Search Results

And just like that...it's fall. For the last few weeks  while I was away I have literally been wearing little other than a bathing suit, and now we're back to standard operating wardrobe procedures. Not that anything about this jacket is standard for me. This is a Dana Buchman brocade jacket that I thrifted  about a year ago while I was in Wisconsin. It's quite a conservative piece, something I normally don't gravitate to - it almost has a kind of "political candidate" vibe to it. However, there was something about it that I liked - probably the fact that it's versatile, and kind of ticks a certain "more conservative occasion" box that every so often, we all need. On those rare occasions that I actually do need to dress a bit more conservatively or maybe corporately, I always struggle with what to put on top. I gravitate towards a lot of shift dresses, and kind of get sick of the whole cardigan-pairing thing. You have to get the length of a cardigan exactly right so that it hits you in the right spot, or you just end up looking a bit mumsy. The shape of this lightweight jacket is a "swing" shape that looks nice over just about anything. Swing shapes are very forgiving, and to my eye really look best when you leave them open, which I am more inclined to do. I'm not a person that does tightly-buttoned-up anything. I can't even stand long sleeves without rolling them up. But anyway, I digress. This jacket, despite the fact that I rarely wear it, made the cut during my recent closet clean-out sale. Because we all need a just in case jacket. thrifted Dana Buchman jacket size M,  here's the exact same jacket in the same size!! / MIH Marrakesh jeans / Stuart Weitzman patent pumps (old), similar / black freshwater pearl and 14k strand  and earrings (old), similar

Greetings from sunny Florida everyone. Before leaving the UK, I had the good fortune to be contacted by Realher cosmetics and offered a trial of some of their products that were launched for Fall/Winter 2019-2020. If you're unfamiliar with the brand, Realher is a cruelty-free, paraben-free prestige makeup brand built around the message of the empowerment of women. Their mission is to remind all women that we are valuable, worthy and beautiful human beings, and this ethos is reinforced by mantras that are inscribed onto their products. If my reaction to opening the box full of their products is anything to go by, empowerment is not just a tool for self-improvement, it's also a pretty gosh-darn smart marketing strategy. When I initially opened the box and laid eyes on Realher's beautifully-packaged contents, I found myself loudly blurting out "Hell yes we do" as a sort of knee-jerk response to seeing the mantra "Women Rule the World" staring out at me in bold gold font. Glossy marketing aside, these products are more than just pretty objects sporting clever mantras. When I opened the products I was sent, I was really struck by how lovely, and how practical, the colors were.  The first box I opened was the Women Rule the World lip kit, consisting of a liner, a liquid matte lipstick, and a sheer gloss. At first I was apprehensive about the "I am Gorgeous" liquid matte lipstick. I'm not a huge fan of matte lips having lived through it once already in the 90s, but I found this formula to be really buildable and easy to work with. Even for matte-suspicious customers like me, the liquid matte lip color provided a wonderful base for anything else you might use over the top of it, and it can be used in a very sheer application. The liner and gloss were also lovely, and the light pink shade of the gloss in particular works well with just about anything you put with it. The next product I road tested was the "Ultimate Glow Getter" cheek trio. This trio of colors is marketed as a highlighter, a blusher, and a contour shade, but for the sake of my cosmetic sensibilities, I'm calling the "contour" shade a "bronzer." These shades all worked really well for me, despite the fact that the blusher is a very light shade and my skin tone is a bit to the olive side of things. The formulas were silky and blended seamlessly, leaving a wash of sheer color behind. Of all the Realher products that I took for a spin, my absolute favorite was the "Be Your Own Kind of Beauty" eyeshadow palette. This palette is one of the most well thought-out multi-color eyeshadow palettes I've seen. You know how in every palette there are always a few shades that you know you are never going to touch? Well, not so with this one. Based on neutrals and golds, this warm(ish) palette has just the right amount of glow while still being neutral enough to wear with my more cool-toned silver hair.  The formulas are elegant, and the colours are vibrantly pigmented yet buildable and easy to apply with a light touch. After this little road test, I had nothing but love for Realher cosmetics. Rich formulas, saturated colors, easy application - it's all in there. The prices are fair (think high-end, not drugstore), and the shades are flattering. You can visit the Realher website for a list of retailers where you can find and sample their products, or you can find them on the Amazon US site. Check them out, they have some seriously lovely products! Addendum: While I was out on the dock trying to capture these products on camera, a baby alligator swam by, undoubtedly attracted by my radiant glow from these lovely products.

