My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in July and we went out to a restaurant in town. It was a really lovely time and I really enjoyed being able to go as a family before I had to move out.

I wore this beautiful "Doris" pencil dress from Lindy Bop. Sadly we had rain all day so I was restricted to taking my outfit photos indoors! However, I love this dress so much that I didn't want to go without a few outfit shots. I'd really like to get a few more pencil dresses from Lindy Bop as I think they'd be really great for wearing to teach once I properly start my PhD. They're affordable and versatile: I've dressed this one up for a special occasion but I'd also previously worn this for a conference where I'd styled it to look more smart and professional.
   






I feel like a major cutie in this dress as I'm sure you can tell! The ribbon in my hair reminds me of Wendy from Peter Pan - perhaps if Peter Pan was set in the 1950s?

The food in the restaurant was just excellent (not to mention the service) and I really hope I can go again. Maybe if I make it back to stay with my parents at Christmas, or my birthday.







I won't share all my family photos with you from our evening out, but here is just one of me with my brother. I feel very blessed that we get on so well.

After I posted my first Steampunk Saturdays post, Mandy from Natty Titfers contacted me and asked if I'd like to borrow some of her Steampunk hats to use for blog photos. My answer was of course an enthusiastic yes! Hats are a big part of the Steampunk aesthetic and something that makes an outfit instantly recognisable as being Steampunk (and for some reason I apparently feel like I have to touch the brim in every shot haha). That said, I must admit that I didn't wear the hat all day - only for the photos.



As a full time vintage wearer, I have what some people would probably consider a skewed idea of what constitutes a "wearable" style, and I'm not usually shy about wearing things that are a bit alternative or unusual. However, I do wonder about the overall "wearability" of Steampunk style (I use that phrase with caution as of course anything can be "wearable" if you the right attitude). It seems to me as though many members of the Steampunk community only dress in a Steampunk style for special occasions such as conventions or other such events, and, if they wear Steampunk at all in their day-to-day lives, it's much more toned down (any Steampunks out there who can confirm or deny?). While I'm comfortable wearing a vintage style on a daily basis - sometimes including vintage hats - I'd be much less likely to go all out with a Steampunk style unless I was going to an event. I do enjoy Steampunk looks whether casual or full-on (and I would dress as a Victorian everyday given half a chance - it's part of what I like about dressing vintage!), but I think it's harder to make it work on an everyday basis than a vintage style. This Tumblr page has some ideas for casual Steampunk outfits, so I'd like to incorporate some of these elements into my wardrobe.





With this outfit, of course, I also have the corset - which is another popular element of Steampunk styles, but which also makes the outfit feel overall less appropriate for everday. (The corset is new and I'm still in the process of seasoning it). I'm new to corsets but I do believe this one is a bit long for me; you can see in the above photos how it squashes my bust a bit despite being an underbust corset. I'll have a play about with this one for a while then hopefully swap to a higher quality and possibly shorter one when I have the money.



Whether Steampunk is considered "wearable" or not might also depend on the area you live in. With vintage styles, there are definitely hotspots where you're more likely to see people dressed in that style. Perhaps people are more likely to dress Steampunk day to day in certain places - London, maybe? Or for any Americans out there, I understand Portland is a bit of a hub for those of a more offbeat persuasion...



What do you think? Is Steampunk "wearable" or not? What casual elements would you suggest? Is this hat from Natty Titfers not the hat ever? (I have 7 more hats, so don't make a decision too soon!)

Next week I'm staying for the week in my new flat (I'll be moving my things in as you read this!) but then I have to come back and stay with my parents again for a bit because I'm still working in my home town.

Because I'm not staying for very long, I'm only taking a small amount of makeup with me. This is the makeup I would usually take any time I'm staying away from home. The products don't vary much although the brands of the foundation, mascara and concealer aren't always the same, and I don't always take the same lipstick.

So, what's in my travel makeup bag?

First of all, the bag itself is my white Clarins makeup bag which came with a gift set I was given several years ago.

Here are the products I'll be taking:

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation in 04 Light Porcelain - This is my current foundation although I don't tend to stick to one brand. I've had this one quite a few times before and I really like the texture and coverage.

Derma V10 LipCare Petroleum Jelly with Aloe Vera - I always have about 10 tubs of lipbalm hanging around the house as I get through so much. This one is just off-brand Vaseline and it's an essential for me.

Collection Cover Up Stick in 01 Light Translucent - I've found this to be a pretty decent budget option concealer. However, this particular stick has snapped completely in half. I prefer the Urban Decay concealer pencils when I have the money to spend on them.

Almay Powder Blush in Peach 130 - As you can probably tell from the grubby packaging, this is the most used blusher that I own. I find that the peach colour complements my skin tone very well. I own several Almay products because of my sensitive skin, although I must admit that I haven't noticed them really making any difference to my eczema.

Almay Intense I-Colour Trio For Browns - I have a handful of these Almay eye shadow trios and don't pay any particular attention to what colour eyes they're meant to be for. This one is my favourite because it's the most neutral and therefore I find it the most useful for travelling as the colours will go with any outfit.

Max Factor by Ellen Betrix Pastell Compact in shade 4 - I always use Max Factor powders for two reasons. Firstly, they're the perfect size to fit in my vintage compact and the only brand that I've found that easily pops out of the plastic packaging; and secondly because they're very high quality and have a nice luxury feel and scent for a reasonable price. This one is different to my usual Max Factor powder because I bought it in a local discount store which is now sadly closed, but used to sell mainly end-of-the-line and discontinued products. I'm just using the last bit of the previous powder that's in my compact and then I'll swap it for this one.

Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in 1 Seduction - While I love a good red lipstick, I've opted on this occasion for a pretty pink. It's still a fairly bright pink so it feels like it's in the same family as my usual reds, but seems a little more appropriate for the kinds of activities I'll be doing during the week (mostly introductory teaching type things).

The Body Shop White Musk Eau De Toilette - I picked up this little perfume sample when I was on holiday and it's ideal for travelling because of the size. Plus, it's a scent that I actually really like, although I probably wouldn't have bought it for myself as I tend to go for sweeter scents (I like anything fruity, floral or candy scented).

Too Faced Lava Gloss Super Brown Eyeliner - I normally use a brow powder to fill in my eyebrows, but my little powder compact is broken (the lid fell off) and isn't suitable for travelling any more. I sometimes use this pencil for filling in my brows at home if I'm in a rush, and I can also use it to line my eyes if I want to. I do appreciate any products that have multiple uses for travelling.

Miss Sporty Fabulous Lash Mascara in Xtra Black - Like the Collection concealer, I like this mascara as a good budget option. My favourite ever budget mascara is the W7 Big Lash mascara but I used to buy it at the discount store I mentioned above which has now closed. This Miss Sporty one is nice and black and costs £1.99 or thereabouts.

I'll be doing a lot of travelling over the next few weeks and months, so please do let me know if there are any products you particularly like for travelling!