Dancing into the Past

Hello everyone! This week was a little bit different for me. The dance studio I teach at had parent watch week and on Tuesday night all of the students dressed up in their costumes for Halloween. Not only did the students get to take class in their costumes, the teachers got to teach class in their costumes too!

This presented a little bit of a problem. I had no costume planned for this year. I didn't have anything I could just throw on and call a costume. This meant I had to figure something out, and fast. Thankfully my new haircut held the answer.

I admit, I love doing the Charleston so getting to dress up as a flapper was really fun for me. I'll walk with you step by step on how I got this look and the research I did to try and be somewhat historically accurate with my makeup. Here is a color photo of the look.

I started with my hair, which was the easiest part of this look. After washing my hair I applied two drops of NuMe Finishing Serum in the palm of my hand. I rubbed my hands together and applied it evenly throughout my hair. I then took a quick pass with my hairdryer while using an ion brush to keep the volume down.

Makeup in the 1920s was bold. Mascara and eyeliner were new to the market and the smoky eye was born. The problem with dark smoky eyes is there can be quite a bit of fall out, regardless of what eyeshadow brand you are using. I chose to do my eyes first so I could cover any fallout with my concealer.

I used Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original to prime my eyes for the shadow. Once it was dry I used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero to line my eyes. Taking my Eco Tools Crease brush I applied the shade Matt Johnson from the Meet Matt(e) Nude palette across my entire lid. Using my Eco Tools Smudge brush I took the shade Creep from my Urban Decay Naked I palette and went over the eyeliner, bringing it up to the crease to blend in with the other shadow. I then used Gunmetal (also from the Naked I palette) in the center of my lid to add a little sparkle. After blending the shadows together I took my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara and applied it generously to my lashes. It's my go-to mascara for bold eye looks.

 Can you tell Ashleigh and I like Embryolisse Lait-Creme? I use it as a moisturizer and primer. Once my face was dry I applied my Sephora 10 Hour Wear Foundation in 22 Light Natural with a Sephora Airbrush Foundation brush. Then I took Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 under my eyes to brighten and cover up any fallout from the shadows. I used Rimmel of London Stay Matte Powder in Natural to set the foundation and concealer. I used theBalm's INSTAIN blush in Houndstooth on my cheekbones. It was all about pale complexions in the 1920s so I skipped bronzer and left out the highlighters.

I used my derma-e Hydrating Mist over my entire face to set the whole look. It works wonders for my skin and keeps my makeup in place, even after teaching dance for hours on end.

That leaves the lips. In the 1920s it was all about red. Silent film actress Clara Bow was one of many to put emphasis on the cupid's bow, making it a huge trend. I used stila stay all day liquid lipstick in beso, making sure to bring the color higher up on my lips to accent my cupid's bow.

That completes my Halloween look. If you have any questions or comments don't hesitate!

~Amanda