Two friends of mine celebrated their 5th anniversary recently and threw a Mad Men-themed party for their friends. Me, I love any opportunity to dress up in a retro frock and practice my retro make-up.
I chose a fitted vintage dress, blue with white polka dots that I've rarely worn because of its high neckline (too high for a large chest). I bravely (perhaps foolishly) set about tailoring it myself the night before, cutting the neckline down to an open shallow vee. It's not perfect, but it's infinitely more flattering on me now.
A brooch, earrings, kitten heels and flipped hair and I was nearly ready. Now for make-up:
The key make-up of the time period (early 1960s) was liquid eyeliner and lipstick (red, rusts, pinks) so that's where I started from. I opted to go with a heavier eye look that you usually see on the show because I was going to a party and because my hair was more a late 60s flip than a Betty Draper or Joan Holloway style, a heavier eye look matched better. See my earlier post on the looks of the show here.
My base: Bare Escentuals in Fair, Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil, Maybelline Age Rewind Double Face Perfector (under eyes).
I applied blush (MAC Strada) to the outer corners of my cheeks and swept it beneath my cheekbones for a sculpted look.
I filled in my brows with a soft red-brown eyeshadow I got from my make-up school called Pigeon. I curled my lashes, applied a natural but full set of false lashes and used MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack to draw a long, thick line along my lashes and extended it out past the corner. I applied MAC Aria to my crease and smudged it beneath my lashes.
I applied two heavy coats of Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black to my lashes.
On my lips I used JoeFresh's matte lipstick in Bordeaux, applying it with a lip brush to make sure I got it on as perfectly as possible and blotted, then applied another layer of colour.
Glamourous and so much fun! Joan Holloway eat your heart out.
C.