1920s make up involves dark smoky eyes; bright color on the cheeks and luscious, red lips. 1920s Make up History
Before the 1920s wearing make up could be very dangerous and harmful. At that time the make up products contained such chemicals as lead, sulfur and mercury. In spite of its danger it is simply wasn't proper for pretty girls to apply make up. However those who still wanted to wear make up applied pale, muted colors and hid all their supplies away from the eyes of husbands and fathers. Women who were afraid to wear make up often pinched their cheeks and lips to give them color. During this period pale skin was the only trend that's why women had no reason to be in the sun. Some historians suppose that this look became so popular due to the prevalence of tuberculosis. 1920s Makeup Trends
A new carefree attitude began to develop in 1920's which involved the appearance of women’s lib, short haircuts, short skirts, new trends in makeup and its applying. Stars like Theda Bara and Clara Bow made bright lipstick and heavy eye make up extremely popular. Due to the WWI the imbalance in the ration of men and women occured. Now women had to compete to deserve attention which made 1920's make up more desirable. The make up industry became more advanced which made the cosmetics safer and gave women more color choices. Mid 1920s Look
Face Powder
The tones of face powder shifted from pale shades of cream and ivory to more natural ones. In the 1920s it was socially desirable to be outdoors. Also when Coco Chanel fell asleep in the sun the tan became extremely popular. Eye Make up
Very dark shades were used for the eye make up. Eyeliner, an arcane mixture of soot, lead and goose grease called kohl,was aplied all around the eye and smudged outward. Gray shadow were applied on the lids. However such colors as turquoise and green were also trendy.
Extremely thin eyebrows became popular. They were shaded with liner. Some women even plucked out their brows in order to draw them higher above the eye. Mascara at that time was made from colored wax and came in a block. Women melted it and applied it using a stick. Fake lashes were also extremely popular at this period. Women applied them to the eyes and after that accentuated with mascara. Blush
In 1920s the common name for blush, the rouge, came in various textures: powders, liquids, crèmes and papers were used to for cheek make up. However, after the compact powder was invented the powder blush became the most preferred one. Women applied rouge to the apple of the cheeks using a circular motion but they didn't swap it towards the hairline and a visible circle was left. The most popular colors of rouge were berry, and rose, but by 1925, orange became the most preferred hint. Lipstick
The lips were the main accent of the face make up. Bright red was the most commonly used color and smudge-proof lipstick was in. Very popular at this period was a cherry-flavored lipstick. Lipstick was applied to the upper lip and then rose above the actual lip line in a «cupid’s bow» slightly overstating the bottom lip. The width was minimized by stopping short of the natural crease in the lips. Nail Polish
The fingernails and toenails has become extremely popular when the modern nail polish was invented in 1920. Very long nails were trendy at this period and were painted only in the middle living the tip and cuticle areas bare. Conclusion
In the 1920s make up style changed a lot. Cosmetics manufacturers improved the formulas of make up products. Manufacturers made advances in make up formulas, packaging and color choice. Social attitudes toward makeup changed dramatically. Women had no need to hide their cosmetics in their underwear drawers and apply it in secret. They started carrying their make up products in their purses and could apply the lipstick at the dinner table.
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