The Vintage Cat Version of Project Pan

Hello everyone!

It’s been a fairly uneventful few weeks. I’ve been doing lots of research for the blog, and some exciting thing coming your way! Here’s one of them! Sorry this may be a bit of a wordy post.

I’m a huge fan of beauty blogs, I can get stuck in a watching loop of YouTube reviews, tutorials, tips/tricks, etc… It’s amazing! So many creative and wonderful people out there, maybe I can take part in the video bits eventually.

One thing that always amazed me was how much make up people have, including myself (though before the big move, I cleaned out A LOT). And as you know, I am very conscious about cosmetics and their expiry dates. Some products get used up fairly quickly (face cream, sunblock, primers, mascara ), other things just seem to stick around forever (lipsticks, blush, eyeshadows, nailpolish). If there are definitely clear signs of aging in cosmetics, such as smell and texture/consistency change, I just throw it out without a thought. But…

Hair Identity Crisis Resolved

Hello!

I’ve had a hair identity crisis. After my birthday in January, something possessed me to dye my hair a dark blonde. Then light brown. Then cherry red. With my hair cut in to an angled bob also in early January, my hair definitely was healthy, but with all the coloring, it’s breaking a bit again. I’ve been doing hair masks, but on top of that, my blow dryer didn’t work here in the UK, my straightener stopped working, and my Conair Hot Sticks also did not work. For a few weeks while my straightener worked, I just straightened my hair… without any heat protecting spray, just some hair oil and leave in treatment. Straw hair galore!

Vintage Hair Styling With Conair Hot Sticks: A Review & Tutorial

Hi everyone!

Today I wanted to chat about hair styling. Being a vintage enthusiast, we all know how important hair is for the complete look. I am new to the style and I haven’t been devoting as much attention to my hair in terms of styling, as I would like. With this recent investment of Conair Hotsticks, I am turning this around!

Nail Care Part Two: Your Visual Guide to the Classic Manicure

Hello!

Oh I just love the weekend atmosphere. It is not only apparent on the streets but also online. People post about their plans and happenings. If you are like me, you don’t go out every weekend, and what better way to spend the time, than pampering yourself? If you’d like to check out Nail Care Part One, it’s HERE.

I will be using two books to try to explain the simple, vintage manicure procedure, one from a book for on Cosmetology for Beauty School, published in 1967 and the other from a series of beautification guides from 1950. Together, they complement each other not only in technique, but in great tips and background to the adornment of fingernails. Before beginning, the beauty book states a few things one must do to have the “perfect” home manicure are:

1. Time. If you are rushing, you are not taking care. According to Charles Revson (who was Revlon’s creator) said that in the Revlon Salon, a manicure took 1 hour, therefore, when at home, it should take you about the same amount of time. Though, in an “emergency”, the process can be sped up.

2. Proper Set Up. A steady table, good lighting, all your tools/products at hand will be ideal.

3. Do Nothing For An Hour After. This applies if you had applied nail polish, in order to extend the life of your completed manicure. (I will share some insights on how to cut this time by A LOT!)

Now that the rules are laid out, so to speak, let’s begin!

When to Get Rid of Your Cosmetics?

This is a magic question. When you buy food, you should look to the expiration date, to make sure you’re buying something fresh. You of course care that what you are putting in to your body is fresh and safe, the same should apply to make up. The problem I found with many products is the lack of manufacturing/expiry dates. As a vintage enthusiast, we know the great lengths women have gone through to create glamour and beauty, though many women still undergo various cosmetic modifications, a lot more has been done to ensure honesty of the companies who’s products we purchase. I looked in to it, and found a few insights on the topic of cosmetics shelf life, which should be helpful to you all. After all, in order to create the lovely pin up and vintage inspired looks, we want to be able to use the best products and ones which won’t do more harm than good.

The Vintage Cat In Your Inbox

Hi all!

I’ve been working on a monthly email which will include some of the vintage finds online and much more. If you are interested, please sign up HERE. If you’ve already signed up to receive emails when I add a post, great! Thank you so much! If you haven’t yet, please sign up!

xx

Nail Care Part One

Hi everyone!

I defended my thesis a couple of weeks ago… Finally! I can actually breathe now. It was looming since graduation, but I am happy I presented and its over with now. I am now working part time in IT at my former university, helping my hubby with a few bits, and devoting myself to the blog and its wonderful readers. I really enjoy writing and sharing my opinions and experiences, as well as discovering other people’s experiences.

My mom and I went to a local nail salon this past weekend for some mani-pedi relaxation, it was my mom’s birthday weekend. I got compliments on my feet and my nails, so I thought it would be good to share my routine. I don’t do that much, but I guess the little things make the difference.

I want to do a two part nail care series since I’ve began this post, I kind slacked off on the maintenance of my nails and have two broken nails (one on each hand). I’ve also been reading a beauty book from the 1950s and really enjoyed the description of the nail routines. So stay tuned for the how to mani from the mid-20th century, later this week!

My Summer Beauty Essentials

It’s already mid-July and and the summer heat is no where near the end. In terms of beauty routines, I haven’t done too much to change, but I’ve been doing a few things differently. One, I hardly blow dry my hair, its curly naturally, and no straightening product in the world can help in the humid NY heat… maybe the permanent straightening via salon, but why would I give up the curls? I’ve been utilizing my bun helper and my scarves to get my hair out of the way. My top summer essentials help simplify the beauty routine. 🙂

Flapper keeping it cool with a fan. Interestingly, I still see women with fans. Of course not as popular anymore, but still very feminine. You can find so many great ones online!

The Vintage Vanity

I’ve had my shabby cheap vanity for some time, it was a gift my parents gave me after I kept leaving my make up around the house. Near every mirror, in the bathroom, in the hall, there would be: brushes, powders, eye shadows, creams, you name it! So having a designated area for all these items was a very good thing (it’s also much harder to misplace items).  I’ve learned that not all vanities are created equal, so here are some tips which I think are essential for shopping for a vanity. Also, what are the things to have to be a vintage glamour gal?

Nomorack.com OPI 5 Polish Mystery Selection for $18!

Super sweet deal!

I’m very tempted to get a few of these. My coworker just forwarded me the email, and I couldn’t help but share!

Find it  HERE.

xx