Spring Has Sprung

Happy Monday everyone! 

To all statesiders, I hope you enjoyed the Oscars.  To everyone else, I'm trying to avoid hearing who won until RTE repeats the ceremony at the more sociable hour of 9pm for us tonight.  I'm pretty sure the winners are no big surprise but we all know it's all about the dresses!  Seriously, I can't wait to see the dresses and makeup.
Today's post is a little ode to the fact that this weekend, Spring seemed to have sprung..and here is how I enjoyed it.

Friday:  a walk in Belfast's Botanic Gardens to photograph the shoots of crocuses and snowdrops I saw on Monday.  But by Friday, they were opened up into full bloom and the park was filled with them.  Absolutely beautiful colours that lifted my mood no end.

What a beautiful carpet of flowers!

Though it may still be quite cold outside, this bright weather puts me in such an optimistic mood.  I am looking forward to shopping for sandals, wearing dresses with bare legs, painting my nails lilac and going outside with just a cardigan.  These little glimpses of Spring are so welcome after a long Winter.  I found the SJP NYC perfume I wore last summer and sprayed it today, the easiest way to feel seasonal without freezing to death.

My mum bought me this little handbag size bottle of it last Summer and it has lasted so well.  It is based around the scent of a strawberry but it isn't as sickly as it sounds.  I'm not exactly a great follower of the celebrity fragrance trend and I probably shouldn't like this as I know 12 year old girls would probably adore it as well but I can't help it...it's just fun and reminds me of last Summer now, I love how perfumes can hold memories like that.

Here is the NST perfume website review of SJP NYC, I got so addicted to this website last year as I tried to educate my nose!

Hampton Blue Gifts and Giveaway

Thank you all for your comments on my last post, really appreciate them all! Another plus in favour of Saturday's take on the Primark prom skirt oufit was this beautiful Lisbeth Dahl bracelet I wore.

Lisbeth Dahl is a really nice accesories and homeware range I have seen on and off for a few years in varying gift stores.  I have a photoframe and I did have (until I lost :( ) a beautiful cream pagoda umbrella that always got a few stares in rainy Belfast.  A lot of the pieces in the range have a vintage feel to them and something about the grey and black stones in this bracelet sets me in mind of the glitzy 20s and 30s. 

Perfect for a gift, I was very lucky to be gifted with this from Debbie at Hampton Blue.  A new online business (and local to Belfast!), Hampton Blue is busy stocking their online store with beautiful things that I'm sure will appeal to us!  Lisbeth Dahl being one, they also sent me this adorable purse from the Disaster Designs line.  Quite Cath Kidston-esque but a little different.

I am also seriously contemplating buying one of these beautiful leather photo albums, the type of album I've been meaning to buy to organise all my holiday snaps for ages now!  They also have beautiful ideas for gifts for babies and weddings.

Hampton Blue can also be found in St. George's Sunday market in Belfast and the good news for A Certain Vintage is that I will be hosting a giveaway next month for you all when Hampton Blue's new stock comes in, so look out for that post in the next few weeks! For now, have a wee look at their website, see if anything takes your fancy:  http://www.hamptonblue.co.uk/

1 outfit, 2 nights

1 outfit, 2 nights...a blogging sacrelig?  I think not, merely a good buy if you ask me! 
I got this Primark skirt and adore it.  I think the poppy print is just beautiful but the best bit is it's lined with a net petticoat, Betty Draper-tastic! I'm not sure how I would style it for warmer weather yet but I wore it on Valentine's night and for my sister's birthday this weekend. 
Both times, I threw it on without too much thought as time was of the essence and here are my 2 almost identical looks.

Left: Top - Petit Bateau

Right: Body - Lipsy, Belt - Urban Outfitters

Shoes - Office (need updating!)

I prefer it with the Lipsy body as it gave a more streamlined look for the high waist of the skirt.  Is the Urban Outfitter's belt too fussy or just right?

