Tuesday Tip #4 - Eyeliner

Glamorous 'Retro' Eyeliner
The easiest thing to do to give yourself a little vintage glam is the eyeliner flick which got progressively bigger from the 40's through to the 60's. No matter what other make up you have on your face or what you're wearing, this is a nod to a bygone era which will change you from 'half asleep' to 'hottie' in seconds. 
I wear this look for myself, not because I want men to 'fancy me' but because it's my own little homage to the women of the past and it's the one part of my personality I can get away with displaying at work (more than I can with hair and clothes).

But it's worth noting that the look can really only be achieved with liquid eyeliner that has a brush attachment, or a brush and an eyeliner pot - don't buy those crappy pointy foam wands (like the one below) which are meant to make life easier because they just won't work. It's hard to tell from the pics but this is too rigid...

I bought this one by mistake once when I wanted a brown liquid eyeliner, but I kept it as it does have a use even though it's not it's intended use: I think it's really good to use to put a beauty spot on when you're doing vintage looks like Marilyn or Jean Harlow. Pencil is a bad idea for that - use one of these instead.
Anyway, the liquid eyeliner I use at the moment is a Rimmel one that looks like this...

as it's one I bought ages ago. Now that I'm selling Avon I've ordered an eyeliner brush and Supershock Eyeliner so I'll let you know how I get on with those when they arrive. (I think it'll be better for late 50's looks more than anything, as eyeliner got thicker then) but I'll give it a go so I know whether to recommend it or not. The basic idea is that the bristles are what allow you to 'glide' and create the winged effect, so anything too rigid is just more hassle, not less. Also, take a look at the below pic:

Any Marilyn Monroe tutorial that tells you to use a black liquid eyeliner is totally wrong - she wore a brown pencil! I'm not a pencil eyeliner user (in general) but I've ordered an Avon one, especially because Pixiwoo recommended it (below) and I'm going to show you how to recreate the Marilyn look at the next Cake It On. 

It's soooo interesting the lengths she went to with her make-up, and last time I re-created the process it did make me look quite like her!

Just as a final thought, Pixiwoo are usually really incredible at doing vintage make-up tutorials such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marlene Dietrich so check them out on their YouTube Channel :) See you soon xox

Tuesday Tip (Tried and Tested) #3

Perfect Matte 'Starlet' Skin
Get a matte Hollywood look without the cakiness by using Avon MagiX Face Perfector.

It's said that in order to create her moist, dewy glow, Marilyn Monroe layered her face in Vaseline and then powder alternatively until she had built up the perfect base. If you look at pictures of her compared with other Hollywood stars of the day you'll see that she was the only one who could get away with that kind of 'glow'

Look at Hedy and Lana below...their skin is matt and velvet-like:

But Marilyn could get away with a lot back then - she was one of a kind! According to Anton La Vey (yes - the founder of the 'Church of Satan') she used to allow a tiny bit of urine to drizzle onto the back of her skirt after using the toilet. This, she said, made the men who saw it 'think of her as unable to control herself or her urges....'
Anyway, that is NOT my Tuesday tip!
My tip is how to create that flawless, smooth look that almost everyone in the Golden Era sported, without the cakiness and suffocated skin they probably also had as a result of their heavy powder.
I really have trouble with a shiny T-Zone (stop the presses!) Yes I know it's not a massive issue but nonetheless I'm sure it's something many of us experience. I used to use Clinique 'Pore Perfector' which is about £17 until I discovered AVON's own version which is only £7 at the moment. It's a soft, powdery cream which smells divine. Put it on after moisturiser and it will ensure that your skin only glows where you want it to. It can be used alone, or under foundation as a primer, and if you'd like to try it but don't want to commit to buying full size you can order a little trial size pot from me for about 75p. Either e-mail me or come to my next Make-up, Bake-up!
Until next time...xox

Tuesday Tip (Tried and Tested) #2

Use Setting Lotion
If the phrase 'setting lotion' conjures up images of old ladies with blue rinses and tight poodle curls, it's time to update that image and take a tip from your granny...

Setting lotion is one of the beauty world's best kept secrets and I really have no idea why it's so clandestine. It's the exact thing that was used in the 1940's and 50's to hold a curl, and yet it's not widely produced or advertised anymore.

It's also incredibly inexpensive which may be the reason it's not well advertised...why would we spend £4.99 on a 'strong-hold mousse' if we can get setting lotion for £1.50??
I buy Superdrug's own but you can get many different brands in independant chemists - the same chemists you can usually find other unfashionable but amazing products like Epsom Salts and plastic rain hoods!
It is actually very watery and you can usually buy it in different strengths - many people decant it into a spray bottle (Superdrug do a fantastic one for 99p) and you're supposed to add water to dilute it further as it can be quite strong.
Honestly, it gives you lovely soft curls that really hold so it's not like a mousse or a gel.

Don't be fooled by some blog posts on the net which say it smells 'evil' and causes frizz. PERM lotion is the one that used to smell evil (remember that strange farty smell all hairdresser's used to have..?) but I think even that's changed now. And it certainly doesn't cause frizz. I have the worst hair for being frizzy and I never have a problem with it. It even seems to dry my hair faster which is another bonus. If you really don't want to be naff and buy a granny product then go onto amazon.co.uk and buy Pin-Up Setting Lotion - that's only a couple of quid and may look a bit better on your dressing table.

If you want an authentic vintage set, especially if it's a wet set that you want to sleep in, setting lotion is definitely the way to go - seriously, use it, and I guarantee you'll never use mousse again xox

Headscarves

Tuesday Tip (Tried and Tested) #1
Headscarves are your Friends!
I think this is one of the easiest and most effective tips to start with for 'vintage' styling if you're going for that 'Land Girls/Rosie Riveter' look of the 40's or more of a Rockabilly 50's image. It's simply because I'm the laziest person EVER and want to look the part with minimal effort sometimes, especially if I'm going to work. So this is the look I sported to work today (to my boss's usual eye-rolling haha)...

It's only a little one purchased from the lovely Enola Rose Designs, and it's great for work when I want a little bit of eye rolling but not to give people a coronary. (I get away with it a bit more because I work in an old museum and when I look 'vintage' here people just think they've seen a ghost...) But it really is an absolute godsend when you don't have time to style your hair but just want a little nod to times gone by. If you have a bit more time for prettifying then you can do something like this...

...which is really simple yet really effective. Of course there is another reason this is such a great style - it's for the reason they used to do it 'way back when'...to cover your pin curls! I can't tell you the amount of times I've had my curls covered in work all day then gone home and taken them out, ready for a night on the town ;) Similarly, it's much comfier to sleep on when you're letting your pin curls set in overnight. So make friends with a headscarf or bandana immediately and attend my Cake It On! on April 23rd for some great examples by Enola Rose, as well as some demos :) 

'Enola RoseDesigns' on Facebook

Until next time xox