Yes, in a move that is uncharacteristic for someone who doesn't even like to wear one type of foundation on her skin, in this photo I'm wearing two. Allow me to explain. Every couple of years, I decide that my makeup, what little I do wear on the regular, is just sort of...off, and I feel the need to revisit colors, textures, coverage, and well - everything. This week has been one of those times. For most of my life, I have not been a fan, or even a wearer of foundation. I'm still not - I travel a lot, and generally I prefer tinted moisturizers, BB creams, and other multitasking products that I can use to incorporate hydration, sunscreen, and a bit of tone-evening pigment into one swipe. However, I have been finding that lately, what I gain from these products in convenience, I have been losing in longevity, color, performance, or all of the above. Mineral sunscreens reflect the light strangely in photographs and under fluorescent lighting. Lightweight tinted moisturizers tend to only last a few hours, and invariably all of these multi-use procucts seem to oxidize and change color. So lately I've been experimenting with drugstore foundations. Yes, drugstore foundations. As much as I love the formulas and color options of some of the higher-end foundations like you find in places like Sephora or at the department store, I am just not able to get my money's worth from a forty or fifty pound bottle of makeup before it goes off. But apparently I'll happily throw eight to ten pounds away in the name of science, as I did today, in the most unforgiving natural light ever. Seriously, I couldn't have engineered a more unflattering light to pick-apart my makeup in if I'd tried. But I suppose that's the point. If your makeup looks passable in bright natural light, you're good to go. In this photo I'm wearing two different drugstore foundations, both claim to provide "medium, buildable" coverage, and for the most part, that's true. Drugstore foundations have come a long way in the last few decades. On the left (my right side) is Revlon Colorstay Flawless finish in Natural Beige, and on the right is Rimmel Lasting Radiance foundation in Soft Beige. Really, the Colorstay is not the best shade for me in "natural" beige. Despite the name which leads you to assume it's a neutral (I have neutral to warm undertones), it turned out it was actually a cool undertones shade. But it was still the closest to my skin tone I could find in the shop, and I was really more interested in formula and wearability for the purposes of road-testing the product. The Rimmel I literally picked out at the supermarket in three minutes or less, and have been testing it for a few days. Based on this photo, I think we can all agree that it is the better look. I really wanted to like the Colorstay, and he formula has come on leaps and bounds since the first permutation back in the 90s; it feels weightless on your face, but there is still a bit of that old-school sinking into every wrinkle and crow's foot going on - a bit of chalkiness that you always seem to find in these formulas meant to last a long time. Despite having bought the formulation for dry skin, it still looked and felt like it could end up being drying, chalky, and unflattering. The Rimmel on the other hand, while a warm tones shade, looked much darker in the bottle than it does on your skin. I think that's on account of the sort of peachy glow they add to it to make you more "luminous." And it works. The formula is elegant (albeit it leaves a bit of a scent), and you really don't need to use much product at all to even out your skin tone. I used way more for this photo than I normally would - I applied it with a damp sponge. Normally I prefer to use my fingers. I did this really just for the sake of the experiment to see how the product wore. All the other components of my look are identical on both sides, and are things I would normally use to create a natural, "everyday" look.  While I think I am probably still going to be experimenting a bit with different foundation formulas, this Rimmel is one you might want to give a try. It's affordable, really lightweight, and flattering. Product List Rimmel Lasting Radiance Medium Coverage Anti Pollution Foundation (UK) Rimmel Lasting Radiance Foundation (US & CA) True Match Pressed Powder (UK) / True Match Pressed Powder (US) L'Oreal blush in Rosewood (UK) / L'Oreal Blush in Subtle Sable (US) Max Factor Color Elixir Lipstick in Nude Rose (UK) / Color Elixir in Maroon Dust (US) Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (UK) / Mabelline Great Lash (US) Rimmel Eyeshadow in Millionaire (UK) / Rimmel e/s Millionaire (US)

