Curious photos from a Beautiful Legs Contest from 1949. The pictures raise lots of questions in my mind – aside from why you’d want to enter a ‘beautiful legs contest’ in the first place.
Miss Lovely Legs 1949
Beauty
Marilyn Monroe before Plastic Surgery
Marilyn Monroe photographed in February 1947 when she was still a young starlet. At this time she was still called Norma Jeane, and hadn’t yet undergone her Hollywood makeover. In 1950 she had rhinoplasty (a nose-job) and a chin implant on the advice of her agent who paid for the surgery. She only changed her(…)
An Original 1940s Make-Up Tutorial (Including Contouring!)
This photos were taken at a professional photo shoot for a young starlet some time during the 1940s. It’s really interesting to see the different stages, especially the amount of contouring they used on her face. Presumably the make up was done specifically for taking photographs as it seems a little heavy for real life.(…)
Slenderizing Salons of the 1940s
You thought zumba and ashtanga yoga were torture enough in the pursuit of youth and fitness? Be grateful you didn’t live in the 1940s when young women were encouraged to visit slenderizing salons in the pursuit of perfection. These photos show poor Pat Ogden being pummeled by a Wooden Barrel Massager and a Roaler Massager(…)
The First Ever Miss Universe Contest, 1952
It was the lovely Armi Kuusela from Finland who won the first ever Miss Universe contest in 1952*, with Miss Hawaii, Miss Greece, Miss Hong Kong and Miss Germany in the runner up positions. Interestingly Miss United Kingdom, Aileen P. Chase, who was a runner up in Miss World the previous year didn’t even make(…)
Famous Ladies Who Have Joined the Corset Craze
If 2014 was primarily the “Year of the Selfie” (see: just about every showbiz article written that year), it was also the “Year of the Celebrity Corset-Wearer”. Indeed, in some instances, the two came together, with several famous women posing for selfies while wearing corsets (more on that later). But just why are corsets enjoying(…)
5 Classic Hollywood Celebrities Who Rocked Statement Brows The First Time Around
So you think Cara Delevingne invented the bold brow? Think again! As with most fashion trends, it’s all been done before. And as with most things Audrey Hepburn did it better. Here are five Hollywood stars from the 1940s and 50s who rocked the statement brow trend the first time around! Of course, the 1940s(…)
Still Making Money from Marilyn
I’ve just read that Max Factor have announced Marilyn Monroe as their new ‘global glamour ambassador’. They’ve done this based on the fact that Marilyn was a client of Max Factor back when they ran a beauty salon in the 1940s and they claim to have been responsible for her trademark starlet makeover. I’m not(…)
About Renée Zellweger’s Face
I think we’ve all seen the photos of Renée Zellweger’s new face by now. The news hit like a storm yesterday after she attended a film premiere looking, well, not like herself. If you haven’t seen the photos you can see them here. I honestly wouldn’t have recognized her in the new photos, and my(…)
Obscure Beauty Contests from the Past
Boy have there been some strange beauty contests over the years! These photos include the contestants for ‘Miss Psywar’ (doesn’t that stand for Phsychological Warfare…?), ‘Miss War Worker’ and ‘Miss Bobbed Hair 1925’…
A Bare-Faced Marilyn
I came across this photo of Marilyn doing her lipstick from 1948 while I was looking for a photo of her to use in my Paper Doll post yesterday, and I thought it was just charming! I love all the little drawings of lip shapes on the wall behind her too! The caption that goes(…)
Beauty and the Blitz: How to Wear 1940s Makeup
Beauty in the 1940s was a strange mixture of glamour and practicality. Despite harsh rationing and shortages of makeup and soap women were encouraged to look their best to help keep up morale. Here’s my guide to getting your 1940s makeup right. Let me know if you think I’ve missed anything out! Foundation / Base(…)
Mods and Mad Men: 1960s Makeup Tips
1960s makeup is perhaps one of the most recognizable of the vintage styles of makeup, whether you choose to go for doll-like makeup of Twiggy (above) or a more sophisticated Mad Men style look, it’s definitely all about the eyes… Base/Foundation For a 1960s look go for a good matte foundation topped powder so that(…)
1930s Beauty: Jean Harlow and the Rise of the Peroxide Blonde
Jean Harlow, the original blonde bombshell, started the trend for bleaching hair in the 1930s. Before this it was very much just prostitutes woman of ill-repute who coloured their hair, it certainly wasn’t something done by ‘nice girls’ When Harlow exploded onto the silver screen in the early 1930s her white blonde hair caused a(…)
Beauty Solutions of the 1940s: Wartime Workarounds
Beauty throughout the 1940s was dominated by wartime shortages and rationing. Clothing rationing ended in 1949 and soap rationing in 1950 so a real ‘make do and mend’ attitude was needed to get through the post-war years (sweets rationing didn’t end until 1953!). I remember my grandma telling me stories how they had to paint(…)
Classic Hollywood: The Art of the Eyebrow
There really was an art to eyebrow shaping back in Hollywood’s Golden Era. When each young actress had their big Hollywood studio makeover their brows were plucked and teased (and sometimes even removed and pencilled in) in the process of turning them from a regular girl to a screen goddess. Each leading lady was able(…)
1920s soap advert
A very pretty 1920s advert for Ivory Soap. Never has soap sounded so appealing! Hidden springs of beauty in your skin – set them free! In your marvelous skin itself Nature has set up a beauty shop! Did you know that? Complicated little cells renew its silken surface day by day… invisible springs of moisture(…)
Beautiful portraits of forgotten women
These beautiful photo portraits of all of women photographed in the 1920s and 1930s in Sydney Harbour, Australia. Sadly all of the names have been lost and none can be identified. Aren’t they stunning photos? [6 photos]
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