It was the era of elegance, delicate beauty and femininity. Soft curls, vibrant lipstick, etched out eyebrows and dramatic eyes ruled the 1950’s. It was the age which gave us timeless beauties from the exquisite Waheeda Rehman to the glamorous Sophia Loren.
Glam Dolls From the 50’s:
We loved the way our Bollywood’s timeless beauties like Sharmila Tagore, Helen, Sadhana personified grace, beauty and femininity. With their lovey winged eyeliners and puffy hairdos, they were the dream girls on the screen and ruled hearts like queens.
While the west stunned us with the bombshell blonde Marilyn Monroe and the breathtakingly beautiful Audrey Hepburn. These legendary beauties are the greatest examples of timeless and classic beauty.
1950’s Vintage Makeup Style: How It Worked:
- Colors that ruled – This was the era of pale pink, greens, blues and yellows – Pink was at the all time high and the peaches and cream were embraced by the actresses of this era.
Pretty pouts in pink, purple-reds and orange-reds were the most-appealing and favorite picks of the early fifties.
- Complexion – While the sun-kissed and beach goddess look rule today, back then it was the age of pale skin. The delicate, porcelain beauty was sought after and foundation creams from brands like Elizabeth Arden and Max Factor were popular. The foundation base was complimented with a peachy or flesh colored powder.
- Lips – Women loved to give a fuller and voluptuous appearance to lips. For blonde hair, orange-red lipstick and purple-red lipsticks for black hair were preferred. Marilyn Monroe’s tantalizingly seductive red lips were to-die for!
- Cheeks – A soft, rosy pink blush starting at the apples of the cheeks gave a pretty and feminine touch.
- Eye Lashes – Thick, curled lashes with lots of mascara or fake lashes gave a beautiful, dramatic appearance to the eyes. A light coat to the bottom lashes created a doe-eyed look.
- Eye Lids – Light, shimmery eyeshadow were applied gracefully over the eyelid. Black eyeliner was used to line the top of lashes and started from the middle of the eye.
- Eyebrows – This was the era of defined eyebrows which were darkened and defined with arches.
Creating Sweeping 50’s Hairdos:
It was all about puffed, stylish and perfectly coiffed hair. The three hairstyles that ruled the fifties were pompadour, rolled bangs and soft curls.
How to Make Pompadour:
- First gather the front middle section of the hair and backcomb it gently. This is to create a voluminous look.
- Then twist the back section and push it forward to create the arc of the pomp. Fasten the pomp at the back of the head using bobby pins.
- Use a hairspray to set the pomp.
- Pick up small amount of hair from either side of the pomp and twist it backwards. Pin it close to the back of the pomp for a polished and stylish look.
[Also Read: Beauty products for non-make up lovers]
Follow these steps to look like a raving beauty from the era of class, elegance and timeless beauty I.e 50’s.