The beauty and glamour of past eras – from the ’20s to the ’60s – are back in the spotlight. From the Downton Abbey movie to the SS ’20 runways of Louis Vuitton and Chloe, old-time looks are fresh again.
The 1920s – Flapper Chic
The Look:
Drop-waist dresses, jazz and The Great Gatsby – this was a time of fabulous glamour. “The ’20s featured very dark, heavily-lined eyes. To modernise it, I used dark brown eyeshadow instead of a strong black liner to emphasise the eyes. The rest of the face is kept natural,” says makeup artist Cheryl Ow, who created the looks here.
How to Create the Hairstyle:
To create the voluminous bottom curl, hairstylist Sean Ang applied a styling primer and blasted hair dry. After curling the lower sections, he worked a hydrating hair cream through the lengths, then sculpted the hair into shape with a styling brush.
The Stuff That Went In:
Face
Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer, and Longwear Foundation
Eyes
Chanel Le 4 Ombres in Elemental and Warm Memories. Fenty Full Frontal Mascara
Brows
Hera Brow Designer Pact in #02 Brown
Lips
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Kissable Lip Shine in Naked Truth
Hair
Wella Professionals. Eimi Velvet Amplifier. Ouai Finishing Creme
The 1930s – The Golden Age of Hollywood
The Look:
Taking the cue from the era’s silver screen stars, ’30s makeup was refined and sophisticated – classic, neutral colours in pinkish tones and well-defined. Ow’s advice: apply eyeshadow as a simple wash and try coloured mascara to make eyes pop.
How to Create the Hairstyle:
Complete the feminine look with big, loose waves. “I applied a texture mist and blasted dry, then used a curling tong on the mid-length diagonal sections, shaping the waves away from the face. After spraying a dry shampoo from roots to ends, I brushed hair out and shaped with a maison brush,” says Ang.
The Stuff That Went In:
Face
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Hydrating. Burberry Beauty Matte Glow Foundation
Eyes
Nars Skin Deep Eyeshadow Palette. Shiseido Controlled-chaos Mascaraink
Lips
Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)outliner Longwear Lip Liner Pencil in Nudeist
Hair
Ouai Wave Spray. IGK First Class Dry Shampoo
The 1940s – Understated Simplicity
The Look:
Unfussy but womanly makeup was about enhancing one’s natural beauty – a creed very much in line with current trends. Ow has a simple trick for drawing a clean, smooth line along your lash line: Tilt your head back and rest the liquid eyeliner flat along the base of lashes.
How to Create the Hairstyle:
Ang applied a styling primer as a base, followed by a smoothing and moisturising lotion through the lengths. After blasting dry, he waved hair with a tong and brushed out.
The Stuff That Went In:
Face
Dior Backstage Face & Body Primer, and Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation
Eyes
Dior Diorshow On Stage Liner in Matte Black, and Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara
Lips
Dior Lip Tattoo in #251 Natural Peach
Hair
Wella Professionals Eimi Velvet Amplifier, and Eimi Perfect Me Lightweight BB Lotion
The 1950s – Post-war Boom Times
The Look:
With economies booming in the ‘50s, looking put together and polished was all the rage. This meant perfectly drawn features, feminine waves or curls, and well-groomed brows a la Audrey Hepburn. To keep the look contemporary, so you don’t come across like a primped Stepford wife, choose just one feature to focus on, such enhanced eyebrows or boldly drawn eyes.
The Stuff That Went In:
Face
Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. YSL Touche Eclat Le Teint
Eyes
Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette. Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in #60 (Plum)age.
Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara Waterproof
Brows
Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel
Lips
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Endless
The 1960s – The Mod Squad
The Look:
Sexy and playful, the ’60s was the heyday of dramatic eyes, bouffants and doll-like faces. To make it work now, keep colours warm and neutral, and sweep your hair into a simple updo that’s airy, not poofy. When creating a cat eye, work on the ‘wings’ first. “Draw a thin line first to gauge the balance of the ‘wings’ on both eyes. Once you get that right, it’s easy to continue with the rest of the line. Plus, if you mess up the ‘wings’ you’ll only have to clean off that bit,” says Ow.
How to Create the Hairstyle:
To achieve this chic updo, Ang applied a dab of matte styling clay to hold hair together while keeping it pliable. He then put it in a bun and set it with strong-hold hairspray.
The Stuff That Went In:
Face
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation. Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
Eyes
Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Fantascene. Three Indestructible Eyeliner in #01 Volcanic Ash Black. Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara
Lips
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk Medium
Hair
Kevin Murphy Rough Rider Strong Hold Matte Clay. Schwarzkopf Osis Session Extreme Hold Hairspray
This article was first published in Her World’s March issue.
