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by Jeanette Lynn Ponder

The 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were filled with gorgeous women of color. Think of Lena Horne and Billie Holiday – they epitomized the glamor, class, and beauty of African American women. Their look was simple, natural, and strong, using a limited palette of color due to the lack of cosmetics options for African-American women. This guide will show you how to use modern equivalent products to create the retro, lush look with colors suitable for African-American skin. This look is fantastic paired with rockabilly fashion, or with a simple tank top and jeans.

Applying Foundation

1. Step1

   Dab concealer on any skin imperfections that you wish to hide. Pat the concealer onto the delicate under eye area, being careful not to pull or stress the skin (that can cause sagging and wrinkling further down the line).

2. Step2

   Dot foundation along the cheekbone, nose, forehead, and chin on clean, moisturized skin.

3. Step3

   Blend the foundation color into the skin using upward strokes. Be sure to blend very carefully along the jawline into the neck, especially if you’re using a lighter shade than your actual skin tone.

Eye makeup application

4. Step1

   Using the rounded eyeshadow brush, apply the medium brown shadow to the eye area to just over the crease.

5. Step2

   Apply the dark brown shadow along the crease and lash line using the crease brush. The color should meet over the outer corner of the eye. The crease color should be barely noticeable.

6. Step3

   With the eyeshadow brush, apply the peach eyeshadow to the eye above the crease and under the brow. If you’d like, extend the brush strokes slightly beyond the end of the eyebrow or corner of the eye. Use the powder brush or your fingers to blend your base, crease, and highlight colors together.

7. Step4

   Using the black pencil eye liner, line the upper and lower lids. Using the slanted brush, apply a fine line of dark brown eyeshadow to the outer half of the lower lash line. Use the fingers to blend and soften; no lines should be harsh.

Eyelashes and eyebrows

8. Step1

   Using tweezers or fingers, use waterproof eyelash glue to apply individual false lashes to the outer corner of the upper lash line. For best results, dip the end of the lash into the glue, then position it. Let them set while you do your brows.

9. Step2

   With light strokes, fill in your brows with the brown/black eye liner pencil. If you’d like, extend the brow slightly past the corner of the eye for a glamorous touch. Retro eyebrows were strong and clean, so pay attention to the edges.

10. Step3

    At this point, the eyelashes should be dry. Carefully curl them using the eyelash curler. Apply one coat of mascara, wait a moment, then apply another.

Lips and Finishing

11. Step1

    Line and fill the lips with the brick lip pencil. If you’d like, emphasize the peaks of the upper lip by making them slightly angular.

12. Step2

    Use the lip brush to paint the lips with the matte lipstick.

13. Step3

    Get rid of excess lip color by closing the lips over a napkin or paper towel once or twice.

14. Step4

    Finish and seal the entire face with a light dusting of translucent powder. Be careful to dust the lips slightly, as this will help your lipstick last longer.

Jeanette Lynn Ponder is a freelance and erotica writer, and was the blog editor for iFashion Network. She is also a romance novel cover model. Her resume includes over a decade of backstage experience in the beauty and high fashion industries, including Cirque du Soleil and Mercedes-Benz NYC Fashion Week.