You won't be able to tell from the photo, but this thrifted "Vegas" shirt has rhinestones around he sunglasses, which naturally are situated right on top of the "boobal region" of my upper torso. That's the official medical term by the way - the "boobal region" - in case you were wondering.  But yeah, this shirt. It's completely tacky, and I love it. I found it in a Seattle area Goodwill when I was out for my best friend's memorial service. She and I used to go to Vegas together, and you will not be able to convince me that me finding this shirt when I did wasn't her way of reaching out and saying hey. But I digress. This post isn't about the shirt. I've been prevented from shooting anything outdoors for nearly a week - it's been raining and blowing so hard here in the west of Scotland I can't even hear the TV what for the pounding of the rain on the roof of our sun room.  So today I got sick of waiting for the skies to clear and decided to take the show inside and talk about something a bit different. And no, it has nothing to do with the boobal region. A bit higher-up. Look at my eyelashes. THEY'RE FAKE. Yes, I'm wearing fake eyelashes you guys! This is something that is completely out of my wheelhouse. I love a bit of bling (as you well know), but equally I'm not really someone who is going to do a lot of little fussy stuff with a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles in her day to day routine. Hell, I don't even style my hair most days (obviously...but it rains a lot here),  but today I was in Superdrug getting a few odds and ends and I decided to give these a try. The backstory is that I recently had lash extensions done for the first time in my adult life. I have a lovely friend and massage client who bought me a set as a gift because I was always complementing her on hers, which she gets done on the regular. So she bought me a set, and I went and had them done. I have to say, I found the application process pretty uncomfortable (it took two hours), and trust me when I say I am no softie when it comes to things like this. I did end up loving the way the extensions looked. I didn't even need to wear eye makeup for the three weeks (nearly four) that they lasted. However, as much as I loved the way they looked, I have to say they drove me up the freaking wall.  The rather crispy texture, along with the fact that you have to brush them with a wee dry mascara brush constantly or they start to get all clumpy and "spidery", and they catch on the towel when you're just out of the shower and it feels like you're gonna rip your lashes out (both the real and fake ones)... for all these reasons I was constantly touching them and playing with them, whether I was putting oil on them (this was fine with the type I had) to soften them or trying to manually separate them or pick towel or cotton pad fluff out of them. They are supposed to last until they naturally fall out when your natural lashes would normally fall out, but by the end I was ...ahem...helping them along a bit because I was so ready to be done with them. I missed the way my face looked once the last one fell out (okay, was pushed), but I was no less relieved to have them off. So today when faced with a huge display wall of fake eyelashes at the Superdrug, I thought, "why not?" Perhaps this would be my chance to reclaim the face I had when I was wearing those extensions - without all the annoyance. These lashes that I chose are in a strip, not the little single bunches of ones you sometimes see. At some point I'll probably try those too. I went for two pairs, this being the more dramatic of the two. Both pairs I bought are the 3/4 length, which I prefer because they follow a contour that more mimics nature. These were really easy to apply, and I actually find them tons more comfortable than the extensions I had. I think it's a combination of the fact that they're not glued to my individual eyelash hairs, and that I know that I can get them off with just a whisk across my face with my oil cleanser. I would probably really only normally wear these for more dressed-up days than today's cowboy boots and boobal-region Vegas tee but hey, this is for science you guys, and science certainly is having a hard time of late, so I like to do my part.

Today is my last full day here in southwest Florida before heading back to Scotland, and I was hoping to be at the beach, but the summer rains had other ideas. However, rain notwithstanding, it's still pretty dang hot out there. In fact, many of you across the globe right now are probably frying like bacon, sweltering in these record temperatures. To be honest, in comparison to the rest of the USA, we've been having a relatively standard July in Florida where in July, frying like bacon is pretty much normal. On that note, when temperatures reach "frying like bacon", it really sort of takes away my desire, or even my ability to get fancy. Not that I have a particular need to be super-fancy in my life, but really, in hot climates even simple things like styling my hair or putting on makeup feels too fancy for me, so as you will probably notice in a lot of my warm weather posts, I just don't do it. In fact, that approach is sort of becoming my thing as I get older. If it's fussy, takes a lot of time, or requires a lot of steps, I'm probably just not going to do it. Period. That's why this dress is nice. I found it in a small local boutique for around $30. Not a fortune, but not my usual secondhand price point either. I think it's supposed to be a beach dress. I fell in love with the color and when I tried it on realized just how handy it might be down here. It's essentially a big, gauzy, unfussy, textured tent that doesn't stick to you in the heat. As you can tell from my chipping toenail paint, lack of makeup, and un-styled hair, unfussy is something I hold in great esteem these days. India Boutique dress (see similar below) / turquoise necklace (old), similar  / turquoise ring (old), similar, similar, similar /  turquoise earrings (old), similar / tassel sandals (old), similar

