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Over the past few weeks I’ve discussed methods of applying period makeup, as well as some of my favorite brands.  This week, I’d like to talk about an easy way to beautify our makeup bag, if you will—vintage compacts.

The  elegant compacts of yesteryear are still readily available today, and are a wonderful way to add extra glamour to your day.  When it comes time for a powder touch-up, nothing makes you feel more like a movie star then taking out a filigreed, enameled, or rhinestone-encrusted compact! 

Vintage compacts are generally designed for the loose powders of the day, and can often be found with a mesh screen or metal door that contains the powder and keeps it separate from your powder puff.  The simplest way of using an antique compact is to fill it with a loose powder of your choosing, and, if the mesh screen is missing (or there is no “door”), use a tissue or cut a piece of mesh to fit.  If you don’t use loose powder or would prefer to carry pressed powder for touch ups), you have a couple of options; the first is to custom blend a pressed powder, and the second is to find a pressed pan that will fit into your vintage compact.  As old compacts can often be quite tiny, you may find the former to be the easier option.

The process of making your own pressed powder is quite simple actually, and you can easily press any loose powder of your choosing.  You can also create your very own custom shade (and ladies of all skin colors can relate to how difficult finding a perfect match can be) by blending two of more shades together.  You can even use regular baby powder, adding a tinted powder like Ben Nye’s Pretty Pink to create a soft white shade. 

To begin, mix your loose powder with alcohol in a small dish,  and form a soft paste.  Then, press this paste into the bottom of your compact, taking care to fill the pan as evenly as possible.  You can use a textured paper or mesh to press a design into the top, if you so desire.  Allow the powder to dry thoroughly, and that’s it—you have created your own pressed powder!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Greetings once again, my faithful Makeup Mondays readers!

Last week I talked about one of my favorite retro-inspired brands, and this week I’d like to talk about another of my favorites, Joe Blasco.  This particular brand is known as a “pro” brand, meaning that it is frequently used in the film and photography industries.  Although pro products don’t come in glamorous packages, they tend to be top quality products that deliver superior colors and finishes—these should not be overlooked!  You’ll find that the higher pigment-to-filler ratio will allow you to apply a thin layer of color that looks and wears superior.

Joe Blasco is a professional makeup artist who started in the makeup business in 1964.  After graduating cosmetology school he went to work for the Max Factor Cosmetics Company as a travelling salesman.  As we know, Max Factor was the artist who refined the cosmetics manufacturing process for film, and his products were the first to be adapted for “home use” ( when the movie stars he worked with began taking his cosmetics home, he realized there was  an untapped market.)  Mr. Blasco  soon left that job, and with $50 in pocket, travelled to Hollywood to work as a makeup artist.  In 1967 he took a job as an instructor at a small makeup school in Westwood, and at that time realized there was a need for a course that taught motion picture and television makeup artistry.  During this same time, Mr. Blasco also apprenticed with major professional cosmetics manufacturing firms as a cosmetics chemist and compounder; he eventually introduced his own line of cosmetics in the 1980s.  As I was researching this artist, I found it interesting to note that he does not claim to use only his line of makeup though—you have to respect him for pointing out that artists always use a variety of products to suit their, and their clients’, needs!

The Joe Blasco line is filled with a number of wonderful products well-suited for period makeup use.  A personal favorite of mine are the Ultamattes; these dry creams are wonderful for shading and lining the eyes, and can be used on the brows as well.  The color Eddie Leonard, named after a Max Factor Pan-Cake  shade popular in the 1960s, is a warm, rich chocolate brown tone perfect for pale blondes and redheads who have trouble finding the right shade of eyeliner (this is a staple in my kit and I use it nearly every day.)  Both Grey Violet and Dark Grey make excellent shadow choices, and Taupe and Medium Grey Brown (this name is a bit of a misnomer, as there isn’t a hint of gray in it) are wonderful as well.  If you are interested in exploring this product, be sure to read my earlier articles that cover application.

Another favorite product of mine is the Dry Blush; these are smooth, wonderfully-pigmented shades that blend like a dream.  Many of the shades offered are fantastic choices for vintage looks; be sure to check out Flamingo, Orchid, Puff, and Dust.   

Joe Blasco also makes a high quality cream foundation called Ultrabase,  and although the very fair sadly won’t find a color match here, this product is still worth looking into.  Pro cream foundations are to be applied in very thin layers, and can look amazingly natural while providing full coverage.  And don’t forget the colorless loose or pressed powder; this is a must in any makeup bag as it will set your makeup without altering the colors (translucent powders do have enough of a tint and can change the color of your blush and shadows slightly.)

Check out the Joe Blasco line at www.joeblasco.com and www.megamakeupstore.com.

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

A warm hello again to my readers!  Since we finished our vintage face how-to series last week, today we are going to start a new feature—a spotlight on retro cosmetic brands.  I’ll be featuring different brands on a regular basis, along with other vintage tidbits and articles, in order to make Makeup Mondays a well-rounded resource.

Today’s brand is Julie Hewett; I made mention of this brand in last week’s article covering lipstick, and it’s definitely worthy of its own feature article!  Julie Hewett is a well-known veteran makeup artist actively working in Hollywood today, and she is also a member of the exclusive Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  When working on the set of Pearl Harbor, she was unable to find a suitable Technicolor-red lipstick—and so her cosmetic line was born.

The  Noir Collection, six red lipsticks that run the gamut from a wine-red 20s shade to a bright crimson 1950s red, is perfect for vintage lovers.  The shades are wonderful, period-perfect reproductions, and the formula is exquisite as well.  Unlike dye-based lipsticks, the Noir reds are pigment-based—this makes for rich shades that stay true longer, and that won’t  fade to a less than desirable stain.  Pigment-based lipsticks also won’t react with the chemistry in your skin—no dreaded fuchsia quick-change act to be found here!  The color can also be removed completely and will not stain the mouth; should you want to change the shade you are wearing, there will be no color left behind to alter the next shade you apply.  The Noir collection also including matching lip liners of equally good quality; liner is a must with intense lipstick colors to prevent bleeding and help the color stay longer.  As it can be hard to find the right shade to coordinate with your lipstick choice, it is always nice to have a perfect match at the ready!

Julie Hewett also offers up both powder and cream eye shadows worth checking out.  The Hue Colors are shimmery creams that are perfect for creating a glossy 1930s eye; Lilies in the Snow is an excellent shade for this, and the other shades are pleasing as well.  Application of the Hue Colors takes a bit of work (the lid must be properly prepped with foundation/powder, the color applied in a thin layer, and finished with a dusting of colorless powder), but this is a unique product worth checking out.  The powder shadows are smooth and creamy, and there are many shades to choose from to create a vintage eye (Cappuccino and Runway are two lovely neutrals; her palettes, including Twilight and Petit Four, are worth looking into as well.)

Her Cheekies and Shimmies are interesting products as well; Cheekies are lightweight creams that can be applied as blush or lip color, and Shimmies are delightful highlighters for cheeks and eyes.  The Rosie Cheekie is a wonderful  flushed pink, and Jami is a nice neutral pink; Goldie Shimmie is perfectly glamorous, and Pinkie is a soft rose gold.  Again, application of cream products necessitates a bit more work, but the payoff is worth it in the end!

So there you have it—a brief review of Julie Hewett.  This unique line is a must for vintage lovers to check out!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee