To A New Year...Cheers!!

About to step into a new year wearing my Dita Von Teese Von Follies "Animal Print" lingerie along with my Secret in Lace fully-fashioned stockings.

I am wearing Dita Von Teese's ArtDeco "Maitresse" lipstick that finally arrived in the mail this past weekend.

 It is a new year and that means new goals, right?  Well for me that never happens. I am the type of person who takes it day by day and my moods and wants change as the wind blows. So I never set any goals expect for getting good grades in school, so I can get that Luxury Brand Consulting career job I so want.
On to our New Year plans. Justin and I decided to have dinner at a fancy French Restaurant called La Petite Maison, stop by my brother and sister in-law's house, then it was off to a soiree at his ex-coworkers enormously gorgeous house. I mean this house was the type of home people dream about when they plan their lives together with someone. Luckily, they achieved that dream. We celebrated together with a midnight champagne toast and after hours karaoke, which I was lucky enough to score the most points (along with the help of my hubby).

 Wearing my 1930s antique princess coat that I adore so much. It is the most elegant coat I own. It features a luscious mink collar. 

 This dress split down the back seam, so I had to make an impromptu change. That sometimes happens with vintage clothing. The thread in most of these dresses are over 60+ years old, so every so often one has to reinforce a seam. No biggie. It is a quick fix. I am just glad it happened before we left for our New Years Party.

 This is a picture I forgot to upload in my post from our trip to San Francisco. I am wearing my Jantzen swimsuit. It is not vintage, but Jantzen is my favorite swimsuit maker (aside from Rose Marie Reid) that made amazing 50s swimsuits.

 Here are some pictures taken awhile ago from a little Birthday soiree for my husband's Uncle at Loca Luna. We had some fun that night until we got our bill for $200 : )

 The men taking their Birthday celebration shots.

 My favorite husband and wife couple. Even though they are family they still are my favorite fun time couple! 

 The Birthday man not looking to pleased with his picture being taken.

Dita's Appearance on Chelsea Lately

I need this "Showcase" dress in my wardrobe! I tried it on this past weekend at Decades in LA, and I must say it is top notch quality. The silk velvet is so luxurious. I love Dita's immaculate look. Red lips demand attention and are the ultimate in female glamour.

Anniversary trip to San Francisco and Los Angeles

Makeup selection for my first day in San Francisco, CA. I am loving Dita Von Teese's ArtDeco makeup at the moment. All I want to wear is her lipsticks. They do not budge. I just advise you moisturize your lips thoroughly before you apply this opaque rouge.

 The Berkeley City Club Hotel in San Francisco. This pool is the ultimate in 1930s archeticture. The hotel dates back to the 30s. I love this olympic sized pool! The tiling and the ceiling really send me over the edge. So much structural glamour in one picture.

The Golden Gate Bridge. I hate that they make you pay a toll to use this bridge. Man I tell ya... they get you coming and going :(

I took this picture at Schramsberg Winery in Napa Valley, CA. They have some amazing tasting wines and have been around for 150 years. We just had to purchase their Cabernet and one of their sparking wines. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend you take the tour and purchase at least one bottle of wine.

Wearing my 1940s wool princess coat. Every woman should own a nicely shaped and extravagant winter coat. Provides for instant glamour. 

 Trying on the Dita Von Teese Muse Tulle Trench Coat at Decades in Los Angeles, CA. This coat is so unique and I guarantee no one else will be walking down the streets here in Atlanta with this coat on.  I ended up purchasing this coat and the associate threw in a free signed copy of Dita's Striptease Flip Book from her launch party last month. I plan on wearing this for private times at home over lingerie ; ) and over a beautiful slip or form fitting dress. Let me tell you, The Follow Me dress is so luxurious and demands attention. The fabric alone has a nice thick weight to it consisting of layers upon layers of rich black chiffon. I also fell in love with the black velvet  Show Case dress, which you can see on the rack in the picture.

I purchased the 40ml version of Dita's Rouge perfume from Fred Segal Ron Robinson while I was in LA. Now I still have my eye on the 75ml atomizer bottle of her "Femme Totale" perfume. The associate was kind enough to give me 3 signed "Perfumed" promo cards Dita signed especially for her US in-store launch on December 15th.

I tried on this vintage 50s satin dress, which needed to be taken in at the waist and bust dart area for a more flattering fit. The satin was so luxurious. I did not take this home since I opted to buy the 50s over-wire bra instead.

I feel in love with these vintage Chanel shoes. Only $200! I would have never thought they would have my size in a million years. I loved the sparkly heels the most. I would have bought these but I did not want to pay that much money for shoes not in perfect mint condition (the insole was lifting slightly).

The 50s delicately white laced Over-Wire bra I found while rummaging through the hundreds of vintage items for sale at The Way We Wore. The owner is so sweet and her items are one of a kind for sure. She stocks designer vintage items along with delicate clothing dating all the way back to the early 1900s. A must see vintage lovers paradise for anyone traveling to the LA area.

I purchased this pink bra from Alla Prima in San Francisco, CA. It fits beautifully and gives me the ultimate cleavage! The bra features corset stitching in the cleavage area, which will work perfectly with the Dark Garden black satin corset I purchased. As soon as my corset arrives 5 weeks from now I will post pictures. It also pairs perfectly with my skin tone.

