Let's Play Cinderella Shall We...

Okay, you can play Cinderella and I'll play the wicked step-sister who cuts off her heel to fit into these gorgeous shoes...

Morbid, I know. But if ever there were shoes worth cutting off your heel to fit into, these would be it. All of these beautiful shoes are hand-painted by etsy seller Hippy of Doom Shoes.

Check out her shop for more hand-painted lovelies.

5 Things Mama's Neglect To Buy Themselves

It's ridiculous the things we will deny ourselves after having children. We'll use the same tired purse for years, but we're sure to buy Johnny his new backpack every year. Even when things obviously need to be replaced, we still ignore them. Well honey, this has got to stop! Take a look at this list to see what you've been neglecting to buy yourself.

1. Bra's - We've talked about the importance of wearing a bra that fits right on an earlier post. If you find yourself tugging it down, adjusting your girls into the cups, elastic or threads coming undone or wires poking through, it's time for a new one.
2. Underwear - Underwear are one of the most affordable luxuries yet we routinely deny ourselves the pleasure. Go out now and buy yourself a bunch of much-too-fancy knickers and do this every 3 months.
3. Eyeshadow - Why do we hold on to eyeshadow for years? I'll admit I'm guilty of this and I'm not sure why I do it. Eyeshadows have an expiration date and can be a breeding ground for bacteria. yuck. Throw them out and treat yourself to an eyeshadow shopping spree.
4. Pajamas - Vintage mama's should never look frumpy, even while we sleep. The vintage nightgown featured above is available through fabgabs on etsy.
5. Pillow - It drives me crazy how both my mama and abuelita sleep on 3 flat pillows. Please buy yourself a big, dreamy pillow and don't forget to use a silk pillow case.

What are other things that you neglect to buy yourself since you became a mama?

Boot's Body Wash Review Plus A Sneaky-Peek

Hooray for the first product review of 2010 and the first beauty product review I post on my bloggity-blog!

Boot's Body Wash in Lemon

I have to admit that I am a Boot's virgin. Until a few weeks ago, the chemist's at Boot's had never touched my skin. But seeing how vintage lovers everywhere love this brand, I was curious; curious to see if behind it's nostalgic packaging was hype or heaven in a bottle.

Presentation: 5/5

Boot's packaging for their body wash is adorable. Everything, from the font to the shape of the bottle, says vintage. The bottle reminds me of an old-fashion cure-all medicine, and the lavender box it comes in says quality. The bottle that I bought had the labels put on slightly off center which I thought made it look even more charming. I loved seeing this in my shower, made me feel happy.

Fragrance: 2/5

I was a little confused and disappointed with the fragrance. The front of the label says "Lemon", while the back of the label says it contains " zesty lemon, bergamot, and orange and fragrant rose, neroli and geranium". I was expecting to take a whiff and be revived with a bright lemony scent followed by a refreshing floral. Instead, it had a very light citrus scent that I could hardly smell in my steamy shower. The scent was also barely noticeable on my skin after my shower, which may be a good thing, but the fragrance seemed so hyped up that I expected more.

I used it to wash my hands a couple of times and I did notice that the scent lingered more on my hands than it did on my body. I think it may be because I used one whole pump on my hands versus the 3 pumps for my whole body.

Feel: 4/5

Boot's Body Wash creates these tiny, velvety bubbles that makes your skin feel nice and silky as you cleanse. Mama like!

Performance: 2/5

I was so disappointed with the performance of this body wash. It took about 2-3 pumps to get a decent lather and I still had to really work at it for it to foam up on my bath pouf. It felt very silky on my skin as I cleansed, but terrible as I rinsed it off. It left my skin squeaky, a sure sign that the product was too alkaline (healthy skin likes to be lightly acidic). After towel drying, my skin still had that squeaky feel that later turned into a tight, uncomfortable feel.

When I used it to wash my hands couple of times, they felt strangely soft and squeaky. Later the my hands began to feel tight and dry. Looking at the ingredients, I see nothing "harsh" about the detergents they use, so I'm convinced that it's the pH that's out of whack (I really do need to get pH test strips to confirm this).

Total: 13/20 or a "D" in grade school terms

But wait there's more...

Extra Credit: 2+

At just $8 a bottle and readily available, I give Boot's Body Wash some extra credit. I also love that their ingredient's are simple and without cheap detergents, so more extra credit.

Final Grade: 15/20 or "C"

Final Thoughts:

With it's nostalgic packaging and trusted history, I really wanted to like this body wash. But I can't. It just made my skin feel yuck after using it. I don't even think I'll finish the bottle. I hate to throw out such a cute bottle so I'll probably fill it with another body wash. I hope I have better luck with other products from Boot's!

And now for the sneaky-peek:

Next week I'll be posting my interview with Kestrel StJames, pinup model and vintage mama of 3. You won't want to miss it!

I'm Not A Snob, I'm A Connoisseur

Well that's how I justify my preferences in skincare and makeup. You can't really blame me though. I've been involved in so many sides of the beauty biz, it was inevitable. From manufacturing to marketing, professional services to sales, becoming a beauty snob, er...beauty connoisseur, came naturally.

So what kind of of product reviews can you expect from a beauty connoisseur? Honest, thorough and professional of course! No, I won't be reviewing everything under the sun, I'll leave that to the beauty junkies. I'd rather bring you some lovely, vintage beauty goodies, the kind of goodies that real vintage mama's need to be all glam and retro fabulous!

So stay tuned for some exceptional product reviews from a skincare expert and beauty connoisseur!

First up, Boots Original Beauty Formula Body Wash...

Your New Years THINspiration Look Book

I bet I can guess what one of your resolutions is. Get fit right? Man, I'm good! Losing weight is the number one New Year's resolution, and for vintage mamas like us, looking like a Betty should be number one...well after God, husbands, children and country of course.

No matter what you plan is for losing weight and getting fit, staying motivated is a must. Here are some things that I have done to motivate and thinspire me:

• Displayed My Skinny Dress - I have this darling black with white polka dot wiggle dress that my sister gave me while I was pregnant (what a cruel joke), and I've never been able to wear it. So I put a nail on the door and hung up my precious dress do that I can see it and be encourage everyday.
• Put Up My Fat Pictures - That's right, my fat pictures. I've tried putting up my skinny pictures, but they didn't have that shock value I need. If I'm going to have the will power to refuse a second helping, I need to see something that will horrify me to the very core. Hence the fat pictures.
• Threw Out My Frumpy Fat Clothes - I'm not sure how they got there, but I had some frumpy looking clothes that was making me feel extra wide. So even if I just wore at home, I threw out those frumpy, fat clothes that were weighing me down.
• Created A "Thinspirational" Look Book - Even though I say thin, I don't mean super model thin. Frankly, I know that I could never be that thin, and I'm actually quite fond of my giggly bits. So I created a look book with real women that have giggly bits to keep me motivated and inspired. Take a look...