1920's makeup

Meeting Gman · May 27, 2010

Hello

I have a question regarding 1920's makeup. My question is, what makeup items would I need to create the look of a 1920's face? I have my hair cut in a short Louise Brooks bob and so I would like to go with a sort of flapper girl look. The problem is, I haven't ever worn makeup in my life so I am pretty clueless. I would like to get the look with the minimal amount of items.

My question is, can I do fine with just getting some sort of face powder, lipstick and mascara? I have searched and found information on what the typical makeup styles were of the time, but they usually don't say what they used or word it in such a way that only one familiar with makeup would know what they are referring to.

Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading

jessesgirl08 · May 27, 2010

Try this.........

1920s makeup guide

http://www.return2style.de/swingstyle/makeup/20amimup.html

retromama · May 28, 2010

1920's look

I would say powder, lipstick and mascara is a good start. May want to emphasize brows though! Maybelline makes inexpensive brow pencils that work well. Lip colors I like for this look are a red brown like Loreal Endless lipstick in Fired Up or a deep plum (not for the faint of heart) like Loreal Plum Brulee. . For powder, Coty Airspun is my favorite and mascara I like Benefit's Badgal lash in black. It is a bit pricey though and find Maybelline great big lash is pretty good for the price! (if you have stick straight hair like me, you may want to curl lashes slightly with a curler before applying mascara!) A pink blush that matches your natural flush (like after a workout!) would be good, but not too much since this look was focusing on lips and eyes! Hope this helps a little. Good luck and post pics please!
This website has good examples of color and some photos:
http://www.return2style.de/swingstyle/makeup/20amimup.html

Meeting Gman · May 28, 2010

Thank you so much! The website was very useful and I am very grateful you provided brands so that I can easily pick these items out without being lost in the sea of makeup. This is quite exciting and I will try to post pictures if it all turns out okay.

I forgot about the eyebrows, I will certainly be tending to them as well.

Also, I do have stick straight hair and I did buy a lash curler some time ago, but I wonder if I'm using it right. It curls my lashes so that they curl so much they touch my skin and tickle me!

miserabelle · May 28, 2010

This is one of my favourite flapper makeup tutorials, but unfortunately the sound has been blocked because of a copyright issue - you should be able to see what she's doing though and there's a product list in the description...

I might put together a picture tutorial actually x

edit: here's what I did

x

FraeuleinBerlin · May 29, 2010

Hi there!

I do a twenties look too sometimes (like in my avatar). The thing to really get right is the eyebrows. They have to be thin and carry on down a little past the eye (Google image Clara Bow) BUT don't think you have to pluck your eyebows! Comb them through with a tiny tiny bit of soap (helps stick them in place and I'm told it's a pretty authentic way of keeping your eyebrows neat) then a little foundation (the same colour of your skin) should go over them so you can't see much eyebrow at all. Then you can draw over with an eyebrow pencil! Ta da!

Eyeshadow should be darker and higher on the INSIDE corners of your eyes (rather than the outside, which is how we usually wear make-up today). Matte grey or black looks best I find, but it depends what suits you, I guess.

I think I'm correct in thinking that blush wasn't used much in the twenties? I guess it's harder to tell from black and white photos, but to me it always looks as though they're not wearing it.

Lips are important to get right too - they need to be a rosebud shape with a very defined cupid's bow. Don't draw the lipstick all the way to the corners of your lips. Line them first and then fill in. If it's obvious that the corners of your lips are uncovered just dab a little foundation on there too!

Practise practise practise, Google lots of twenties film stars and beauty ads to get an idea of what women aspired to back then...

I don't have a good picture of me in 20s make-up (as in, one where you can clearly see), but here's one I like a lot... I look so disdainful!

Hope this helps. Love,

Cherry Berlin
xxx

Louise Anne · May 30, 2010

I do not think I have any thing constructive to add as it all seams to be covered, maybe you got to be a little careful about the shades you use.
strangle what i seen they seam to be a lot brighter then present and for powder a lot more pale then you think.

It is a very interesting thread to read!

Puzzicato · May 30, 2010

FraeuleinBerlin said:
I think I'm correct in thinking that blush wasn't used much in the twenties? I guess it's harder to tell from black and white photos, but to me it always looks as though they're not wearing it.

That is a great picture! Disdainful is the word.

I'm sure I have seen references to women wearing rouge in the 1920s. And applying it with a rabbit foot!

Louise Anne · May 30, 2010

Puzzicato said:
I'm sure I have seen references to women wearing rouge in the 1920s. And applying it with a rabbit foot!

Yes your are right in little circle more than blending it in. it was a red shade, which you cannot get in a blusher today, I have used lipstick to try a re create the look.

