June 9, 2013

7 steps to big 1950s eyes


Eyeliner, and by extension eye make-up as a whole, and I have had a long standing love affair stretching back all the way to when I was 14 years old (and not technically allowed to wear make-up yet, but I'd put it on - and take it off before returning home - each day at school...such a rebel, I know!). Back in those days (the late 90s) I loved nothing more than to rim my lids, top and bottom, with thick, smoky black (or less commonly blue) liner and any number of different colours of shadows.
 

Like many teenagers, I played around a lot with make-up during those formative years as I tumbled ever closer towards adulthood, sometimes sporting vivid indigo hued mascara, vampy sage green and grey adorned eyes, violet shadow, sultry gold liner, and all number of different looks. It was fun, creative, and helpful in ultimately helping me to learn which eye-makeup colours (and products themselves) worked best on me – and which were best left back in the 90s!
 

These days, well over a decade since high school ended, I generally stick with the same small handful of beloved, highly tried-and-true eye cosmetics: black liquid liner, black mascara, and light coloured shadows (i.e., cream, mushroom, pale pink). Every now and then though, especially since I rather adore the dramatic, attention grabbing eye make-ups looks that were present throughout the 50s (particularly during the second half of the decade), I channel my inner 16 year old again and toss on a striking, heavily made-up eye.
 

I know that I'm not alone in this regard and that many of you greatly enjoy experimenting with various make-up looks as well. As such, I wanted to share this delightful pair of vintage magazine pages that I recently came across on Flickr, which guide you through seven easy steps to achieve big 1950s eyes.







{Both vintage images via Dovima is Divine II on Flickr. Please click on an image to be taken to its respective Flickr page, where you can also see an even larger version of each image.}


Aside from the fact that few of us still use cake mascara applied with a brush, these handy instructions really look as though they could have just as easily come out of a contemporary magazine. A few years ago beauty experts were recommending step number seven right, left and center, but having already seen it suggested in mid-century magazines (such as this), I knew that lining your inner lids with white pencil was a technique that had been around for decades.
 

By today's standards, the look these steps create isn't astronomically dramatic, but it's still bold and very beautiful. Though you might not adopt it as your day-to-day vintage eye make-up look, it has elegance and appeal aplenty, making it immensely well suited to fancy evening events in particular.
 

I hope that, as it has for me, this charming tutorial has put you in the mood to try a captivating vintage eye this coming summer. On your marks, get set, sharpen those eyeliner pencils, ladies! It's time for a big 1950s eye!


46 comments:

  1. That's fantastic! Your post has sent me right back to 1995-9 and my desire to create the perfectly lined eye. I used purple and black eyeliner and was constantly told throughout high school to remove my make up and nail polish and being sent to detention for not doing so. Funnily enough, I read your post just as I finished watching an old re-run of a Frasier episode in which Ros expostulates with a caller trying to recapture their youth, demonstrating the postitives of the wisdom of age in her own experience... whether you're a fan of Frasier as I am or not, I have to say, it seemed fitting, especially given my preference for my staple make up tools today compared to 12 years ago!

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  2. ahh - this is tres chic!
    i love a black bold eyeliner since i was 15 (mid 80´s). but today i would´t do my brows because too much hard lines dont become an older face ;-)
    i always admire your make up, it is flawlss and suits you perfect!

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  3. I love a step by step guide like this as I am a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to eye make up. I think I probably just haven't played around with it enough, I didn't wear make up as a teenager so didn't make all my mistakes then when everyone else did! Also, as a glasses wearer, I just can't see what I am doing so well and worry that the make up and my glasses won't go. So thanks for this, it is a place for me to get started!

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    1. Hi sweet Kate, I'm happy to know you find this tutorial useful. I love vintage make-up howtos like this, too. They give you a "straight from the horse's mouth" perspective on exactly how women of the day did they make-up, and you can't beat that in my books.

