Voodoo Vixen Allison Dress

Hello all,

So I recently had the pleasure of receiving my first ever VoodooVixen goodies all the way from the UK and I was so excited to see them in person! I’m going to be sharing with you my thoughts on the amazing Allison dress in this blog post, around how I felt about the look, fit, quality and the brand.

So being Winter time in the land of Australia, I was a bit unsure initially of getting the Allison, as I was a little unsure of how I would be able to make her fit into my work life and the current weather, but the pattern was so cute I couldn’t pass it up! When she arrived, I knew I made the right choice and being a lover of layering, I quickly paired her with one of my sheer blouses to make her more winter and work friendly as well as also matching her with cotton long sleeve shirts.

To be honest, I’ve fallen in love with this dress. I sized up to a large, as is my norm with wiggle dresses to accommodate my booty. I’m also a bit weightier than I normally am atm (currently attempting to shed some stress weight I gained earlier in the year) and as such have been a little bit intimidated of giggle styles, but found that I felt comfortable and confident in the Allison dress.

The Look

I love the versatility of the Allison dress. It can so quickly go from being a date dress by wearing with cute heels or a casual look with flats. I like to wear my Allison to work by teaming it with sheer blouses or cotton long sleeve shirts. The print is amazing, lending itself to a range of different accessory options and the soft baby pink background of the fabric gives it a very feminine feel. It does come with a belt of the same print but I prefer to wear mine with other block colour belts.

The fit

While initially I found the fabric to be quite stiff, after a wash and wear it’s become incredibly comfortable and suitable for everyday where. I found the large fit being very true to my measurements, fitting just a tad loose around the bust but being firmer on my lower body. Not being a super tight dress on the legs too I’ve been able to wear my Allison dress with minimal issues around my stockings and welts showing, which is always a win.

The Quality

I was very pleased with the quality of my Voodoo Vixen purchases. They had no fraying at seams and were constructed well. The Allison features a quality invisible zip which I haven’t had issues with after multiple wears and beautiful button detailing at the front of the bust.

Since receiving my first package I’ve also purchased my first Voodoo Vixen skirt which I’ve fallen in love with! You can expect to see a lot more Voodoo Vixen coming into my wardrobe and being reviewed here in the future!

I have more Voodoo Vixen reviews coming your way over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this review!

Til tomorrow

Much love!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received this dress as part of a sponsorship with Voodoo Vixen, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Pinup Misconceptions

Hi all,

Just a little post I thought I'd share about pin up styling and time. A lot of ladies comment on that it must take me 'forever' to get ready and 18 months ago they would have been right. When I was a fledgling pinup, eyeliner took nearly an hour on its own, my hair was a 1.5-2 hour long affair and trying to get the balance of my outfits right meant getting ready used to take around 3 hours. 

Thank goodness those times are no more!

What a lot of newbies overlook is that the old saying 'practice makes perfect' really does apply here. The more practice you have, the better you get at things and the quicker you can accomplish them. 

Now days for example, in reflection to my previous 3 hours, I get ready every morning within 30 minutes total. Thats hair, makeup and getting dressed (foundation garments AND clothes). I also pick my outfit on the day so all my styling is done within a matter of minutes. 

How? Practice!! After nearly 2 years I've learnt what works best for me and through that I've been able to apply that to my look and made it an integrated part of my life. 

Below I've made a list of almost DAILY comments I get in regards to my look VS the time it takes me to actually achieve it and the actual facts of my life that people find it hard to believe! 

   That hair must have taken you hours?!

Nope!e. The average hairstyle for me takes 10-20 minutes, depending on what I’m doing and pinup styles use lots of little tricks. For example, a beehive normally takes me 10-15 minutes. A brush out  of a wetset takes me 10 minutes with 10 minutes setting time the night before. Its normally if I have a shoot I spent more time on my hair, but I’ve been doing pinup hair now for around 18 months and I know how to do the basics in minimal time, depending on my hair's mood of course..

 Your makeup must have taken forever?! 

