The Eyes Have It - Part II

Hello again, lovely readers! As you’ll recall, last week we covered eye shadow, so this week we’ll delve into brow and eye liner products and application.

Perhaps the single most defining feature of the period face (aside from the quintessential red mouth, of course) is the brows, and rightfully so, as the brows frame one’s face and add drama and interest! During each era a very specific brow shape was in vogue: Thin and downward sloping in the 20s; high, thin penciled arches in the 30s; neatly defined arches in the 40s; and thick, pointed arch brows in the 50s. Brows were very well-groomed in our favorite eras, so carefully shaping your brows and accentuating them with the right makeup gives your whole face a finished, polished look and takes it to a new vintage level.

There are a few different products you can use to fill in your brows—pencils, powders, or gel/cream types. Pencil was the product used in the past, and many (myself included) prefer this type of brow definer. The trick to using pencils is to apply in short, hair-like strokes, to keep your brows from looking too harsh. I’m fond of lightly penciling in my brows, and then going back over the lines with a stiff angled brush. Powder, including those marketed for brows and also eye shadow, can also be used; these are applied with a stiff angled brush (either dry or damp.) Finally, gel/cream products can be used; often these come in mascara type tubes. With the exception of Joe Blasco Ultamattes (I cannot tout these enough), I prefer pencils and powders for creating a period brow. Favorite products of mine include Maybelline’s Expert Eyes brow pencils (a twin pack is a steal at around $3-5); Ben Nye brow pencils; and La Femme, MAC, and Shu Uemura eye shadows. Blondes should select a soft taupe or beige; redheads can choose from auburn or taupe pencils (taupe was favored in the 40s, actually), and brunettes can select from brown or charcoal gray shades (the latter can surprisingly look more natural, depending on your coloring.)

Liner application style varies by era too, with the 20s favoring smoky looks, compared with the clean eye of the 30s and the natural eye of the 40s. The 50s eye was distinctly lined as well—exaggerated “cat” (the liner winger out and upward, adding drama and “lift” to the eyes) and “doe” eyes were all the rage. I prefer to use a cream cake or cake liner (that’s right, the ever useful Joe Blasco Ultamatte—my fave shade is Eddie Leonard), applied with a fine angle or small filbert brush (Cinema Secrets kolinsky sable #22 and #24 are my favorites.) Pencil was the product of choice in our favorite eras, with cake and liquid popular in the 1950s as well. Maybelline’s Expert Eyes brow pencils work as eye liner too; other good brands for pencils include Shu Uemura and Ben Nye. For liquid, you have many options depending on your preferred applicator choice—brush or felt tip, bottle or pen. Check out Wet n’ Wild, L’Oreal, Nars, and MAC for starters. Good cake liners include Ben Nye, Kryolan and La Femme (apply these with a brush slightly dampened with water or a product like La Femme’s eyeliner sealant); creams/gels worth checking out include MAC Fluidlines, Bobbi Brown’s Gel Liners, and Clinique’s Cream Liners. Black is generally a good choice, but brown works too, especially if you’re a blonde or redhead, and the same goes for mascara (Marilyn Monroe used brown liner, as did Betty Davis, who claimed lots of false lashes and brown mascara were the secrets behind her success!)

To reference that 1946 Beautify Your Figure article once more, here are some tips for brow and liner application by face shape:

The long face—“Trim brows in a definite, high arch, but remember to keep them natural. If you darken them, do not let the eyebrow pencil show through; this is accomplished by brushing over the line with a small brush to smudge and blend the pencil strokes. The outer line of the eyebrow should taper to a fine end pointing toward the lower tip of the ear so that if you were to draw an imaginary line it would form a complete circle. This seems easy to do, but so many women achieve the wrong effect at this point; I’d like to emphasize it. If you have a long face, do not let the line of the eyebrow seem to ascend to the temple. Using the eyebrow pencil, draws a soft line along the eyelid at the lashes, and then blend the line into the lashes until it is barely discernible. This little trick will not only bring out the full contour of the eye, but will also darken the lashes at the tips where they are so hard to reach with a mascara brush. Draw an extension of the upper lid about 1/8 inch long to coordinate the line of the brow.”

The round face—“The brows should follow a natural arch with the lower part of the eyebrow penciled in rather than the upper part, finishing with an outward extension toward the top tip of the ear. Brush the pencil lines well into the eyebrow and smudge the extension you have drawn so that it will appear to part of the eyebrow.”

The oval face—“The brows should follow the natural arch with the end slightly elongated and pointing to the center of the ear. Eye makeup is the same for the other face types with the exception that the pencil extension is horizontal. Smudge the pencil marks lightly to blend. ”

And while we’re on the subject of eyes, we might as well mention false lashes! False lashes are a wonderful way to add extra oomph to your eyes, and are great for special occasions or when you want a little extra glamour (nothing causes a stir like a seductive gaze, and false lashes do up the “seduction factor!”) I prefer full strip lashes myself, and I find that the inexpensive brand Ardell has some great options for period eye looks. To apply, squeeze a very thin line of lash glue along the base of the lashes; allow to dry for about 30 seconds, or until the glue becomes slightly tacky. Then apply as close to the base of your own lashes as possible, pressing the band down gently with the end of a thin-handled eye brush. Using a lash curler, curl the false lashes along with your own to blend them together; finish with a light coat of mascara.

Thanks for joining me this week! Next week we’ll explore the many lipstick options for the modern day vintage gal!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee