1920's Makeup, Hair & Fashion: Information & Makeup Tutorial

As I stated on my previous haul video, I'm going to be creating makeup tutorials from all the different era's, from  the 1920's to present day (2013). Along with the makeup tutorials I'm going to be writing informative posts about each era, taking about the icons, makeup, hair and fashion of each era.
The first era I've decided to talk about is the 1920's.

The 1920's makeup revolution took off with the style of the flapper. In the early 1920's a subtle smokey eye was popular but in the late 1920's a dark smokey eye was popular, it was the style of the flapper that influenced people to wear a dark smokey eye. It was seen to be very stylish and sexy. 

1920's Flapper

1920's Icons

1920's Makeup

Key Points:
- Big, bold, rounded eyes.
- Low, straight, thin, dark eyebrows.
- Pale, matte skin.
- Dark bow-shaped lips.
- Typically no blush but some people did use it.

Foundation:

• The base is natural and of a slightly pale shade to give a fresh, porcelain look. The foundation is applied lightly but is heavily powdered with face powder. This helps to enhance the lightness, set the foundation and also give a matte look.
• During the early 1920's white, cream or ivory coloured face powder was used by most women. In the middle of the 1920's flesh coloured face powder was used.

Blush:

• Blush often wasn't worn but if it was to be worn, shades of rose, raspberry and orange were used. These were the 3 popular shades.

Eyebrows:

• Thin and downward sloping eyebrows were popular. They sloped downwards to give the impression of being sad. 
• Eyebrows were drawn on using black or brown eyeliner/powder.

Eyes:

• Eyes were a rounded shape rather than a winged shape.
• Eyeshadow in dark shades of green, blue, purple, brown or black were used. Dark shades were used on the eyelids to give a bold look.
• Eyeliner could also be applied to give an enhanced image. The whole eye was edged with black eyeliner, both in the top and bottom waterline. Black eyeliner was also applied to the top and bottom lash line and was smudged, possibly to give a sexy smokey look. In the 1920's women created black eyeliner and mascara by mixing goose fat or petroleum jelly with soot or coal. Some women also used grease paint sticks and kohl pencils.
• In the early 1920's eyelashes were painted black using a mix of goose fat or petroleum jelly with soot or coal. During the middle of the 1920's, mascara became available in cake, tube, wax and liquid form and it was applied with a brush. Mascara that came in a tube had to be heated up before applying. 
• Eyelashes weren't used in this era. 

Lips:

• The lip shape was adapted/enhanced to give a strong look.
• Heart shaped lips were popular in the 1920's. The bow (cupid's bow) of the lips was exaggerated using lip liner and lipstick, as well as the bottom lip being made to look fuller. The corners of the lips were thinned out slightly to give slight points in the mouth. 
• At the beginning of the 1920s, lips were coloured in shades of dark red, dark burgundy, maroon and rich purple were used. In the middle of the 1920s, lips were coloured in shades of deep red, deep brownish reds, plum and orange. At the end of the 1920s, lips were coloured in shades of rose, raspberry and medium red.

1920's Hairstyles

• In the 1920's the infamous 'Bob' was created. The Bob haircut was a blunt cut, level with the bottom of the ears all around the head, women often wore their Bob in a waved or shingled style. The Bob was also worn with bangs (a fringe) or with the hair brushed off of the forehead. Bobbed hair also prompted the invention of the bobbie pin, also known as the kirby grip in the UK.
• The Bob Cut, Marcel Wave, Eton Crop, and Shingle were popular hairstyles, they were seen to be modern and stylish. Those women who didn't conform to the 'cropped' trend opted for a Chignon instead. Slicked back hair was also popular.
• Curling, perming and colouring methods became popular in the 1920's.

1920's Fashion

• Dresses & Skirts - Most dresses and skirts rested just below the knee, often just above the ankle. Knee length dresses were paired with short necklaces and ankle length dresses were paired with long necklaces. Flapper dresses were also popular, they didn't have a defined waistline, instead the waistline was very low, and often sat below the bum. 
• Tops, Tunics & Jumpers - Tops, tunics and jumpers reaching the hips were popular. They were worn to take emphasis away from the hips and hide the female shape. 
• Shoes - T-Bar shoes were popular as women were fond of the strap design.
• Accessories - The cloche hat, sequinned caps, feathered headbands and turbans, pearls and gloves were worn in the 1920's. Feathered headbands, turbans and gloves were associated with the flapper. 
• Fabric - Fabrics included chiffon, taffeta, satin, velvet, brocade and lace. Fur, feathers, flowers and beading were also popular. 

1920's Makeup Tutorial

Face:

1. Apply a matte foundation. If you have oily skin you may want to use a matte primer first, Illamasqua Matte Primer and Face To Face All Matte are great primers for if you have oily skin.
2. Apply a powder, not only will this set the foundation but it will also make the skin more matte.
3. Concealer wasn't popular in the 1920's but if you will like to you to apply any to under eye circles or blemishes, feel free to.
4. Apply a rose coloured blush to the apples of the cheeks. 

Eyes:

1. You can either create the authentic 1920's eyebrow shape or you can fill in your natural eyebrow shape. 
2. Apply an eyeshadow base to the eyelids, preferably of a dark shade. Apply to the eyelids and blend in a circular motion just above the crease. 
3. Set the eyeshadow base with a translucent powder. If you're using a matte eyeshadow on top of an eyeshadow base you have to set the base first with a translucent powder, but if you're using a shimmer eyeshadow on top of an eyeshadow base you don't have to set the base with a translucent powder. 
4. Apply a matte brown eyeshadow all over the eyelid and blend into the crease. 
5. Apply a matte black eyeshadow at the base of the eyelid and then taking a blending brush and the brown matte eyeshadow, blend the black eyeshadow. If you want the black eyeshadow to be more obvious, don't blend with a brown eyeshadow, just use a clean blending brush instead. 
6. Apply the matte black eyeshadow all over the eyelid and hen taking a blending brush and the brown matte eyeshadow, blend the black eyeshadow. Again if you want the black eyeshadow to be more obvious and intense, blend using a clean blending brush. 
7. Using a pencil brush, apply the matte brown eyeshadow to the lower lash line. 
8. Line the top and bottom waterline with a black kohl pencil.
9. Line the top and bottom lash line with a black kohl pencil and smudge using the brush which you used to apply the black eyeshadow to the eyelids. 
10. Apply mascara to the top and bottom lashes. 

Lips:

1. Apply a dark burgundy lip liner to the lips. It's important to emphasise the cupid's bow and make the lower lip fuller. The general idea is to create a heart shape. 
2. Once you have the desired shape, fill in the lips using a dark burgundy lipstick. 

Visual Tutorial:

I hope you liked this post and also the makeup tutorial and if you have any questions or queries, please feel free to comment below. 

Much love,

Cole

x

Lee Stafford My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray

If you follow my blog or watch my videos on YouTube you'll know that I'm quite partial to a big bouffant, in simple terms, I like big hair. I have used many 'big hair' products over the years but always find myself going back to my trusty VO5 Give Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder. 
I recently went shopping with my Mamma and Sister and whilst we were having a browse in Boots, I noticed that Lee Stafford had his own range of 'big hair' products. I was originally going to buy the Matt Fat Powder but due to owning about 10 bottles of the VO5 instant oomph powder, I decided to go for the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray instead. Lee also has My Big Fat Healthy Shampoo and Conditioner too but I decided not to buy those as I'm currently using a colour save shampoo. 

What does Lee have to say about his My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray?

"Is it a hairspray? No. Wax Spray? No. Sea Salt Spray? No. It’s a super spray! This really is a super spray with the hold of a hairspray, the volume of a wax spray, the texture of a sea salt spray, a matte finish and more!"

So Lee, how do we use the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray? 

"You need to shake my super slush before use; you’ll notice I’ve left a space at the top of the bottle so you’ve got the room to give it a really good shake. Once the slush has turned to liquid it’s ready to be sprayed onto your hair. Spray onto dry hair and work in with your hands for BIG, texturised hair with a matte finish."

What are the product claims?

