Review- Jamberry Nail Wraps

Hello sweet people!  

Whilst I don't consider myself to be much of a beauty blogger, I always enjoy the opportunity to try out new fashion and beauty products and share my thoughts and opinions with your lovely selves. Along that line of thought, I was recently approached by a friend on Facebook and offered to try something that was completely new to me - the nail wrap.

Whilst I'm not really one for nail maintenance (my current student budget does not allow for manicures!) I have always loved nail art and bright polishes. I feel that when my nails are in check they can compliment an outfit and help me feel more "together", which is never a bad thing!

Unbeknown to me, nail wraps have been a big hit with beauty bloggers and internet aficionados for a good while now, and there are literally hundreds of brands, designs and shapes to choose from.  

So what is Jamberry?

Jamberry nail wraps were created by three sisters as a simple do-it-yourself alternative to expensive trips to the nail salon, featuring plain and patterned wraps made with durable materials that bond to your natural nail. They're also gluten-free, latex-free and vegan friendly, making them a great animal-friendly product. With over 300 designs to choose from, you can be spoilt for choice and are able to mix and match designs to create a fun and unique manicure. 

How do you apply them? 

All the tips and tricks you'll need for application are in the following video. It's not the best quality but it's straight to the point and shows you all that you'll need for a quick and easy application using only a hairdryer, nail scissors, a nail file and your wraps. I followed these steps meticulously and overall i'm really pleased with how my Jamberry manicure came out. I also followed the tips and tricks in the image below which helped the longevity of my nails (at the time of writing I've had my wraps on for three days with no signs of wear or tear yet!) 

   

The advice I would give for a Jamberry rookie such as myself is not to be afraid to use extra heat. Once the wrap has been applied and pressed, hold the nail back under the heater for an extra 5-10 seconds just to ensure that it'll stick. The last thing you want is your new manicure to lift and bubble. According to other reviews I've read, the wraps are most likely to lift after the first 2 hours of application, so try your best not to touch or fiddle with them straight after applying (a mean feat for a fidget such as myself!)

What did I make of the wraps? 

Following the instructions from the application video above as well as the "Jam tips for the rookie" information, I found the application process to be fairly straightforward. Whilst it is considerably more faff to apply a full manicure than it is to open a pot of 60 second nail polish, the end result is pretty and unique- something not to be sniffed at!   

My nails turned out beautifully 

As I was sent a sample of the wraps they only came in limited sizes, therefor I wasn't able to cover my thumb or pinky finger with the wraps I was given. I have been assured however that when you purchase a sheet of wraps from Jamberry there is a much broader range of sizes to choose from, enough to to fit most nail shapes. One full sheet of wraps will set you back £15, although one sheet will provide you with enough wraps for four full manicures working out at a meagre £3.75 per full set of nails. According to their website, Jamberry wraps will last for up to two weeks with the correct application making for an economical purchase if you're someone who is into nail art and funky manicures.

Realistically, I won't be using Jamberry nail wraps every two weeks. However, if I have a special occasion such as a party or wedding i'd definitely invest the time and effort into giving myself a nail wrap manicure. I'm a big fan of the wide variety of prints and colours the wraps come in and could easily see myself mixing and matching designs to co-ordinate to a fun outfit. 

What do you think of nail wrap manicures? Let me know!

Until next time sweet cheetahs, 

Lovelustloves x0

**The products within this post were sent to me for free, however as always all opinions and thoughts are completely my own**

Kobi Jae's Blogiversary Giveaway!

Hello darlings!

I absolutely adore blogging. Not only does it allow me the creative freedom to come up with fun outfits to share with you all and let me show off my personal style, but the blogging world has also allowed me to connect with and meet so many rad babes from across the world. I count myself truly blessed to have been able to form some of the awesome friendships I have with people in the online community of #bodypositivity and #fatshion. 

One such babe that I met years ago by following on Instagram is the beautiful Kobi Jae. For those of you that aren't familiar with her work, Kobi is an Australian plus-size blogging babe that works tirelessly to promote body positivity and takes a strong stand against the mainstream fashion industry and a lack of diversity and representation in public media campaigns. In other words, my kinda woman!  

The babe herself!

Kobi's been on the blogging scene since early 2014 and recently celebrated her 2nd blog anniversary (congratulations, sweetie!) As part of her celebrations, she kindly launched a blog giveaway- offering fabulous prizes from small indie designers such as Re/dress and Size Queen Clothing (two amazing brands that were completely unknown to me prior to this. I just LOVE finding exciting new designers and clothing companies to lust over!) 

Well, lo and behold - yours truly won one of the prize draws! Fast Forward a few weeks and a very exciting package from overseas was shipping its way to my door. I hastily opened it (I posted my reactions to everything over on my snapchat - @ivorylovelust if you wanna be my snap pal!) and got to thinking about all of the beautiful bits and pieces contained and how I could style them up into a fun outfit! 

So, what was in the package?! 

First up, this amazing little "sweet tooth" necklace! The beautiful jewels that I won in Kobi's giveaway come from a fabulous Australian designer known as Miss-A-Ree Guts Creations and you can find them over on Etsy. This necklace is incredibly cute; a pastel colour palette and sweet little candy decorations make this a firm favourite of mine. The chain is a lovely length too- one of my pet peeves with jewellery is that it's either
a) far too long and the decorations slip awkwardly into your cleavage or
b) they aren't fat friendly and the chains are too short, cutting off your circulation! This is thankfully neither, and sits at just the right place on me.  

Next up, Kobi- being the sweetheart that she is decided to pop some Australian candies in my package! Having never visited Australia before I was not familiar with the deliciousness of Caramello Koalas, but they're incredibly similar to the UK's caramel freddos (aka freakin' delicious!) Kobi was also kind enough to pop a wee card into my parcel thanking me for entering the giveaway. Can you believe the kindness of this gesture? Believe me, the pleasure was all mine! 

 

 

The sweetest message!

Finally (and this is the real piece de resistance) was this AMAZING frend ring. Made again by the wonderful Miss-A-Ree Guts, these rings are just entirely too cute for words. As soon as I opened my package from Kobi and seen this beautiful wee gem I was screaming with excitement- it's just so perfect!! I absolutely had to style a fun wee outfit around this amazingness- how couldn't I?!  

Got my eyes on you!

Below are some impromptu photos from a fun day out I had recently where I decided to wear all of my Kobi Jae Giveaway goodies at once. I hope you enjoy them- I think the jewels go especially well with this fun & colourful outfit!

Outfit Details 

Dress: Joe Browns
Hair Flower: Alternate Normality 
Sunglasses: Beyond Retro
Jewellery: Miss-A-Ree Guts 
Petticoat: Oh My Honey!
Tights: New Look
Shoes: Primark

What do you think of Miss-A-Ree Guts? I'm personally over the moon to have discovered such a sweet little independent designer, and I'm so thankful to Kobi for introducing me to them!

For now my loves, that's all from me. 
See you all soon! 

Lovelustloves x0

That girl's got roaches in her hair!

 

Hello my darlings! 

Hoping once more that this blog post finds everyone well and enjoying themselves. Today I've got some exciting news to share with you all- I've joined a blog hop! 

After speaking with my beautiful fellow blogger Kobi Jae  over facebook, she told me all about an exciting new collective of queens that go by the name Alternative Curves. Alternative Curves are an international group of bloggers who all embrace their personal style and share this with one another in the form of monthly outfit challenges. This sounded right up my street as I love finding outfit inspiration from a wide variety of places, and I was sold as soon as I heard the title of May's challenge: "Cult Movie". 

As I'm sure many of you can guess (I'm certain that I've mentioned it enough times!) I am an absolute movie geek. My penchant lies primarily with all things horror and gore but I also have a special place in my heart for movie musicals and anything by John Waters - they are without a doubt my ultimate guilty pleasure! The characters... the colours... the filth- what's not to love?!

This "Cult Movie" challenge got my head spinning immediately with ideas - the Red dress from the  Tommy Wiseau underground sensation "The Room"? Some edgy goth style a-la Nancy from "The Craft"? So many options, so little time! Eventually I settled on the decision to emulate my ultimate style role model from my favourite film of all time- Tracy Turnblad from John Waters' classic 1988 "Hairspray". 

