Burda 7834 Review

Pattern Link to Burdamode.com

The photo above is from Burda's website, as is the description, "This blouse comes in the new cut, ready for your fashionable appearance next summer! Broadly curved panels, particularly decorative in contrasting fabric, cleverly shape your figure. The blouse is easy to put on and take off due to its back zipper.
Recommended fabric:
Viscose, crêpe fabrics, batiste"

I've had this pattern since it first came out, and it has intermittently called my name for several seasons.  There was always something else to work through first.  I finally came to the conclusion that if I didn't start on it now, I never would.  And considering the rate at which I acquire new patterns, I REALLY need to make some of those older purchases worthwhile.

I have completely changed the order in which I put this together.  I did not want to piece the neckline, so I took out the back neck seamline.  I also shortened the zipper by a bit (or actually, I did not have a long enough zipper, and decided to work with what I have rather than buy new).

I lengthened the bodice by one inch and interlined the front bodice with cotton lawn since my rayon is crepey and thin.

I also sewed the sleeve bands last.  The pattern directs you to put them on flat, which mean visible seams at the armpit ... noooooooo!  Ick, ick, ick!

And I decided to punish myself by lining the inner band.  It looks nicer as I slide it over my head.

I deepened the hem by an inch, interfaced it with my lightest weight interfacing (Pam's Pro-Sheer Elegance) which still makes the hem too heavy with how crepey this rayon is, but mini hems always flip on me and drive me nuts.  So I shall adjust.


Strange how I never really noticed until a friend pointed it out, but this pattern is pretty low cut ... perhaps not as low cut as some Vogues, but still ...  I guess that explains the really large necklaces that the models wear in both photos.

I suppose in a mirthful moment I might feel a bit like the love child of Purple Rain era Prince and Jennifer Lopez.  But only when I glance straight down.  Usually I realize that most people get this view, which isn't completely immodest:

 
When I lengthened the bodice by one inch so the band would appropriately fit under my bust rather than across it, this also lengthened the neckbands.  I then took a perpendicular half inch pie slice out of the neck band and bodice pieces at the upper chest for my concave chest adjustment.  But really, I could have taken more.  The band doesn't snug quite as closely as I would like.

Two things that I should have done: narrow the shoulders by an inch or so, and a sway back adjustment.  I forgot about my shoulders ... oops.  But the sway back, I thought the hem was wide enough not to need the sway back, but since the wideness is confined to the center front quite well, there is obvious pulling at the hips from the needed adjustment.  It won't keep me from wearing the top, but it is something I notice.

It is a cute top in fun, summery colors.  The bands were done in a linen, so the facings are all done in the rayon fabric. 

It is something I'd wear teaching only with a camisole or camisole mimicing bralette underneath.


I don't know if I would make this again.  Because the front is so poofy, I might redraft it, perhaps adding in gathering at the side waist to keep some summery fullness in the piece.

Ginger + Liz and Diamond Cosmetics Comparison for dupes

I placed a ten piece order with Flossie Diamond Cosmetics.  I've seen lots of reviews of their polish, and the price is a bit hard to ignore.  While adding my choices into the cart,  I decided to test the "dupe" quotient of two polishes for myself, so I now own Don't Teal My Heart Away (listed as a possible dupe to Ginger + Liz's "New Money" on several sites) and Not So Evergreen (listed as a possible dupe to Ginger + Liz's "Tough Luxe" on several sites).  I own both of these Ginger + Liz polishes, and I purchased the two directly from their website shortly after they went online.

I swatched each of these color sets side by side, photographed them outside, and ran a smear on paper.

The most obvious differences in the bottles have to do with 1) the logos - the logo appears to be silkscreened on the Ginger + Liz (G+L) bottle but the Diamond Cosmetics (DC) logo is a the peel and stick label, and 2) the brushes.  The Ginger+Liz brushes are wider and apply wider swipes of polish than the Diamond Cosmetics brushes.

 

This brush comparison photo was taken indoors and lightened.

The G+L shaft is ovoid and grasps the fibers in an ovoid shape.  The fiber count in the G+L brush is higher than the DC brush.

The DC shaft is circular and the fibers are held in a circular shape.




Here are my swatching results:



Ginger + Liz "New Money" and Diamond Cosmetics "Don't Teal My Heart Away"

The above photos are taken outside and were both two coats of the respective polish above a single base coat.  I could not tell a difference between them visually after application.  Diamond Cosmetics "Don't Teal My Heart Away" is an excellent dupe for Ginger + Liz "New Money."





Ginger + Liz "Tough Luxe" and Diamond Cosmetics "Never So Evergreen"

The above photos are taken outside and were both two coats of the respective polish above a single base coat.  I could not tell a difference between them visually after application.  Diamond Cosmetics "Never So Evergreen" is an excellent dupe for Ginger + Liz "Tough Luxe."

The above photo is the two polishes side by side on the same finger, my thumb.  I cannot remember which is which, but the bald spot at the upper side leads me to believe that is the DC side.


The formula between the two polishes did apply differently, but I do not yet know if that is chemistry or the physics of the brush.  Both polishes dried quickly and gave fairly good coverage in two coats.  The DC polishes were a little more prone to balding.  I think this could be due to the smaller brush and the higher number of strokes required per nail for full coverage. 

A third coat may have covered all visible balding spots, but I prefer to use two coats for quicker drying speed.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are untouched but for cropping and adding text.


UPDATE -
Flossie's Diamond Cosmetics Ingredients list was obtained by emailing the company.  Ginger+Liz Ingredients list was obtained in the first order from packaging material.

As the ingredients lists match up very closely, I must assume that the different feel of the lacquers was due to the brush differences.


Diamond Cosmetics Ingredients
Butyl Acetate; Ethyl Acetate; Nitrocellulose; Acetyl Tributyl Citrate; Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer; Isopropyl Alcohol; Stearalkonium Hectorite; Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Phthalic Acid/Tricyclodecane Dimethanol Copolymer; Citric Acid; colorants; Polyethylene Terephthalate; Calcium Sodium Borosilicate; Titanium Dioxide; Tin Oxides Silica; Aluminum Powder; Iron Oxides; Aluminum Powder; Fragrance 


Ginger+Liz Ingredients
Butyl Acetate; Ethyl Acetate; Nitrocellulose; Acetyl Tributyl Citrate; Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anydride/Glycols Copolymer; Isopropyl Alcohol; Stearalkonium Hectorite; Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Phthalic Acid/Tricyclodecane Dimethanol Copolymer; Citric Acid; colors; Polytheylene Terepthalate; Calcium Sodium Borosilicate; Titanium Dioxide; Tin Oxides Silica; Aluminum Powder; Iron Oxides; Aluminum Powder; Fragrance

OPI Designer Series Treasure

For those who like orange and pink together.

OPI DS Treasure has a sheered mid-pink base with a suspension of gold and orange microglitter.  I think you would need three plus coats to start tackling VNL.

The above smear shows the base pink color on white paper.  You cannot see the glitter in the poor shot.

My ring finger has one coat, the middle and pointer finger have two coats.  An enlarged picture shows you a bit more of the fire within this polish.

And here's a great view of the base color.  When I saw it was described as a coral on OPI's website, I was expecting something more than a basic pink with orange glitter.  And since I dislike it so, I'm really surprised I don't see more swatches of it up online.   I expect this to be the type of color that a lot of pink lovers would jump on.  Pink and orange are a lovely summer combination.  If you have a cooler skin tone, check it out.

The formula was nice and dried rather quickly.  Something I'm coming to expect from the more recent OPI's.  It is a bit sheer, which will cause a problem for some but none for others.

Why this is a designer color, I do not know.  It has none of the complexity of my other designer series colors.  As is my batting average with OPI, I don't like it purely for the base color alone.  Mine is going in the give-away pile.

The hubby does not like it either.  It reminds him of something a little girl would wear.

OPI Meet me at the Star Ferry and Zoya comp in Ivy

OPI's Meet me on the Star Ferry (MMOTSF) was in my last OPI purchase.  Really, the last one I will ever make.  Since they have decided to only sell full price, I have decided to take my money elsewhere.  Their polishes are not worth $8.00+ a bottle to me.

And I suppose this is a very good example of why they aren't worth it - pretty color, too cool.  The glitter in this is silver.  Which makes it clash a bit with my skin.

It is a great base color, but everything else added in makes it look sickly on my fingers.

For a comparison, here is Zoya Ivy (left), OPI MMOTSF (middle), and Zoya Pru (right) ... I always think of Ivy and Pru as sisters, though they really aren't.  Zoya Ivy has a very similar base color to MMOTSF, though it is more sheer.  The biggest difference is the shimmer, Zoya's is gold.  So it enhances rather than detracts from my skin color.

Here is a bottle comparison.  The OPI will be deposited in my give away pile, the Zoya will stay (I've worn Ivy several times).

In support of OPI's MMOTSF, it has a beautiful formula that dries just right (neither too quickly nor too slowly).  The brush does seem a bit narrower than other Pro Wides I've used, since I could paint my pinky without spending half an hour in clean up.  It did not chip or show any wear within 24 hours.

On the Zoya side, Ivy stained my nail red in 30 minutes of wear, with a base coat.  I wonder if Ivy is causing my main staining problem ... along with all those reds.  I wear Nubar Nu-Nails whenever I wear a staining polish.  I never considered Ivy a stain offender.  I know better now.  Since the vast majority of my staining had grown out, I was looking forward to some sheerer shades.  Now, I've got one funky red ring nail.  Shoot!