• Gives hair volume.
• Gives hair texture.
• Holds hair in place, just like a hairspray does.
• Gives a matte look to the hair.
• Leaves hair looking healthy.

Where can you buy the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray?

The spray retails at £9.29 and can be purchased in-store and online at Boots. The spray also contains 90ml of product. Boots are offering 3 for 2 on all Lee Stafford products at the moment so it might be worth checking out the range. 

What does the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray look like?

Is the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray suitable for everyone?

Anyone can use the spray as it's suitable for all hair types, no matter if you have dry, greasy, thick or thin hair. I would say that if you're someone who has thin hair who wants to add texture to your hair then  you would benefit from using a texture spray or texture powder as they create texture and also volume. 

The Good

• Packaging - I really like the packaging and this is primarily due to it being pink. I also think the writing on the bottle is quite fun and quirky, it definitely catches your eye. I also like how the spray comes with a pump as this makes application easy. 

The Okay

• Scent - I don’t love the scent of the spray but then again I don’t hate it, it’s just okay. I’m not going to lie, it does have a strong musky smell and the smell does cling onto your hair. You would imagine the scent to wear off after a few hours but it doesn’t, it lingers, which I guess is a good thing as it leaves your hair smelling remotely nice.  If you love musky smells you will love this spray, if you don’t then you’ll hate it.
• Size - The spray contains 90ml of product which is fairly reasonable. 
• Availability - The spray is available at Boots, which can be considered good and bad. Good if you live in the UK, bad if you live internationally. Boots do ship internationally but I presume shipping costs will be quite high which isn’t great.
  
  

The Bad

• Performance - This product does not live up to expectations whatsoever. Lee claims that the spray will add volume and texture to the hair and it does not do this at all. It left my hair looking flat, especially on the top of my head, I actually had to use my VO5 powder as my hair looked shocking. I love adding volume and texture to my hair as it's quite thin so was really disappointed to find that the spray did nothing to my hair. Lee also claims that the spray will give the hair a matte look, the only look it gave my hair was a dull greasy one. I usually wash my hair every two days but when using the spray I had to wash it everyday. Lee also claims that spray will help to hold hair in place, it really does not do this. 
• Practicality - This spray is not practical for anyone who is weak as it's hard to shake the bottle. I have little weak arms and found it hard to shake the bottle.  
• Texture - The spray has a very sticky texture which I find very unpleasant. The spray is meant to turn from a solid into a liquid and it honestly does not do this. I have tried shaking the bottle for 2 minutes and I have tried shaking this bottle for 5 minutes, it just does not turn into a runny liquid. And when Lee claims the product will fill the empty space in the bottle when shaken, this also isn't the case. It has a thick, sticky texture that literally clings onto the hair. 
• Instructions - Yes the packaging is fun and I guess Lee does provide minimal information about what the spray does and what you do with it but I think instructions could be a little clearer. Yes it does say to apply the spray onto dry hair but it doesn't say if you work the product into your hair or if just leave it to sit on top of your hair. It also doesn't say how far apart you have to spray, usually products say 'you need to leave a 20cm distance between your hair and the bottle' but this spray doesn't say this.  
• Price - I wouldn't usually mind spending £9.99 on a decent hair product but when the product isn't great, it leaves me thinking that I've wasted my money. £9.99 is a lot to pay for any product but it's especially a lot to pay for a poor product.

Overall...

I really do not like this spray at all and if I'm being honest, I feel really let down. I wish I'd have gone for the matt fat powder instead but you know what they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing. The spray didn't add any form of volume or texture to my hair at all, if anything it made my hair flat and greasy. I also wasn't fond of the stickiness of the spray and think instructions could be made a little clearer on the bottle. As for holding properties, there are none, I still had to use a gallon of my beloved Tresemme hairspray. I know that this review is a little negative but I really wanted to share my experience with this spray. I blog about the good things so feel I should blog about the bad things too. 

I'm not saying that this spray won't work for everyone, it just didn't work for me. 

Would I recommend? No

Would I re-purchase? No

Have you tried the My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray? If so, what do you think of it?

:)