Vintage Yardley of London Glimmerick Eye Shadow

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Yardley of London Glimmerick eye shadow 1968I’m on a bit of a nostalgic Yardley of London makeup kick, so here we go with another fabulous 60s/70s makeup product – Glimmerick eye shadow. Created in 1968, it was a water-color eye shadow. This means you added water to it to create your own level of color intensity. Pastel colors were all the rage – blue, lavender, aqua, yellow, and pink. This stuff was intense! It really stayed on – kind of like applying spackle.

Yardley of London Glimmerick Paint Box 1972In 1972 Yardley came out with the Glimmerick Paint Box. Just like the water color paint box we used as kids. It had a mixing tray and brush so you could make a lighter shadow with more water, or a heavier one with less water. I had this one and remember it got pretty darn messy. I never really looked good in blue eye shadow either. As much as I love Yardley makeup, I think I will leave this product in the past. 🙂

~Marilyn

 

70s Yardley of London Pot o’ Gloss

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Yardley of London Pot o' Gloss 1973The one makeup product I used in the 70s that I wished was around today would have to be Yardley of London’s Pot o’ Gloss. Created in 1970 it was, quite simply, the best lip gloss one could ever imagine. It came in an adorable little pot and had the gloppiest, tackiest, almost sticky texture which was great because it really stayed on your lips. It had the most amazing scent too – I can smell it now!  Absolutely exquisite colors; lots of pretty pinks and plums.

Yardley of London Pot o' Gloss 1971Pot o' Gloss Yardley of London 1971Yardley of London was veering away from its Mod England-type advertising that it used in the 60s, with models like Olivia Hussey and Jean Shrimpton.  The 70s Pot o’ Gloss ads were geared to the more hippie-ish, natural, folk-artsy American girl.

Yardley of London Pot o' Gloss 1970Yardley of London Pot o' gloss 1970Your boyfriend could get in on the action too! If only to borrow his finger and spread on Pot o’ Gloss. It was such wonderful stuff, everyone wanted to touch it.

I will end with a plea to Yardley of London: please, please, PLEASE bring back Pot o’ Gloss! It seems that all you are making these days are soaps and body washes. Which is fine, because they are good products. But you really need to think about reissuing your fabulous makeup line. The world can always use more glossy, fragrant lips!

~Marilyn

Peter Max Paints Panty Hose Vintage 1970

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As a vintage clothing collector and dealer, there are just some things that would be an absolute delight to run across. I think these Peter Max Paints nylon stockings would be right up there in the “Holy Grail of Vintage” category.

Peter Max Paints pantyhose ad 1970Made by Burlington-Cameo and designed by Peter Max in 1970, these gloriously designed stockings came both in pantyhose and in body stocking version. Featuring original Pop Art designs on the leg and upper thigh. The pantyhose sold for $8.00 each, and the body stocking sold for $10.00. To give you an example of of what that would covert to in 2014 dollars, it would be equivalent to paying $48.23 for the panty hose and $60.29 for the body stocking. Probably certainly worth it, but since this ad was in Seventeen magazine I’m sure not many teenagers shelled out that kind of cash for panty hose. Especially since the life of pantyhose was probably five wearings or so.

Peter Max Paints poster ad 1970But they are certainly divine! Another cool thing is that you could send in the coupon (that you got when you bought the pantyhose) to get a 24″ x 36″ Peter Max poster. The poster would be a highly collectible thing to have too. So I shall keep my eyes open for these groovy stockings – I never know what I’m going to find!

~Marilyn

Putting an End to Hair Coloring…Maybe

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vintage redhead girlI’ve decided that I’m done with dyeing my hair to keep it at a somewhat semblance to what color it was in my younger years. I never thought I’d come to this point as I’m a natural golden auburn redhead, and it really has been part of my identity my entire life.

I started coloring my hair in my early 40s, when my son was a laser-eyed preschooler who pointed out every gray strand on my head. Since I was a somewhat older mother, I decided to start covering the grays if only to save my son’s face when he started elementary school. And every couple of months thereafter, I did the whole hair coloring thing to keep the golden reddish glow to my hair.

Gray hairNow that I am in my late 50s, and my son is away at college, I got to thinking that maybe I don’t have to keep up this facade anymore. Maybe I should just let my natural color grow in, whatever that shade is. Maybe I should just trust nature and believe that my natural shade at this age is what it should be. Since I last colored my hair about 2 months ago, a look at my roots growing in shows that it is kind a burnished pewter color. Around my temples it is lighter, so it is not all gray by any means, just a more subdued metallic hue.

It will be a new adventure to have my hair grow in naturally, and not have to subject my hair and scalp to the increasingly irritating chemicals of hair dye. It will be interesting to see what color my hair grows in to. And if I change my mind and really hate it…well, there’s a box of hair color that I have stashed away. It is, after all, a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. 😀

~Marilyn

My Snazzy Vintage Seattle Sweater Find!

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Vintage Mary Maxim Seattle Sweater - FinnfemmeIt was the morning of the Super Bowl (GO SEAHAWKS) and I had stopped into a local thrift store on the way home from church. Practically the first thing I saw was a heavy hand-knitted sweater with a shawl collar and front zipper. Hmm, I thought…these usually have a design on the back a la the infamous Mary Maxim styles. Turning it to the back I was delighted to see that yes, indeed, it had a design. And that design was the super fabulous Seattle skyline, the Space Needle, and Mt. Rainier! Of course I immediately snatched it up and bought it.

It’s a very snazzy handmade 1960s sweater that has special meaning to me, since I am a native Seattleite and the city is very near and dear to my heart. The Seattle Seahawks were playing in the Super Bowl that very day so I took it as an omen. WE WON, in case you didn’t hear – heh heh. It’s finds like these that make the vintage search so fun – you just never know what you are going to find.  🙂

~Marilyn

 

In the PINK 1969 Fashions

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Spring is just around the corner (I keep telling myself), and I have been longing to wear my very favorite color – PINK!  Since it is still so cold I plowed through my cashmere sweater pile and found two bright pink ones that I could layer – a turtleneck and a cardigan. It felt good to wear that joyous color again! Pink is the color of happiness, and bright pink encourages action and confidence. I then flipped through the February and March 1969 issues of Seventeen to see if I could find some groovy pink fashions. I was tickled pink to find these pretty styles!

Pink raincoat - vintage 1969Pretty in Pink raincoat! Called the ‘dirndlcoat’, it is tucked, belted and buckled. Apparently Dacron polyester was huge in 1969 – it wasn’t supposed to wilt or wrinkle. Top it with a cute pink knit hat and you’re good.

MCall's dress patterns vintage 1969Sew your own pink clothes! Home sewing was huge in 1969 since most of our mothers sewed and we (girls) were required to take Home Ec. I was a terrible seamstress but my mom was an excellent one. She sewed most of my clothes and I got to pick out cute patterns like these. McCall’s pattern 9732 in on the left, and pattern 9715 is on the right. Oh my goodness, I LOVE the pink polka-dot empire mini dress – ADORABLE!

Pink Vintage 1969 FashionsReally cute casual wear, along with pink shoes. Liberty print blouse and homespun pink miniskirt on the left, Gingham check sleeveless shell and matching jamaica shorts on the left. Like the raincoat above, these too are made of Dacron.

Pink Vintage 1969 Dress FashionsMore pink Dacron, we’re on a roll here. These mini dresses are sweetly feminine with ruffles, bows and flirty shapes. Love the knee socks and white pantyhose. One never went bare-legged!

Vintage 1969 Pink Nylon NightgownsPink was for night too! Pink Lady nylon tricot nightgowns with ruffled touches of white lace. And the piece de resistance is those fabulous pink slippers.

Vintage 1969 Prince Matchabelli love letter setSince Valentine’s Day is nigh, I will end with this wonderful pink ad for the Beloved Love Letter Set by Prince Matchabelli. It included Beloved cologne perfume, scented sealing wax, and a golden cherub wax sealer. Everything you needed to write the perfect love letter, which apparently had become a ‘lost art’ by 1969. It is suggested in the ad that considering boys today are so busy with the draft and demonstrating, it takes something very special to make them notice you. Only in the 60s! 🙂

THINK PINK! ~Marilyn