      I think that gals (like you and I) who wear glasses can rock absolutely any make-up look. I don't personally do my make-up any different as an eyeglasses wearer than I would if I wasn't a bespectacled sister. I think one of the best things about cosmetics is the element of fun they afford us. I might not experiment as much as I did when I was a teenager, but I still enjoy expanding beyond my tried and true beauty routine sometimes and just having a blast with make-up. There's no right and wrong, only what you like, so play with what you're drawn to and have a blast, too! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Thanks, remembering that there is no right or wrong is an important point and that having fun with make up is fine. I will go away and play!

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    3. You're very welcome, my dear. Precisely! Having fun is what counts. I almost always test drive a new make-up look by practising at night (after I take off the the day's make-up, if I have any on) and trying to finetune it a bit before unleashing it on the world. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Hello dear Jessica,

    Those old magazine photos are engaging. I love old magazines.

    It is fun experimenting with makeup, although I usually stick with very simple makeup when I go anywhere because at times my eyes water and can mess up the whole look. But I always love to do my eyebrows up in a Fifties sort of way.

    Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
    ♥Hope

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  5. I love it this post gal!
    I remember my grandmother using a cake mascara that she also applied with a little brush...
    I used to watch her get ready every morning during holidays with her, it was so much fun when she taught me how to use it!
    That kind of memories always makes me smile instantly!
    Thanks so much for this charming little reminder :-)
    xoxo
    Melodie
    http://sevenlivesandmore.blogspot.fr/

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  6. Im a total dunce with eye make up so thanks for posting this. I always loved the big eyed look of the 50s.

    kate

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  7. Great step by step tutorial! Thanks for sharing!!
    xx
    http://thescreensiren.com

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  8. Lovely post! Eyeliner and mascara are my thing. I have tried to go more "natural" and not use eyeliner but I just don't feel the same without it.I love the models "make-up" faces.

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  9. What a great post!! Thank you for sharing this with us! :D
    I didn't know that they rimmed their eyes with white in the 1950's, very interesting!!

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  10. My eyes are already too big, can't I make them more... discreet yet still with a cat eye or something feline and classy? x

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    1. Hi Nancy, thank you for your comment and question, dear gal. Oh, how I wish my eyes were too big! One way to help downplay the size of your eyes is with smoky eyeshadow in shades of black, grey, brown, green, or plum. Rim the bottom lids with black or another dark liner colour (skip the white liner for sure!), and keep the tail (flip) at the end of the liner on your top lids to a minimum. Just a sweet little flick, instead of an overly exaggerated line that continues out towards (or even past) the end of your brows.

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Thank you for your comment on my pastry. If you would visit me here I would bake much more than that. Or better, we would bake together. Wouldn't that be fun?
    We started to cook with friends this year and it was always a lot of fun. If four or six people are cooking you can serve a wide range of dishes and I like to have the choice. Last time we made an Indian menu with naan bread, several chutneys, fried potato balls and fried lentils gnocchi and more. I love that.

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  12. cute :) I just love old school tutorials

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  13. This is a great and easy to use tutorial for applying eye makeup. I have to admit, I've always been incredibly basic when it comes to makeup. I tend to only use powder, a little under eye correction for those sleepy bags and some mascara. I think this tutorial might tempt me to try a little eyeliner! Thanks for sharing. xo

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  14. Love your school anecdote. Charming personal history.

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  15. What a great find!! Midcentury beauty tutorials are the best; the looks were so dramatic, and blatantly painted... I just adore it! I don't usually wear eyeliner on my bottom lids, but high fashion '50s models like this one make an awfully good case, hmmm :) The white pencil trick is a great one, though I recently discovered the magic of a lilac-colored pencil for a subtler (but still very effective!) way of getting the wide-awake bright eyes.

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    1. Love the idea of a pale lilac liner used in the same way. I have green eyes and (modern) beauty articles are forever espousing that purple partners well with verdant peppers (which I agree with), so I'll definitely have to pick a lilac liner and give that a spin. Thank you very much for the idea and lovely comment, sweet gal.