But best of all about Saturday's version (right picture) was my new Revlon Fire and Ice lipstick.
I am a bit in love with this.  I have wanted to buy it for the longest time and finally remembered to have a glance at it in Boots the other week.  I was prepared for it to be bright and maybe a bit too orange for my skintone, something about this shade of red I just love though.  I wore it here, over Benefit lip primer/plumper and MAC's subculture lipliner, I applied with a lip brush as it is quite matte.  It's also a little drying but not half as much as I was expecting.  It's staying power was the best thing.  I am in fear of red lipstick on my chin and all over my face when I go out for dinner.  I had linguine...in cream sauce which basically ended up all over my face, how elegant!  I dabbed politely, ran to the bathroom and realised my lipstick hadn't budged.  Only faded from the centre of lip outwards which, with a quick touch up, was easily rectified.  This photo is after three courses with one touch up - the ultimate test for red lipstick!

Apologies for the low light here, washes the red colour out a bit



I found a Revlon makeup book I got for a present as a teenager which had the original ads for Fire and Ice (seen photographed above) and Cherries in the Snow in them.  Fire and Ice, originally released in 1952, also had a rather wonderful questionnaire to determine if you were Fire and Ice including questions such as:

Does gypsy music make you sad?

Would you streak your hair platinum without consulting your husband?

Have you ever wanted to wear an ankle bracelet?

If yes, then apparently you are made of Fire and Ice.  Now if only Revlon would bring back some more classics, how epic does Cleopatra's Sphinx Pink sounds.  Now I wonder if I will try matching 'lips and tips' and buy the All Fired Up nailpolish, the match of Fire and Ice, next time I'm in a Boots...too much?!



Dorian Leigh, modelling for the Fire and Ice campaign in 1952



MAC Peacocky and Peacock Alley

As I posted before, I love all things peacock and refer to peacocks as peacockys all the time so clearly MAC have been reading A Certain Vintage ;)

I was interested in trying the Mega Metal shadows and I loved them basically!  I got Prance (described as a frosted mauve pearl) and Unflappable (frosted black with purple pearl).  The pans of these are larger than regular MAC eyeshadows, they feel really soft and feel slightly easier to blend than some of the permanent collection shadows. 
They are not over the top metallic either, just very pretty shimmers.  MAC's websites says they are crease resistant too which I guess I can vouch for, but I was also wearing UD Primer Potion.

The purple tone in both is really subtle.  Prance is just so pretty, I'm addicted to colours like this and worried it would be too similar to my MAC vanilla pigment but it's a bit different as it's not as much of a white gold or a silver...I guess because it's a frosted mauve pearl!  It just looks beautiful on and I've actually been using it as a highlighter on my cheeks as well.
Unflappable is a really soft black, that is easy to blend with and you can build up for more intensity.  Just what I was looking for, a soft black eyeshadow I wasn't scared of!

I wore them both on Valentine's night so thought I'd take a picture.  What do you think?

I'll be trying out Unflappable again tonight and I have been wearing Prance all week so I'd say they were worth it. The other colours in the collection were beautiful, but I just love my good old basics!

Also, I got this set of Lipstick Queen's lipglosses called Peacock Alley.  They were reduced in my local Space NK to under a tenner from £28 so I couldn't really resist the packaging or its name.  Peacock Alley is a famous corridor in NY's Waldorf Astoria.  I haven't had a chance to try these out but I like Lipstick Queen products. Saunter reminds me a bit of Nars orgasm lipgloss on first glance and I think Sway would be great over lipsticks.  The box encourages you to mix them as well.

L-R: Strut, Saunter, Sway

Applicator like the Stila lipglosses.

Hope you're all having a nice weekend.  Happy birthday to my Sister!  We are going to be celebrate tonight.  I just bought her a few girly things for a present including the Collection 2000 big fake lash mascara that everyone has raved about and Umberto Gianni's Backcomb in a Bottle...can't wait to hear how they perform for her after their blogger fame! xox

Voya Lazy Days Seaweed Bath

As promised, here is my review of the Irish seaweed-based(!) beauty brand, Voya which I tried out for the first time last weekend.
I tried to recreate a seaweed bath at home with their product, Lazy Days and I also tried their body buff, Time to Shine.

Lazy Days

 Basically, it's a beautifully packaged box of dried seaweed and a little sachet of dead sea salt.  This might be the best product in the whole line for me because it is so unique to other brands and as truly all it is is a bag of dried seaweed and salt, you know there is no hidden chemical ingredient.
There were directions on the side of the box which instructed to let the seaweed soak in a hot bath for a while to prepare and to squeeze it to release all it's gel like goodness. 

