Product Pinup Reviews

"LUSH" SKIN

The first product I'm going to review are the massage bars by Lush.

First of all, I LOVE THEM.   Many of them are Vegan and all of them are less than $12.00, most run about $9.95. They come in many shapes and fragrances (and some are even lickable, mmmmmm) and many have glitter in them (2 specifically, SHIMMY SHIMMY and GLITTERBUG, and I use those on stage).  I have two at the moment.

I have the TUCA TUCA massage bar and the SHIMMY SHIMMY massage bar. Neither leaves a heavy fragrance on the skin for long and the skin absorbs both rather quickly- within 10 minutes.  Make sure you "melt" it enough so it slides on easily and have a nice little tin for them (I use a vintage sugar bowl from an antique shop that I keep on my vanity.)

TUCA TUCA:

Smells like violets!  "We blend seductive violet absolute with fresh rose petal infused cocoa butter and a hint of vanilla for a gorgeous floral bar." 

I love it!  Put in on after the shower by holding it between your hands for a few seconds (it gets slick FAST) then rub it everywhere!  My skin is super soft and has a subtle fragrance about it, it hasn't stained anything (so far, but the purple TUCA TUCA writing on it does put a weird gray color on your skin until you rub it in REALLY well).  It has radically changed my rough elbow situation- which was a great travesty but is now a soft and supple lovely elbow- which no lotion had managed to give me, and when you wear elbow-length gloves you should have nice elbows.

Cost: $7.95 a bar

To Buy the TUCA TUCA massage bar at www.Lush.com

 SHIMMY SHIMMY

I use this on stage in lieu of body glitter- since they don't make it in a gel anymore and the sprays all smell like vanilla (hence why strippers leave a "trail of glitter and vanilla body wash" -it's the vanilla scented spray glitter).  It's vanilla (ha ha ha- can't escape the vanilla/glitter pairing), lavender and Clary sage scented  and leave great quantities of pink glitter on your skin.  It says "a light glow" but I find that it's a bit more than that- and I love it.  I would not personally use this to moisturize my skin because of the sheer volume of glitter in it it can be a little scratchy but it's so great for glittery skin that I don't want them to change a thing.  (Just a note: GLITTERBUG, which was mentioned earlier, has purple glitter in it and is Neroli, Rose, and Vanilla scented.)

Cost: $6.95 a bar

To Buy the SHIMMY SHIMMY massage bar from www.Lush.com

Perfectly Poised Party Dip

Ah! Now for my very first entry... since it's Holiday Time I think I will put down my "Perfectly Poised Party Dip" Recipe.  This is what I take to every single holiday event this time of year.  It's delicious, cost effective, and is very little effort- so I can commit to curling my hair rather than cooking.  This is always a hit, always the first dish gone, and everyone always thinks I spent a LOT of time on it.  So on my stress scale of 1-10, 1 being sipping a cocktail and listening to smooth jazz and 10 consisting of going to do ANYTHING at the DMV,  this ranks a 1.  This dish can be made last minute with stuff that's usually in your fridge.  Feel free to jazz it up and play with some spices but really you can't go wrong with a 3 ingredient recipe.  Showing up with a dish like Martha Stewart and hair like Greta Garbo definitely makes you an everyday pinup.


Holiday Onion Dip

Ingredients

1 cup Vidalia Onions chopped
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Cheddar (or if you prefer another cheese then get to experimenting)

Mix it all together and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Serve with a
box of crackers (I use Townhouse).  If you are going to a large party (10+ people) make sure that you double the batch.

Prep Time: 3 minutes.
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Stress Scale: 1 (cocktails and music)

The Everyday Pinup's Lips

The one thing every vintage vamp needs is a great lipstick and a great lipstick tube.  My favorite place to get vintage lipstick tubes is on ebay and in antique stores.  They aren't very expensive- anywhere from $2.00- $12.00 and make putting on your lipstick in public a much more provocative event.

First, let's talk colors and brands.  I'm a fan of red lipstick.  I have so many shades of red that it is truly ridiculous, but today I'm going to talk about 3 only (for now).  From least expensive to most expensive:

1. Retro Red by N.Y.C. Color $0.99 at drugstores
       Nice smooth color, needs to be reapplied after a while and tends to bleed, so you'll pay in vigilance    what you saved in cash, but it's a nice feel and for less a dollar can be worth experimenting with.

2. Russian Red by M.A.C. $15.50 at www.maccosmetics.com
        Matte finish red with a lot of blue in it.  Very neutral color and a great one to have around in general.  Looks good on most skin types doesn't require a lot of babysitting and doesn't bleed very much at all.  Very dry so get a lip gloss with it.

3. Moulin Rouge by Make up Forever $19.00 at www.sephora.com
       MY FAVORITE!  Smooth and velvety.  Does not bleed very much at all and is satiny enough that lip gloss is just icing on the cake rather than a necessity. Is a deeper berry red than Russian red.

Now that we've chosen a lovely lipstick, let's get that bad boy into one of our recently purchased vintage lipstick tube.

#1. Clean out any old lipstick in the tube, do not actually use vintage lipstick unless it's BRAND NEW, you would hate to get small pox because you decided to use some random human beings old lipstick.  Freeze it and then dig it out (it's easier and less messy this way.) Clean it in hot soapy water (do not use the dishwasher).

#2. Take the lipstick you want to put into your vintage tube and freeze it.  You want a deep freeze on it so put in the freezer not on the door.

#3.  After a couple of hours (I put it in at breakfast and then do this when I get home from work), take the frozen lipstick out of the freezer.  Twist the lipstick all the way to the top and using wax paper gently rock the lipstick back and forth until it comes completely out of the tube.

#4. Make sure your vintage tube is twisted all the way to the top.  Take your newly freed lipstick and using a lighter/match barely melt the bottom of it. (BE VERY CAREFUL OR YOU COULD FIND YOUR SELF IN A PUDDLE OF LIPSTICK).  Place it inside the tube and then twist it back down.  If you heated it a little much just pop it back in the freezer for a bit (standing upright).

Now, your lipstick is as unique and amazing as you are and everyone will envy the pretty girl with her pretty lipstick tube and rosy pout. 

Welcome All!

My name is Dixie Rising and I am a Jill of all trades.  I am a burlesque dancer and pinup model in New York City who also loves to cook, shop, experiment, and share all of my adventures.  To read about my burlesque adventures check out my other blog The Adventures of Miss Dixie Rising, to explore the wonderful world of the "Everyday Pinup" then stay in your seat because you've come to the right place.  This blog will primarily focus on fashion, beauty products, hairstyles, and doing things the "old fashioned way".  I love DIY projects and anytime I can share a secret of how to make yourself more glamorous without having do anymore than you usually do and without breaking the bank, you bet your lucky stars there will be an entry here about it.  From personal experience, expensive things feel even more luxurious when you didn't have to forgo your mortgage to pay for them. So, read on you classy dames and enjoy your time on my blog.