Editor’s Picks: Fab Autumn Fashion Finds

Editor’s Picks: Fab Autumn Fashion Finds

I thought I had the weather outsmarted.

Two weeks ago it had gotten quite cold and grey. It rained every day and I’d come to the conclusion that summer was over. In my enthusiasm I pulled everything out of the wardrobe, packed away all my summer clothes and did the usual opshop run. I could hardly wait to get my hands on cute new autumn fashions.

Then the sun came out again. *Sigh*

The benefit of being a bit ahead of the season is that I’m already well into shopping for great new finds to supplement my autumn winter looks.

As you might imagine, I’m constantly on the lookout for cool vintage inspired cardigans and accessories to freshen up my wardrobe staples. You also know how much time that can take, wading through massive online shops to uncover a few knockout pieces.

Knowing that one of my favourite online stores often has such gems, I did the hard yards for you and put together this selection of my favorite vintage-inspired finds.

Check out these fun, inexpensive pieces to kick off your own autumn fashion fantasies!

Editor’s Picks: Autumn Knitwear

vintage style cardigans knitwearTop Row, Left to Right: Swallow Print Cardigan / Pointelle Cardigan   

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Pussy Bow Knit Top / Dot Patterned Deer Cardigan 

Editor’s Picks: Autumn Hats

PicMonkey CollageLeft to Right: Fedoras in various colourways / Beautiful veiled black hat / Rosette Beret 

Editor’s Picks: Autumn Accessories

Pretty New Hair accessoriesTop Row, Left to Right: French Bulldog bow band / Scissor hair clip 

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Rhinestone Stars Headband / Classic Bow hairpin

macaroon pieces

Left to Right: Macaron Luggage Tag / Macaron Parasol Umbrella

These picks are just the tip of the iceberg, of course. Do yourself a favor and visit Yesstyle, but be forewarned: it’s a massive site, so have a cuppa or glass of savvy B on hand when you browse the virtual racks.

As you know, I only recommend products and services I believe in, trust and/or use myself. Clicking on the Yesstyle links in this post not only takes you to fantastic fashion, but you’ll also help support our blog and community. Happy shopping! 

How Often Should You Really Wash Your Hair?

How Often Should You Really Wash Your Hair?

1920s hairstyle vintage ad

It finally happened: I agree with Kim Kardashian on something.

Believe me, I didn’t expect it either. But flipping through a beauty mag recently, I spotted an article declaring that washing your hair only once a week is now a thing — apparently because Kim said so.

Would it be rude to say, Welcome to the party? Or, Better late than never?

Let’s investigate this “new” trend and trace it back to the roots (sorry) …

1920 hairstyle vintage ad

A bit of hair washing history

Washing your hair with shampoo didn’t even arrive in the western world until 1898.

That’s when shampoo came to Britain from Colonial India, where the people of India had been making their own version of shampoo since the 1500s.

And before liquid shampoo was invented in the late 1920s, shampoo existed in bar form, like soap, and was marketed and seen as a health product, not a beauty one.

When the days of modern chemistry really kicked in, scientists developed a cheap and easy wash to suds up our hair, leaving it feeling soft and clean. Thus a goldmine was created.

The familiar trend of washing your hair more than once a week is also a relatively recent one, and one we’ve largely been conned into at that.8db284d2eb1eaae54099e1469813e73b

We’ve been brain washed by Mad Men

Imagine if you will, Don Draper and his team sitting in their office wondering how to get women to buy more shampoo. Eureka! Let’s tell them they not only need to wash their hair every day, but to rinse and repeat!

Thus we all fell for yet another marketing ploy.

The psychology of shampoo marketing is actually quite fascinating, as it focuses largely on our vanity and how “bad hair days” affect our emotional state.

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A quick intro to keeping our hair healthy

As our body grows, changes and heals itself, it sheds debris from skin cells and excreted fats (ewwww, but yeah) known as sebum. This sebum waterproofs and moisturises our skin and hair. Our sebum glands are at the base of the hair follicle, all over our bodies, but with the highest concentration over our head and face.

Sebum is essential: without it, our hair and skin drys out and cracks. And when we wash our hair, we’re basically washing all this off.

Why do we do this? Because oily hair is limp and pretty unattractive. It can also smell.

But do we need to wash it everyday? The answer is no. In fact, by washing our hair more often than every five days or so, we’re perpetuating an unhealthy habit that wastes time and money and makes our hair less healthy.

Put down that shampoo bottle

Whenever you wash your hair, you remove the natural moisturisers. These need to be put back in with conditioners, serums and treatments.

Now, think of all the cash and time you’ll save if you kick the daily habit of washing and conditioning!

I know, those of you with oily hair might be thinking you couldn’t possibly go a day without washing your hair. But did you know that your oily hair is directly related to washing it on a daily basis? It’s true: the more frequently you wash your hair, the faster your body works to try and catch up and protect the hair by producing more sebum.

