Additions to the closet...

Hello, darlings!

In perusing Modcloth, I came upon a most adorable find. The "Upper West Stride" hat. It's a beautiful red color, one-hundred percent wool, with a charming bow and black netting detail:

I purchased it as I have a short red swing coat from Old Navy, also wool, that is precisely this shade, and I do love to match!

It will arrive in about a week, so expect a review then!

Until next time,

Outfit of the Day: Pink Lace and Angora!

Hello, darlings!

This is going to be a weekly feature here on Quaintrelle Mademoiselle, where I show you a peek inside my closet!

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New Years' week, I was very lucky to receive a most treasured gift from my mother. A baby pink, wool and angora beret that belonged to my great grandmother in the late 1950s! The milliner is Belmar, from Italy.

It sat neatly in its protective box for a while, as I had no idea what to team it with. Until this week.

It's been frigidly cold here in the northeastern United States, so layering has been key. I took a rosy pink lace tank dress from Forever 21, wore nude stockings underneath, and over it a fluffy black jacket from H&M that was a birthday gift last month.

Something was missing from this sweet outfit, though. I picked up the hat and put it with everything else. It was exactly the finishing touch I needed! It fits snugly on my head, and is so Jackie Kennedy.

I also tried out Revlon's Love That Red for the first time, and I do indeed love it! It's got the same creamy formula, and a brilliant red sheen like mid-1940s Lauren Bacall! Adore!

Until next time,

"When in doubt, wear red!"

Hello, darlings!

In light of a recent makeup shopping trip, it brought to mind an interesting idea for a post. For all you vintage loving gals and modern pinups, what are your favorite, tried and true red lipsticks? 

Feel free to leave a comment to this post if you wish! 

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I love anything that stands the test of time, and you can't go wrong with shades that have continued to be made for some sixty years!

Revlon has a beautiful array of reds that I adore:

My signature shade is Certainly Red (fourth from top), which debuted in 1951. It is a smooth, richly pigmented creamy formula that requires only minimal touch-up throughout the day. 

The lipstick is best worn with a lip liner underneath (red or flesh colored, whichever you choose!) and set with a dusting of translucent powder.Also, it's best to apply these beauties with a lip brush as opposed to direct from the tube. You'll get more precision and control, plus, more pigment on your lips.

In my travels, the store was out of Certainly Red (!!) so I purchased two others I've been meaning to try: Love That Red, also from 1951, and Fire and Ice from 1952.

I will let you know how they pan out in the next couple of days!

A modern red I also love is Hellbent from Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick line. Say what you will about her as a person, but her array of colors are sassy, bright, and off the beaten path, to be sure!

Hellbent is a very pigmented blood red shade. Definitely use the combination of lip liner, lip brush and translucent powder to set this, because it has a tendency to stain a lot of what it touches, and you don't want that all over your skin!

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Truth be told, I am quite attached to my Revlon red. Additionally, I am new to the vintage scene, and am a stickler for accuracy and authenticity. Those shades are direct from the time period I love most (the 1950s, though I do love the 1940s as well). 

They've been around for nearly six decades for a reason - timelessness and staying power - two things I feel are key for an old soul living in the modern world.

Until next time, 

Introductions!

Hello, darlings!

Welcome to Quaintrelle Mademoiselle, a vintage makeup and fashion blog dedicated to all things personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life's pleasures. 

Glamour is my passion, and there's nothing quite like being dressed to the nines and feeling like a queen. 

"They just don't make 'em like they used to!"

Until next time,