Beauty Icon Wednesday: The World's First Supermodel

Name: Jean Rosemary Shrimpton, born November 7th, 1942

Known for: being 'The Face of The Sixties', helping launch the mini-skirt, and for bringing Audrey Hepburn's gamine legacy to the Swinging London scene.


There are times, and I'm sure a few of you would be inclined to agree with me, that it feels as though I were born in the wrong era. I don't worship at the altar of the Kardashians or Jersey Shore. I prefer the more refined, almost classic beauties of days gone past. Some may look at this and think it's too dated or old-fashioned but for me, this is what timeless beauty looks like. And when it comes to iconic faces, this is definitely one that tops the list.

But I won't type a novel - so unlike me, I know. I'd rather leave it to these pictures, and more specifically this face, to say everything that needs saying.

Monday Moments in Makeup History - The 1960's

This post is inspired mostly by the new series, Pan Am, which celebrates the glamorous Golden Age of air travel. Bouffant hair-dos, Mack the Knife, adorable little hats...really, what's not to love here?? Forget the poor rating on IMDB and reserve judgment for yourself - to me, it was kind of like a Mad Men but for chicks. Anyways, enough of my prattling; on with the show!

The Sixties were a tumultuous period in history - the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Stonewall riots, the first man to walk on the moon...the list could, quite literally, go on and on. It seems only natural, given all that was going on throughout the world, that the makeup and fashion would change and vary so radically throughout the decade as well.

It started out beautifully enough, with the adulation of that famous First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy - all pill box hats, cropped jackets with matching knee-length skirt, capri trousers or 'clamdiggers'. The makeup and hair was just as elegant, with beehive or chignon hairstyles atop dramatically done-up eyes and nude or pale, frosted lips. Ladies wore gloves, and crossed their legs delicately at the ankle.


Then came Mary Quant with her mini skirt, which just happened to coincide with the onset of the Sexual Revolution. Hemlines and hair lengths shortened, much as they had done in the 20's, whilst the conservative prohibitive views about sex were loosened almost to the point of being non-existent.

By the end of the decade, all hell had broken loose - both fashionably and (some would say) morally speaking. Both women and men wore their hair long, with elaborately patterned tunics over bell-bottomed jeans and sandals, not to mention a whole lot of patchouli. They practiced 'free love' as well as experimented with conscience-altering drugs as part of their protest against the rigid Puritanical roots that had so long formed the basis of American culture. But that's enough out of me and my half-degree in Sociology... let's just say that, glamorously speaking, it was a dark, dark time.


I could probably write an entire dissertation on the effect that the Sixties has had on almost every decade that has come after it, such was its impact on every level of society on a global scale, but neither of us have the energy for that. But if you are interested in learning more about the looks that had become popular - and frequently come back round into fashion again and again - click here for some great information and resources. And with that, I will leave you with what is probably the most recognizable face from the Sixties.

The Original Waif herself - Twiggy.

Beauty Icon Wednesday: Veronica, The Bad Girl of Riverdale

Name: Veronica Lodge, created April 1942 by Bob Montana for the Archie comic series

Known for: glossy black hair, legs up to her neck, and an inexplicable affection for a freckle-faced ginger named Archie

I'm not gonna lie - this week has not been the best, and as early as this afternoon I was still at a loss as to who to feature for today's Icon. But inspiration can hit at anytime and often where you least expect it, and thanks to a certain idea planted by a simple Tweet from Chick Advisor I found my girl.

I've never been a fan of the goody-two-shoes, girl next door. So far as I'm concerned, evil knows how to dress and therefore automatically wins in my opinion. In the decades-old chick fight between the annoyingly perky, saccharin-sweet Betty and glamorous Veronica, there was no question; it was Team Ronnie all the way. She was beautiful, snobby, an unapologetic shopaholic, always got her way and had absolutely zero interest in such menial tasks as cooking or cleaning - that's what servants (or men) were for. She represented everything my younger self aspired to be when I grew up.

If I'm being honest, I still do.

Incidentally, in case you're curious, I'm also one of those Angie over Aniston-types. Now that I'm thinking about it, one can draw quite a few parallels between the two. Am I right?

Beauty Icon Wednesday: Portrait of A Lady...?

