Hello again, my lovely followers—I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! After a short vacation, I am back with the first in a new series of vintage face how-tos. Each beauty breakdown will focus on a different starlet with suggestions for modern day products to get that vintage look. This week, we’ll take a look at one of my favorite stars, Rita Hayworth. With her cascading red locks and captivating screen presence, it is no wonder that she continues to be adored!
This photo of Rita in costume for The Loves of Carmen shows her in full Technicolor glory. To recreate this look, create a smooth canvas using the foundation and powder of your choice. Then, dust a warm coral or crimson shade of rouge on the apples of your cheeks—Ben Nye Red Hot, La Femme Peach Sparkle, . Nars Cactus Flower, Ben Nye Red and Coral, and NYX Red Cheek lovely cream rouges also worth checking out. You may also choose to contour your cheekbones slightly to bring them out to their full advantage; a slightly too dark shade of foundation or pressed powder will work well.
Now, onto the eyes; Rita’s are made up with warm, bronzy colors that echo the rest of her makeup. Eye shadow possibilities include Ben Nye Terra Cotta, MAC Haux, Woodwinked, or Coppering in the crease, with a matte beige shade, such as Ben Nye Shell, applied to the brow bone. Warm gray liner is softy applied to the upper lids (try Ben Nye’s cake liner in Charcoal), with white liner on the lower waterline to highlight (both Rimmel and NYX offer inexpensive white pencil liners). Her brows are neatly defined with a deep brownish-auburn shade—try Maybelline Expert Eyes in Medium Brown or Ben Nye’s brow pencil in Dark Brown (Shu Uemura Hard Pencil in Seal Brown is a fantastic option if you prefer to use a more neutral, taupey-brown shade on your brows.) Finish with two coats of black mascara and if you desire, false lashes.
Rita’s mouth has been carefully lined and filled in with a creamy, warm red shade; Revlon Fire and Ice, Julie Jewett Belle Noir, or MAC Lady Danger are good choices, and can be paired with Rimmel Red Dynamite or Julie Hewett Belle Noir lip liner.
So there you have—a breakdown of suggested products for recreating this classic look. I’d love to hear from any of you who try it out—please let me know what you think!
xoxo,
Amanda Lee