The seaweed comes in a green string bag which I opted to keep it in to make cleaning up a little easier but you can take it out.  Cleaning up by the way, was quite simple this way.  You can use the seaweed as a soil fertiliser for anyone that way inclined...I have dried mine out.  I wouldn't use it again for another bath, so I will see what gardener in my family can make use of it!

The seaweed dried out and then rehydrated in the bath!

The seaweed 'rehydrates' in the bath, so don't be put off by how black and dry it looks in the box.  Having become accustomed to the seaweed bath with my visits to Soak, Newcastle, I was used to the smell and feel of the bath so perhaps I can't comment on that.  Honestly, I didn't find the smell pungent or anything.  In fact, soak use a lot more seaweed and it isn't in a bag so it's a bit more extreme!  The water goes green and it did have that jelly feeling to it (great hair conditioner to soak your hair in it)

I felt relaxed and it really does help with minor aches and pains.  I think it would make a really great gift for spa and beauty fans. 

Lazy Days is 16 euro or £15 with shipping to the UK, Ireland and USA

Time to Shine

 This was a nice partner to the Lazy Days box. It wasn't a very coarse scrub which I like as I have quite sensitive skin and it didn't drag too much but exfoliated effectively.  My favourite aspect was the smell.  Having seaweed in it, I wasn't sure what sort of scent it would have but it didn't really smell like seaweed at all.  It had quite a mild soapy smell, fairly inoffensive! This did a fantastic job at making my skin soft and really brightening it up as too much central heating had left my skin so dull.
I was impressed with the ingredient list for this.  I knew Voya marketed themselves as organic but when it came to the wider line of face and body products, I wasn't sure how many ingredients would be natural/organic.  However, I couldn't see any parabens, sulfates, fragrances etc. and lots of pronounceable ingredients and organic oils, they're is all listed on their website and the packagaing.
This is priced at 10 euro or £9.

I love the whole look of this brand, I think the packaging looks great and the ethos of being organic and popularising an old fashioned ritual sits well with me.  I would be eager to try other products in the line, like the hair care and skin care to see what sort of ingredients are used and what results I would get.  The skincare line looks great with a seaweed balm cleanser, but just a bit beyond my budget at the minute.  They are also used and have a treatment list in lots of different spas so maybe I will be lucky to visit one this year.

I would recommend Lazy Days especially for anyone who is already a fan of seaweed baths, or wanting to try them out!  The Voya website is also great and informative for anyone interested in seaweed baths or their other products and ingredients -  http://www.voya.ie/

Happy Valentine's Day

 Single, married, dating...whatever your 'status', Happy Valentine's Day!

I dislike the emphasis some try to put on it that today you need a date, or how when I was in school the way girls competed over how many Valentines they received. So Happy Valentine's Day from me to you, in my opinion Valentine's Day love and cheer can be spread to anyone and everyone and it doesn't have to be all about romance.  Enjoy and celebrate love in all its forms. And, when that love is romantic, how you choose to mark this day is between the 2 of you.  Some do big gifts, some do none at all and that is up to the couple, we should not judge or let anyone dictate how you should express your love.

This year I say no to the pressure some feel over Valentine's day and yes to Valentine's love :)

My Dad used to always give me a card or flower when I was a little girl which I adored and helped teach me about the giving, generous spirit of Valentine's Day, now I have a boyfriend that does that ....

Beautiful red tulips and eucalyptus leaves from Belfast florist, Rose Devine (that is her actual name....how fitting she became a florist!)

The card I made my Valentine.  It has some tissue paper from Dublin store, Brown Thomas which he wrapped the first gift he ever got me in 3 years ago.

The tissue paper and ribbon they wrap everything in in Brown Thomas features the words of a Patrick Kavanagh poem, 'Grafton Street Admiration'.  A short poem that has always been a favourite of mine and though the unrequited love sentiment might seem a little unfitting for Valentine's Day, lets be honest, the best type of romantic poetry is always a bit forlorn.

Grafton Street Admiration

And have you felt that way too,

That someone was in love with you

And was afraid to speak? The air

Vibrated with your mutual prayer.

Without an introduction you

Are doomed to love and never woo.

Patrick Kavanagh (1942)

xoxo

Weekend Treats

Thanks for the interest shown on the seaweed blog, I will review Voya seaweed bath products this weekend and have a look at more Irish brands in the coming weeks :)

I went to the Frock Around the Clock vintage fair in Belfast this Sunday. There was a few new vintage sellers which was nice to see, namely a new favourite store of mine, Wild Child Originals in Dublin. I saw a camel vintage Christian Dior coat that was in beautiful condition but for nearly £200, I simply had to walk away. I did however purchase 2 little somethings!

1.) This was for me fella! We loved the tounge in cheek 'Feck It, Sure It's Grand' version as found online and now pictured in the Irish Times magazine, but I figured the 'Keep Going' was a little more proper and a little less Father Jack as much as I adore Father Ted. 
There are so many different versions of this poster now and I love the history of the original British 'Keep Calm and Carry On' slogan.  It's amazing how popular it has become and how many times it has been re-invented recently, perhaps we find it reassuring in the midst of a recession.  I loved the colour combination of the cream frame and orange print ... brightens my day and only £4!

2.)  An old British three penny coin on a silver chain from Jennifer Robinson Jewellery.  Her designs have always caught my eye at these fairs so I decided to treat myself to this.  I thought it would also look good worn with my silver key charm necklace but I like how it just sits flat and for £16, it was a great price for a treat.  She also does amazing necklaces and bracelets made out of watch parts and best of all, makes brooches out of scans of your old photographs.  I believe her sign said "Glitz your Granny".  Really hope I don't rust this necklace away to nothing.  Everything I have seems to turn black on me, metal allergy or something?  Check out photos of her jewellery on her facebook page

  

King George V head and front of the 1915 threepence



Thought these pretty pink chysanthemums were the perfect touch of Spring and colour to share with you today

xoxo

Seaweed Baths - traditional Irish beauty treatment?

I love to learn about what beauty ingredient or treatment might be unique or a speciality of an area, especially when beauty shopping abroad... I hope someone is following me on this!  Hungary's mineral rich thermal waters, the Provence lavender waters from France, Italy's rich olive oil soaps or Dead Sea mud in Jordan.
So what could you tell a beauty or spa aficionado about the emerald isle of Ireland and what we have to offer in way of skincare and therapies? Well, with its growing popularity and current revival, I think the answer might be seaweed!

Visit any craft fair or market at the minute, and you're likely to find companies selling seaweed beauty products  promoting its benefits for skin and joint conditions. Online you can find food supplements of sea kelp or carrageenan, it seems the uses for seaweed are quite endless.  There are also a number of spas throughout Ireland which offer the traditional seaweed bath I want to focus on.  I'm hoping to try the baths in Mayo or Galway this summer on holiday.
However, a little closer to home, was 'Soak' in Newcastle, Co.Down which I've visited twice.  I wrote a review of my first experience on the W(r)ite Noise blog here and I revisited a few months ago better equipped for the experience.

Bathtubs and mirrors in Soak. Photos c/o W(r)ite Noise Ni blog :)

I would love to try some brands and products that utilise seaweed and plan to start this week with some products from the aforementioned Voya.  This includes a box of their dried seaweed so I can try to create my own seaweed bath house!  Let me know if this is of interest to you and I'll see what other spas and products I can find as I go along!   For now, here is a few quick findings on the history and benefits of seaweed baths.


History

I have heard the Ancient Greeks also found seaweed baths beneficial and in Ireland, they had long been popular particularly in Victorian and Edwardian times.  Voya's website has estimated that at the beginning of the 20th century there were 300 seaweed bath houses in Ireland.  Now I'm only able to find 7 in Ireland and  none in England, Scotland or Wales currently.

There have been more popping up though in Ireland, more seaweed product lines being developed and they're proving popular with locals and tourists alike.
It is widely thought that the roots of these baths in Ireland are in the farming communities.  Farmers had long used seaweed as a soil conditioner and found that when they held it and handled it, it would help heal any cuts or sores on their hands.

Benefits
Seaweed is rich in vitamins A - K.  It has been noted for its ability to draw toxins out from the body  and help speed up the healing process of our skin.  It is also rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and selenium.
It has been reported by many Irish and global dermatologists to help with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema and many feel it also helps ease joint pain and rheumatism.



My Experience

Great!  A little bit different, fun to learn about the history behind it and try something new.  One of the more invigorating 'spa' treatments I have had in a while but I really did feel the benefits and slept so well that night.  The salty, sea air smell of this beauty treatment took a bit of getting used to for me and I admit, when my idea of spa was mood lighting and candles, the Soak experience took a bit of getting used to.  It seemed a bit more basic, but in the end this simplicity is what made it so appealing.



The bath itself was quite thick and jelly like in texture, but prepared for this on my second visit, I was confidently lathering it over my hair and face!  Soak allow you to bring CDs to play in your room, and you can top your bath up with hot or cold water as the temperature is prepared quite hot traditionally.  The baths are big old claw footed baths which I thought was a nice touch, and if the weather is good you can go for a bracing walk along Newcastle beach afterwards!

The seaweed is then scooped into a bucket and passed on to local farmers to use as compost/fertilizer making you feel a little more virtuous and eco-friendly.   Their website is http://www.soakseaweedbaths.co.uk/ for anyone who is interested.

What do you think, would you give it a go?  Afterall, it's a vintage beauty treatment of sorts!



The beach at Whitepark Bay, Co. Antrim



Chubby Cherub OOTD

Last night I went to a fairly new Italian restaurant very cutely called The Chubby Cherub!  It's very small and quaint and opposite (their owners) Am:Pm in Belfast.  They have decorated it in the popular eclectic style of restaurants at the minute, but what stops it becoming 'samey' and overly hip, are the plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling...i love them, a welcome dose of tack!  It really reminds me of the type of Italian ristorante I have been missing for a while. If only they had some red and white gingham table cloths now, but I did like dining at a white leather studded table so I shan't complain. 

Here is my outfit, posed oh so well and artistically beside my Aunt's cooker ... time was short!  My hair is a mess, I did my makeup in the car and I didn't give much thought to this outfit but actually I quite like it and it gave me another excuse to brighten things up with my raspberry Tabio tights.  I am loving these by the way, the slim rib on them is so flattering on the leg.

Blouse - Primark
Skirt - American Apparel
Tights - Tabio
Shoes with hearts - M and S Limited Collection



The ceiling inside the Chubby Cherub with mismatched chandeliers and appropriately kitsch plastic grapes!



Can you believe my boyfriend didn't know what a cherub was?!  Even though he is dating someone as angelic as me! My answer was along the lines of Botticelli, chubby baby angels. They had a little corner in the restaurant where we sat called Cupid's Corner too.

Picture post-Babies, Coconuts and Cards!

This windy weather today is very atmospheric but a little draining.... here is a quick post of a few photos this week!
I cannot get enough of these adorable chubby little baby hands.  I have been minding my nephew this week, and I love how he almost holds your whole hand now instead of just your finger, breaks my heart with cuteness!

M&S tropical fruit salad - loved chewing on the coconut and feeling exotic while the rain pelts down outside.  It was a bit bland at first, not like a coconut raspberry ruffle sweeite... but now I really like the taste!

I purchased gel insoles...thanks for the tips!  I also got some spongy half insoles and found lambswool which I used to stuff my ballet shoes with and wrapped these around my heels...hopefully the balance for ultimate comfort will soon be found!

I made another card too for an Aunt's special birthday today.  I bought a little set of papers, ribbons and cute things like this butterfly for £2.00 so thought I would try a little bit of decoupage!  I like how it turned out with the printed photo of my auntie and her sisters as little girls, hope she likes it.  I'm not the most creative or crafty person, but I like giving it a go!

I am looking forward to the vintage fair, Frock Around the Clock, on Sunday...really hope to go, just need to persuade someone to come keep me company.  Some new sellers coming along, including Wild Child Originals coming up from Dublin.  Have been lucky in their wee shop twice before, will post more on this tommorow.
Hope everyone is well and it's not too blustery where you are in the world xox