And the original blusher is evil stuff more like powder paint as it stains something rotten on material.

Puzzicato · May 30, 2010

Have you tried MAC Frankly Scarlet? It's a rosy red, but it gets very good reviews.

TillyMilly · Jun 2, 2010

I love Frankly scarlet and use that as my everyday blusher- i have a snow white thing going on. I'd definatly recomend that - and the black track fluid line that you apply with a brush, set with carbon shadow if you want it to be smudge proof.

My Mum used to call me Clara Bow on account of my lips- i never saw a pciture till recently.

Meeting Gman · Jun 2, 2010

Okay, well I've given it a go. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, disappointed I would say. I wasn't able to do the eyebrows as the eyebrow pencil thing was too light a shade of brown. My ever present dark circles under my eyes can't seem to be stopped even with under eye concealer. I am also not sure if I used the eyeliner properly, I was very scared to get it too close to my eye.

Here is a before makeup and after makeup picture, side-by-side.

Another picture of after makeup application.

I need to let my hair grow out a bit more as this current length does not flatter my face and leaves it unbalanced. I have no clue of my facial shape, I've always been told I have a heart shaped face and I do indeed seem to quite narrow at the chin line.

All in all it was fun, but I feel a bit silly with makeup but then again I've not worn it before so I guess that is normal.

I sincerely appreciate everyones help and especially retromama for specific brand mentionings as I would have been completely lost in the isle if not for that.

Here is what I used:
Coty Airpsun face powder in translucent
Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner in Pewter (They were completely sold out of black)
Maybelline Great Big Lash in Brownish Black
Loreal Endless lipstick in Fired Up

Kind comments, opinions and suggestions are greatly encouraged. Thank you

Louise Anne · Jun 2, 2010

Meeting Gman it is a very good start, 20's makup is not easy to get right.
I think it's just a matter of building up your confidence in bothe doing it and and also wearing it.
I think the shade of lips stick needs to be a little bolder, I do think your got a great 20's look in the making and it will suit you , not every one can pull off the 20's look i think you will.

FraeuleinBerlin · Jun 4, 2010

I'm with Paul, I think this looks like a really good start and with a bit more practise it will really suit you! You'll get used to wearing make-up, you just have to adjust to seeing your face with it on.

Thank you Puzzicato! I don't remember it being taken at all; it must have been at a particularly boring point of the speech I was listening to.

Cherry
xxx

Gingerella72 · Jun 4, 2010

I think you did a great job your first try, especially since you're not used to putting makeup on in the first place! I think your natural lip shape is perfect for a 20's look.

The more you wear makeup, the less silly you'll feel. It's just something different that you have to get used to. When I've experimented with vintage makeup looks, I always feel like a clown at first, even though I wear makeup everyday as part of my normal (non-vintage) look. Practice makes perfect!

crazydaisy · Aug 8, 2010

I had a 20's look done by a stylist a couple of days ago. Not quite satisfied I decided to have a go at it myself. Here is what I did.

Kiri · Aug 9, 2010

I love the lips Crazydaisy!

Lillemor · Aug 20, 2010

I love that look crazydaisy. I think I could get away with that for daywear. I'm just too lazy to re-shape my lips.

1. Some where I read that eye make-up wasn't worn during the day at all. is that true? They didn't blend either according to some sources?

2. Are the brows supposed to slope or be straight?

3. Is it strictly wrong not to re-shape my lips? I'm having enough issues playing with my brows. I drew over my brows without blending so I could get a more accurate view of what my brows look like. I usually slightly extend and slope down the outer corner then blend, blend, blend! But I've seen straight 20s brows too.

Excuse the super dorky photo with hair quickly tucked behind ears and over exposure and mostly bare face:

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4. I have no idea where the apples of my cheeks are. I usually smile, then apply blusher (these days a wine red eyeshadow) in a circular upward, light handed motion. I just feel my face is too round already.

jessesgirl08 said:
Try this.........

1920s makeup guide

http://www.return2style.de/swingstyle/makeup/20amimup.html

Thanks for reminding me. That was one of the first sites I found on this subject long ago.

Lillemor · Sep 17, 2010

Lipstick Question!

Apparently deep berry and wine shades are trendy again. Welll, those very dark colors anyway. Which of the contemporary dark lipsticks do you think look like colors and have the finished look of a 1920s lipstick color?

Brooksie · Sep 18, 2010

Mac's Diva lipstick is a deep berry wine color (at least that is how I would describe it) it looks very vampy/flapperish. I will going this weekend to buy some I saw it on a friend and loved it and then I went to Mac a couple weeks ago to have a look see at it.

1920's makeup

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