This post is for Kelli O, who put in a request to see some flamingo realness about a week ago. Let this be the beginning of a trickle-feed of ridiculous, Florida-style, in-your-face flamingo realness brought to you by yours truly and her iPhone - because I didn't even pack a camera when I left for this trip. Whoopsie. I shot this on the quick moments after arriving home from horse riding. I was sweaty, dirty, and horsey, but the light was just about right, so I quick grabbed the easiest two pieces of flamingo realness in my closet and went with it. Hence the lack of hair, makeup, or general thought-outedness. Right after this photo, I took the cover off that pool and cannon-balled myself into it like a boss. Both of these pieces are Lilly Pulitzer, and both of them do what I love best about a lot of Lilly Pulitzer dresses; you literally just put them on and go. They're loose, and sort of act as their very own air conditioning system. Something about trapping the air underneath or something, I don't know. I'm not an HVAC engineer. But what I do know is that getting dressed when it's hot outside is incredibly easy when all you have to do is pull what is essentially a large, loose, brightly-colored t-shirt material sack over your head. And true to the original purpose of Lilly Pulitzer clothing (to hide the orange juice stains Pulitzer used to get while working her Palm Beach orange juice stand), they also come in handy masking the stains you get when you attempt to drink a bottle of fizzing turmeric and ginger kombucha while driving down the I75. Lilly Pulitzer Melle Dress / Lilly Pulitzer Hampton Dress

Even if you're not a dabbler in astrology, you'll likely have heard someone in your orbit (see what I did there?) blaming some run of bad luck they're having on Mercury retrograde. For those of you unfamiliar, in scientific terms Mercury in retrograde basically refers to the optical illusion created when the planet Mercury appears to be moving in opposition to the other planets in the system - from east to west, the opposite of the usual west to east trajectory. To astrologers, this would mean it is moving backwards through the constellations of the Zodiac. It is this perceived backwards motion through the various Zodiac signs that gets everyones' undies in a bundle; it is said by those who follow the planets that this period of time causes everything from strings of rotten luck to communication problems to inexplicable emotional outbursts. It happens three times per year, the latest one having started on the 5th of March, ending this week on the 28th. And yes, I know what that sounds like. But whether you look at Mercury retrograde as an urban myth or a time to reflect and put any big plans on hold, it's a thing. Normally I enjoy a bit of this type of mysticism in my life. It provides a nice balance to my more traditionally science-based work life. However, this past week or so, I can't help but feel I have been the living embodiment of all of the cautionary tales of Mercury retrograde you've ever heard. This past week and a half has brought me the untimely death of one of my closest friends, an upper respiratory infection from Hell, the impossible task of trying to keep the stitches in my dog's paw dry in the torrential Scottish weather (this particular task pretty much took over my life for about 5 days and is, as it turns out, impossible),  the slicing-off of the tip of my finger as I peeled sweet potatoes for chili and the subsequent transformation of my home into the most graphic of crime scenes (and no, the finger did not end up Wendy's-style in the chili, because I know thats what you're wondering), and a chaotic and understaffed work environment that despite my deepest wishes, did not relent give me a break for three night shifts running.  And let us not forget the cherry on top; the Mueller probe that we, the American taxpayers (yes, I still file in the US despite being an expat) are apparently not allowed to see, and the subsequent preening of the Trumpian syncophantic herd to the tune of "we are vindicated...so vindicated that we will suppress the document that allegedly vindicates us".  I did not know it was possible to be both grieving and have your blood boil so much that it really can only be measured in Kelvin.  Mercury retrograde is clearly upping it's game for 2019. So the past few days have been about that oft thrown-around term, self care. Yes, it is important.  Getting enough sleep, turning the phone off (mostly...okay, not Twitter),  taking a few leave days and making last-minute plans to head to the Pacific Northwest for my dear friend's memorial. It was these acts of self-care that reminded me of something she always said when we got about the business of retail therapy. She always used to say "I'm just looking for that one lipstick shade that's going to make my life work." That little memory made me realize that self-care is more complex than simply taking time off or remembering to be kind to yourself. I mean, yes, it is those things, but it is also knowing when the time has come to pick yourself up, and even if you don't feel like it, putting on something clean and pretty and maybe straightening your hair (or trying to in my case) and putting on that shade of lipstick that will make your life work and just setting the stage for things to eventually settle back into some sort of homeostasis. Because when they eventually do, you want to be ready. So that's what this is. This is a thrifted J. Crew cardigan that I picked up in a thrift shop in my hometown, and even though I really liked it, that little Midwesterner that lives in an Airstream trailer deep inside my head said to me "cool...but where are you ever going to wear this?" Of course the answer to that is "Wherever I damn well please, that's where. It makes me happy." So there it is. A self-care life hack dedicated to my dearest friend who left us way too soon. Find that lipstick color that will make your life work, slap some sequins (or whatever makes you happy) on it, and eventually, all will be well. Mercury retrograde be damned. Thrifted cardigan / similar flare jeans / Judith Ripka charm necklace (old), similar