This view is to die for- Auberge in Napa Valley. Imagine being able to wake up to this view everyday. Well, in Napa Valley, CA people actually see this view all day long. The hubby and I had lunch here right after our Wine Tasting Tour at Schramsberg Winery.

  At Pier 33/ Ghiradelli Square

WOW! This Cyprus Margarita is sooo good. Made with Cointreau (my favorite triple sec liquor) and peach puree.

Our Anniversary dinner at Skates on the Bay in San Francisco. I had Alaskan Salmon and pumpkin mole. The most delectable thing I have tasted in a while. I definitely recommend dinning at this restaurant if you visit the Bay Area.

 The view of San Francisco from Alcatraz Island where infamous criminals like Al Capone was incarcerated for 7 years. 

 I just had to stop by Marilyn Monroe's house on 5th Helena Dr. I must tell you I was highly disappointed that from the street you cannot see a thing! The house is located down a narrow alley and is among a few houses gated off. The neighborhood is nothing to hoot and holler about. It looks like any typical neighborhood. The only difference is that it is in a prestigious part of Los Angeles. The current owners took down their street number for privacy purposes and all you can see is the top of the Mexican style roof and privacy trees. So disappointing! 

I also had to visit Marilyn's grave site at WestWood Village Memorial Park. We had the hardest time trying to find it. It is literally planted in the middle of the city surrounded by corporate buildings... how wierd. The cemetery is very tranquil. Immediately as soon as you enter you know that whomever is privileged enough to be buried there has MONEY! 

Marilyn's tomb is covered in red lipstick kisses and is a different color from the other tombs lining the wall. Since people keep kissing (defacing her tomb) the cemetery has to constantly change out her head stone.

This is my 50s chiffon cocktail party outfit I paired with my newly purchased mink pom pom muled pumps. I just added this picture into the mix because I love this dress paired with my satin mules and fully-fashioned stockings.

Dita Von Teese Art Deco Collections Purchases and Review

All items purchased from TenderLovingSkincare.co.uk and BeautyBay.com

Dita's "Golden Vintage" Candlelight Powder "Dita" is a finishing powder that I apply only after I have applied all of my makeup...my liquid foundation, mascara, and highlighter, then, and only then do I apply the Candlelight powder with a fluffy brush and a light hand all over my face for that subtle glow.  I was so elated to find out that it is suitable for any skin tone. The packaging is gorgeous with a 40s Old Hollywood flair. The compact itself is not as heavy as I had hoped it would be since it is made of plastic. I own a vintage 1940s Elgin American compact (pictured below) that is made completely of high quality heavy metal that I only paid $50 for, while Dita's compact is $48 alone. I would say that if you are looking for a great finishing powder this is your product, but if you are looking for a high quality compact for show, then look for better vintage options over the internet (Etsy in particular has great options).
Can I just say WOW, when it comes to these fantastically glamorous No. 43 eyelashes. I have not had the chance to try them on yet since I am saving them for New Years. I just hope that the band is not too thick, which can make the application and wear of eyelashes a bit difficult. 
The tall cylindrical tube pictured above is the undeniably sexy and femme noir "Sexpert" lip lacquer. I mean come on the name alone conveys images of the ultimate sexual encounter. It is a lusciously deep vampy beet color. The brush is short made of natural hair and it applies a super seductive glossy finish. I love it paired over Black Dahlia lipstick. Perfection!

I received this volumizing mascara as a promotional deal from Dita's Fall Favorites collection and it gives loads of volume, not so much length. This product does exactly what it says. In the future I will forego purchasing this product since there are better mascaras on the market that give length and volume in one without the $20+ price, but then again who can beat free.

 L-R: Manslayer, Black Dahlia, Sexpert, Erotique, Valentina

The lasting power of these "Fall Favorites" and "Golden Vintage" lipsticks are indelible. I purchased "Erotique," (pink based red) "Black Dahlia," "Manslayer," and "Valentina 36" (subtle shimmers). They do not budge at all. Even after I eat a full meal. I am in love with these lipsticks! The only thing I would mention as a con would be that you must exfoliate your lips properly. Since these lipsticks are matte, they tend to show any dead skin left on your lips. The packaging is super luxurious and heavy. Truly of vintage standards. The white etched pinstriped design is my favorite detail.

I just love this beauty quadrant. Especially the black etching "Beauty Is Art," in Dita's signature script. It holds my blushes and eyeshadows perfectly with a magnetized bottom and fits beautifully in my purse for on the go applications. The eyeshadows I must say are super duper teeny tiny in person, but the quality more than makes up for that fact. I opted for "Opulence" (a shimmering ivory) and "Plush" (a taupe grey with subtle shimmer) from Dita's Classics Collection, which are perfectly pigmented and soft to the touch. They apply evenly and blend effortlessly even without an eyeshadow base. I also purchased the two "Fall Favorites" blushes in Orchide and She-Shamen (subtle gold shimmer). They are just slightly powdery when I dip my brush in their respective pans, but on the skin they have great lasting powder. I get at least 8+ hours of wear from them without fading. All the eyeshadows and blushes come in magnetized pans.

I am still waiting on my Maitresse lipstick to arrive in the mail, so when that arrives, I will add a picture and swatch to this post. In the future, I have my eyes set on Parlez-vous lipstick and Chinos lip lacquer from Dita's Classic Collection, Vermillion lipliner, No. 39 eyelashes, Petticoat matte eyeshadow, and her Golden Vintage Eyelights compact.