Vintage 1940's Beauty Secrets - Hair and Face Contour.

Original 1940's Hair and Make-up secrets from Vintage Make-up Guides.
All 1940's hairstyles, were generally swept away from the forehead. The correct make-up contour to match this look is imperative.
So let's look at the four female face shapes [ you'll be one of these ! ] and how
to bring out your inner 1940's woman!
The Round face | The Long and Narrow face | The Oval face | The Square face


1940's Hair and Make-up Tips - The Round Face.

• 1940's Rouge for Round face.

Wear your coloring high on your cheekbone, and blend if off toward the temple and hairlines. Keep it away from nose, under eye and jaw.

• 1940's Lips for the Round face.

Accent the cupid's bow, but in drawing the lower lip, " square " the outline with a firm outgoing line from the corners to the center of the lip in a reverse cupid's bow.

• 1940's Hairstyle for the Round face.

Wear the hair high to counteract roundness, using a soft wave, curls, or a pompadour. The back may be worn up in a vertical bun or in a chignon.


1940's Hair and Make-up Tips - The Long, Narrow Face.

• 1940's Rouge for Long faces.

Place the apex of color directly under the cheekbones, and blend it outward toward the ear and hairline. Keep rouge away from nose, eyes and lips.

• 1940's Lips for Long / Narrow faces.

Eliminate any point at the cupid's bow, as this tends to elongate the face. For a more generous and rounder look to the mouth, build up the size of the upper lip slightly, accentuating the corners.

• 1940's Hairstyle for Long faces.

Wear the hair parted, in the center, or with a three-quarter part, keep it flat on top. let it fall in soft waves at the side of the face and in the back.


1940's Hair and Make-up Tips - The Oval face.

• 1940's Rouge for an Oval face.

Place your rouge just below the cheekbones, with the apex of color in the hollow under the cheeks. Blend it upward over the cheek toward the temple, ear and hairline.

• 1940's Lips for Oval faces.

Follow the natural lipline and draw the corners of the mouth clearly to bring out the full, natural curves.

• 1940's Hairstyles for the Oval Face.

As the oval face is the happy medium of all face types [ lucky you ! ] practically all hairstyles are becoming. For the very best vintage hairstyling tips and video tutorials, you cannot beat the amazing Lisa Freemont Street.

1940's Hair and Make-up Tips - The Square Face.

• 1940's Rouge for the Square face.

Place the apex of coloring on, but no lower than the cheekbone, and blend upward to the temple.

• 1940's Lips for the Square face.

Accent the cupid's bow for the upper lip. For the lower lip, make a reverse cupid's bow for center, and draw an in-curving line for the ends. This somewhat wavy lipline will draw attention away from squareness of the jaw. it really works !

• 1940's Hairstyle for the Square Face.

Wear the hair in an upsweeping wave, but with rounded effect.

For more Vintage Beauty tips - try Make-up & Beauty - 1940's Guides.
Now available from Vintage Make-up Guides.
Packed to the brim with beautifully restored and illustrated guides from the 1920's,1930's,1940's,1950's and very soon the 1960's - as actually taught to women in those glamorous eras.
They're a treat to have and read !

Check out Lisa Freemont Street for her truly brilliant and entertaining vintage hairstyling video tutorials.

text - copyright Glamourdaze 2012

1940s Fashion Guide - Dressing for an occasion

Margaret and Helen prepare for their big night out at the prom.

Back in the 1940's, correctness of dress for any occasion, not only included the gown and shoes, but the hairstyle, accessories, the jewellery and yes - the makeup. Of course women usually received more training than men in the  ettiquette of dress because of its importance to their appearing always to best advantage.Whatever your favourite decade of dress fashion, simplicity is always the safest policy in clothes ornamentation.
Charming little film depicting two young american 1940's women discussing their dress, hairstyle,hair accessories, makeup etc.For charming vintage inspired hair accessories - check out Belles Blossoms.



