1940's Hair and Make-up

Classic 1940's Style Make-up

The 40's showed hair with elaborate curls, or pulled back with scarves and bandanas. A few of the hairstyles that were in vogue were pin curls, the pompadour, curled bangs, side waves/marcel wave, waved side rolls/victory rolls though the styles of the victory rolls were endless, the perm, shoulder length hair and the pixie cut (hair cut short enough for pin curling), the hair was generally parted to the side rather than the middle.

The natural rosey look was the make-up trend favourite rouge colours were often red with pink undertones, bright rosey colours and bright pinks with fuschia undertones.

Browns and natural muted colours were used for eyeshadows, full mascara, think black eyeliner and eyebrows were thicker than the earlier decades the arches were well defined using a dark brown brow pencil.

A variety of red tones were used for the lips from reds, pinks and oranges, the lips were slightly exagerated.

Jennifer Jones with Curled Bangs

Pin Curls

Vivien Leigh

Hedy Lamarr weaing classic 1940's style Make-up

Veronica Lake, Pin curls on Long Hair

Ava Gardner

The Pompadour

Victory/side Rolls

The Marcel Wave

The Pixie Cut

1930's Hair and Make-up

The short hair style stayed popular amongst most women till the late 1930's, hair was gradually worn longer in both waves, soft and hard curl. The majority of hairstyles were smooth at the crown to accustom hats while curls framed the face and the ends of the hair. Snoods (knotted hairnets) were one of the statement pieces worn throughout the era usually of velvet or chenille yarn.

Alice White with Soft Curls

Clara Bow with Soft Fingerwaves

Greta Garbo with the Smooth Crown and Soft Curls

Claudette Colbert with Intense Fingerwaves

Loretta Young

Hard Curls

Loretta Young

Claudette Colbert with Soft Long Waves

Make-up wasn't worn as strong in this decade compared to the 1920's, though the eyebrows were still pencil thin rouge was worn in lighter shades of light rosey colours, red and orange tones then primarily brighter shades of red were worn. Lips were painted in the style of the rosebud mouth which was plump, vibrantly coloured, moist and pert. Eyes were worn in lighter shades compared to the dark flapper look from the 20's with the lashes still full.

Ann Sothern wearing Flawless 1930's Make-up

Greta Garbo

Linda Darnell