If you asked me what I would wear if I were a ghost haunting a house I would probably go for a vintage nightgown. I found this set at a local American Cancer Society thrift store. The name of the designer is Diane Samandi and apparently, she’s been designing Old Hollywood-inspired sleepwear since the 1980s. You can find plenty of pre-loved sets similar on Etsy and they’re usually in the bridal section of the nightgowns since they're so elegant. I love that these designs called "Jonquil" are inspired by and modeled after vintage garments.
Most of the vintage nightgowns that I've collected over the years are cute but not anything crazy intricate. This one, however, is so detailed with the lace on the sleeves of the velvet robe and the slip underneath is like moving inside of a smooth buttery liquid- the quality is next level. I'm still trying to figure out if it's vintage or just designed to look vintage. As we now know, the term "vintage" applies to anything over 20 years old. I will always resist thinking anything Y2K is vintage but alas, rules are rules.
I do still enjoy finding a cute lacey nightgown even if it's half polyester and will always likely grab it if I see one at Goodwill but the ones from the 40s and 50s are like, ENTIRE outfits. Finding real-deal retro sleepwear while thrifting seems next to impossible these days. It's sad to see over the years, vintage in general is becoming more scarce in bargain thrift stores.
I'm half tempted to buy old patterns and sew them myself
We must SAVE these designs and wear them in modern-day pamper nights ladies! In the name of historical preservation!
Classic quality is always on another level. Not just clothing, but mid-century style houses, older cars, art deco architecture- it all looked so beautiful in its construction and then you get to the present day and it all goes grey, tan, blegh. It seems the consideration of design got so watered down and simplified, for what? Perhaps for affordability, maybe for minimalism...it all became as bland as an overcooked pasta noodle.
The Pamper
I have a routine of spending about 10 minutes at night putting on all of my little skincare pamper products. It's a moment of winding down the day that I love.
Here are my current favorites:
Hydrating hand cream. This Tokyomilk is from a local boutique but I did see a similar scent to it by the same brand on the Amazon beast. I love the look of the packaging, it smells like a floral garden and is so silky. You can also put on some lotion gloves for a few minutes to let it really soak into your hands.
A good neck cream. Apply it every night from neck to chest and let it do its thing while you sleep. The decolletage is overlooked so often in skincare, but an area that shows age big time when we get older. This is Earth Harbor Azure Regenerative Neck Cream. I received it in my Ipsy subscription this month and really like it so far.
Lush Sleepy dust. I like to sprinkle it all over the bed and it smells like lavender. You know when you get out of a fresh bath with a Lush bomb and it sticks to your skin all warm and fuzzy feeling? This has that same effect, it makes the bed smell like a lush bath. I just squeeze the bottle and let a little powder cloud, puff out over the bedding. A little goes a long way and this bottle lasts forever.
Sleep aid of some sort whether it's magnesium and tart cherry juice, or Moon Drops.
I also recently got this cortisol manager supplement by the recommendation of a friend of mine. This is said to be a balance for the cortisol stress hormone. Not realizing how well it would work, I took one today for the first time mid-writing this blog and had to take a nap. It knocked me out!
I'd say consult a Dr. before taking anything new like this and don't go anywhere or drive if you take it! I got really woozy for about an hour after waking up. In fact, I'm still a bit sleepy writing this right now, lol.
I have a Gua Sha stone that I use around my neck and face to help massage those areas and activate a bit of lift. I’m really trying to work on minimizing the extra skin I have under my chin area. This is an ancient technique that women have been using for ages to stimulate circulation, you can find a great tutorial on how to use it properly below.
I've been on the hunt for a lip balm with tint for ages. If you want a special lip treatment that has a pop of color for a romantic night in with your partner, I found this Chanel one called "In Love" that's perfect. It's just enough to look effortlessly blushed on the lip but not so much product it would kiss off. I'm thinking Snow White, just lightly bit lip effect. It's exactly what I was looking for! Like a chapstick meets a lipstick.
Romantic Old Hollywood Hair
Whether it's a romantic date night at home with your partner or you just want to have a self-care evening to yourself, this classic take on an Old Hollywood wave is super easy and looks so soft and chic. You essentially curl it with a large barrel iron, brush it out then use fingerwave clips to pinch the curl where the waves form.
I watched this tutorial to get the look.
Here's the vlog making this blog post-
Hope this inspired you to dress up and stay in, have your "girl dinner" with cheese and grapes, and watch black and white films dressed like an Old Hollywood glam movie star. Have your main character moment, even if nobody is watching.
xoxo
Seanna