Vamp and Vagaries

If you know me from makeupalley or skim through my pinboards, you'll probably know I've been on the prowl for The Perfect Vamp for a good while. An appetite sharpened in summer by images like these, setting the balanced vampy lips off against yellow-based neutrals:

After swatching every vaguely close shade from ArtDeco to Za, and a few disastrous attempts at frankening-my-own [I have whatever the opposite of an artistic temperament is -- my usual attempts at mixing lipsticks results in vampy sludge; the minute I try to get vampy sludge? NADA.] Anyway, blah blah, flung self on mercy of birthday gods, added Addiction Vamp to my order, praying that it would do what it said on the tin.

It did.

with flash

Vamp features the perfect balance of plum/brown/red/black tones, as smoothly saturated yet glowingly matte as all of Addiction's C (colour) lipsticks, does not budge once on (lasts through drinks/snacks, fades evenly to a stain after a hearty meal) and while being as weightless as a stain, doesn't dry my extremely picky lips out. Texture and performance aside, The finish is appropriately vampy, pitched between an uncouth flat matte and a too-lush cushy velvet.

This was two layers, applied with a Hakuhodo Misako Portable lipbrush.

On the eyes, brainless smokey with THREE Eye Rock pencil blended up from lashline with Shiseido Caviar cream eyeshadow on waterline. Tiny bit of warmth from Burberry Earthy in socket. Lancome Hypnose Drama WP mascara.

Apologies for terrible lighting. The shimmer is more complex and apparent IRL.

Now I was uncharacteristically hesitant about the next bit of this post, but in the spirit of publish&bedamned or, like, spontaneity or sprezzatura or summat: conniptions resulting from attempt to dress this look. (Close window now if you don't want to see ridiculous amount of poses and clotheses.)


I wanted something summery and retro-ish and girly/über-femme to play off against the stark makeup; the exact something was trickier. (Fortunately, to offset my hilariously inartistic eye, I have the uncanny ability to perform a full costume change in under ten seconds while leaving makeup prisitine and hair no more dishevelled than is its nature -- the face pics above were taken after all this.)

1. and 2.

The blue/red thing is a hangover from the day before, when I wore blue/red makeup and black clothes. My mind likes to be lazy. The second is better than the first, but both were too femme-formal and not girly enough.

left: Kitterick shirt // Reiss skirt // vintage belt // Clarks shoes
right: EQ:IQ top // Whistles skirt // vintage belt // Pedder Red shoes

3. and 4.

I liked how the deep red skirt [which has pockets, as all skirts should] brought out the red in the lips, so gave it a few more retro spins, with cropped tops in a lighter blue this time, and pink:

left: Topshop bralet // Whistles skirt // Pedder Red shoes
right: diy cropped cardi // Whistles skirt // Pedder Red shoes

5. and 6.

Then I thought maybe going with the sombre lips was not quite the thing and a more summery twist of corally/watermelony red would be kickier:

left: COS cardigan // Topshop bralet // Jill Stuart skirt // Pedder Red shoes
right: Uniqlo tank // Topshop bralet // Jill Stuart skirt // Clarks shoes // derpiest face yet

7. and 8. 

Around this time I started feeling like a parody of myself and grasped frantically at the opposite of blue&red -- yellow&green. Nah, it didn't make sense at the time either.

left: diy cropped cardi // Pageboy skirt // Repetto sandals // me realising it makes no sense
right: COS shirt // as know as de base trousers // Repetto sandals // shameface

9. The I Am Going To Be Late Now Aren't I Resolution

Schoolgirlish silhouette. Play on tones and textures, so in effect matchy-matchy with the makeup. Again.

COS shirt // Jill Stuart skirt // Pedder Red shoes

Black...and white. I'm a veritable fashion TRAILBLAZER so I am.