1920's gals were not only letting their hair down, they were chopping it off. Before the 20's, women were expected to dress and behave in a very repressed way. Hair was worn long and pinned up severely, hemlines reached the ankle, sleeves were long, collars high, and makeup was largely taboo. The new generation of this era not only defied all these rules,.they began to create a very distinct look in clothing and makeup. Short, sleeveless dresses, bobbed hair, and tons of cosmetics were making their appearance.
This time was really the beginning of the cosmetics industry. The makeup available then was primitive and crude. Eyes were heavily lined with Kohl (often made of goose fat, soot, and lead). Mascara came in cakes that had to be melted and applied with a stick (can you say risky!). Lipstick came in one color, red. Smear-proof lips were preferable, as these women spent long nights dancing to jazz, drinking in speakeasies, and smooching whichever beau caught their eye. Eye shadow was mostly black or gray, with blue and green showing up later. Thank goodness for the advances that makeup has made in the 90 years since!
I've always been fascinated with this time period. Partly because that's when my parents were born, and partly because of the rule breaking behavior that was taking place. I love old pictures of these brave women in all their gorgeous splendor! After reading Sophie Kinsella's latest book "Twenties Girl" a few weeks ago, I've been feeling even more interest in the subject. I decided to explore the decade a bit by creating a 20's inspired makeup look, and here it is:
