How to Use 1950s Pin Up Makeup Tips
The makeup looks of the 1950s had a lot going for them. They gave a woman a freshly made up and crisply sophisticated cosmetic look that went easily from workplace to dinner party. However, not everyone wishes to walk around looking like a piece of bomber nose art. Just incorporate the parts you enjoy most with your own look instead.
- Wash your face. On key aspect to a 1950s look was that of the fresh faced girl next door. A clean face provides the best canvas and prevents caking.
- Pick your favorites. The overall look of the 1950s was a highly cosmetic one. Brows were emphasized with powdered color and templates were used for shaping if you lacked brows suitable to work with. The skin was kept very matte and even in tone. Lips were exaggerated slightly by lining them ‘outside’ the natural lip line with a lip lining pencil and often colored with the same pencil while gloss was applied over that if shine was desired. The primary focus of the 1950s look however, lay entirely with the eyes. Everything interesting was happening on the upper eyelid rather than the lower. Pick the portions of this look you are most interested in and incorporate it into your style.
- Start with a good foundation. If you enjoy the silky smooth look of the 1950s pin-up model's skin, try to replicate it by using a matte foundation. If you have good skin, look for a ‘sheer’ matte foundation instead and apply lightly. Follow with fair or translucent colorless powder to set the foundation. You can simply apply your makeup over this, or you can take it a step further and apply a 1950s style blush.
- Apply your blush. Brush blush to the outside of your cheeks near the hairline/ear, and then sweep it inward stopping just short of the apples of the cheeks. For a dewy summer look, apply blush directly to the apples of your cheeks.
- Shape your brows. Another way to incorporate the 1950s look into your own is to pay special attention to your brows. Eyebrows in the 1950s were highly cosmetic in appearance. In some instances, eyebrow templates were used to shape the brow into an appropriate ‘high arch’ style. These are still available at cosmetic supply stores, and even actress Audrey Hepburn had been known to use them. Use an eye shadow that either matches your eyebrows or is one shade darker. If you are a blonde, use a shade roughly two shades darker than your brows. Use a slanted brow brush to apply the color to the brow, using the angle of the brush to create a nicely pointed arch on the brow center right before it fades into the back portion of the brow.
- Line your eyes. Most eye liner in the 1950s was liquid in nature and almost all of it was back. Make things easier on yourself and grab a liquid eyeliner ‘pen’. These pens allow you to change the liner cartridges on them, therefore making them cheaper to own and possess a very fine brush tip allowing a great deal of control during application. Line your eyes starting from the center of the upper lid, hard against the lash line. Start with a thin line and widen it almost immediately to make the liner seem to suddenly and naturally ‘appear’ from the center of your lid and fro out of your lash line. Extend the end of the liner into a little ‘kick out’ that ends right where you feel the eye bone begin at the corner of your eye. Bottom lids should be lines very sparingly until reaching the outer corner, where the liner should then be brought out to merge with the ‘kick out’ at the corner of the eye.
- Line and fill your lips. Another great way to add a little 1950s flare to your personal style is by giving your lips a bit of a makeover. Line your lips in your favorite shade of liner. If going for a traditional look, choose a rose, coral or red tone of lip liner and make sure to line outside the lip line rather than inside. Lips were exaggerated in the 1950s and the arches of each side of the upper lip were brought into high soft ‘points’ just like the eyebrow. Rather than switch to a lipstick, continue using the pencil to fill in the entire lip area. Lipstick was matte in the 1950s just like the rest of the makeup used, so a lip pencil is ideal for recreating this look. If you want a bit of gloss, just add a bit of clear lip glass or lip gloss on top to finish the look.