DIY 1955 Party Make-up

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get this Far Eastern influenced holiday party look from December of 1955. Use one or more of these steps to change your appearance, or if you're quite adventurous, go for some serious glamour by following all of them. To see the look in more detail, click on the picture for a larger view. I must make note that many of these ideas are quite extreme and not at all practical by today's standards. Still, it is fun to get a glimpse into high fashion make-up artistry from the past.

1. Pluck away your entire eyebrow from the highest point of the arch out to the outer corner.
2. Cover the entire face and neck with a pale shade of foundation. There should be no pink tint.
3. Cover the eyelids up to the brows with pure white foundation or cream eye shadow. Blend carefully to accentuate the uptilt of the brows.
4. Pencil in the eyebrows with a very dark eyebrow pencil. Note the line of the penciled brow is higher and wider than the natural brow.
5. Outline the upper and lower lashes with dark eyeliner starting at a point near the bridge of the nose and extending both strokes out and away at the outer corners of the eyes.
6. Fill in the tiny triangle at the outer corners of the eyes with the white cream eye shadow.
7. Powder over the foundation with a pale ivory or beige. There should be no pink tint. No rouge or blush is used.
8. Outline the lips. The upper lip is drawn smaller and very thin. The lower lip is fuller. Fill in with bold red lipstick.

Wear your hair combed back straight and tight to the head. Add a black wig, if desired.

Exotic Faces - 1976

This dramatic look was photographed for a Van Cleef & Arpels ad in 1976. The wig, jewelry, and feather boa hint at the disco craze that is about to explode onto the scene.

This is an age of exoticism in fashion and make-up. Imagine the trade winds of the Far East.....Persia, the Byzantine Empire, Egypt, Morocco, Casablanca. Imagine the rich colors, the spicy scents, the desert heat. Imagine Cleopatra, the Odalisque, the Queen of Sheba.

After several years of the little-to-no makeup "natural look" inspired by hippies and the feminist movement, the fashion world was knocked upside down with a turn to the exotic. In 1976, Yves St. Laurent showed his famous Ballet Russes collection, and suddenly everyone wanted to wear ethnic inspired clothing.

Colors were dramatic, jewelry was stacked and layered, and heads were wrapped in scarves or caps. Clothing featured embroidered and woven designs inspired by exotic locals. Layers, ruffles, caftans, and fur trim were important.

Eye make-up was noticeable once again with lots of heavy kohl eyeliner inspired by the Far East. Blush was applied under the cheekbones to give a sculpted look to the face.

Gone were the pale lipstick shades of a few years ago. Dark lips were important once again. Esteé Lauder called them "Spice Market Colors".

Here, another hint of the disco craze to come with butterflies in crimped hair. The make-up is pure 1976.

1963 Fashion for Mad Men - Hair and Makeup

This will be the final installment in my series on actual fashions from 1963 as inspiration for Mad Men. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! It's been a lot of fun for me. Mad Men Season 3 premieres Sunday night at 10pm on AMC. Don't miss it!

In 1963, we begin to see "big hair" and a definite change in makeup. Of the three main female characters, I would expect Joan to be the early adapter of these styles.

Jackie Kennedy's bouffant do is the hairstyle of the time. We see all kinds of variations, with pageboy flips, lots of teasing, and height on top of the head. Hairstyles are held in place with lots of aerosol hairspray.


The bubble hairstyle also continues to be popular, but with more height.

For evening, hair becomes very elaborate and tall. Women use rats, falls, and even wigs to accomplish the look.

One has to wonder how much her head weighs with all that hair!

Makeup starts to change radically at this time. Revlon has a brand new product - powder blush. The emphasis moves from a strong brow and lip to a strong eye. Red lipstick is now passé. Lighter pinks rule.

Thick eyeliner and lots of mascara are used on eyes now. False eyelashes start to show up for evening. Light blue eyeshadow is just around the corner.

Brows are still very groomed, but are no longer "drawn on" with heavy brow makeup.

I would like to thank Vix for sharing this wonderful Vanity Fair interview with Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant. It's a great read, and you'll get some insight into why Janie dresses some of the characters as she does.