Nope. Same deal as my hair. A lot of ladies comment on my eyeliner taking a lot of time but now days to be honest, my eyebrows take longer than my eyeliner. Again, practice is key and this is the style I wear daily, just like a lot of city women (in my area) prefer the natural makeup look. Just like that wouldn’t take them more than 10-20 minutes max, mine takes around 10 total face with my lips normally getting applied with a compact on the train. 

It must take you forever to get dressed up like that!

Nope again! I generally pick my outfit and put it on in a space of 5-10 minutes. I pick in the morning, unless I have something specific on at the time (shoot, event, dinner out, etc). I also pick my foundation garments when I pick my outfit. Getting dressed for me is no different to anyone else dressing themselves, I find I just have more layers, thats all. 

Remember, as you learn more about pin up styling and fashions, things will come quicker to you in regards to styling. It just takes time

I hope you've enjoyed this little blog post! I have another coming for you all later tonight!

Til then

Rainy Days and White Dots ~ The Hell Bunny Madden Dress Review

Good morning lovelies!

Another morning and I'm bringing you another review! This time its one of my current favorite dresses: the Madden Dress by Hell Bunny in navy blue and white dots which I accessorised with one of my Creep Heart brooches. 

Up until recently, I’d never given much thought to the 1940’s as a specific era.  I didn’t really have any era specific dresses, but I had always loved the Hell Bunny Madden dress. I’d seen it on SO many other ladies that I knew I just had to have it and when I saw the opportunity, I jumped! I wear this dress in a medium.

The Dress

So the Madden dress is a Hell Bunny style that is of a 1940’s inspiration. It features a high neckline (making it great for work) button details on the collar, back zip, short sleeves, a nipped waist and flared bottoms. This is a great dress for ladies who work in an environment that doesn’t really allow low cut tops and the cut is very figure flattering on pretty much most body shapes, giving the illusion of curves and smoothing problem areas. This dress is made from 100% Polyester which means it is very light but I find easily made warm with undergarments. This dress is also available in a variety of colours as well, meaning if Navy isn’t your thing, you can still grab one in a colourway more suited to your tastes.

The Fit

Hell Bunny halters I’m a size Small in but I needed a medium for this cut of dress as the fabric has very little stretch. I’d strongly recommend checking your measurements when buying online. I found the fit comfortable to wear and not constricting. The high neckline has been great for work and when the weather is cooler I team it with shapewear, stockings, a petticoat and cardigan and its perfectly suitable but it’s also pretty fabulous on a warmer day. The sleeves are a little firm on me, but not to a point where they are uncomfortable or constricting, but this is something to be mindful of if you are larger in the upper arms.

 It isn’t too firm across the bust, though I wouldn’t suggest wearing anything padded. I love the shape this dress gives me. The cut on me is especially flattering, being quite petite in the upper body and I love how it nips and falls around my waist and hips.

Accessorizing

I normally pair this dress with a brooch, a pair of my TUK shoes that have a 1940’s feel and sometimes a hair flower. For this shoot I opted to wear one of my new Creep Heart brooches I purchased recently. I’m wearing the ‘Moon Umbrella’ brooch ($25AU + Postage) and I can honestly say I adore this brooch. I’d actually been on the hunt for a brooch that featured an umbrella for at least 8 months and was super excited when I saw one was being included in her No Luck, Bad Luck release! The layering of the printed acrylic and clear acrylic gives such great dimension to this brooch! It’s a great piece and I’ll continue to buy these great goodies from the delightful Ella Mobbs.

Where to purchase

I found my Hell Bunny Madden Dress on ebay, which is probably the best place to find it now days as its quite an older release.

You can purchase the brooch from the Creep Heart website by clicking here!

Verdict

I absolutely love this dress and purchasing it has actually birthed a deep love and interest in the 1940’s as an era. I am sure I’ll be purchasing other Hell Bunny dresses that have a 1940’s feel and I will of course be buying more amazing brooches from the lovely Ella Mobbs of Creep Heart!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this review and look forward to sharing more with you in the next few weeks!

Much love!