1920s Hair & Make-Up

Just a little practice for my friends' Speakeasy themed wedding coming up in a month...
(EXCITED!)

 I watched a good deal of youtube tutorials on faking a 1920s hairstyle, specifically when one has longer hair and not a period bob style. I acquired various hair glues (otherwise known as 'gel', starches, styling matrixes, etc.) and went to battle for about an hour trying to get my hair to do finger waves (with improper, useless sectioning clips...really need wave clips to do it old school). Finally I gave up, hopped in the shower, scrubbed all of the gunk out of my hair, got out of the shower, took the towel off my hair a while later, realized my hair is quite wavy on its own, and simply bobby-pinned it into some semblance of a vintage 20s wave pattern, hair sprayed it lightly, finger-rolled/curled my long hair and pinned the little rosette/victory curl whatnots up in back (many, many pins and blindly done, so not so pretty in back, I'm guessing... but good thing my roomie will be around to help for the main event) and hair-sprayed the heck out of it. Let dry. Got impatient. Used the hair-dryer a little. Took bobby-pins out of front. Hoping I can get it be neater next time I try it.
This style looks better in sepia tone, doesn't it? Maybe because it's how we expect to see 1920s images...
 For make-up, this tutorial was the most useful/accurate, and includes some well-researched, interesting history ta boot: Historically Accurate 1920s Makeup Tutorial My cheap-o eyeshadow didn't layer/adhere as nicely, so is not so 'dramatic' as it probably should be. I wasn't too sure I wanted to go there, but I did pluck my eyebrows thinner than normal for the look, which helps sell it. But I now realized I actually did like my eyebrow shape and sort of miss them. But they'll grow back quick enough (in time for me to pluck them all thin again for the look). What sells this most, however, I think is the long fake eyelashes... Wasn't sure what to go for when standing before the wall of disembodied lashes (thinking it such a strange thing to be in existence), but apparently I grabbed a sufficient one for the 1920s big-eyed, innocent waif look. (This is only my fourth time playing with fake eyelashes, all of the previous occurring just last Halloween, with my Lily Munster and Zombie Alice costumes). On another random make-up note, even if you do the little cupid's bow lips, the lipstick tends to spread our and cover more of your lips as time passes and you subconscious press your lips together... Not sure how to deal with that, beside the lip-lines should stay in place beneath the lipstick.

Stray hairs, I shall defeat you next time!!
How'd I do? Any advice for a more authentic look? Or a better adaptation for my specific facial structure?

Comments

  1. Really impressive! You capture the spirit of the period. The false eyelashes add a lot. Kudos to you on applying them.

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  2. Oh, I think you nailed it! Gorgeous! I agree that the sepia photo is more authentic looking, but I think it is what we 'expect' to see! You may want to pop over to the lovely Jessica of Chronically Vintage and ask about getting lipstick to stay put!

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  3. I think this look is amazing. I really like seeing your 'normal' photo next to the sepia tone so I get an idea of what women's makeup back in the 1920s might have looked like in real life. :D

    The hair looks fantastic. You're clearly going to rock this wedding.

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