Check out Helena Rubinsteins Vintage 1940's Makeup Guide

Check out A 1940's Housewifes Daily Routine

Learn the craft of 1940s Make-up Styles.

Vintage 1940's Junior Prom - Archive Film

Vintage prom - 1940s style - archive film

The prom as it is known today really took off in the US during the 1940's . There were strict codes of behaviour as this film charmingly shows. Note how neither of the young women has an updo hairstyle, as many do now when going for a vintage 1940s look at proms or weddings. The long flowing locks were all the rage for the prom night.The prom dress was generally a simple flowing affair that was both feminine and practical. Prom dresses of the 1940s appeared to be either tight fitting sleeveless affairs or alternatively ' dance' dresses which were long and free flowing.But all were simple in design.

For the definitive breakdown on 1940's makeup styles, see the Vintage Makeup Guide
The 1940s Make-up & Beauty Guide - Instant Download.

For pure vintage prom dress heaven, you might like to pay a visit to Unique Vintage. They have a truly delectable collection of vintage fashion from each golden era of glamour from the 1920's to the 1950's.

copyright 2011 - GlamourDaze

1940's Womens Fashion - A night out !

1940's hairstyle - Glamourdaze

This little film features a young 1940's woman getting ready to hit the town. Short but sweet.
Feeling too lazy to write much this week.





copyright Glamourdaze 2010

1940's Fashion - New York Women

Street Fashion 1940's in New York

Continuing in the theme of vintage street fashion, here are some great photos from LIFE MAGAZINE
A fabulous site to browse for a window into the past. When it comes to glamour, nothing much has changed in Manhattan. But these women in the 1940's really raised the bar when it came to dressing to the nines.Full on fashion whilst out buying the loaf of bread. Furs were all the rage then, and no one was bothered.

Two women talking on the sidewalk of Fifth Avenue 1942 Alfred Eisenstaedt

Two women chatting on Fifth Avenue 1942 - Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt

Stork Club Powder room 1944 - Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt 

New York Street Fashion 1940's

 Images courtesy of LIFE

1940s Fashion - Women's Hairstyles during the War

Vintage 1940's Hairstyles - Womens Hair Safety in the Second World War.

As women took to the factory and to the plough and tractor during the war years - hairstyles - by necessity  were tied up in scarves or Turbans, cut to shorter lengths or pinned up in the many and various rolls known as Victory Hairstyles .What became known as the Rosie the Riveter look, was daily wear for both Factory girls and the famous Land Girls.

Whilst Dresses and Femininity were still emphasised in the fashion magazines , every womans wardrobe had trousers and a good stout pair of boots. 'Rosies' still wore makeup though,and kept those eyebrows manicured,and went nowhere without some emergency Lippy!



The following safety consious ' Victory' Hairstyles were hugely popular.

1.The Vingle -  [ consisting of four partings,  forming V shapes ].
2.The Victory Roll -A woman parted her hair to suit her face shape the best  [ either a centre part, side part or extreme side part !]. Then she rolled her hair up over foam Hair Rats - which were made from rolled up shed hair [ yes it sounds yickh but it worked ! ]. Then she positioned to her taste and secured with Bobby Pins. Et Voila !
3.The Turban equalised people of all means and social backgrounds. Starting as a simple safety  precaution to prevent hair entangling in machinery at the factory or in the farm, the usual resourcefulness of the female sex quickly turned it into a fashion accessory, in much the same way that Turbans and Headscarves do for women who undergo chemotherapy these days.

Check out Lauren Rennells tutorial on how to wear a Turban

These Hairstyles are becoming popular again thanks to the growing vintage fashion and hairstyle enthusiasts like Lisa Freemont.She really is amazing.
Also the aforementioned Bobby Pin Blog author Lauren Rennell [ who also penned the well known Vintage Hairstyling - see below at Amazon] .


Another must have resource are these beautiful 1940's Make-up and Beauty guides.

Finally - kick off the shoes and enjoy both of these vintage hairstyle films from the archive featuring Women's Victory ! Hairstyles from the Second World War !