      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Wonderful find! I need help with the lips myself...
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

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    1. Thank you very much, hon! I hear you there! I have relatively thin lips without much of an alluring (so to speak) natural shape to them, and often marvel at how curvy and beautiful other vintage gals' lips look. I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for a 40s or 50s lipstick tutorial that could be beneficial to both of us.

      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Great tutorial, I'll try this the next time I'm going to a party. I don't wear much if any make-up in everyday. Thanks for sharing, and I hope you'll have a great week!

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  18. i love this! it's funny how the same tips like using a white liner on the lower waterline are still used today. i used to only use black liquid liner on my upper lids and use white eyshadow to highlight the inner corner of my eye but lately i've been getting into using eyeshadows as well. i'm not brave enough for violets and greens, mostly because i like my bright lipsticks too much and i don't think i'd be able to do both at the same time without looking like a clown! but i've found neutral shades and deep bronzes and golds to be the most flattering to add a little more without being too attention grabbing for me. :)

    little henry lee

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  19. What a great post. I have always wanted to try the white eyeliner trick...but always been a bit scarred of how it would look on me! Congrats by the way on branching out and taking sponsorship and endorsements, you have such a lovely blog and put so much effort it that you deserve to receive some re-imbursement for all your hard work. xxx as always Shauna

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    1. That is so tremendously sweet of you to say, thank you deeply, dear Shauna.

      I bet you're look wonderful with black rimmed eyes - it's certainly a look that's very femme fatale approved and which I think would partner well with some of those amazing vintage party/cocktail dresses that you have.

      Huge hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. Why do models always have their mouths open when they do eye make-up? Hilarious, great eyes though.

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    1. Good point, dear gal! I nearly always keep my mouth open when I apply my eyebrow pencil, eyeliner and mascara (I find it helps steady my face), but not for any of the other steps (save for lipstick). I wonder if they often do so in photos like this because it helps elongate the face a little and/or because it can sometimes help (I find at least) keep your eyes open (so there'd be less shots of them blinking to end up on the cutting room floor).

      ♥ Jessica

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  21. This would be so ober easy to do. I am really good at getting eye makeup similar to that of the 1950s. LOVE the cat eye look.

    Btw- such a great article in Hey Doll! I am not a huge glove person, I have a few that work. One even belonged to my Grama. But it really is easy to find out your perfect glove size. :)

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  22. I love these old ads! I'm pretty much just a black eyeliner kind of girl - either lining the whole lid, or sometimes just the outer corners. However, lately, I have been inspired to start using eyeshadow again - the problem I find is that it tends to crease on my eyelids, despite using primer. I need to master a way for it to stay in tact!

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  23. Msaybelline cake mascara, I believe...in a small red box with a sliding lid. Oh, dear me...what memories this brings back. Bought my first Maybelline cake mascara from the corner Woolworths in downtown Grand Rapids back in the 60's. Along with the single 45 rpm's they offered there!

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    1. Yes!! I would "borrow" my mothers Maybelline small red box of cake mascara. And when I did actually buy one it was probably at Woolworths!

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  24. Ohhh great tutorial. I have to admit I am TERRIBLE at eye make up as without my glasses I am nearly blind. All I can manage is some eye shadow and mascara. My dream is to be able to manage eye liner. Maybe one day I will get less blind.....

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  25. Thanks for the post! my eyes are big enough so, I won't use the white pencil :)

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  26. This is a great post. I love eye makeup, but unfortunately, in the last few months I developed an allergy to something in my eye makeup. I threw away all my liners and most of my eye shadows. I bought a Cowgirl Dirt mineral powder shadow in a lovely cactus green, and so far it has not bothered me at all. However, it is a bit pricy to replace all my shadows as they are sold separately and are each a bit higher than most drugstore shadows. I love the look of liner on the inner lids like in step 7, but unfortunately my eyes are too sensitive to actually put liner there myself. Let me know if you know of any fairly inexpensive shadows or liners that are gentle on easily irritated skin.