Name: Wallis Spencer the Duchess of Windsor, born Bessie Wallis Warfield June 19th, 1896; died April 24th, 1986

From Madonna's new film, W.E.

Wallis Simpson and her former King

Known for: most recently, the real-life inspiration for Madonna's film contribution to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (she not only directed but also wrote the screenplay); but mainly for being that American woman - twice-divorced - that somehow managed to steal the heart of the King of England.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a total Anglophile, as well as an avid fan of the Royal Family from a very young age. When I was seven I got up at 5:30 in the morning, as most people did, to watch Diana walk her 40-foot dress train down the aisle to marry her Prince. But I’m not sure that most people had named their goldfish after the new Royal couple, which was one of my main reasons for watching. It was a fairytale at the time, but one that did not have a happy ending for couple or goldfish. 

But, as usual, I have strayed far from my original point.

I can remember first hearing about Wallis Simpson from a book whose name has long been forgotten. Some fluffy teen novel from the Eighties whose main character was some shy mouse of a girl named for this woman whose powers of seduction were so great as to have caused a King to abandon his throne. Naturally, my preteen self was completely enthralled.

From all accounts, Wallis Simpson was not what one might consider a great beauty. The pictures here seem to attest to that. However, what she may have lacked in 'beauty' she more than made up for in charisma, charm and presence. Personally, I'm a big fan of any woman who can sweep in and make a man worship at her feet. That goes double if that man happens to be royalty. But it would seem that this epic romance was also without its happily ever after - after his royal abdication, Edward married his beloved Wallis without any members of his family to support him, and the couple were treated as social pariahs for much of their lives together. 

Still, you have to admire Wallis for her sheer ambition and ability to claw her way from obscurity to one of history's most infamous women. 

If you're just as intrigued by her story as I am, you might want to check out this little article from our friends over at the BBC.

Monday Moments in Makeup History - The 1920's

Ah...the Roaring Twenties. The Jazz Age. Regardless of what you want to call it, for many it was a turning point in history. Most of all, for women. 

For the first time, women were finally granted the right to vote in the US in 1920 - a freedom enjoyed by Canadian women since 1917 - and were beginning to enter into the world of work. For the first time for many of them, women were finally making their own money. And with money, came freedom. It was a period where the last vestiges of rigid Victorian values where shaken off - quite literally - in favour of a new liberal attitude all around. The economy was booming: the Great War was over, and it was time to celebrate. 

Clara Bow, the quintessential Flapper Face

Louise Brooks, Flapper prototype

Off came the corset, up went the hemline. Their hair was cropped and their cheeks were rouged. The Flapper was born. 


The Flapper was the epitome of excess: she wore 'too much' makeup and 'too little' clothes; she drank and smoked, danced with careless abandon and treated sex in much the same way. Once exclusively the domain of prostitutes and stage actresses, makeup began to be used on a daily basis for the first time during this period. Lipstick painted on in the characteristic 'bee-stung' shape, heavily lined eyes, and blush were the order of the day. It offered a nice contrast to the cropped, almost boyish haircuts and shapeless shift dresses. 


However, as with all things, what goes up must come down. Prohibition came along to try to kill the party from 1920 to the early Thirties, but only served to drive it further underground in the form of bathtub gin and speakeasies. Then came the Wall Street stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930's, which soon gave way to the Second World War. All of which killed the party for good. 


However, the spirit of the flapper continues to live on in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the silent films of the silver screen, and in the fashion and style of last week's Beauty Icon, Mme Coco Chanel; all of which continue to inspire beauty, fashion and culture to this day. 

Beauty Icon Wednesday:The One & Only, Coco

Name: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, August 19th 1883 - January 10th, 1971

Otherwise known as 'Coco'

Known for: how about everything we recognize as modern fashion today? Yeah, that should pretty much cover it.

I swear I thought I’d already posted this. As in to the point of searching frantically through the Icon post history to check. I must have just dreamed it. 

Oh well, it was really only a matter of time before my memory went. 

Anyway, without further ado, let's get on with it, shall we?

