Beauty: 1920s Lip Tutorial

February 25, 2016February 25, 201610 Comments

embracing LITTLE LIPS

Lately I’ve been investigating (ie., reading up on) different lipstick styles from decades past and thought it might be fun to share a few tutorials with you. First up is the 1920s lip, one near and dear to my heart, being a little lipped lady myself.

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After the war – and to help recover from the horrors of it – many women began to assert their feminine power through makeup. There was this feminine ideal of being young and beautiful (sound familiar? A problematic ideal women of today are constantly fighting against, but it is a good example of how far back our obsession with youth and beauty is rooted) and that very much showed up in the style of makeup. I’m not going to breakdown the entire makeup look of this era however (although maybe at some point), just lippy lips for today. It’s actually quite easy to achieve, just a few key pointers before we start – bolder lipped ladies may need to downplay their lips and the ladies like me with tiny shapeless upper lips…well you might actually have to overdraw your cupid’s bow. Here we go, cuties!

– WHAT I USED –

Lip pencil: Follow Your Heart by MAC | Lipstick: Dubonnet by MAC and 01 by Kate Moss

Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: 1920s Lip Tutorial 1. I pretty well always use a lip pencil to outline my lips before lipstick (a v much like precision), but regardless of my habits, I really believe a lip pencil is helpful in achieving this look, at least at first. 1920s lips are all about the cupid’s bow shape and not everyone has such a defined lip shape, so a pencil is v helpful in creating this look.
– using your lip pencil, starting where your peaks meet, outline your lips creating two rounded peaks
– cascade the liner down and under-draw where your natural lip begins to flare out.
– flare the liner out in the corners of your mouth ever so slightly.
I like to think of the squiggle emoji or a cartoon cowboy hat (ya, I don’t know) when doing this. Or if we are separating the lip hemispheres, like a slide.
Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: 1920s Lip Tutorial 2. The bottom lip has a very rounded shape, like a wide U and like the upper lip, needs to be under-drawn at the sides. The upper and lower lip should match up, so keep that in mind when under-drawing.
– starting from the corners of the mouth, outline the lower lip beginning with a slight flare similar to the upper and bring it down, beginning to round
– bring the two sides to meet, creating a rounded u-shape, and the peak of your lower lip should descend ever so slightly, creating that doll-like pout
I like to think of a 2D smile (or stick man smile) shape when drawing this outline.
Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: 1920s Lip Tutorial 3. Now the easy part! Filling in those lips. I used Dubbonet by MAC first, which is a creamy deep berry shade and fairly glossy (perfect for this era) and on top of that, very lightly brushing 01 by Kate Moss – which is a traditional matte red – over the base, which creates nice depth to the lips.
This is when you can clean things up, hide that outline and allow the lipstick to create a more rounded shape at each peak. Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: 1920s Lip Tutorial Et voila! Not too hard, right? I think this lip style is not too over the top (like it’s counter-part, 1930s lip can often be), and could be worn any time.

So what do you guys think? Will you give it a go?

Skirt & Blouse: vintage

Four Instagrams To Follow

February 19, 2016February 19, 20165 Comments

in need of some INSTa-ration?

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It’s probably no surprise to you that I’m a fan of instagram. It has become an integral part of what I do and probably where I receive the most traffic and communication with you lot ( ❤ ) I follow just over 1000 instagrammers (a lot, i know)…some friends, some shops that I like to keep up to date with, but mostly people that post incredibly inspiring (or really funny) content. You guys seem interested in seeing the things that inspire me and instagram is one of the main places I head to when I am feeling a lack of it. If you like this post do let me know, I’d be happy to share more with you! I follow a lot of people, so there is certainly a few posts I could put together.

@HELLOEMILIE

Emilie is by no means an unrecognized instagrammer (and by no means needs this exposure); at almost a half-mill followers, it’s unlikely you haven’t seen her work (a faceless gal, pretty well always seen from behind, usually wearing a hat…ring any bells?) and with reason – she is one of a kind. For awhile I followed many travel/outdoor instagrams – my heart really does lie with the outdoors – however, I grew tired pretty quick; nature is beautiful, but it can get repetitive when you are seeing the same (albeit beautiful) landscapes and images over and over, with no true defining quality. Emilie is one of the few I continued to follow, though, and you can probably see why, there is something special about each moment and scene she captures; unlike anything I have seen. And! if you are someone who cares about a perfectly curated feed (which I sometimes do), hers is pretty unbelievable.

@BRITTANY__MARKERT

Brittany is an absolutely fascinating woman and one of my all-time favorite photographers. She isn’t your typical instagrammer, because she isn’t one really; she doesn’t seem to concern herself with popular instagram culture. To me, she is simply a photographer/model/actress/artist who uses insta as a means to share her art…but she has one of my favourite feeds to look at. Her work is raw, sexually provocative and at times eerily uncomfortable, and I. Love. It. She is unapologetic, honest and real in a way many people are ashamed or afraid to be. Gah! And can we talk about how stunning she is? A mesmerizing beauty if there ever was one. I could gush over her forever.