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    1. Hi sweet Chrissy, I'm so sorry to hear about the fact that you've recently developed an allergy to the eye make-up that you were using. I have very, very sensitive skin myself, and can relate to the frustration of suddenly having a product you've been using for ages trouble your skin. Often it's because the company changed the formula, but other times you just grow sensitive to it over time. I've also found on a couple of occasions, that it wasn't actually the make-up itself, but the brush I was using to apply it that was causing the problem.

      I almost never wear liner (of any colour) on my inner rims for the same reason - sensitive skin and eyes), but for liner on the top lids and bottom along the lashline, I've had a good luck with those from a Canadian brand called Joe Fresh (they're really well priced), as well as those from Pur Minerals and Physician's Formula (they're both what I'd classify as mid-range priced). Ohhh, and another Canadian brand called Annabelle (http://www.annabelle.ca) hasn't bothered me one bit, and they're well priced.

      Shadows tend to be hit and miss. I've been ok with the CoverGirl ones I've been using for years (knock wood), but have run into trouble with plenty of brands (drugstore and department store alike) over the years. On the pricer side of things, I've also had good luck with MAC's shadows.

      ♥ Jessica

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  27. Wow Jessica thank you for sharing, you do not cease to amaze me :)
    I had no idea white pencil was used before - and I just might give this a try on friday as i am going to the theatre.

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  28. How fab! Cat eye look is very 50s and this tutorial is perfect for achieving the look!

    xox

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  29. Thank you so much for these great vintage makeup instructions! I tend to stick to light shadows on my lid and no liner- we have a love/hate relationship ;)- but I just might have to have a go at this look!
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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  30. Love your post - As a small child I was always fascinated and LOVED everything my mother and grandmother used. All their products such as Dippity Dew and Secret Deodorant (I miss thta little glass jar and the smell) and all their pretty bottles and cases filled with wondrous splendid lady things inside. I am still quite taken with all things girly and pretty when it comes to the products we use. Love this vintage article and thanks for getting me ALL EXCITED over my love of girly goodies!!! Gentle Hugs, Beverly

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  31. What a wonderful post! I love winged eyeliner.

    When I was a teen, I read an article on makeup do's and don'ts. The author wrote, "The Cleopatra cat's-eye of death is passé."

    I'm so glad I didn't heed her (stuffy) advice :)

    Hugs,

    Kymberlee

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    1. Definitely! Black eyeliner is as classic as a LBD, and every bit as befitting of a place in every woman's vintage wardrobe.

      ♥ Jessica

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  32. Oh lovely, and yes it could have been from a modern magazine. I love fifties eyes and wear it each day. I use gel eyeliner in a small pot and with a brush. And I have quite a collection of pale pastel eye shadows I use as base. Cake mascara - I'm glad we don't have to that anymore. ;)

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  33. Thank you so much for your kind words on my blog Jessica! I try my best, and maybe I can make "vintage cowgirl chic" into all the rage ;) Who knows! Where there is a will there is a way! Yes the white detail on the skirt is just lovely, you don't really know its there until you are up close. I love tiny details like that.

    LOVE this vintage tutorial by the way! I love putting white on the water line, it really does make your eyes pop. But I have to be oh so careful since I am allergic to so many cosmetics.

    Adios,
    Jessie Lou <3

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  34. Thank-you so much for sharing this! I may have to try it out, one day. And thank-you for your constantly lovely comments on my blog - they always bring a smile to my face :)

    x

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  35. Oh, I have been looking for something like this for a long while. I'm often clueless about new types of applying eye make-up and usually end up putting on the same kind of style every time, so this is wonderful! I'm really looking forward to experimenting with this look :3

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