40's Hair and Makeup

I have often been asked that as a 40's hair and makeup style it must take me hours to put my look together and when I first started, I have to admit that it did, but as I practiced it got easier. These are a few of my favorite YouTube clips to help get your 1940's look started.

Simple daytime hairstyle

Daytime is all about easy wear. Victory rolls where very popular but if you are stating off they can drive you insane but there are many other easier daytime styles that are very achievable. Plats where very popular and can be worn as 2 pigtail plats, french braided on top and left out as half up half down, worn as a crown braid or as heidi/milkmaid braid. Turbans and silk scarfs are good to have on the bad hair days. Flowers can hide a multitude of stuff-ups that you make and look grate in your in the summer. If all else fails put a 40's hat on.

Evening hairstyle

The evening is a time to shine. There is never a night out where you are too formal with 40's hair. Go for Veronica Lake waves, extreme up-styles with lots of curls with jeweled clips (clip on earnings can make amazing hair clips) and flowers. These styles can be very intimidating so try working up to the harder styles as you become more confident in your abilities.

Quick curling set

All 40's styles are about curly hair. Modern hair curling tools make it fast and easy to get curls. You want them to be big curls that are not tight but defined. Hot rollers are the best to get even curl all over and good hold for up styles. Hot tongs and hair straighteners make good waves but the sectioning can be very ruff .

Authentic pin curling technique

If you have reluctant hair that don't keep curls very well pin curling is your only option (if you don't want to go to the extreme of perming). To get your hair to stay curly all the next day you have to wet set your curls.

- To wet set you need to start with wet clean hair, after a shower is good but do not put conditioner in it will make your hair slippery and won't hold a curl, then coat your hair with a setting lotion of your preference. I have tried many different lotions to set my curls and it can be a little trial and error. I have used mousse, salt spray, curling serum and hairspray. I use Cedel hairspray (the pink can) that is made for setting wigs so it is strong but can be easily brushed out when dry.

- Take sections of hair whatever thickness you want the curls to be and make a circle starting at the bottom of your hair and roll up to the root and secure with bobbie pins or pin curl clips.

- When all your hair is secured spray again with setting lotion and wrap a scarf over them to keep them in place. It will take at least 6 to 12 hours to set your hair fully where it is fully dry so sleeping in them is a very good option (it will feel uncomfortable but you will get use to it) when dry un-clip all the curls and brush out to your style.

You can pin curl your hair at night and re set it to keep it curly for a few days after the original wet set as long as you use dry shampoo every day to clean out any oil.

Everyday makeup

Daytime makeup is easy and probably not very different to your normal makeup routine. The 40's day makeup was all about natural with highlighting.

- start with a tinted moisturizer with an spf 30, you can mix your own with your normal foundation and moisturizer until you can get a close natural colour

- set with powder, mineral powders are perfect for it

- apply blusher in a light pinkish colour to the apples of your cheeks, if you want to use a bronzer keep it as light and natural as possible so no contouring

- for eyes you can just use mascara with a build up at the outer corner of the eye or you can also add a medium neutral eye shadow with a thin line of eyeliner at top eyelash root

- for eyebrows you can draw them in with a natural shade pencil or keep them natural with no makeup

- lips to be a bright red colour, cherry or pure red no dark reds for daytime, with a rounded top at cupids bow

Evening makeup

For nighttime makeup it needs to be more dramatic

- start with mat foundation with an even coverage

- set with powder

- apply blusher in a rose pink to the apples of your cheeks

- for eyes start with a trio of neutral eye shadow from light to dark, you can add a little medium colour, then add a thick line of eyeliner at top eyelash root. then use mascara with a build up at the outer corner of the eye and you can also add false lashes

- for eyebrows draw them in with a natural shade pencil

- lips to be a bright red colour, pillar box pure red or dark reds as a strong standout, with a rounded top at cupids bow

Nails