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.

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. 

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.