Make-up History from Madeleine Marsh & Lisa Eldridge

Madeleine Marsh is a writer and historian, and I've had an eye on her book 'The History of Compacts and Cosmetics: Beauty From Victorian Times to the Present Day' for a while. So imagine my pleasure when I came across these YouTube videos from makeup artist Lisa Eldridge where she talks to Marsh about the history of makeup and goes through her very extensive collection of vintage lipsticks, compacts and rouge boxes.

 

I loved what Marsh said about Victorian era: when makeup was frowned upon, fashion and hair became a substitute for makeup and allowed women to express their personal style.

Camille Clifford, a lady with a tiny waist and big hair.

Though we all know that even then women used all sorts of ointments and some discrete rouge to enhance their features. And certainly actresses did not shy away from makeup both on and off stage.

The second video trances the history of makeup form the harsh times of wartime rationing to the hyper-feminine styles of the 50s (love the little novelty compacts!) to the make-love-not-war freedom of the 60s.    

What I enjoyed most about these videos is that they use actual collectibles to illustrate what makeup and attitudes to makeup were like at different time periods. I'm almost tempted to start collecting vintage makeup myself. Just look at this cute Pierrot compact. Isn't it just the bee's knees?

TOKALON Paris gilded compact, Etsy

The only vintage-looking makeup I own is this lovely little eye shadow by Bourjois Paris from their 2008 Vintage Collection Little Round Pots. The color is a beautiful shimmering brown which is perfect for evenings out. I bought this many years ago when I was visiting France and I still can't forgive myself for not getting all of the limited edition pots with the cute 19th - early 20th century designs.

My very own Bourjois Vintage Collection Little Pot in Marron Glace 

Bourjois Vintage Collection, 2008 

If you want to emulate some of these vintage makeup styles, check out Lisa Eldridge's video tutorials. Take a look at these Tippi Hedren, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn looks. And she has a lot of contemporary makeup tips and tricks on her website.       

Dress of the Week: Blue Summer Dress

I haven't done a Dress of the Week post for a long, long while. And since May is upon us and I've been scouting out some historical fashions to incorporate into my summer wardrobe, here is a summer dress from 1905 that I long to wear for a May Day picnic.

Summer dress, 1905, UK. Source: Victoria & Albert Museum 

Place of origin: Great Britain, UK
Date: 1905
Materials and Techniques: Printed striped cotton, with a yoke neck of tucked Broderie Anglaise frills and pin-tucked collar with a tape lace frill; bodice lined with white cotton and fastened with original hooks, eyes and loops; pleated belt has five bones and a hook and eye fastening concealed by a rosette
Credit Line: Worn by Miss Heather Firbank

This pretty blue and white number belonged to the fashionable Miss Heather Firbank (1888-1954),  daughter of the MP Sir Thomas Firbank and sister of the writer Ronald Firbank.

"[Heather Firbank] had beauty, and she adorned it with exquisite clothes of a heather colour to complement her name" - Miriam J. Benkovitz, Ronald Firbank: A Biography (1970)

It's very rare for dresses to survive the test of time; and when they do survive, it's often due to some unusual circumstances. In case of Miss Firbank, who acquired her wardrobe from the leading houses of the time, in 1921 her expensive clothes were packed into trunks and put in storage for 35 years. Why did she decide to pack away her entire collection of garments instead of altering and updating or reselling them is beyond my knowledge, but in 1960 Victoria and Albert Museum got their hands on the lot, which included over 100 pieces of clothes and accessories. That's quite a treasure. The collection is a glimpse into the past showing the tastes and styles of a wealthy lady between 1905 and 1920.

Summer dress, back, 1905, UK. Source: Victoria & Albert Museum 

The skirt consists of four 28-inch pieces pleated onto a narrow waistband. The bodice is pouched in the front and is a little bloused at the back. The yoke around the neck is composed of  Broderie Anglaise frills and a pin-tucked cotton infill, with a high-boned pin-tucked collar finished with a tape lace frill. The outfit is accessorized with a dainty straw hat with a blue ribbon around it and a lovely parasol. Blue and white dresses such as this one were very popular during the early 1900s for boating and seaside wear.

Since I do own a parasol and a similar straw hat (all it needs is a ribbon), I just need to find a blue dress with lace to recreate this look.

Source: Victoria and Albert Museum 

More about Heather Firbank and her wardrobe

Paul Poiret's Fancy Dress Costumes

My friends and I had our Halloween masquerade on Saturday. And while I am waiting for some pictures to come my way so I could share them here, let me direct your attention to some more vintage Halloween ideas.    

If you still don't know what to be this Halloween, let Paul Poiret inspire you with his amazing fancy dresses. Some say that Paul Poiret was the first fashion designer, though I believe that distinction should go to Rose Bertin, milliner to Marie Antoinette and the “Minister of Fashion”. Poiret, though not the first fashion designer, was certainly an artist of fashion. Just look at some of these breathtaking costumes he designed.

 'Oriental' Costume

Oriental fancy dress costume, Paul Poiret, 1911. Source: Met Museum

This fancy dress ensemble was created for Poiret's 1002nd Night party in 1911. I absolute love the silhouette and the gems.

'Elizabethan' Costume

Elizabethan fancy dress costume, Paul Poiret, 1910-1920. Source: Met Museum

The gown is clearly inspired by Queen Elizabeth fashions, yet it does not strive for absolute historical accuracy. It is cream colored silk, trimmed and embroidered with metallic thread and synthetic gems.  

'Fountain' Costume

Fountain fancy dress costume, Paul Poiret, 1920s  

And last but not least, my favorite of all Poiret's fancy dresses. This Fountain costume was worn by Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian heiress and, by her own account, 'a living work of art'. The dress is so simple in its eccentricity. I love the elaborate two-storey hat and strings of large beads streaming down the body and the hoop skirt.

Of these three, which one would you wear to a Halloween party?  

Dress of the Week: Boué Soeurs Dress

This week I had to travel in time to the 20th century to get a dress. It so happens that today is my friend's wedding. And she decided to give it an Art Deco/1920s look. The guests are encouraged to dress appropriately. And while I already have a lovely midnight blue flapper dress, I could not resist looking at some lovely gowns from the past.

After careful deliberation I chose this Boué Soeurs evening dress.

Evening dress, 1920s, Met Museum

Evening dress, 1920s, back, Met Museum

Date: 1920–25
Country: French
Medium: cotton, linen, silk, metallic thread
Dimensions: Length at CB: 44 1/2 in. (113 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Sally Fenlon-Young, 1979

Some may say that this dress is too busy, but I love it. The embroidered cotton pinafore is so darling. And the bow with ribbon flowers on the side is the bee's knees. I am rather partial to lace, whitework and ribbons.

While 1920s are usually associated with flapper style -  lots of beads and fringes - this dress has a very Belle Époque vibe. I feel like even back in the 1920s it probably looked almost vintage.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art