Hydrangeas and Grape Vines

Yesterday we took Lola on an outing to Saguaro Ranch for a little bird watching.  This farm, started in the late 1800s and now a historic park, is populated with a wonderful array of chicken, guinea fowl, and peacocks.  Lola was quite thrilled with the outing, and we quite enjoyed the overcast, breezy day that the monsoon season brought us.

I wore a handmade 1940s dress adorned with colorful sprays of purple and pink hydrangeas.  I just adore its bright and springy color scheme!  I paired it with a purple cinch belt and matching 1940s heels, 1940s pink celluloid and wooden heart earrings, a bright pink rose, and Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick.

The first grapevines were planted here in 1895, though I'm not sure how old these vines are.  Now they are home to those wonderful birds, who populate the farm with plenty of color and lots of noise!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Portrait of a Starlet

A couple of weeks ago I styled a model for a Hollywood glamour and pinup shoot with Doug Monce.  Tess had lovely, thick brown locks and gorgeous eyes--her looks really suit the 1940s--and she was a delight to work with!

For makeup, I used a mix of Ben Nye, MAC, and Yaby.  On her eyes, I applied Ben Nye Santa Fe on the lid, Mink Stole in the crease, and Vanilla to highlight.  A light dusting of Yaby Glazed Rose added a bit of shine and depth to the look.  Her brows were filled in slightly with MAC Coquette, applied with an angle brush, and before applying false lashes (Ardell 102s), I applied a thin line of black gel liner (Inglot 90).  On her cheeks I used Ben Nye Raspberry powder rouge, and I used MAC Red on her lips (which were lined with NYX Red.)

I helped with some of the wardrobe as well--for her first look, she wore a black satin nightgown trimmed with aqua bows, paired with a marabou stole and rhinestone jewelry.  For her second look, she wore a 1980s-does 40s cocktail dress paired with a mink stole and more rhinestones.  For her pinup looks, she wore a yellow 1940s-50s bathing suit and a red cherry tie top (made by Vee Vin Tage) paired with black sailor shorts made by Bettie Page Clothing; both outfits were worn with cherry jewelry from my collection.

I loved the way the shoot turned out--Tess looks like she was plucked straight from the pages of an old movie mag!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee