Channel Some Old-School Glam With These Easy Makeup Tips

A red lip and black liner may be old-school, but it will instantly liven up your look!

Whatever your go-to style is, it’s worth playing around with the classics. With a quick addition of some old-school glam to your makeup routine, you’ll be channeling those 1940’s style icons (think Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth) in no time. Or to put a more modern spin on it – Dita Von Teese. We’re talking bright red lips, the perfect black liner, layers of mascara and a sweep of eyeshadow! The great thing is, this sexy and elegant look is really easy to create at home, so here are my top tips to have you looking like a Hollywood icon in no time.

Read more: 15 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Him And Her

1. Foundation

Old-school glam all starts with your base. Yes, we are creating a 1940’s bombshell look, but you can also adapt it and put your own spin on this stunning look, and I think a glowing base is the perfect way to achieve this. Forget about matte and flat, think glowing, velvet and youthfully radiant!

How:

• Normal to dry skin: Add a drop or two of liquid highlighter into your foundation and apply as normal – it will make all the difference!
• Combination to oily skin: Apply and blend a very thin layer of liquid or creme highlighter on to the top of your cheeks only – you will still get a lovely glow, but in a very concentrated application.

Remember that a lot of brands already have an illuminiser built into their foundation, so you might already be good to go!

Product Recommendations:

• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector® Liquid Highlighter, available from Strawberrynet for $269.60
• MAC Strobe Creme, available online or in stores for $320
• COVER FX Custom Enhancer Drops, available online or in store from Sephora for $365

2. Eyeshadow

There’s no real guess work, or complicated combinations here. The 40’s look really focused on the eyeliner, so when it comes to eyeshadow, just a wash of one light colour does the trick! Both powder and crème shadows work here, while anything nicely pigmented with a bit of shine will also help bring your look into this decade.

How:

• With your eyeshadow brush, sweep one of your favourite light colours over your eyelid and stop at the crease. Avoid going over the crease otherwise you’ll be entering into 80’s territory, which is a big no-no here.
• Remember to blend the edges with a blending brush so it’s nice and seamless with no harsh lines.

Product Recommendations:

We all have at least one eyeshadow palette that has a light whitish colour in it. If it’s a chalky pastel then give it a go, but I tend to avoid those ones as they don’t do anyone any favours. The products I’ve recommended below are all crème sticks, but feel free to use your own powder shadows instead.

• MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Bare Study, Painterly or Layin’ Low, available online or in store for $210
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rosegold or Vanilla Kiss, available online or in store for $260
• Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Truffle, available online for $260

3. Eyeliner

I know that mastering a liquid eyeliner isn’t an easy task, but it’s key to this look. So if you struggle with a liner, it can be adjusted to suit your makeup abilities!

How:

Black is the key colour to use, and perfection is key, but there’s no need to stress. Try applying your liner in two steps using two different liners.

• Step 1: With a black pencil start in the middle of your eye and run your eyeliner along the upper lash line to the edge of your eye (to your preferred thickness). Then from the inner corner of your eye, draw your line (a little thinner then the first you created), to meet up with the other line in the middle of your eye, connecting both lines together. Clean up any smudges or unevenness you may have created.
• Step 2: With a liquid liner, which traditionally can be quite hard to use, you simply go back in and over the pencil line you created which should make the line more defined, bolder and straight. It’s just like colouring in!

Product Recommendations:

• Kiko Intense Colour Long Lasting Eyeliner in Black, available in store for $79
• MAC Liquid Eyeliner in Boot Black, available online or in store for $185

4. Mascara

This is another easy step in creating your 40’s old-school glam look. Traditionally at that time, mascara was only applied to the top lashes, so load up ladies! I know a lot of people can’t be bothered with mascara because it smudges, or gets everywhere when it’s applied, but it’s nothing a good old cotton bud won’t fix.

How:

• To add extra curl and volume, from the base of your lashes to the top, zig-zag your mascara brush through as you apply. Hello lashes!

Product Recommendations:

• MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash, available online or in store for $190
• Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara, available online or in store for $225

5. Red Lips

Of course, this look wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t add the pièce de résistance – red lippy! I get a lot of feedback from my clients saying, ‘’I can’t find the right shade’’ or ‘’I don’t suit red’’, and I get it, it can be hard. But there are so many brands and so many shades, there will be one that will suit you. If you are still not sold on red lipstick, try using a red lip pencil to fill in your lips instead. This will take a bit of the heat off the colour and price-wise, depending which brand you go for, it can be more affordable then buying a new lipstick that you might not use very often.

How:

• Step 1: I always like to line and fill my lips with a pencil first, especially when it’s a dark or bright colour. This will help to define the area and it also leaves behind a stain, so when your lippy does wear off, the lipliner is still there to hold your look together.
• Step 2: Then with a lip brush, apply your lipstick and fill in. Blot with a tissue to take off any excess and there you have it…old-school glam for your Valentine’s date or night out with the girls!

Product Recommendations:

• MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo, MAC Red or Lady Danger, available online or in store for $160
• Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick in Dominate, available online or in store for $260

Get ready to smoulder and channel your best old-school glam!

Read more: Valentine’s Day Dining: Your Ultimate Guide For Every Budget And Palate