The Art of 1920’s make-up and beauty.

All you need to know to achieve that iconic 1920’s flapper look.

1. [ Click Image to visit ] Our Original flappers guide to 1920’s make-up from 1927 – written by society dame Marjorie Oelrichs – on how to be beautiful – 1920’s style!

2. [ This page – Scroll down ] A simple modern girls guide with video – written by Youtube vintage make-up guru –  Lea WhiteFeather on how to create the 1920s make-up look.

1920s-makeup-look–Lea-Whitefeather

3. [ Click Image to visit] A preview of Make-up and beauty – A 1920’s Guide

1920s-Flappers-Make-up Guide

4. [Click Image to visit ]  Visit  Vintage Makeup Guide.com – where you can download beautifully restored makeup and beauty guides from that era as well as other decades. Also a gallery of original 1920s beauty icons.

How to apply 1920’s Make-up – Lea Whitefeather

Step 1

Find and apply a foundation in your skin tone that will give your complexion a creamy, perfect look. You may have to use an older variety, such as pancake, or a cream meant more for theater than for everyday use. To allow your skin to breathe, thin down cream foundation by moistening your sponge before dipping in the base. If your skin is naturally porcelain or alabaster-toned, play it up.

Step 2 – 1920s Eyebrows

Darken and turn your eyebrows slightly downwards with an eyebrow pencil or even eyeliner that is darker than your actual brow color. Thin eyebrows were fashionable in the 20s, so this step works most accurately if your brows are already on the thin side. If not, you don’t have to start tweezing away–you can cover your brows with a 1920s-style hat or with bangs chopped straight across as part of a bob cut.

Step 3 – 1920’s Eyeshadow

Smooth on your usual eye makeup primer before applying a dark eyeshadow from lash line to crease. Pick a gray-based shadow to keep your eyes on the sooty side, which is what you’re aiming for. Use a black kohl eyeliner on both top and bottom lash lines. Don’t scrimp–you want all the dark tones to meld together. Color top and bottom lashes with blackest black mascara. You want them dark so as to appear like you used paint to blacken them. You may want to use a waterproof formulation for all of your eye makeup to avoid unwanted smudging as much as possible.

Step 4 – 1920s Rouge.

Find a cheek stain or cream blush with touches of red in it. You are going for a rouged look; if red is too strong for your coloring, raspberry or rose are alternatives. Rub blush into apples of cheeks. Blend away hard edges, but make sure the color is still evident, as though you just walked in from the cold.

Louise Brooks gets a makeover

Step 5 – 1920’s Lip make-up

Apply pale pancake foundation over clean and exfoliated lips. With a waxy dark red lip liner, create a 1920s mouth by exaggerating the cupid’s bow on your top lip. Draw your lower lip as slightly plumper than it really is by extending slightly on the bottom. Draw both upper and bottom lips as shorter on the sides. Fill new lip shape in with pencil before layering matching lipstick over it.


The final 1920’s Face

Imagery ©Lee WhiteFeather
Other posts on the wardrobe and clothing styles of 1920’s women:

1. 1920’s Women’s dress and style [ Our top 1920s fashion post ]
2. 1920’s Dress fashion – The Rise and fall of the Flapper
3. 1920’s Fashion Revisited [ The 1920s look in celebrities ]