Reviving Vintage Make-up

Make-up styles throughout history have turned to previous eras for inspiration. Egyptians were amongst the first to use cosmetics, (kohl) outlining their eyes.

In the 20^th century, lipstick was first manufactured in the US and Helena Rubinstein developed a line of cosmetics including the first ever mascara.

Theda Bara an American actress of the silent-film era caused a sensation when she appeared on the screen heavily adorned with Helena Rubinstein’s cosmetics.

One of the hottest international trends for make-up for 2013 has been vintage make-up.

Some renowned fashion platforms have seen the return of bright red lips, along with the cat eyeliner trend on various models on the catwalk for designers such as Burberry, Missoni, Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier.

While there were examples of the retro flicked–up effect at Thierry Mugler and Miu Miu, 60’s Twiggy like fringe was received with a big hit at Gaultier, and Lush lashes at Moschino have made an unforgettable comeback also.

Vintage make-up in Hollywood and Bollywood has always inspired women to carve a path to self-discovery, to shed their locks and reinvent their entire look. The iconic vintage woman wore Kohl rimmed eyes, lips were done in the famous ‘Bee-stung’ shape.

Carey Mulligan’s sexy flapper style in The Great Gatsby (2013) needed little help in transforming her into the 20’s era socialite, the eyebrows being the main focus, the famous downward sloping brow.

Some Basic Tips to Achieve the Perfect Canvas

• Coat your eyelashes with a thin layer of Vaseline before bed.
• Moisturising before applying foundation can help make your skin look smoother than usual

Dita Von Teese is another vintage icon who is famed for her classic beauty look and is never seen without a perfect crimson pout and a slick of black eyeliner inspired by the 40’s and 50’s.

In Bollywood, Bipasha Basu is known for her retro eyeliner and Sonam Kapoor is often seen sporting light eyes and a red pout which gives her the retro glam look.

In the 50’s, with the war behind them and an economy of growth, women took on a traditional look of elegance with lips and eyes as major points of cosmetic emphasis.

With heavily applied foundation, thinly lined eyes, well manicured brows and beautifully applied red-lipstick, women became classy and glamorous.

4 Easy Ways of Wearing a Retro 50’s Look

• Keep the eye shadow light without any kohl.
• Use false eyelashes and generous amounts of mascara on the top and lower lashes.
• Keep the face matte and powdered with a hint of a pink blush.
• Finish with a matte red lipstick.

For all those who want to don the vintage look, along with your make-up tools, it is essential to be armed with confidence to successfully pull off this look. So how can you get the ‘oh-so-fabulous’ and petite look? Read on to find out.

How to Achieve the Ultimate Vintage Look

• Foundations were a heavy affair, generally darker than the natural skin tone. Today, to achieve that 1940’s look, just use your own foundation to get the base. Then apply loose powder in a thin arch from the top of your cheekbone up toward the temples.
• Border your lips before applying a matte colour to fill in to get those luscious lips.
• In case you want to use a lipstick which you already have instead of investing in a new matte shade- just use a little baby powder on top and purse your lips to run it in.
• Use mascara generously to get wavy lashes. To make your eyes look their ‘bat-best’, twist your mascara wand inside the tube instead of pumping the wand, this will help you get more mascara to neatly highlight your lashes.
• Cat eyeliner and a red lip can really do wonders if you’re trying to have a more ‘vintage’ look. Be patient while your liquid liner dries.
• You could also use black eye shadow to fill in your brows and apply it with a slanted brush, blow on the brush so that it doesn’t go on too thick.
• Let your hairstyle compliment your make-up. Use rollers and bobby pins to achieve the ultimate vintage look!

The classic vintage make-up always makes a comeback on the catwalks and red carpets. It somewhat represents the birth of make-up, and will always be around to inspire the modern woman.

So get your eyeliner and red lipstick out of storage and on to your dressing table because vintage make-up has been revived.