Glamour_ologist: April Round up

A monthly round up of my favourite blog posts, articles and tweets covering appearance  glamour, history, vintage, style and women

Women who write about sex a great list of women throughout history who have written about this subject

How to do cat-eye eyeliner with hooded lids 

To beautife the face: early modern beauty tips

Bringing the auction room to your arm chair

Did women wear nail polish in wartime?

Visual history of Band-Aid tins

1938 Make up tutorial via Glamour Daze Make up tips for women who wear glasses

Review of Besame Violet Brightening Powder

To thicken hair, 1871

Soap the Patrician Pelagia used to make her face shine a sixth century AD recipe recreated

Marks and Spencer archives thousands of historical records in this great and useful resource

Please stop telling me Margaret Thatcher is a style icon: Gender and the media 

A lovely write up of one of the Historical Sauces Vintage Beauty school workshops

Report on x-ray studies of old patent medicines reveals what they really contained

Women's Relationship with beauty: Joan Collins on "Glamour"

On Glamour: Which Never Sleeps

Glamour is an almost mythical quality that I find difficult to accurately describe- and nor can anybody else, it seems. The dictionary defines it as "sophisticated; in style  alluring, attractive; bewitching  captivating; classy; dazzling; elegant; entrancing; glossy; seductive; magnetic; siren; smart...." Phew! That's a pretty broad sweep of a definition. And some stringent qualities to live up to. With expectations such as these, attaining glamour for some women must be akin to climbing Everest.

When I made The Stud and then The Bitch in the late seventies, I invented a look which I have stuck to  more or less ever since: big hair, smoky eyes and bright lipstick. Also, I always do my own hair or wear wigs when I'm working or going to events where I'm likely to be photographed  I can't understand why so many women are averse to hairpieces or wigs. The amount of time they save is colossal because constant blow drying and straightening of hair is disastrous for it. 

Through the ages women have always emulated other women whose allure and style keep raising our expectations and push us harder 'not to let the side down'. In the eighteenth century, Queen Marie Antoinette was the epitome of glamour and her court slavishly copied her gowns and hairstyles. Cleopatra also stands out as an epitome of ageless beauty, beguiling not only those of her day, but us as well. And when Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were at the height of their popularity there were lookalikes all over the world striving to capture their particular brand of glamour. It was the same for men. The age of the dandy was really not so long ago. 

With classic outfits, excellent grooming and a strong sense of self, practically any women can become  if not a charismatic Hollywood goddess, then attractive and worthy of admiration and some envy for her unique style.

Glamour is not only about what you wear - it is also about your personality. Glamourous women seem to share something extraordinarily attractive that comes from within. It could be a serene, ethereal quality, a fiery, independent brassiness or a regal bearing, but whatever it may be glamourous women have it in spades. 

I absolutely love this book - although I don't agree with everything she says - and it is well worth a read in full. I feel there will be some more quotes from Joan coming up in the next few months.

   From The World According to Joan, Constable & Robinson (2011)

1950s: Summer Tips by Max Factor

A few weeks ago I  posted Max Factor's Winter Tips: Protecting Beauty in Extreme Weather and it only seems fair, now we have had a glimpse of the sun to give their tips for the hotter days.

Max Factor, Hi-Society 1959

Summer tips: When you are face to face with old sol at his hottest. Here are our suggestions to help you sun-proof your beauty. 

START COOL. A quick, cool bath or shower before you go out is a wonderful way to stave off the effect of sun and heat. But always pat yourself dry, never rub. Above all, splash Primitif, Hypnotique or Electrique Cologne all over yourself, and let it dry by itself. Finally, a generous dusting with Primitif, Hypnotique or Electrique talcum powder before you dress. And don't forget - shake a little talc into your shoes or stocking feet.

SUNTAN. The quickest, safest, coolest way to acquire a golden tan without any danger of sunburn is with Max Factor's SunBliss. SunBliss screens out the harmful sun rays that cause redness and burning. And more! SunBliss replaces the moisture the sun steals from your skin; prevents any danger of drying or flaking. Non-oily, non-sticky, non-staining, it keeps your complexion soft and supple, even in a drying wind; gives you the blissful sun-kissed skin you sigh for! Available either as foam in an aerosol canister, or as cream in a handy non-crush tube.

Iridescent Magic by Max Factor, 1959

YOUR LIPS won't crack or chap if you wear a lanolin-rich lipstick such as Hi-Fi or Iridescent Magic. Depending upon the degree of your suntan, it is important to wear the correct lipstick shades for each type of tan. Lipstick in the wrong shade tends to dull the tan colour of your skin. Here is a simple 
lipstick shade chart to follow:

Max Factor, Pink Jade 1959

Wear a clear red, coral or orange tone with a "coffee-and-cream" tan.

Wear a light pink with a rose tan.

Wear a bright red with a bronze or dark tan.

ACCENTUATE YOUR SUNTAN with light costume colours at night. Wear white, powder blue, pale green, pale yellow, cream, grey. Darker colours may look well in the daylight,  but they do not heighten a tan under dim lights. You need the contrast for the most flattering effect.

FLATTER YOUR SUNTAN with jewellery that does the most for a tan in the evening. Wear diamonds, pearls, rhinestones, crystals, chalk-white jewellery. These give sparkle to your eyes, play up the whites of the eyes, and provide a beautiful contrast to your tan skin.

Max Factor, Hi-Fi 1958

A PERSPIRING BROW AND UPPER LIP can be overcome to a large degree during hot days by foregoing heavy make-up applications in favour of the thinnest veil of foundations like Pan-Cake, Pan-Stik, Hi-Fi, Creme Puff or Invisible Foundation. these make-ups are "porous" and permit the skin to function normally. The light application method enables perspiration to come through and evaporate or be blotted away without disturbing your make-up. Carry Creme Puff Make-Up in your bag for quick, easy-to-make touch-ups.