all trying to look for the best buy for our money. We are often not able to splurge on the comforts we were once able to. Makeup is no exception. 

In order to compete with their high-end counterparts at Sephora and department store beauty counters, and to appeal to the value-conscious consumer, drugstore beauty brands like Rimmel London and Maybelline New York are rolling out their own lines of primers, liners, setting powders, long wear lipsticks and other items only previously available in more affluent locations.

Do they pass the test? Read on to find out!

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in Shade 002

Rating: 4 stars (out of a possible 5)

Cost: $7.29 (at Rite Aid)

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This spring, Rimmel London introduced a new line of primers and foundations that promise a smooth, matte finish. The foundation line, called Stay Matte, ties into their face primer line, called Fix & Perfect.

The product promises 5-in-1 results, claiming to smooth, resurface, brighten, mattify, and protect.

The primer itself is of a creamy, white consistency, and has a smell similar to Pond's Cold Cream, which is a light, nearly floral scent.  It glides on beautifully and evenly with very little effort.

Freshly applied.

Several hours later.

It's stayed on flawlessly since 11am (it's now 1:30am), and does everything it promises, with one small exception. I noticed no difference in the brightness of my complexion. But it did provide a smooth surface for my foundation, filled in pores, and kept my quite oily face free of shine for the better part of the day.

As for protection, the true test of that will come this summer!

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Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in Shade 024: Red Diva

Rating: 3 stars

Cost: $6.49 (at Rite Aid)

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This lipliner is offered as part of the Exaggerate line.  One pro I found is that it is a twist up pen, thus, no sharpening involved. The product itself is slanted, dispensed from an also slanted opening. 

Red Diva is a rich, warm red shade with good color payoff.

In the picture from the face primer review, I'm wearing it with Revlon's "Love That Red" over the top, but here it is swatched:

When I first tried to apply it, I twisted it up a fair amount - not too high - in order to both line and fill in my lips before lipstick.  To my surprise, it kept breaking! I wasn't pressing especially hard, in fact, I'd say I was using a light hand. 

I consulted Makeup Alley and similar for reviews, to see if others encountered the breakage issue, and they did.  In later uses, I found you have to twist it up only by the littlest bit, and apply gently. 

In all seriousness ladies, go low and slow with this one, otherwise you'll end up with a red streaked mess all over your bathroom sink. 

Another thing about it I found irksome is the amount of product in the tube. The packaging says it contains 0.25 grams. As stated earlier, I like to line and fill in my lips before applying lipcolor. With that usage, I've gone through the tube in a week and a half.

This liner also has an off-putting chemical smell. It might not bother some, but I found it most unpleasant. 

In closing, Rimmel, please, work on strengthening the formula on this product, and perhaps include more of it. And maybe give it some sort of unobtrusive scent, or none at all?

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Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

Rating: 1 star

Cost: $3.99 (at Rite Aid)

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Oh dear, oh my...

This product is also a part of Rimmel's Exaggerate line, and it claims to brighten eyeshadow, maximize wear, and even make it waterproof. 

Well, these claims are all washed up. 

I didn't mind the doe foot applicator, but what did bother me was the chunky glob of product dispensed on the end of the wand. 

In my opinion, the way the product dispenses will have you wasting a decent amount of it over time. 

I also didn't mind the white color, and when first applied to the skin has a pearly sheen, which could be pretty if it didn't disappear entirely after working with it to smooth it on. 

Product first applied onto skin. 

The feel of this primer is very thin and greasy.  To be fair, I'm used to the consistency of Too Faced Shadow Insurance, which is a  far thicker, flesh toned cream. 

To apply, I dabbed it on my eyelid, then used my fingertip to smooth. The silicone base of this primer caused it to slip and slide on my skin, and seemed wet to the touch. I didn't feel too confident about its staying power by this alone.

As I said earlier, the pearly sheen disappears in minutes after application. I also found the finish to look somewhat chalky on my very pale complexion. 

The packaging recommends you let the primer dry after application, and I did just that.

Then, the real trouble began. 

I have somewhat oily eyelids, and this product already began to crease before putting on any shadow! I had to work quickly to re-smooth.

Eyeshadow applied on top of this actually reduces the color payoff of the shadow, regardless if it's high end, low end, or in between.  I had to pack on the color with my brush in order to get it to show up at all. After that, I noticed that some of the primer and shadow had crumbled into little balls on the sides of my eyelids.  

Afterward, I went about the business of part of my day. I checked on my makeup in about an hour and a half to two hours, and my shadow was completely creased.  The dregs of my Too Faced Shadow Insurance, or a thin layer of Kat Von D concealer hold eyeshadow on longer by comparison. 

In short, if you have oily eyelids or do not like the consistency of silicone based primers, stay far away from this one. Perhaps those without oily eyelids have better luck. 

I have since purchased a different product -  Revlon's PhotoReady Eye Primer and Brightener. Hopefully that will yield a better result. 

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Maybelline New York Super Stay 24 Color in Shade 025: Keep Up The Flame

Rating: 1 star

Cost: $9.99 (at CVS)

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As I have mentioned, my wedding is coming up in November.  Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to find a reasonably priced, long wearing red lipstick for the occasion.  I saw this lipstick mentioned on Tumblr and decided to give it a try. 

However, it gets the kiss off!

This lipstick boasts up to 24-hour wear, and removal with an oil-based makeup remover, and both of these claims fell flat. 

I was initially not impressed by their selection of reds. Keep Up The Flame is the only one without any sort of glitter-like shimmer or sheen to it.  

My style stays true to mid-century vintage, and while there was sheen in lip color then, it was not at all glittery.

I found out later that there was a shade of this product called Everlasting Ruby, which would have been more my speed, but it has been unfortunately discontinued. 

The tube has two ends: one for the liquid color (left), and the other, a clear balm which seals that color once dried (right).

The applicator for the lipstick is a doe foot, and again, it dispenses a massive glob of product right on the end.  I actually wiped some off of the wand a bit in order to prevent clown mouth.

In further research, reviewers advised to let the color portion of the product dry for a couple minutes before applying the clear balm on the other end.  I applied the lipstick on my lips, including the corners. As it dried, it started to feel very gummy and sticky, especially in the corners. I didn't much care for that, but thought the clear balm might help. It did, but by a minuscule amount.

After the balm was applied, I noticed that some of the lipstick came away with it, like so:

Let it be said  that the color payoff is very pigmented and rich, that is, if you don't eat anything. 

I decided to give this lipcolor a true test - eating a hot dog with just a bit of mustard.  Post meal, there was no sign of it marking my chin as some lipsticks tend to do, but what remained was quite awful. 

The corners had bled and feathered onto my skin, and most of the product had worn off the center of my lips completely, leaving a silly looking red line at the perimeter of my lips. Where the product remained was chunky, or had pilled off into little balls. Yuck!

This is another where you don't get much bang for your buck as far as amount of product for price is concerned. For $10, this is the amount of lipstick in the tube:

So, back to the drawing board! I may eventually splurge and get Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet (which is currently out of stock and has been for a couple of months) or find a decently priced lip stain that is comparable, as the Velvetines are rather expensive, priced at $20, minus shipping. 

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This next product is a break from the drugstore hit parade, and is technically high end, but I've found a way to keep it affordable!

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Shade 01: Black

Rating: 5 stars

Cost: $7.97 (minus shipping)  for a pack of three travel sized tubes, Amazon.com

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This mascara is cream of the crop! I love mascaras that give rich pigment and do what they promise, and Estee Lauder delivers on both!

I received this mascara a while ago in travel size as part of a set with a full sized shimmer lipstick at Christmastime, when the perfume counters give all kinds of little goodies of that sort along with the fragrances.

It has a standard multi-fibered wand (not one of those poky ball applicators as seen in recent years).

The color is a rich black that dries quickly and doesn't smear. It provides gorgeous definition of the lashes with minimal to no clumping, and does volumize. 

(Please excuse my eyebrows, teehee!)

In researching on Google, I wasn't able to find any trace of it on any American websites, other than Amazon for the price and size listed above.  This is where your most cost effective means end. Amazon also sells a full size tube for $18-$21 (minus shipping),  Estee Lauder's UK website sells it for £20.50 for 6 milliliters and £34.17 for 10 milliliters. (That's $34.50 for 6 milliliters, and $57.51 for 10 milliliters, respectively.) Nordstrom also carries it full size for $24. In keeping with a budget, I fully recommend getting the travel sizes. To me, the longevity and payoff is the same. 

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I truly hope this helped some of you cost-minded lovelies out there! It's tough to find a product for a low price that works well, and makeup is definitely in the "you get what you pay for" category!

Next post, I shall continue the popular "A Lady's Charm" series! The third installment will cover mid-century dating and general etiquette, versus that of today!

Until next time, 

Outfit of the Day: Deep Purple

When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls

And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky—

In the mist of a memory you wander back to me

Breathing my name with a sigh...

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Hello, darlings!

Today's outfit incorporates one of my favorite vintage dresses - a purple and tan calico sprinkled with darling little flowers! It was an Etsy find from three years ago, and is handmade - with no tag inside indicating a maker - circa 1970s.

To make it less hippie and a bit more World War II, I paired it with a black cotton cardigan from Burlington Coat Factory, sheer black stockings, black ballet flats, and gold accessories.

The heart locket necklace is Lucky Brand, gold knot earrings are vintage as well.

Lastly, what really completed the look was my hair. I styled a day old pincurl set into a tucked under chignon, and added gold flowers behind my ears (the same ones worn with my Betty Grable updo from April). 

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Before I depart, I would like to apologize for the sporadic postings as of late.  I am in the midst of planning my November wedding, as I have previously stated, and that has eaten up a lot of my time.  Things are finally starting to come together, though! 

My next post, called Vintage Gal on a Budget, will be product reviews of the following items:

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in Shade 002

Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in Shade 024: Red Diva

Maybelline New York Super Stay 24 Color in Shade 025: Keep Up The Flame

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Shade 01: Black

I will include pictures of these products when first applied and after a few hours' wear, as well as their packaging. 

Until next time,