Shrinkle and Sugarpill 02/17/2012
Amy Doan's Eye-Catching Designs By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com  Shrinkle? Sugarpill? What are these nonsensical things? Ice cream toppings were my first guess. There’s a little more to them, though - an entire labor of love for designer Amy Doan. Shrinkle is Doan’s clothing line; Sugarpill, her makeup line. According to the Shrinkle blog, the eclectic Doan began sewing her own clothing while in college and never stopped. Shrinkle’s “Handmade Clothing & Sweet-Ass Vintage Finds” are all featured on her Etsy page and range from sweet and demure to sexy and offbeat. And her fans love it – her almost fifteen hundred feedbacks are all positive. Her pieces for sale include corsets, lingerie, and adorable vintage dresses (and I’m dying to know where she got these amazing finds). Her vintage line is a novelty in that it takes a needle-in-a-haystack vintage shopping experience to a much simpler level. And they’re reasonably priced, truly setting her apart from similar Etsy shops. As her clothing line began to take off, Doan also began traversing the world of makeup. Specifically, she starting creating makeup to compliment the bold colors and designs of her clothing. So, not surprisingly, you’ll be hard pressed to find a neutral eyeshadow on Sugarpill's website. Sugarpill is characterized by eye-catching purples, pinks, blues, and greens and about every type of false eyelash imaginable. And again, they are all very inexpensive. So if looking to spice up your wardrobe or add to your already eccentric one, shop Shrinkle and Sugarpill. Add Comment The Unicorn Queen Speaks By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com  Photo by Bust Magazine. Doe Deere, blogger and founder of the highly successful Lime Crime makeup brand, embodies girliness, made apparent by her line of work and her would-be-ridiculous-but-amazing-on-her outfits. Recently, she was photographed by BUST Magazine in a characteristically colorful and feminine shoot. Read on to learn her thoughts on the experience! QB: On a blog post, you’ve indicated a past with BUST. How have you worked with them before this? DD: They have featured my makeup line, Lime Crime, before. I think BUST is a breath of fresh air in so many ways. They have my respect. QB: Did you choose your outfit and makeup? How much creative control did you have over the look? DD: I had full creative control of my look--hair, makeup, outfit. They just said "Be you!" They sent a photographer over to my house and asked us to shoot two outfits (both were purple). They chose the second one, and I'm happy with the choice! QB: What did it feel like to have photographers come to your house and do a photo shoot? DD: Very flattering! I wasn't too nervous since I'd had publications come over with cameras before. I just wanted to be prepared and have fun. QB: How long did the photo shoot take? Did it differ from what you'd imagine it would be like? DD: The shoot itself took under an hour (with one outfit change); it's the preparation that took forever! I'm a perfectionist and need at least two hours to get ready. I appreciate that the photographer, Yerin, was so very patient with me. QB: How do you hope this will raise awareness about your makeup brand and identity as the Unicorn Queen? DD: Honestly, I didn't do it for exposure. I just wanted to be a part of a good publication. If it raises awareness about me and my brand, in addition to that, great! QB: Would you have changed anything about how you looked? DD: My facial expression! I came out a little grumpy. I wish I was smiling in the picture. Next time! QB: I doubt anyone thinks you’re grumpy, Doe Deere! Fashion Picks: Evil Queen 02/01/2012
The Evil QueenBy Tykeya O'Neil QuailBellMagazine.com 
Black Cotton Leggings @ Eve's Clothing Black Suede Over the Knee Platform Boots @ Ami Clubwear Ringspun Shawl Collar Coat @ Asos Lace Corset @ Asos Banquet Fashion Jewelry Wood Bead Chain Necklace @ Sears Blood Red Lipstick @ Manic Panic Etsy Treasury: Pretty as a Fairy 01/27/2012
Pretty as a FairyBy The QB Crew QuailBellMagazine.com Sometimes a girl just wants to feel as ethereal and beautiful as a fairy. These fine things will help you reach that goal just that much quicker. Click on the image below to learn more about our 'pretty as a fairy' picks: 
Vintage Ads With Some Weight Behind Them 01/24/2012
Ads Show that Curvy is the New Skinny By Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com 
While we here at Quail Bell appreciate women of all shapes and sizes, popular culture doesn't seem to be quite as sympathetic. With Kate Moss saying, 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,' it's nice to take a look back and see that women used to want to add some oomph to emulate Marilyn Monroe, instead of shedding weight to look closer to a skeleton.    Fashion: Snuff Bottle Dress 01/21/2012
The Snuff Bottle DressBy Doe Deere QuailBellMagazine.com I was about to exit the thrift shop when I saw a black dress hanging on a rail. It had the most peculiar pattern; at first I mistook it for vases. Upon closer examination it turned out to be snuff bottles: glass jars painted from the inside, an artform originating from Asia. Being Eurasian myself, I am mystically drawn to all things Asia; the motif is frequent throughout my dwelling and belongings. This dress has a traditional mandarin-style collar and slits all the way up to the waist — stunning. I paired it with pale blue boots, marabou feather jacket from the flea market, gold bunny belt (gift from my sister), and a stack of bangles. I wore thick red tights and pretended not to care when the panels flapped wildly in the wind: my bold red lips said it’s ok.    Fashion: Victorian-inspired Wedding Gowns 01/19/2012
Less than Contemporary Wedding DressesBy Belle Byrd QuailBellMagazine.com It used to be that you were lucky to own a “nice” dress, or a second one period. In fact, the average woman did not even have a separate wedding gown. 150 years ago, a $3,000 designer gown worn for a single day would have been unthinkable to anyone but royalty and top-tier aristocrats. Even upper-class woman probably would not have worn a white dress to their wedding; they simply wore a pretty one, and, hygiene norms being as lax as they were, it wasn't necessarily clean, either. The white dress that Queen Victoria I of England wore to her 1840 wedding set the standard for the white dress frenzy and obsession that persists today. After all, Queen Victoria often set the mainstream style of the time. In this particular case, she set the style for the next 172 years (and likely longer). To pay tribute to Queen Victoria's wedding fashion sense, Quail Bell has chosen five Victorian-inspired wedding gowns you can purchase from modern designers: 
Disney's Belle (Style 206) by Alfred Angelo. 
Legends (Style 32208431) by Romona Keveza 
White Fall/Winter Lace w/ Sleeves (SKU-119035) by Liquiwork 
Steampunk (Product Code CP817) by Wedding Dress Fantasy 
Victoria (Style WG388) by Katrina Marie Designs Etsy Treasury: Gothic Dreams 01/16/2012
Gothic DreamsBy The QB Crew QuailBellMagazine.com We've spent some time wandering through the vast and pretty lands of Etsy.com, culling our favorite testaments to gothic splendor and putting them in one tidy treasury. Click on the image below to learn more about our picks: 
Fashion Spread: Vintage Snowflake 01/10/2012
Vintage SnowflakePhotography by Grenouille Modeled by Doe Deere QuailBellMagazine.com Every time I look at this beautiful weather and realize we’re in the middle of winter, a fit of inward maniacal laughter comes over me. My first L.A. Christmas was glorious — 70 degrees/sunshine, bright blue skies, sandals and, finally, NO SNOW!!! (I often joke that if I liked the snow I’d still be living in Russia. Seriously, I’ll take the fake stuff at the mall over real any day!) Anyway, this post is about the dress. I found it at a flea market in July and decided right then and there that it’s going to be my Christmas Dress. Do you ever do that? Buy something knowing it won’t get any wear until months later? I do, especially with Christmas it’s important to have the perfect frock stashed away…    The dress is vintage, possibly a square dance dress. It looks really good with a petticoat. My favorite part is the silver lace edging on each ruffle — so dainty and sweet! The rest of the outfit came together spontaneously, mostly out of Christmas gifts. I got the red hat from Mark’s aunt, vintage muff from my sister, a tiny deer brooch from Mark’s mom. It all worked together so perfectly! By the way, this holiday season I’ve resolved to wear a different shade of red every day — red lipstick, that is. Let me tell you, I did not regret it! It made me feel festive and upbeat every day, definitely doing it again next year. Haha, someone said I look like a Raffaello! (Which incidentally happens to be my favorite candy. Dress, hat, muff: vintage Shoes: Poetic License Socks: ASOS Beauty Inspiration: Little Mystery 01/02/2012
Little Mystery Photographer: Grenouille Model: Doe Deere QuailBellMagazine.com  Little Mystery is a classic beauty who likes to play detective and solve crimes — half of which she is responsible for herself. Her look references old Hollywood glamor with a modern twist.    | The Real
|
RSS Feed