A couple of weeks ago, I was asked if I would like to get involved in a very special 1960’s collaboration for Hairspray The Musical. Being a diehard Hairspray fan – as a teenager I was addicted to the movie, I jumped at the chance. As part of the collaboration, I was asked to share my top 1960’s beauty tips, hence this very special post.
If there’s one era that I would LOVE to go back in time to, it has to be the 1960’s. The glitz, the glamour, the love, I would do anything to experience it. Sadly, time machines don’t yet exist – I say yet because one day soon they will. (A girl can dream can’t she?) While I might not be able to hop into a Tardis and fly back in time to one of the best decades of the 1900’s – the swinging sixties. What I can do is perfect those beautiful sixties eye makeup looks that were made famous by the likes of Twiggy and Pattie Boyd.
The 1960’s was all about the eyes. During this era, the eyes were the feature that was played up, as the focal point of the face. The most important makeup tool was eyeliner – liquid eyeliner to be exact. There were three popular eye makeup looks in the 1960’s; the classic, the mod and the hippy. Out of all three of these looks, the mod look is the most famous and most beautiful. To recreate this elegant look, here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Choose a light eyeshadow, white is best, and subtly apply it from the brow bone to your lash line using a small shadow brush. If you’re not a fan of white, pastel hues and nudes work just as well. I used the lightest shade in my L’Oreal La Palette Nude Rose for this – a pearly shade.
Step 2: In the 1960’s lightening the waterline was a must. Using a white eyeliner pencil, carefully line your waterline. For this, I would recomend used Jelly Pong Pong Lighten Up (brightener and waterliner). This is a product I love and can’t stop raving about because of how easy to apply and blend it is.
Step 3: Using a small eyeshadow brush, apply a darker shade – ideally a light brown, to the arc of your eye. (This is the area just below your brow bone.) This will give your lids the exaggerated look that mod eye makeup was known for. Brush a thin line of shadow from just above your tear duct, along the arc and out past the corner of your eye.
Step 4: Apply a small amount of darker shadow, ideally a grey shade, and dot it along the brown shadow line you’ve just drawn. The idea behind this is to exaggerate the crease line even more. Focus most of the colour in the centre of the line and then blend it out across either side.
Step 5: Using a liquid eyeliner, create a cat eye look. Apply the liner to your upper eyelid along the lash line, starting in the inside corner and continuing the line across the eyelash line and out, ending in a small flick. The 1960’s were famed for their thick eyeliner, so make sure to build up the coverage to achieve a strong line. I personally like to use Benefit They’re Real Push-Up Liner, it’s easy to work with and gives a great finish.
Step 6: In the sixties, it was common to apply liquid eyeliner under the eye to create a thick lashed look. To do this, take your liquid liner and draw small lines down from your lower lash line – each should be no longer than the length of your lashes. The best shape to opt for is triangular lines.
Step 7: Once you’ve got your liner just right, the next step is to focus on your lashes. The 1960’s saw thick lashes come into fashion so the fuller you can get your lashes, the better. I start off using Benefit They’re Real Eyelash Primer and then follow with Maybelline 24 Hour Collagen mascara. Fake eyelashes first become popular in the sixties, so if you fancy using them instead of mascara, go ahead.
So there you have it, a guide to achieving beautiful 1960’s inspired eye makeup. To top the look off, dust your face with translucent powder, outline your lips in a nude liner and follow by applying a similar toned lipstick. To make your eyes the focal point, minimal other makeup is best.
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