Black models in the early 70s were hard to find in the pages of Vogue. The fashionable faces of the time were big-eyed faerie-like girls. Pat Cleveland arrived in Paris, famous for its love of diverse women, and made a name for herself. On the catwalk she was an entranced Egyptian Goddess. Resorting to white face to make herself more appealing. Her happy and go lucky attitude was a breath of fresh air! Self-portrait was edited for acne scars.
Very few people know about Jane. She perfected the most wearable Kabuki makeup of the 70s. There is something magical and fearie like about her. Although she didn’t last very long on the fast-paced 1970s scene, where makeup trends and faces came and went, her face stylings have had a major influence on those that came after. A tribute to a stunning face and incredible makeup talent. Self-portrait was edited to remove scars
She raised Ziggy. You can say what you want about her behaviour, which was probably fueled by drugs. She was a fiercely protective mother of Ziggy and contributed much of her wardrobe and of herself into the creation of David’s most celebrated character.
This version is an ode to her avant garde look of the early 70s. When I did my research, I realized that she rarely overshadows David in pictures. I decided to revisit these early looks with curly hair, at the begining of the 70s. What if she was part of the band? What if she got a makover from David’s famed makeup artist, Pierre Laroche? I used a fluorescent eyeshadow as an avant-garde kabuki-esque blush. The eyes and the lips are true blue 70s. And if the lips were red, we’d have famed 70s model Donna Jordan. Earrings are vintage, dress is by Valerie Dumaine
Veruschka Von Lehndorff is made of golden skin, big lashes, bold blue hues. The original self-portrait muse, although she did work with a photographer, she did all the rest: styling, makeup, wigs and hair pieces. We all owe her so much.Self portrait was edited to remove scars.
I experimented with orange tones to build up the skintone to that Ektachrome golden beige of the 60s 70–that Swedish looking tan. It was built up using an airbrush gun and a mix of cream foundations (diluted with the Make Up For Ever airbrush thinner) and Skin Illustrator (alcohol based). It came out a touch too saturated and I readjusted the colours in photoshop.
Veruschka never bleached her brows, however many makeup artist quoted Veruschkas ideas onto Kate Moss. So you have a sort mish mash of 70s, revisted by the 90s makeup approach. I did a subtle blush and kept the hair simple so it wouldn’t fall into full nostalgia.
Probably an obscure reference, but this post is dedicated to one of the Grande Dames of Theatre, Lynn Fontanne. She emigrated from London to New York. She met the love of her life, Alfred Lunt, and they were inseparable. I refiltered her character through the 70s prism.
This image made into my inspiration a while back. Recently I was researching different decades and was struck by the magical power it contained. The man behind, Alfred Lunt, is her husband and stage partner.
Out of all the images of the past, hers still endures as fashion and youth culture gravitas. It was a bit of a challenge to recreate it on someone more ahem… mature, but I’m really happy with the results. The use of airbrush and Premiere Skin llustrator colours are really amazing in creating subtle washes of colour that enhance the sixties colour vibe I was going for. Self-portrait was retouched to remove brow coverup, and acne scarring.
I bought the earrings from Canadian Designer Warren Steven Scott and they are still available in different colours.
If one could crown a queen of cinema, then there is one cadidate that is surely on the short list and the A-list, of anyone who watches movies. The Queen Catherine Deneuve. All hail the Queen in Belle de Jour, where is she is at her most aristocratic. Perharps youth’s arrogance quickens in front of the lens. Image is a self portrait
It’s not Deneuve’s favorite. She talks about Tristana, another movie made with Buñuel. But If the public’s collective imagination was struck by Belle; it’s fair game to keep on looking into women’s desires, nearly 55 years later. Revisiting a monumental character of Western Cinema.
Although the last time I had seen it, was a decade or so, I could still recall the pastel colour palette, in cool tones. Ditto for Deneuve’s brilliant wardrobe, makeup and hair, that capture the essence of the 60s, in the most perfect way. Catherine’s perfectly constructed facade as an actress playing a double life, and her breathtaking beauty.
NOTES ON MY MAKEUP RECREATION
While watching attentively this trailer I marveled at how the makeup is quite simple, all in tones of pink. They even changed the highlights to a pink tinge with makeup, which makes her look like a painted porcelain doll. No doubt, the reason why she was cast. I tried to recreate this pink/teal balance as all the whites shift in the movie. The wardrobe is white, baby blue, beige or black so you won’t notice this teal tinge. I shifted the digital image with a pale teal filter same as the film stock was treated, and the result is still magnificent 55 years later, on digital.
This is also the first makeup where I’ve used my airbrush not only to apply foundation, but also Skin Illustrator colours to modulate the pink tones. I’m not regretting the splurge as it’s taken my work to a new colour level!
Better know as the enigmatic, yet always smilling Nico, from the Warholian creation known as The Velvet Underground. Christa invents the Rock Chick. Like many Wharholian women, she was discarded. But she kept–and keeps fighting for music. If you haven’t seen the movie about her life you should. Self-portrait was edited to remove acne scars.
I chose a look from the mid 60s, when she was at her most iconic image of herself as “Nico”. With the use of an airbrush, it was really easy to change the skin tone to something that looked sixties-sunkissed. Her actual eye makeup was softer, but I wanted to reproduce that darkness that loomed over her eyes, by how she kept her fringe long. By examining a lot of black & white pictures, one could think her eye color was brown, but due to the shadows cast (creating a smoky effect), darkening her eye colour which was a pale blue. This character design echoes the 70s and 80s, where she rimmed her eyes more liberally. The shape I chose is also reminiscent of the mid-60s obessions with Egyptian eye makeup. I held back on the lashes deliberately, to make it more modern.
What can be said about Sophia Loren? She’s the Italian Monroe, but more … Italian. I was listening to a lot of movie soundtracks and I fell on this lovely playlist of Ennio Morricone’s best. I was inspired by the cowboy attitude, as she shoots straight from the hip and takes no bull. Sorry guys, but this woman can take the world on. Self-portrait was edited to remove acne scars.
I was inspired by every frame of this lovely montage. I tried to reproduce her beautiful complexion that was accentuated by technicolor. Thanks to my airbrush, changing my pasty winter skintone was a breeze.
Rita! Or Gilda, or Margarita Carmen Hayworth. Really, it’s hard to tell them all apart. Rita was was an invention, an actress, a dancer and a Goddess! Image is a self-portrait and was edited to remove acne scars.
There were femme fatales, girls next door, tough girls, country girls, good wives, up until Gilda. After Gilda, appeared the Hollywood Goddess. With her million-dollar smile, twinkling eyes, vaporous hair, sensuous dancing, she breathed life into celluloid divinity! Pushing away the European Femme Fatale, and creating the All-American Glamour Goddess.
She famously said: “All men fall in love with Gilda, but wake up with me”. A poignant statement and warning about the curse that glamour places on those who weave the spell: is that it carries on in real life.
I went for bare shoulders, like in Gilda‘s iconic closeups. A Technicolour flush, from whatever makes the heart race, and the skin glow. Bless you Rita, wherever you are, for making sexy, classy. We can only wish to live up to the grace you gave!
