Supermodel Resource

Gala, a make up company had introduced pale shimmer shades of lipsticks in the late 1950s. This really caught on in the 1960s especially with the younger generation. Max factor launched a color called ‘Strawberry Meringue’ which was a pastel shade of pink and had a pearly sheen. Young girls with red lips were looked down upon and so these softened pink colors were favored by teenagers as it was accepted by their parents and society.

Loads of magazines started giving make up tips and step by step instructions of how to use lip brushes to correctly apply lipstick. Young girls began experimenting by blending colors on their own, often first using the Max Factor Pan Cake as a base for their lips. Models sported these shades of pink and peach in lipsticks and nail polishes and the young generation followed suit.

Elizabeth Taylor became very popular with the release of Cleopatra. Her eyes were cause for much admiration. Eyeliner and socket lines became all important. Some other popular models who captured the essence of 1960s fashion were Twiggy (Leslie Hornby), Jean Shrimpton and actress Julie Christie.

Quant introduced a rage of amazingly affordable cosmetics with innovative blushers and highlighters. Twiggy with her hollow cheeks and wide eyes became a prototype. Qualt was given a whole new haircut by Vidal Sassoon that defined a particular 60s look.

The 1950s saw color films emerge and with that the cosmetics industry grew. The 70 mm cinema screens showed the larger than life portrayals of stars with their unblemished picture perfect appearances. Make up artist Max Factor was inspired to come up with a daily use version of a type of foundation called ‘Pan Cake’, which was a special kind of make up that evened out and hid skin imperfections. He also introduced a line of lipsticks and eye shadows in excitingly new colors.

In the late 1950s, titanium began being added to make up products that resulted in dimming their brightness and that lent the lips a pale shimmer. This idea was later extended to nail polishes of colors like pink, sliver among others.

SPECTACLES: The 1950s also saw a new accessory emerge – surprisingly, it was spectacles! Yes, spectacles were all the rage in that decade. The more elaborate ones encrusted with colored stones or scattered with glitter dust. The outer corners also had exaggerated wings similar to butterfly wings.

HAIRSTYLES: in the early years of the 1950s, the youth preferred the ponytail, which later gave way to the French braid. Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Elizabeth II popularized the permanent wave in hairstyles.

Hair laquer sprays came into vogue and was now accessible to the common woman. As a result of this, complex and high hairstyles became popular. The later 1950s saw a range of outrageous hairstyles like beehives, backcombed bouffants and French braids. 

There are quite a few models who were popular in the twentieth century and now their daughters have stepped into their shoes becoming models in the twenty – first century.

Some of the better known names are :

Rosanna Arquette - Patricia Arquette

Jerry Hall - Elizabeth Jagger

Goldie Hawn - Kate Hudson

Pat Cleveland - Anna van Ravenstein

Catherine Deneuve - Chiara Mastroianni

Isabella Rossellini - Elettra Diedermann

Jane Birken - Charlotte Gainsberg

Nena von Schlebrugge - Uma Therman

Lisa Marie Presley - Riley Keogh