Although sadly not all of us can afford the luxury of owning a Chanel suit, what we must remember is that Mme Chanel has touched each of us in a number of much more subtle ways. Without her, we might not have the now iconic Little Black Dress. Or the trouser. Or the jersey dress. Opera length pearls worn with a simple shift dress would not be the epitome of chic. I could go on and on about how Chanel forever changed the face of fashion but I think you get the idea…

There are some arguments that she was not the original, that she used men of wealth and position to get where she was. Perhaps there is some truth in that. However when you consider that she started life as an abandoned orphan, started out making clothing from material that no one had ever considered before and paid back every cent of any money she ever borrowed from one of her male lovers, I’m willing to look past that. And if she did indeed use men to her advantage, well then, I’m okay with that too. It’s not like men haven’t been doing the same – not for money, perhaps, but a variety of other things like sex, status, revenge – for centuries.

Instead, I would much prefer to focus on her achievements and contribution to fashion and beauty. And how I can get my hands on a vintage Chanel suit. 

Monday Moments in Makeup History - The 1940's

It is true what they say: you really can find inspiration anywhere.

Watching the Indiana Jones marathon today gave me an idea. Not that Harrison Ford was a hot piece back in the day or how it was more than a little far-fetched that an archaeology professor would be so adept with a bull whip, but it got me thinking how beautiful 40's era women were. At least, the way they were portrayed in films, that is. It got me thinking about the various looks that were popular in the past, and that maybe these deserved a post of their own.

Hence, I give you Monday Moments in Makeup History.

Nothing says understated glamour like the classic beauty of women from the 40's. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in history, they were expected to go out to work as well as keep the home while the majority of the men were off fighting in World War II. These women were the hardworking heroes of the everyday, ones who still took the time to put on some lipstick and do their hair.

Veronica Lake

The look can be characterized by red lips, subtly defined eyes, well-groomed but not overly plucked brows and a soft rosy complexion. I've included some examples of how it was done, both in Hollywoodland and in the real world.

Ava Gardner

I also came across this great post from Tart Deco which features scanned pages detailing how to recreate a 40s Pinup look from Vintage Face, a book that is now sadly out of print. Both Tart Deco and Glamour Daze are great reference sources for creating vintage makeup, so if that's your thing these are definitely worth a visit.

Glamour Frugaliste Fall 2011, Final Look: Plumage

Givenchy Fall Makeup 2011

One beauty trend that made the transition from spring to fall is the bold, colourful eye. It's just been made a little smokier for fall, a little sexier in shades like gunmetal, navy or teal. There were some definite Gothic influences in some of the shows and seen here in Givenchy's fall makeup collection, but my current status of recovery will not permit me to get so dark. However, other designers chose to carry on with the rainbow brights, such as those brilliant orange lids that pranced down the runway for Jeremy Scott.

Jeremy Scott, Fall runway look 

Even though I love all of the looks I created like they were my firstborn, Plumage has to be my absolute favourite. Inspired in equal parts by the flapper and the peacock feather, even going so far as use guinea feathers in place of false lashes, it was so much fun to create. And if you follow the directions below, hopefully you will have just as much fun as I did!


For the Eyes: Using a large shadow brush, apply Black Velvet (matte black) all over the top lid and smudge lightly along bottom lid, concentrating most of the colour at the lash line and fading up to just below the crease of the eye. Layer Malibu (vivid blue-green) over top and bottom lids, over the original shadow and extending above the crease, building up colour to desired intensity. Wash Full Bloom (pale shimmery green) over the entire lid and into corner of each eye, using a fluffy shadow brush, up to the brow. Finish with two to three coats of black mascara. 


Tip: Black and other deeply pigmented shadows can be tricky to control, so avoid making a mess by laying a tissue underneath the eye to catch any wayward colour from falling where it shouldn't. 

For the Cheeks: Working in a circular motion, apply Sweet Tart (pink with gold shimmer) with a blush brush in the hollow of the cheeks just beneath the bone.

For Lips: Apply Diva (brilliant fuchsia pink) all over lips; top with Upgrade (pearlescent fuchsia gloss) for additional shine.

And finally, The Lashes: You could always use regular false eyelashes, which I'm sure would work just fine, but to really get the full effect you really do need the feathers. Guinea feathers, like the ones used here, can be purchased from most fabric and notion supply shops. 


To apply, choose or trim the desired size feathers from the set, then seal any loose feathers at what will be the 'base' using eyelash glue. Once dried, apply more glue to the 'base' using a Q-tip and apply to the top lid as you would regular lashes. Hold in place at least 30 seconds until the glue is fully dried.