Being a Hefty Hideaway girl

For this look, I decided to whip out a beautiful frock that I purchased last year but have never found the perfect occasion to wear yet- the inimitable Roach Dress from indie designer Candy Strike. This brand is the brainchild of the multi-talented Elizabeth Denneau and I'm not over-exaggerating when I say she is absolutely phenomenal. With a plethora of bags, dresses, crop tops and quirky skater skirts all created with the unique Candy Strike brand in mind, it's easy to lose yourself lusting after their entire website! Taking influence from the likes Absolutely Fabulous, Pretty in Pink, Cry Baby, and indeed Hairspray, Elizabeth's illustrations are brought to life through fun and bold prints in beautiful fabrics - something I can definitely get on board with! 

The bag says it all (just change "Blonde" to "Ginger"!)

This particular dress is inspired by Ricki Lake in the "Miss Auto Show" scene of Hairspray where she responds to the claim "She's got roaches in her hair!" made by arch-rival Amber Von Tussel by wearing a dress covered in cockroaches and leading a dance to the novelty song "The Bug" by Jerry Dallman and the Knightcaps.  This iconic scene is one of my personal favourites and I'm so glad that this dress has been recreated for the masses!

Ricki Lake killin' it, as per

This fabulous frock is absolutely wonderful. It's made from a super comfortable stretch scuba-knit fabrics that is soft and luxurious, and the screen-printed love heart roaches are just adorable. I ordered this dress in a size 2xl to be on the safe side but this ended up being far too loose. 

Rather than return this lovely outfit (who can be bothered with the hassle or returning to America from Scotland, amiright?!) I instead had it tailored to have a few inches of excess fabric removed from the waist and a couple of inches off the straps to make for a closer fit. (Thanks Grandma!) For reference my measurements are as follows: Bust 45" Waist 36.5" Hips: 46" which as you can see lie pretty much right in the middle of the XL and 2XL sizing from Candy Strike's Website:

 

My advice if considering a purchase from the wonderful Candy Strike if you happen to be between sizes such as myself would definitely be to size down - most of their clothing is made of material with some degree of stretch (such as the scuba knit or spandex/polyester blends) so if you're after a closer fit this is the way to go.  

The only thing better than hairspray, that's me!

Another thing that really make me excited to be supporting this magnificent brand is the amount of diversity within their range of models. Candy Strike use models for their clothing from a size small all the way through to a 3XL so you can really get a good idea of how their clothes will look on your body. Their models also encompass a wide range of different skin tones and ethnicities which is something I love to see. Their models have tattoos, big bellies, long waif-like limbs, big hips, small boobs - but all are absolutely stunning in their own unique way. This is something I wish more designers would take on board- women want to see how clothes will look on their bodies!  

 

 

When i'm in full spin as with these photos above, you can really see the sheer volume that lies within this gorgeous skirted dress - perfect for dancing and jiving a la Miss Tracy Turnblad! 

I paired this outfit with some sweet little black and white brogues and lacy tights for contrast

Outfit details 

Dress: Candy Strike (size 2x)

Cardigan: Primark (size 16) 

Belt: New Look (size M/L) 

Hair bow: Claire's Accessories 

Shoes: New Look (old)

So that just about wraps up another blog post- I hope you've enjoyed my little Tracy Turnblad-esque take on the Alternative Curves "Cult Movie" theme- I am curious to know now though dear readers, what are your favourite movies? Do they ever influence the way you dress or style yourself? Let me know in the comments! 

Lastly, to find out more about the amazing women behind the Alternative Curves movement, check out the #AlternativeCurves hashtag on Instagram or Click Here to see how all the other lovely ladies of the blog hop have styled their Cult Movie ensembles! Enjoy! 

Until next time my darlings, 

Lovelustloves x0

Springtime florals part one

Hello my loves! 

I hope this post finds you all well and that you've all been out and about making the most of this gorgeous springtime sunshine we've been blessed with over the past few weekends. I've been enjoying the lovely weather and thinking more and more about spring- my second favourite season of the year.

Personally I find that spring reminds me of all things bright & beautiful- baby animals, picnics with friends and fields full of florals. Tulips, Daffodils, Pansies, Carnations... the list goes on! It's no great secret if you take a peek in my wardrobe that I absolutely adore flowers and floral prints are one of the greatest and most repeated influences in there. I've always been a big fan of floral prints ever since I was a little girl and I think this is, in part, due to the fact that floral prints can be so diverse. I currently own at least 30+ items of clothing that feature a variety of roses, sunflowers, daisies and a whole garden's worth of flowers and yet no two pieces are too alike.

Baby me rocking some green floral 90's dream dress 

This apparent fascination with all things floral print has stayed with me into adulthood, and most recently has manifested itself into my love of UK-based vintage reproduction giants Collectif Clothing. Collectif have made themselves known in both the pinup and plus size clothing community by standing out with strong prints, impeccably cut clothing and high-end tailoring with an affordable pricetag. 

I've been wearing Collectif for about 4 years now and one dress in particular has been a wardrobe staple for me over this time frame, culminating in me now owning a whopping 9 (yes, 9!) of the same dress in a wide variety of colours and prints! What is this amazing dress you ask.....?

 

Why it's the Delores Doll dress of course! Modeled here in "Summer Bouquet" print by the beautiful Georgina of FullerFigureFullerBust what's not to love? This dress is incredibly big-bust friendly and very flattering on a variety of body shapes. The full skirt is perfect for twirling (something I do a lot of, as it's one of my two staple dance moves, the other being "the awkward dad at a disco jive") and the little cap sleeves give a nice amount of coverage and can be worn on or off the shoulder. 

Information about this dress from the Collectif Website:

"Bring some sunshine into your day with our Dolores Doll dress in Summer Bouquet. Bright, zesty and bursting with joy; this cotton print features a white background with bright floral blooms. Combine with our Elizabeth bolero in yellow classic cotton for an elegant, fun outfit for summer garden parties." 

In terms of sizing for the Delores Doll Dress, most reviews I've read suggest sizing down as this particular style has a lot of give. Now that I own 9 versions of this dress, this advice is something that i'd reiterate. I'm wearing a size 16 in the Summer Bouquet Print (i'm usually an 18, given my 46" bust and 36" waist) and it fits incredibly well. It's accommodating for my bust yet still fits neatly around my waist, helping me to achieve that hourglass figure and pinup look. 

Another aspect of this dress that I absolutely love is the sweetheart neckline. It's flattering without being too cleavage-heavy and can be pulled up or down depending on how much skin you wish to show. Within the plus-size blogging community the Delores Doll dress has become a wardrobe staple for the masses, coming in a plethora of different prints and styles - one for every occasion imaginable! It's not hard to see why this dress is such a winner in the eyes of so many!

I shot these images with the wonderful Michala Oborna, of Michala Oborna Photography up the historical point of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. The Scottish Gorse bushes provided the perfect backdrop to offset the bright yellow florals of the Delores Doll Summer Bouquet dress and as you can see, the cloudless blue sky provided a lovely contrast. 

I have shot with Michala previously several years ago when I was a member of a burlesque troupe and modeled for a pinup company in Edinburgh and can confirm that years later, she is still every bit as fun, professional and sweet as ever. Michala gives fantastic instruction - she is direct yet overwhelmingly positive which ultimately led to a wonderfully fun photoshoot that yielded some great results! If you're Edinburgh based (or Central Scotland based for that matter) and are looking for a talented photographer then you need look no further. Michala can be reached via her facebook page linked above and I guarantee that you'll enjoy every minute of your photoshoot experience with her. 

Outfit details

Dress: Collectif 

Flower Crown: Etsy 

Stockings: What Katie Did

I hope that you've enjoyed my little springtime styling. Keep an eye out for the next installment of my springtime florals update, where i'll be sharing an absolutely breathtaking gown by vintage reproduction faves Vivien of Holloway. 

Until next time my darlings, 

Lovelustloves xO

The COSLA Excellence Awards

Hello my darlings!

I hope this latest post finds everyone well on this lovely Friday afternoon. Today on the blog I'd like to share my recent experience at the 2015 COSLA awards. For anyone who does not know, The COSLA awards represent the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and are held annually to celebrate good practice across a wide range of services within Scotland's 32 councils.

For this post we're going to need a little context: During my day to day life I work two jobs; one is for a local authority and one for a charitable organization both doing youth work with elements of community education and resource organization involved. One of the areas of youth work that I am most passionate about is LGBT (lesbian gay bisexual and transgender) work within schools and communities, fighting proactively to tackle homophobia and hate crimes and to give young LGBT people a safe space to feel comfortable, accepted and free to be their authentic selves. I've been working locally with two wonderful LGBT projects -the West Lothian LGBT Youth Forum and the Glitter Cannons project- for just over a year now and it is these projects that were recently nominated for a COSLA excellence award. 

In order to gain a bit of insight into the nature of the work that both of these projects do, please take a wee look at this video, highlighting the strengths and achievements of the LGBT youth work that happens locally. Look out for me and my freshly dyed orange hair!

 

Hopefully you'll agree with me that the work that these projects do is incredibly important and gain an understanding of just how valuable this type of youth work is. Supporting people who identify as LGBT (and otherwise) is such an enriching part of my personal and professional working life and truthfully is one of my favourite aspects of my day job - I absolutely love it! Needless to say I was absolutely elated when I heard that our projects were shortlisted as finalists for the COSLA awards- not for the actual awards themselves, but for the opportunity for our work to be shown on a National platform and to prompt a recognizable discussion regarding the importance of LGBT youth work across Scotland as a whole; humbling stuff really! 

After submitting an application and presenting our projects to an illustrious panel of judges in Edinburgh, we were finally gearing up for the actual awards themselves. 

Taking place at the suitably swanky Creiff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire, the awards were a black tie formal affair which set my little fashionista heart racing. Formal wear has always been something that has eluded me; aside from my high school prom back in 2009 I have never attended an event that required a "formal" dress code. My concerns were primarily centered around the fact that my usual everyday attire in itself is relatively formal, swing dresses, petticoats and vibrant colours are my wardrobe staples, so what traction was there to vamp up this style into something more "black-tie"? 

After many hours spent traipsing online, panic- purchasing and subsequently returning an ill-fitting discount dress and a few tears of frustration I finally found it- the formal wear dress of my dreams. This dress is none other than the phenomenal Lesley Ann Dress from my old favourites, yep you guessed- pinupgirlclothing.com! 

I have discussed this dress briefly before in my post about the Miss Scottish Pinup Pageant (which you can read by following this link) however I really feel as though this dress requires further discussion -it's really just that good! 

Information about this dress from the pinupgirlclothing website reads as follows: 

"Inspired by the timeless poise and striking beauty of actress Lesley-Ann Brandt, the Lesley-Ann Dress from Laura Byrnes California is the embodiment of grace and classic elegance. Suggestive of the exquisitely-made and highly treasured party dresses of the 1950s but with clean modern lines and refined detailing for today's woman, this dress is a marvel of construction. 

The full charmeuse-lined skirt offers a stretch Meredith satin base in a delicate mauve purple with layer upon layer of pale blue tulle overlaid on top with a satin waistband to accentuate its 50s-inspired silhouette. The top, to put it mildly, is breathtaking. Meticulously cut, pleated, and sewn into a herringbone-shaped design, the tulle overlay across the lined satin bust transitions into a straight-pleated back enhanced by a satin border on the top following the lines of the tulle. Sitting slightly off-shoulder and extending to the back zip to create a drop v-back, the tulle and satin cap sleeves complete this dream of a dress. Thanks to its careful construction and enduring design, this dress will last a lifetime and beyond if cared for properly!" 

Needless to say, this dress is truly exquisite. It may come with a hefty pricetag but I can assure that it is more than worth the investment as it will quite easily become a timeless wardrobe classic for all formal, black tie and let's be totally honest here- party opportunities for years to come! I thought that this dress was absolutely perfect for the COSLA awards- the structure, fabric and design tick all the boxes of my ideal formal gown, but the colours and tulle skirt add a necessary element of whimsy to proceedings and keep it very true to my personal style as a whole. 

Just look at that tulle 

The construction of this dress is second to none- you can really see where every penny of that $260 pricetag has gone into getting the fit, structure and fabric of this dress just right to encompass designer Laura Byrnes' vision of the perfect modern representation of this delightful 1950's party dress. 

Since sharing this dress on social media, many people have asked me about the fit. As usual, I ordered this dress in my regular size of 2x in Pinupgirlclothing - according to their size chart I fit right in the middle of the 2x measurements with my 46" bust, 36" waist and generous hips, and i'd say that this dress really does fit true to size. Because this dress is so well constructed, i'd definitely say that if you are considering ordering, take a good look at the size chart before placing your order, but keep in mind that this dress is fairly big-boob accommodating, so don't let that dissuade you!

After deciding on my gown for the COSLA excellence awards, I needed to glamorize myself appropriately to match, so I opted for a big bouffant with a simple purple flower fascinator.

Props to my amazing hairdresser Nicky of Mark Brown Hairdressing, West Calder for always keeping my updo's on point! 

To continue with the glamorous theme for the evening's proceedings, I opted for a lovely silver clutch which dates all the way back to my aforementioned high school prom and lots of cheap sparkly jewelry, including a beautiful sequince (a little  Rupaul's Drag Race inspired joke there!) wrap that my mother kindly purchased for me on eBay and a co-ordinating purple and blue manicure to match the stunning Lesley Ann dress. Links to purchase all of the above will be feautired at the bottom of this post.

I kept my makeup for the event reasonably simple; a little touch of Urban Decay's Naked Palette on my eyes and a gorgeous purple lipstick (I love co-ordination, can you tell!?) on my lips. I also added a little silver heart necklace that belongs to my mother for some added sparkle.

Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a photo of my whole outfit including accessories, but this is almost as good, right?

Now, with my formal attire finally on point, it was on to the main event- the awards themselves!

We (the staff) arrived at the Creiff Hydro Hotel with a minibus full of young people who are members of both youth groups discussed earlier. Everyone was all kitted out in their finest ensembles and each and every person looked truly magnificent. We met with one of our colleagues from the wonderful voluntary organization LGBT Youth Scotland and proceeded inside, seizing the moment for a quick photo opportunity (naturally) and making the most of our beautiful surroundings. 

As you can see from the above images, the awards themselves were quite the experience! The entire shindig was an incredibly glitzy and fancy affair, with all nominees being treated to an exquisite 3 course meal before the awards themselves began. Hosted by television personality Jackie Bird proceedings were soon underway, with our category being the 3rd announced. 

Our projects were up for nomination alongside Midlothian and Edinburgh City Council under the category "Tackling Inequality and Improving Health" which is fitting given the nature of work that we do. Unfortunately we didn't win the gold in our designated category, this accolade instead going to Edinburgh City Council's awe inspiring "Willow" project which addresses the social, health and welfare needs of women in the criminal justice system and is an incredible piece of work- a truly deserving winner. 

After this, we collectively presumed that our chances of winning at the 2015 COSLA excellence awards was over, however we were surprisingly mistaken. Right at the end of the evening it was announced that there would be three additional awards given to projects that had demonstrated excellence in their field - the Solace Awards for best team, the Scottish Government Award for Local Matters and lastly, the COSLA Chairperson's Award. 

The Chairperson's Award was the last to be announced and to the absolute shock of everyone at our table- we won!!

The West Lothian LGBT Youth Forum and Glitter Cannons alongside the Chairperson of COSLA and television host Jackie Bird. 

This wonderful accolade took us entirely by surprise- none of us were expecting to win in our category, let alone a surprise award we knew nothing about! The Chairperson of COSLA made an impassioned speech about the work that the West Lothian LGBT Youth Forum and Glitter Cannons project does and why it is so important not only to the LGBT youth community, but to everyone, because tackling inequality is something that we should all be striving to achieve. One of our young members then made a further (incredibly moving) speech that had me crying with pride, discussing how important LGBT youth work is and what impact it had made to her life. I guarantee that there wasn't a dry eye in the house! 

Overall, the COSLA Excellence Awards were such a wonderful experience, and I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of it. This award has made our desire to achieve positive change for LGBT youths even stronger and has given us the drive and determination to ensure that the needs of this marginalized community are met in full. I absolutely love what I do and to for these projects to receive national recognition of this type on a public platform is awe-inspiring and truly speaks volumes. 

Outfit details

Dress: Pinupgirlclothing.com

Sequin stole: eBay 

Hair Flower: eBay

Ring: Primark 

Clutch: Kudos

Shoes: Schuh 

I hope you've enjoyed reading this latest post. 

Until next time my darlings- with lots of love, 

Lovelustloves x0

Mean Green Mutha' From Outer Space

Hello darlings,

I hope this blog post finds everyone well!

I'm wanting to deviate from my regular clothes obsession for a quick minute and chat about one of my favourite films- Little Shop of Horrors. This movie has many elements that I absolutely love; great fashion, catchy songs, an upbeat musical score as well as a young Rick Moranis and dark undertones...perfect! What more could a girl ask for?!

This will always be one of my ultimate feel-good movies and I feel compelled to watch it every several months (I've actually just finished re-watching it for probably the hundredth time with my little sister this very morning!) so you can imagine my delight when last August one of my favourite clothing brands -Pinupgirlclothing- announced that they were planning to release a dress honoring this film. Well, I'm not exaggerating when I say that this dress had my heart fluttering from the offset. I could picture it so vividly- the bright purple colour, the swing skirt, the bold print.... everything about it sounded like a dream! This dress was the brainchild of the wonderfully gifted designer/model/artist/ultrababe Micheline Pitt (follow her on instagram here!) and was born from her increasingly fabulous "Deadly Dames" collection for Pinupgirlclothing. 

After relentless online stalking of their facebook, instagram and twitter pages I contacted Pinupgirlclothing direct to ask for a release date of this amazing dress-of-my-dreams. Originally I was told it'd be out for October 2014, however this date was pushed back on two separate occasions due to the print of the fabric being not quite perfect, which whilst slightly annoying at the time is more than anything a true indication of the perfectionist nature of the design team at Pinugirl - only releasing the dress once every issue was addressed. The actual release date of this dress ended up being March 2015, and you can guarantee that I mine was one of the first orders in- after months and months of waiting this dress was finally going to belong to me, making all of my kitschy Audrey 2 dreams come true! 

So, what was my verdict when I received the dress? 

Unsurprisingly, I loved it! This dress exceeds all of my expectations and is a true marvel, and surprisingly is one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've ever put on my body - It literally feels as though i'm wearing pajamas! The print is absolutely divine and adds a brilliant element of whimsy that i'm totally in love with- Audrey 2's cute and creepy animated makeover is definitely something I support fullheartedly.

For anyone considering buying this dress, or placing themselves on the wait-list for it to be restocked in various sizes, here's an extract of information about the Venus Flytrap Hotrod Honey Dress direct from the Pinupgirlclothing website (and link to purchase here!):

"The comfort of your favorite t-shirt meets the design you love from Deadly Dames with the Hotrod Honey Swing Dress! Made of a high-quality cotton stretch knit, the Hotrod Honey features a wide scoopneck, 3/4 length sleeves, and a full swing skirt that is slightly gathered at the elasticized waistline. Comfortable and cute, this dress is available here in Micheline's custom Venus Fly Trap print and comes with a faux leather belt." 

I can 100% vouch for all of the above information. 

In fact, I loved this dress so much that I decided to organize a little photoshoot to show off how amazing it is!  For the occasion I decided to do something a little different and go for some big 60's style bouffant hair- something that the original Audrey herself would be proud to wear! 

Suddenly Seymour

To get my hair looking so big and fabulous, I went to a fantastic little local salon called Myka and was styled by the wonderful Cheryl Bowes, salon owner and vintage hair enthusiast extraordinaire! Making use of my lovely little headpiece that I picked up at the Scottish Tattoo Convention (flower clip is by Alternate Normality - follow this link to purchase!) Cheryl curled, backcombed and fixed my hair into place and set it with an atomic serving of ultra-hold hairspray; this girl really knows what she's doing and set me on my way with a giant smile on my face and my high hair skimming the door frame on the way out! 

My lovely friend Jenni came over to my Bathgate home to shoot - we are working on a body positive photo project that i'll share more about soon but also used the opportunity to photograph this gorgeous dress- and I had a delightful time doing so! I've really been enjoying getting back in front of the camera after such a long hiatus, it's been fantastic for my self-esteem and I've been loving the images that i'm getting back too- an added bonus! Jenni is an incredibly talented photographer and made the experience wonderfully positive & comfortable. We shot mostly outside in my shared garden area and my lovely neighbour even let us use her decking. Check out the results of our little collaboration below:

 

Wearing seamed stocking from What Katie Did to give this outfit that little bit extra 

 

Overall, this dress is everything i'd hoped for and more! It's soft, comfortable, wonderfully constructed and even comes with a free leather effect belt. It's absolutely gorgeous and so easy to wear due to the comfortable jersey material. This dress is currently sold out in most sizes but if you add yourself to the wait list that I linked to above you'll be notified as soon as it comes back into stock.

I hope that you enjoyed my little review and photoshoot- let me know what you think about this dress in the comments below.

Until next time lovelies! 

Lovelustloves x0