@KITSUNEKUN

Kathryn and I have chatted many a time through the interwebs, but I believe, despite any friendship/acquanticeship (i dont know) I may have with her, her instagram should have wayyyy more followers. This girl takes fucking beautiful pictures, in truly enchanting places. She lives in Tokyo (cool, right?) and I love how informed she is and how much she shares about Japanese history, culture and traditions. I happened upon Kathryn long ago through her fashion blog, so it goes without saying I love the way she dresses, it’s what initially drew me to her, but what kept me coming back was her photographs, featuring beautiful clothing. She exacts one of the very things that makes me fall hard for a blogger/instagrammer, beautiful images with a feeling. There is nothing I love more than a stylish lady in breathtaking, natural settings, and that’s exactly what Kathryn’s feed (and tumblr) is. (also Japanese snacks! YUM!).

@KALANOEL

Another instagrammer I think is totally underrated! I mean, just over 4500 followers is not nothing, but she has one of those feeds that I look at and think “how come you don’t have more followers?!” I started reading Kala Noel’s blog a few years back (now defunct), and then found her on instagram more recently and instantly remembered her beautiful face. I was also delightfully surprised at how fascinating she is she, way more than her blog ever lead on (to be fair, I think I started reading her blog when she was barely doing it anymore). She is an incredibly talented artist, which I wasn’t aware of before, and I love so much of the art she creates. Anyways! If you like eye catching and clever imagery, cute girls in cute clothes, nature and endearing oddball-ness, you’ll love her feed as much as I do.

Modelling for Birds of North America SS ’16

February 17, 2016February 18, 20163 Comments

ROMPERS AND CO-ORDS AND SUNSHINE, OH MY!

A few months ago – well before being bare-legged and coat-less would be deemed insane – Arden, Amber and myself (ha! triple A) got together to shoot some pieces from Birds Of North America SS ’16 collection for Victoire’s web store. This was the first time being in front of Arden’s lens, and it was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be. There are some photographers I just feel instantly comfortable with from the get-go, and Arden is one of them. As for Birds, well I’ve been following Hayley’s label for awhile now, and I think this is my favourite collection yet. I’ve made it no secret that co-ords are what I would love to be wearing come warm weather, and this collection is full of those and so much more. So! Come on Spring! Get here already!

Photography: Arden Wray | Styling & Modelling: Alex Spence | Clothing: Birds of North America
Larkspur Vintage for Birds of North America SS '16

Outfit: Eye of The Beholder

February 16, 20168 Comments

SOME THOUGHTS TODAY…

Having a photographer boyfriend (who doesn’t take my pics, btw…I feel quite strongly about doing everything myself), I’ve become much more aware of the images I am shooting, how I am editing them and what ones I share. I am so far from being a skillful photographer and editor – I’m constantly working at that, trying to improve it, trying to give an honest depiction of myself and what I’m wearing, while also creating a striking image with bright, vibrant colours. It’s hard, to say the least. I have taught myself everything, all on my own up until this point. But now I have someone who can give me feedback and explain why something works and why it doesn’t, how to create the best possible image…if you are looking for a technically perfect image, that is. This is where I find photography to be so subjective. Because what I may think is a beautiful image may look absolutely flawed to someone else’s eye. Does a technically perfect image make the best picture? And if not, what does make the best picture? Do we feel cheated when an image is clearly over-saturated and over-exposed? Do we think the blogger is being dishonest and trying to deceive us? Or are they just working with what skill they have and what they think makes a good image? It’s hard to say. I like pictures that create a feeling more than something that looks absolutely perfect (if I’m being honest, I don’t know what is perfect in photography). But, I can absolutely feel moved by both. Anyways, I don’t have answers for any of these questions. As in all art (and beauty), it’s in the eye of the beholder, I believe. I feel incredibly lucky to have such a talented person at my disposal; I see myself improving day by day, gaining knowledge, while also becoming aware of what I think makes a good image. It’s important to always maintain your voice, even if others tend to disagree with it, but being open to change and growth is never a bad thing.

– WHAT I WORE –
Blouse, Cardigan, Coat, Shoes: thrifted | Skirt & Hat: Common Sort | Tights & Gloves: H&M | Bow tie: handmade
Larkspur Vintage | Outfit: Eye of The Beholder

Collection: Samantha Pleet S/S 2016

February 12, 2016February 12, 20165 Comments

YES, PLEET.

I’ve been following Samantha’s collections for what feels like years and years now, and it’s been so interesting to watch her label change and grow, while still maintaining many of it’s defining design elements – it’s surprising, while also being kind of reassuring. Samantha Pleet has always been for the dreamer, and in my opinion, the unapologetic weirdo, so to speak; a label I feel connected to in many ways. This collection features pockets disguised as windows, shift dresses, co-ords, 70s collars, wide legged pants and of course, a Pleet collection would not be complete without an illustrated print featuring the collection’s themes.

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Are you fans of Samantha Pleet as well? How do you feel about this collection? It’s a bit different than past seasons – more masculine.
Collection: Samantha Pleet S/S 2016 samanthaCollection: Samantha Pleet S/S 2016 samantha_pleet_ss16_80_1024x1024 samantha_pleet_ss16_75_1024x1024 samantha_pleet_ss16_70_1024x1024 samantha_pleet_ss16_69_1024x1024 samantha_pleet_ss16_68_1024x1024 Photography: Amber Mahoney | Model: Sara Hiromi | Styling: Samantha Pleet | Styling Assistant: Tyler Mcgillivary | MUA: Katie Mellinger | Hair: Andrita Renee | Set Design: Patrick Pleet