While I appreciate that a cap sleeve, stretch-chambray, button-front, Mandarin collar dress circa the late 90s - mid 2000s may not be what everyone thinks of as "classic", in this context I'm referring to the term simply for classification purposes. In the world of collectible cars, "classic" is the term used to refer to any car over 20 years old. While in the fashion world these distinctions tend to be more blurry (and often lumped under the one-size-fits-most term "vintage"),  in this particular instance it seemed to fit. Granted, with cars, the term "vintage" refers to a car built between 1919 and 1930, so again, yeah....blurry. Be that as it may, if this piece isn't 20 years old, it's darn close. I picked this dress up several months ago while I was in the US, on a thrifting mission with my mom and sister. While my life these days does not really give me any reason to own a button-front, "office" type dress, when something fits as well as this dress did straight off of the rack, you don't question it. The Universe has spoken, and you just need to go with it. The opportunity to wear it will likely present itself sooner or later. And hey, who am I to argue with The Universe?

I haven't bought any new clothes in a really long time, which is sort of a strange admission for someone who writes a style blog, but there it is. That's not to say that I haven't brought anything new home - I have. I have just really been finding a lot of satisfaction in finding secondhand treasures.  Buying secondhand ensures that you are probably going to have an item that you won't see on every third person on the street, it's sustainable, and perhaps most of all, it's fun. It's a bit like treasure hunting. My sister and I regularly make a bolt for the shoe department at our favorite thrift haunt in my hometown, pushing each other out of the way and squeeing with delight as we do so, racing each other to get to the good shoes first. And we don't even wear the same size. And yes, we're both in our mid to late 40s, and this is completely normal and well-adjusted behaviour, so don't @ me. Nearly the entirety of today's look is secondhand, with the exception of the boots, which I believe were heavily discounted online a few seasons back. The top is Lucky Brand,  found in brand new condition; it only required a quick repair of the embroidery on one of the sleeves. The jeans are one of the most ancient pairs in my closet -  so old I actually wouldn't  even remember their provenance with out getting them carbon dated. The vintage faux fur coat was a $20 thrift find a few years back. It's only cold enough to wear it here in the West of Scotland a handful of days a year, but I love it and let me tell you it is warm. So that was today. Secondhand Tuesday.  I should also point out that these photos were taken in a very lucky six minutes - the only six minutes of natural daylight today where it wasn't raining, so I'm hoping that gazing upon them should make a little of that luck rub off.  We shall see.