Of course, it takes time to retrain your scalp into producing less and less oil, so I’m not suggesting you simply stop washing your hair right away.

Finding the right solution for your hair

Ok, so what should you do? That truly comes down to personal preference and hair type.

Never washing your hair — which has also gained momentum as a trend in recent times — is asking for trouble in my opinion. The buildup of sebum can cause a flare up of acne of the face (even if you’ve never had it before) and scalp, bacterial infections, hair loss and thinning, and even weeping sores.

As a hairstylist, I’ve seen what this looks like first hand and believe me it’s not pretty.

For someone like me, who likes to set their hair and gets lots of volume and bounce, washing my hair every five-to-seven days is perfectly adequate and keeps my strands in very good condition. In general, this is a fine place to start for most people.

More hair care solutions to consider

Simply put, the more naturally you treat your hair, the better the results.

If you opt to shampoo and condition every five-to-seven days, choose hair care products that have no petro-chemicals. Not all of these are expensive. As consumers have become more savvy, more of these products have become available, and prices have gone down.

There are also natural solutions, such as using bi-carb soda or rice powder to dry shampoo the hair and absorb the excess oil. As someone with dark hair, I can say that this doesn’t work too well for me, but they’re both an excellent option for lighter hair shades.

Rinsing your hair with lemon juice can also improve the alkalinity of the scalp and hair, balancing the ph of the scalp and making the hair shine.

vintage beauty salon
Shampoo products and recipes I recommend

I’m often asked about specific hair care products that I use and recommend. And while I preface my responses by noting that my hair likely differs from yours, there are a few options I feel confident in passing along.

For the best natural shampoos, I highly recommend shopping online with Nourished Life. My buddy Irene runs this incredible store in Sydney and she’s passionate about supplying the very best natural, organic and safe beauty products to help you look your best.

If you’re more of the DIY type, here are a few DIY shampoo recipes you might like:

DIY Lemon & Coconut Shampoo

3 Ingredient Honey Shampoo

Super Easy DIY Dry Shampoo

I’m often asked how women of the past century had so much spare time to do their hair. What many people don’t know is how infrequently they actually washed it. Many women had their hair set and styled only every week or two. The style was then simply altered or changed up a little for the next day.

When you think about it, taking a page from the vintage hairstyling playbook still makes all the sense in the world today: Washing your hair only once a week will keep you looking fabulous, make your hair much healthier in the long run, plus save you time and money.

Even a Kardashian could see that’s all win.

Delightful Decor: Doughnuts, Flamingos, Foxes & More

Delightful Decor: Doughnuts, Flamingos, Foxes & More

Yes, this post was inspired by felt doughnuts swooshing through my Facebook feed. You never know where or when inspiration will strike.

My good friend Chris Carroll at The Life Creative, who has brilliant taste and style, has just launched his new online store, The Life Creative Shop.

Filled with chic, simple and bold homewares, Chris has curated a collection of pieces that appeal to our sense of fun with a modern vintage vibe. (He’s even made decorating with Macrame stylish, which isn’t always easy.)

Lured by the felt doughnuts, when I popped by The Life Creative shop, I came down with a serious case of lust over the latest range. And here’s where it gets even better …

I asked Chris if he could provide Vintage Current readers with a special offer to celebrate his site launch. He very generously agreed — see details below!

A Few Favorites + Special Offer for My Readers

I could fill a virtual cart with the items I loved on the new site, but here are a few of my personal favorites to give you a sense of the style and range at Chris’ new shop.

Let’s start with this piece that is, to my mind, a must have for any home office, kitchen party or kitsch lovers abode.

Felted Doughnut Garland
It’s 2.5 meters long and comes in 5 different doughnut styles and colourways. *Drooling*

Felt_Donut_Garland_by_Little_Puddles_in_Berry_Smoothie_in_The_Life_Creative_Shop

Flamingo Wall Hooks
These guys are made of hand painted birch plywood and can hold up to 10kgs!

Flamingo_Wall_Hooks_by_Knobbly_in_The_LIfe_Creative_Shop.JPG_1024x1024

 

Monstera Leaf Print Cushion
No retro home worth its salt should be without a Monstera Leaf motif. From midcentury to the late 1970s, these giant tropical leaves were a ubiquitous decorating choice.

Monstera_leaves_Cushion_by_Tropical_Grace_in_The_Life_Creative_Shop_front_1024x1024

Foxy Print
A good animal print never goes out of style. I particularly love this “Foxy” print because you can never have too many reminders that you are one!

Mintry-Print-Foxy-Print-The-Life-Creative-Store_1024x1024

These items should give you an idea of what’s in store, but there are heaps more to help you perfect that mix of classic vintage and modern style in your own home.

