$200

Betty Draper

One of my favorite TV shows is Mad Men.  There are many reasons for this, but one of the fascinating things about this show is the attention to detail.  Take, for instance, Betty Draper’s makeup.  You can literally zoom in on the month and year of this show by taking a closer look at the hair, makeup and fashion.  What do most people think of when they think of ’60′s makeup?  “Mod” is the first thing that comes to my mind;  Twiggy, nude lips (I read somewhere that girls would actually crush up white eye shadows and mix the powder with pink lip gloss to achieve a really nude lip), bold eyes with  heavily mascaraed lashes, pastel greens and blue eye shadow, thick black “cat-eye” eye liner, mini skirts, gogo boots, really teased hair, I could go on.  But Mad Men makes you realize that in the first part of the decade women were transitioning from the more conservative, formal, lady-like 1950′s era.  Women still wore their complicated corsets and girdles, and gloves were worn to the grocery store as well as to formal events.  Think Jackie Kennedy, Chanel suits, pillbox hats and French manicured fingertips.  Pastel lip colors were favored for day, especially for a younger woman. Women could wear red lipstick by day and it was the most popular choice for evening. Pan-cake foundation achieved a flawless complexion.  Lips colors promised a lush, full and usually matte pucker (frosts were introduced very late in the 1950′s and didn’t catch on until the late ’60′s).  Rouge (not called “Blush” yet) was plopped on the apples of the cheeks in 2 circles.  Eye shadow was minimal in neutral tones; natural looking. Betty’s skirts are slowly getting shorter, but s-l-o-w-l-y… UNTIL WE GET TO THE ROME EPISODE!  I love this transformation! It’s like getting a sneak peek/ fast forward to what fashion and beauty in the U.S. will look like in just a few short years.

For a fascinating interview with the hair and makeup team responsible for Betty’s stunning Roman makeover, go to http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/2009/10/mad-men-hair-and-makeup.php.

Betty's Roman transformation; fast forward to mod

the 1950's requisite weekly trip to the beauty parlor.

glamorous 1950's housewife a.k.a. June Cleaver... note red lipstick, pleated swing skirt, ladylike cardigan, laquered hair, doe eyes