Yesterday my lovely friend Brittany and I went to the Windsor Arms for their high tea. It was a beautiful venue filled with sparkling chandeliers, tufted couches and delicate tea settings at each table. We had such a lovely time sampling scones and treats and we got to pick a tea from their extensive selection. Of course, being ladies of style, we got all dolled up for the occasion. Brittany wore a lovely corset from Victoria Wilson (that I got her for Christmas!) and a black velvet, mermaid skirt. I wore a black dress with lace that I made, a Victoria Wilson waist cincher and a beautiful fascinator given to me by my best friend Laura. I think we were appropriately dressed for such a fancy tea date!
Right before winter I found this beautifully embossed polyester fabric that felt thick and warm and perfect for a cute winter dress. I used a t-shirt pattern for the top and added a circle skirt on to the bottom. Super simple. super quick and incredibly cute! In the photos below I paired it with a homemade headband and cameo necklace. The boots are ‘To Be Announced” from Solestuck. I love the little bit of metal at the toe and heel of these boots. They are like jewelry for your feet! My lipstick here is “Diva” from MAC.
It’s time for another edition of DOLLY’S FAVOURITE THINGS!!!
Anyways, this is my lovely post about my favourite lipsticks! For me lipstick is like the cherry on top of a look. It’s not 100% necessary but it takes what could be a simple outfit and makes it extra yummy. I pretty much wear one of these three lipsticks every day. This photo doesn’t really do them justice, especially since the difference in shade is very subtle. I also mostly wear longwear lipsticks, which I find more practical because they don’t rub off.
Lime Crime “Red Velvet”, MAC “Russian Red”, MAC Pro Longwear “Lasting Lust”
Lime Crime – Red Velvet
After hearing many excellent things about Lime Crime I finally decided to try out their Velvetine Lipsticks and bought both Red Velvet (pictured above) and Pink Velvet. These are longwear lipsticks and they go on very wet but dry to a matte finish. Red Velvet is such a lovely rich, deep red and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it. My only qualms with this lipstick are; A) if you have dry or cracked lips this stuff will just sit on top instead of either adding moisture, like a regular lipstick would, or covering up, like other longwear lipsticks do. And B) it does smudge when wet, so if you are eating (or making out) expect it to get all over your face (and someone else’s).
MAC – Russian Red
This lipstick is the quintessential red lipstick that every girl should own. Dita Von Teese totes this one around too, so you know it must be good! It’s a bold, matte, shade that falls somewhere between Cherry red and Blood red on the red-spectrum. This is a regular lipstick, and because of that I wear it much less than my other favourite lipsticks. But it is just too beautiful not to pull out when you’re feeling extra glamourous.
MAC Pro Longwear – Lasting Lust
This is my absolute favourite and most used lipstick. Not only is this lipstick the perfect Cherry red, it also goes on really easily and stays on all day and all night long. I will warn you though, if you put this lipstick on incorrectly it can do some strange things. The proper way to apply MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick it to put ONE generous coat on your lips and then let them dry, preferably for a good 5 minutes. It needs to be really dry before you put the top coat on. Sometimes I skip the top coat all together, but it does feel very dry if you do that. If you put the top coat on while the lipstick is setting it will not dry properly and will feel crumbly and strange on your lips. Also if you put on a thick coat and then later add another thick coat you will get the same crumbly effect. After eating or at the end of a long day you will notice it fading slightly. It is ok to reapply if the coat is very thin but usually I will take it off completely and reapply a fresh coat.
Dear reader, I have a confession to make. I know it may shock you but… this is not what my skin looks like. Every photo you’ve ever seen of me was taken with a full face of makeup. Shocked? Don’t be! I’m not ashamed of the fact that I wear makeup. It gives me confidence and is a huge part of my personal look. I get a lot of compliments on my skin, but really it’s the goop on top that should get the credit. And in case you are interested here’s what I use to get that alabaster glow!
MAC Studio Fix Liquid and Powder in NC15, MAC Longwear Paintpot in Soft Ocre, and MAC 190 Foundation Brush.
Firstly I would like to say that I take skincare very seriously and I exfoliate and moisturize every single day in the morning and evening. I also never go to sleep with my makeup on, no matter how tired I am. My skin is naturally quite pale and I am very careful to stay out of the sun as much as possible.
After moisturizer the first step to my routine is applying MAC cosmetic’s Studio Fix Liquid Foundation in NC15 with a 190 MAC foundation brush. I make sure to spread it evenly across my whole face, avoiding the eyelids. Then, using the same brush, I apply MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre to my eyelids as a base for my eye makeup. I love this product and it does a great job of preventing creasing for daily wear. Lastly I buff out my skin with MAC’s Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC15 which I usually apply with the sponge that comes with this product, but occasionally I will use a round, flathead brush to really press it on. Et voila!
Recently at a party a fellow asked me if I always dress this way, specifically if I dress this way at work. To which I enthusiasticly answered yes! At my day job I am the face of the company. When parents, students, teachers, strangers walk into the building it’s me they see sitting at the front desk. Therefore I believe it is a part of my job to look polished and put together. For the average girl that might mean wearing ‘buisness casual’ attire, having tidy hair and maybe a little makeup. For me though, I look at every work day as an opportunity to express myself and put together fun, work-appropriate outfits!
One of my favourite things about dressing the way I do is that it makes those around me stop and take notice not only of the way I look but of their own style. This morning while sitting at my desk a 10 year old girl came up to me with a big grin on her face. “Hanna, look!” she said, pointing to her face, “I have new glasses!” The stylish metal frames perched atop her tiny nose gave this girl so much joy and the fact that she was so excited to show them to me brought a smile to my face too!
CLASSICALLY CURVY 