As per my usual routine, I went thrifting with my mom and sister last week when I was home visiting. I came away with a lot of really amazing stuff, most of which you will be seeing here over the next several weeks. Things being what they are in the world with fast fashion and our cultural wastefulness, I see less and less reason to shop in mainstream stores these days (with the exception of underwear and socks and the like).  Finding secondhand treasures not only satisfies the search and destroy shopping cravings you might have, it's far better for the planet, and I suppose your soul as well. I knew before I even tried on this Gap tweet moto jacket (which was a Goodwill find for about 8 US Dollars), that I was going to be bringing it home. One of the great benefits of getting older is knowing instantly on sight when something will fit you, and I just knew this jacket would.  Most likely I'll wear this with jeans 99.9% of the time, but I wanted to try something different today in the name of variety. The result was this rather 80s derivative look. Historically I've not been a big fan of 80s fashion, but the farther away from the decade we get, the more appreciation I have for it - absence making the heart grow fonder and all that. Anyway, the jacket is very warm, which is perfect for this time of year, and it has a sort of indoor/outdoor thing going on so that you can either wear it as a light cold weather jacket, or (more likely) like a non-traditional blazer for our non-traditional times. thrifted jacket (see below for options) / Charter Club pink cashmere sweater / Tibi wool skirt (old), similar, similar / Nine West boots (old), similar / Judith Ripka Rings: similar heart shaped, multi-hearts similar / hammered sterling earrings

I've done several collaborations with Eternal Collection, the UK-based online jewelry retailer that specializes in quality costume jewelry. Their pieces are always a delight, the quality is consistently high-end, the customer service is top-notch, and naturally I am always thrilled to be able to showcase a company whose origins are right here in Scotland, my adoptive country. What's more, they are one of the few retailers around that carries a healthy selection of clip-on jewellery options, as well as tutorials as to how to adjust them. This time around, the collaboration was every bit as wonderful as it always is. In fact, this time, when I opened the box containing these High Society Diamonte Drop Pierced Earrings, I let out a sound not unlike those of the air brakes on a bus; a loud gasp followed by a high-pitched squee. These. Earrings. Are. Awesome. These earrings are remarkably lightweight for a chandelier earring, and really catch the light, creating a glow around your face that is a bit like having your own lighting director following you around with a portable softbox lighting setup.  The arrival of these beauties could not have been better-timed. As you may remember, in the run-up to the holiday season I have decided to do a series on the classic film noir femme fatale, a look that works on just about anyone, although on us more...uh...seasoned gals, it 's especially good. One thing that the classic femme fatale would never do is apologize, and like our esteemed anti-heroine, these earrings are anything  but a whispered apology. Just like the femme fatale, they're large, showy, loud, glamorous, and ambitious. They do not care about your whiny-arse problems, nor do they require you to pair anything with them. In fact, these earrings prefer to go solo and stand on their own two diamonte-encrusted "feet",  thanks very much. And of course, it's a look that insinuates that our femme fatale might very well have killed some poor guy off in his sleep to obtain the money to pay for them, but what's a bit of murder among friends when we're talking about serious glamour, am I right ladies? This post has been shared with Not Dead Yet Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Not Dressed As Lamb

If there is one thing that can be relied upon to generate the element of surprise, it's answering the door at 10am for the Menzies delivery guy dressed in full film noir femme fatale hair and makeup. It generates the kind of authentic reaction shot that would have made Lawrence Olivier himself green with envy. I realized this week that we are quickly approaching the time of year where "festive glamour" is foisted upon us. Everywhere you look, the shops are encouraging us to dress for the upcoming festivities in what I imagine a peacock would look like if he decided to attend a fancy dress party as a foil-wrapped baked potato. And while I love a little sparkle and shine as much as the next gal, this year, for reasons I'm not even entirely sure I can articulate, I'm just not feeling it. Okay, that's a lie. Yes, I can articulate it, and I know exactly why I'm not feeling it. I think my aversion to this year's incarnation of Festive Barbie is grounded in the fact that we women have suffered a bit of a blow of late. I blame the Donald Trumps and the Brett Kavanaughs of the world for what appears to be this new "sit there and take it" approach to all things feminine. And that does not just apply to feminism for that matter, but that's the scope of this post. As a means of dealing with this New World Order, I've found solace in one of my favorite film genres, film noir. And of course you can't have film noir without the most glamorous of anti-heroines, the femme fatale. Smart, sassy, ambitious, murderous, and unapologetically feminine, the film noir femme fatale is as glamorous as she is pissed-off - a perfect balm for our times. What's more, it's a great look for women of any age. In fact, I daresay it's even better when you're a little bit older. After all, any femme fatale worth her salt has definitely burned-through a few husbands for the insurance claims. You can't get all of that done when you're in your twenties, that takes commitment. Gina Bacconi evening dress (old)