Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well! As we celebrated International Women’s Day
this week I thought I would take a look back at how women’s use of makeup and
fashion has changed over the last few decades and what influenced the looks of
the time. Starting with the 1920’s I thought I would write a
series of posts, each focusing on a different decade and including my
favourite parts of the look from that time. I hope you find it interesting
and maybe it will inspire you to recreate some aspects of past trends yourself!
Foundation / Powder
Foundations became increasingly more natural in the
1920’s as opposed to the pale powders of previous times and sun lamps were
occasionally used to develop a tan by people that couldn’t afford expensive
holidays abroad. This trend was inspired by Cocoa Chanel who supposedly
developed a tan after falling asleep in the sun whilst on holiday. I don’t
tan very easily so if this happened to me the look would have been more lobster
than tanned goddess!
Rouge / Blusher
Popular colours for rouge in the 20’s were orange, fuchsias
and berry colours which were applied liberally in a deliberate circle shape to
the apples of the cheeks. Creams, liquids and even paper rouges were available
but powder became the most popular due to the invention of the compact. I
have seen some very bright blushers around at the moment which would
be ideal for recreating this look. The 'Blush by 3' palettes from
Sleek, particularly in Pumpkin and Lace, are very bright and daring colours which
would work perfectly for putting a modern twist on a 1920’s classic.
Lipstick
A signature look of the 20’s and one of my favourite aspects of
makeup from this time is the cupids bow in bright red lipstick. Maurice
Levy invented the metal lipstick container in 1915 allowing for more
precise application and the popularity of lipstick increased from there
on. Red was the only colour which was readily available and so is key to
this feature of the 1920’s style. If you want to create this
look a little more subtly why not try emphasising your cupids bow but bringing
the lipstick to the edge of your lips rather than stopping dramatically as they
did in the 20’s? Mac lipstick in Russian Red or Revlon Super Lustrous are
good ones if you’re recreating this trend.
Eyes
Dark eyes are also vital to achieving a 1920’s look as Kohl
was often used to outline the eyes and then smudged outwards to create a
dramatic finish. Mascara came in the form of a block which was heated
up and applied using a stick, often teamed with a pair of false
lashes which were also popular during this time. Eyebrows in the 20’s were
worn extremely thin and sometimes women would even pluck out the entire eyebrow
and redraw it on, higher than the original brows. Smoky eyes are very much
still around today and I love experimenting with dark eye shadows and eye
liners for a night out. The Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette is a favourite
of mine and is great for creating a dramatic finish.
Nail Varnish
Painting the nails became highly popular in the 1920’s and it was
custom to match your polish to your outfit or accessories. Nails were grown
long and only the centre section was painted leaving the cuticle and the tip of
the nail natural. Painting your nails in this way is a subtle and
simple way of including a hint of the 1920’s influence in your
everyday life. If your hand isn’t so steady try using two nail guides
across top and bottom of your nails and painting in between them.
Advances in the production of cosmetics combined with
changes in the way makeup was viewed socially, meant that the 1920’s saw big
changes in the way women used makeup. Cosmetics were more readily available and
advances in production meant that beauty products were far safer and easier to
use. Instead of hiding their makeup away women wore it proudly and
openly. I love the 1920’s style and think you can easily adapt
aspects of it to include it in your look today.
Thanks for reading,
BBx
Images taken from:
Nail Polish - Old Rose nail polish hues from Cosmopolitan
Magazine, December 1936
Cupid's Bow - http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-do-1920s-style-makeup
Clara Bow- http://chexydecimal.com/2010/07/birthday-clara-bow/
Flapper Girl - http://www.oodora.com/fashion/fashion-history/1920s-fashion.html
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