Sunday, February 1, 2009

How to do your own retro glam look

Hairstyles have definitely changed throughout the years, going from short to long, then back to short; popular hair colors have gone from blonde to streaked to natural and everything in between. Going retro in hair or make up is easy, but depending upon how far back you want to go, you might have to chop, bleach, dye, curl or crimp your locks.

In the 1940's, women were encouraged to “Be Brave And Beautiful”, because of the war efforts. Blood-red lipstick, powder with tints and colored eyeshadow became symbols of beauty.

Hairstyles were done in the Chignon, where the sides of the hair were pulled back, then twisted at the base of the neck with the rest of the hair, to form a bun which hung down slightly. The bangs were worn short and curled under. Another popular hairstyle was the ringlet curl, where shoulder-length hair was brushed straight back, then curled upwards in the back, at the shoulder.

In the 50's, straight hair was out, short hair was in. If hair was worn somewhat long, it was often pulled back and tied with a scarf. Very short hair was usually washed and pin curled while wet. This was achieved by taking a section of hair, wrapping it around your finger while holding your finger against your scalp, then bobby pins were placed in a cris-cross shape until the hair was dry. This gave a soft, natural-looking curl to short hair. Bangs were curled under, short, but not straight across. More often, the bangs were somewhat parted, with only portions of the bangs hanging slightly towards the sides of the forehead. Men’s hair was worn in duck tails, slightly long in the back, but slicked back and the long part gathered into a “tail”. Women’s make up took on a softer look. Dark and light pinks took the place of red lipsticks. Blush became common place in shades of pinks.

Hairstyles of the 60's were still short, but the classic “flip” became the most popular hairstyle. Mary Tyler Moore wore this hairstyle and thousands of women copied it. Shoulder-length hair was curled up around the edges, raising it above the shoulders and bangs were often swept to one side. Often the bangs were clipped with a barrette. Another hairstyle from that era was the half-flip, where one side of the hair was curled under and one side curled up. The side that was curled under was often swept behind the ear with a barrette. Make up was worn in dark shades on the eyes; fake eyelashes in very dark shades were also popular along with dark eyeliners on the top lid. Dark pink blushes and pink shades of lipsticks, with green, blue and brown eye shadows. Men’s hair was worn short, often in a crew-cut style.

As we entered the 70's we saw more radical styles of hair, at least they seemed so at the time. Hair was left straight, even ironed under wax paper, for a perfectly straight look. Hair was often parted in the middle, with men and women wearing bandanas, tied around the forehead. Streaking of the hair was often seen on women. Sometimes small braids were done at the sides, then a barrette would hold the two braids together, at the back of the head. The rest of the hair was left to hang free. Short hair styles often required “teasing” of the hair, where the comb is pulled up through the hair, causing it to tangle somewhat. Then the hair would then be smoothed over, making it look fluffier. Bolder eye shadow colors were the norm, but lipsticks were dark pinks. Blushes took on more reddish shades. Women began to outline under the eye with very dark eyeliner. Men’s hairstyles were long and often unkempt. Ponytails were also popular with the younger male population.

The 1980's offered many different hair styles. Hair was often permed to be long locks of spiral curls. Men’s hairstyles became shorter and more styled. The “feathered” look, where hair was cut at different lengths, was popular with men and women alike. Make up was bold with lots of blues, greens, purples, pinks and browns. For exact instructions on how to do hairstyles and make up that look authentic, check out library books or go online to find instructions, hints and tips.

No comments: