In the decades before the Roaring Twenties, nice girls didn't wear makeup. But that changed when flappers began applying cosmetics that were meant to be noticed, a reaction to the subdued and feminine pre-war Victorian attitudes and styles typified by the classic Gibson girl.
1920s Makeup
A combination of single women trying to attract the outnumbered men after the war and women entering the workforce added to the growing popularity of cosmetics. Face Powder In the 1920s, concealer and foundation weren't readily available so women relied heavily on face powder to even out their complexion.
Cinema and its leading ladies had a tremendous influence on women. Not only did actresses and their on-screen personas influence makeup and hair fashions, but they also demonstrated how modern women could now behave.
Most resources described the eye makeup of flappers to be dark and dramatic, with kohl-rimmed eyes and black eyeshadow, or eyeshadow that matched the colour of your eyes. Apparently Egyptian makeup was a big inspiration back then, which explains the sudden fascination with eyeliner.
Cosmetics in the 1920s were characterized by their use to create a specific look: lips painted in the shape of a Cupid's bow, kohl-rimmed eyes, and bright cheeks brushed with bright red blush.
Makeup and showy clothing were discouraged during the Victorian Age. Each decade had an inherently different look. Beauty and fashion through the decades. In the 1920s, industrialization brought new prosperity to America.
Throughout most of the 1920s, dark red lipsticks were all the rage. Many women used lip color to make their mouth look smaller and rounder.
In the 1920s, it was customary for actresses in Hollywood to wear false eyelashes, inspiring flappers to copy their “baby doll eyes.” By the 1930s, false lashes were everywhere. Vogue had several fashion shoots with models wearing dramatic lashes.
For generations, makeup has been seen as a "girls-only" enterprise, so we forget that it wasn't always that way. For millennia, stretching from 4000 BCE through the 18th century, men traditionally used makeup in myriad ways. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that makeup was relegated to one end of the gender spectrum.
We get our first glimpse of cosmetics in ancient Egypt, where makeup served as a marker of wealth believed to appeal to the gods. The elaborate eyeliner characteristic of Egyptian art appeared on men and women as early as 4000 BCE.
So really, advertising is the reason why makeup has turned into an entirely gendered practice, creating a culture in which only women were targeted as makeup wearers, leaving men and everyone else out.
Beauty in the 1920s featured an androgynous look for women. They wore bras that flattened their chest and wore clothing that gave them a curve-less look. Women even shortened their hair, leaving behind the long-held belief that long hair signified beauty and desirability.
The “moon manicure” was in vogue: Women kept their nails long and painted only the middle of each nail, leaving the crescent tip unpolished.
The dresses also allowed women to show some parts of their body for the very first time in history: it is said that flappers would apply blush to their kneecaps to draw attention to the legs, which now could be seen thanks to shorter skirts and greater freedom of movement.
How do I do flapper hair? The bob is the hairstyle most commonly with flappers. Just cut it short all the same length around your face 2 inches below the ear.
As for colors, red, orange-red and rose were popular lipstick colors in the 1920s. Dark red lipstick was also popular for the evening.
It made its first foray into public consciousness in 1915 when the fashion-forward ballroom dancer Irene Castle cut her hair short as a matter of convenience, into what was then referred to as the Castle bob.
Taylor's twin-set of lashes are thought to be the result of a genetic mutation at the FOXC2 gene. (Funny that a woman most men would describe as "foxy" was possibly affected by the FOXC2 gene!) An extra row of eyelashes is known medically as distichiasis (pronounced dis-tic-key-i-asis) and it's a rare disorder.
Flappers frequently wore Art Deco-inspired brooches on their fur collars and cloche hats, as well as long continuous strands of pearls or round beads, gem-studded bracelets and lariat necklaces with tasseled ends. Wide bracelets, both cuff and memory wire styles, were popular.
1920s. The 1920s were a time of experimentation for women, and they applied their eyeliner with a sense of drama. Heavy black eyeliner styles were huge at the time, and brands like Maybelline, Revlon, and Max Factor generated over $1 billion a year on kohl shadows.
To get the 20s look: take a dark brown or black and darken your eyebrow. Try to do just a really thin and arched eyebrow, by turning your eyebrows slightly downwards with the eyebrow pencil. Extend the ends to make them look extra long.
Step-by-Step Teen Makeup
How young is too young? Brown says 13 is an appropriate age to start wearing makeup in small amounts. "Middle school is the time to start, not fifth grade," she says. The first step is to skip foundation altogether.
Untimely Aging
Leaving makeup on for a longer period along with sun damage can result in premature ageing signs like wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Also, when you don't remove your makeup before you sleep, it can get into your pores, break the elastin and cause wrinkles.