Makeup is so common today that many of us do not give a second thought to its beginnings. It is 

during the formative years of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s that the greatest developments in 

makeup happened and it became what we are most familiar with today. Each decade had its own style 

of makeup; its own signature lips, eye makeup, rouge techniques, etc. This book shows the changes 

in makeup styles over these decades and provides practical, easy-to-follow steps and guidance in 

recreating a vintage face. 

Lauren Rennells has written Retro Makeup: Techniques for Applying the Vintage Look as a companion 

book to the internationally successful Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques. That 

does not mean this is the same book, only about makeup. With countless hours of research, a multitude 

of interesting facts about makeup style during the early and mid-20th century was unearthed and are 

provided in Retro Makeup in a fun, colorful layout. 

This 104-page full-color book starts with a brief history of makeup during the Victorian and Edwardian 

Eras and then provides some practical knowledge in applying makeup to help better use the information 

provided in each decade. Then it jumps into full details about makeup styles during the 1920s, 30s, 

40, 50s and 60s with each decade having its own dedicated chapter. Each decade has information on 

historical events and innovations in products that were affecting makeup trends, popular shapes, trends 

and colors. Also in each decade are start-to-finish instructions on various makeup looks made popular by 

movie stars, models and beauty magazines of the time.