Originating in the fashion scene of ‘Swinging London’, the Mod make-up look is epitomised by fresh, youthful skin and bold, black-lined eyes.
“Make-up in the Sixties was given a whole new lease of life by icons such as Brigitte Bardot, Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick,” says Lisa Potter-Dixon, head make-up and trend artist at Benefit Cosmetics. “It was the explosion of the London fashion scene in Carnaby Street which bought the phrase ‘the London look’ into the make-up world.”
In keeping with this season’s retro revival, models were given the Twiggy treatment backstage at the AW14 catwalk shows, as seen at Missoni and Jean Pierre Braganza.
Worried you’ll get handy with the black eyeliner and end up looking less Bardot babe, more panda bear? Fear not, here are all the pro tips and tricks you need to master the Mod makeover.
SUBTLE SKIN
“Sixties skin was typically very soft with a velvety complexion,” says Max Factor Make-Up Artist Caroline Barnes. “A foundation that gives a natural glow, like Max Factor’s Skin Luminizer Foundation, is perfect for this look. Keep it modern and apply where you most need it, for instance to the T-zone, with a brush or your finger.”
Barnes advocates a less is more approach: “Check the finish in daylight, but avoid highlighter or bronzer to keep the skin looking fresh.”
Is blusher allowed then? As long as it’s subtle, Barnes says: “Whether it’s cream or powder always depends on the skin type, but neutral tones are great to keep the eyes the main focus and add a subtle glow to the skin.”
- Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation in Warm Almond, £11.99, Boots (www.boots.com)
- Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush in Nectar, £26, John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com)
GET IN LINE
“To create a Sixties beauty eye you will need black liner, a volumising mascara and patience!” says MAC senior artist Cher Webb. “MAC Blacktrack Fluidline is a gel-based formula which is easy to apply over your lash line with a pointy or angular brush.”
How do you get a perfectly precise wing shape on both eyes? “Try holding your brush on its side and move it over the eye shape in gradual movements. Keep the eye open when making the shapely wing as you will be able to see the symmetry.”
For a truly authentic Sixties eye, don’t forget the floating “crease line” in the eye socket.
“Use your brush or a light eyebrow pencil to sketch a faint half moon shape through the eye socket,” Webb says. “Apply it lightly to start with and make sure you have the symmetry. Then go in with black, cleaning up with cotton buds where needed.”
The finishing touch? “Lashings of mascara, and be generous on the bottom lashes”
- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, £15.50, and 266 Small Angle Brush, £16.50 (www.maccosmetics.co.uk)
- Bare Minerals Lash Domination 10-in-1 Volumizing Mascara, £17 (www.bareminerals.co.uk)
LASH OUT
We’re not all blessed with lashes as lengthy as a teenage Twiggy’s, but the good news is you can fake it with falsies.
Lisa Potter-Dixon, Benefit Cosmetics head make-up & trend artist, shares her fail-safe method for applying these delicate but dramatic accessories.
“First up, measure the lash against your eye and trim so they’re the same length as your eye. Trim from the inner corner, so you don’t lose the flick of the lash.”
Next, take each lash and wrap it round your finger for 30 seconds – this helps to mimic the natural curve of your eye – then apply the glue using a cotton bud.
“Less is more, but do add a touch extra on each of the ends,” Potter-Dixon says. “Wait another 30 seconds so that the glue is tacky, then position as close to your lash line as possible. Finally, to make it look more seamless, add black eyeliner to the gap between the inner corner of your eye and the false lash.”
- Benefit Pin Up Lash, £12 (www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk)
- LASH Eyelashes Intense Volume Edition £31, £4.19, (www.superdrug.com)
PERFECT YOUR POUT
With all that drama going on around the eyes, a nude lip is essential, but you want a glossy finish to emulate Bardot’s pillowy pout.
Fortunately, legendary make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury has created a product for that very purpose. “You can use Lip Lustre in Bardot Beige on its own or with Nude Kate, which is a lipstick I designed for Kate Moss but inspired by Brigitte Bardot – it’s the most killer combination,” Charlotte says.
Apply a nude lipliner first, then finish with a slick of the wet-look gloss.
“It’s like a pair of patent leather shoes,” she adds. “It’s the ultimate Sixties bombshell look.”
- Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre Bardot Beige, £16.50 (www.charlottetilbury.com)
- Clinique Quickliner for Lips in Honeystick, £12.50 (www.clinique.co.uk)