As I mentioned, Chris was kind enough to offer our Vintage Current email readers a special limited-time 15% off storewide discount code!

If you’re already subscribed to our email updates, you’ll see that code in this week’s issue. Please be on the lookout for it and let’s show Chris and his new store some love!

And if you’re not currently receiving our updates, we can fix that right away.

Subscribe today and you’ll get the 15% off bonus, plus a free copy of our popular “10 Minute Morning” style guide!

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5 DIY Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

5 DIY Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

You waited a bit too long, right? Distractions, obligations, hectic schedules … trust me, I completely understand.

Now Valentine’s Day 2016 is well and truly upon us, and many of us are scrambling for the best last-minute gift ideas possible (while pretending we had these planned for weeks).

Fortunately, in our search for creative, clever and unique ideas, we found five brilliant gifts, nearly all of which you can create yourself.

So even if you happen to be reading this on the morning of February 14, you’ve still got great gift options. (After that, you’ll want to bookmark this post for next year.)

DIY & Homemade Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

1. Create Your Own Video Valentine’s Day Card

You’ve got a bunch of photos of and with your valentine, but standard prints aren’t a very creative gift. A photo album is a nice step up, but why not go a bit further and turn your still images into a short, animated movie clip with a sweet soundtrack of your choosing?

Combine photos, video clips, text and music to create your own HD video with Animoto. It’s super easy to use — no video experience required — and with plans starting at $13 per month, you might want to use it for other projects (birthdays, holidays, who knows).

We use Animoto to create our Style Snapshots videos, like the one above.

2. Present a Full Year of Dream Date Ideas

We love this idea from the Find Joy in the Journey blog. You can keep it simple or go all out and plan your dates in detail, depending on your time and brainstorming energy.

The basic version: Pick one day per month for the rest of the year, plan your romantic activities and itinerary, lock them into your calendar and present your list of ideas in any number of creative ways. Reservations to restaurants, gift cards, tickets to events, day trips or nights in — the possibilities are endless. You can adjust days later if needed.

DIY Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Plan a perfect dateHave fun with the presentation, too: Write out your date plans and tuck them into small envelopes with any accoutrements. Check out Shannon Brown’s blog for even more tips.

3. Reminisce with a Retro Photoreel & Viewer

Are you or your partner old enough to remember the magic of the ViewMaster?

If so, you’ll love RetroViewer, a photo viewer modeled on the red plastic classic with spinning photoreels. You can now build your own reels from your photos, customise your viewer and buy gift cards to share the joy. RetroViewer sets start at $30 USD and they ship worldwide.

Best Retro Valentines Day Gift: RetroViewer

While you won’t receive this set in time for Valentine’s Day now, we suspect your partner will be so jazzed they won’t mind waiting a bit longer!

4. Trump the Boring Card with Invisible Ink Love Notes

It’s 2016. Who still wants to get a mass-produced Hallmark card, with sappy sentiments that are generic and impersonal?

You can do better, and have more fun in the process, with this easy DIY project: Present your love messages in a bottle with invisible ink from lemon juice.

DIY Valentine's Day Idea: Invisible Ink Love Notes

Your partner can decipher the messages simply by holding them close to heat (near a cozy fireplace or scented candles, perhaps?). And you can handwrite the note with any number of implements, from a paintbrush to a Q-tip.

Warning: Emptying a bottle of wine or spirits to help house these notes may affect your handwriting. Proceed with caution.

5. Make Fresh Roses from Bacon (Yes, Bacon!)

Must we even elaborate on the deliciousness of this idea?

Bacon. Roses. DIY. Total win. Here’s the tutorial from our friend Jess Pryles.

You’re so welcome.


Have any of your own amazing DIY gift ideas for Valentine’s Day? Will you try any of these? Let us know in the comments!

Shine on Spring Outfit Inspiration

Shine on Spring Outfit Inspiration

Putting together fresh outfits for Spring is so much fun and its even better when there are super cute new things hitting the shelves.

I popped over to WildKitty, one of my new go to local stores for retro girly sweetness, to check out their new seasons range and just fell in love with their range. I’m pre-planning my outfits for this year’s Camperdown Cruise in October, as well as finding pretty pieces for date days when he sun comes out again.

There’s a lot to love with these easy to wear and easy to impress outfits!

Spring Outfit Inspiration

Lip service brooch, Black and floral Lady Vintage dress, Raspberry pink vintage inspired handbag

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Pastel pink cardigan with faux fur collar, Cupcake dress, Freshen up mirror and lipstick brooch, kitty shoes

Spring Outfit Inspirations

Cosmetic bag brooch, Pink Polka dot 1940s style dress,gumball pink makeup bag, Woodland fax iPhone 5 case

This weekend looks set to be the perfect opportunity to clear out some space from the winter wardrobe and make room for some new pretties. It’s time to dust off the cobwebs and put some more shine into our days!