Tag Archives: beauty tip

Actress Beauty Tip #26: *Halloween Edition*

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This is the twenty-sixth  installment of the monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tsted.  

Need ideas thinking of a Halloween costume? This Comet Over Hollywood beauty tip is dedicated to one fairly easy classic movie related costume.

Elizabeth Taylor as “Cleopatra” in the 1963 epic.

Though Egyptian queen Cleopatra has been played by Theda Bara in 1917 and Claudette Colbert in 1934, the version that is best remembered is the 192 minute 1963 extravaganza starring Elizabeth Taylor. If you Google “Cleopatra make-up,” most of the photos and tutorials model their make-up off of Taylor’s portrayal.

What do you do: Put on a ton of eye make-up. Seriously.

I honestly didn’t follow a structured make-up video, I just looked at the above picture of Liz Taylor and copied it the best I could.

1. I used black Revlon liquid eye liner and drew large, swooping rectangles to the sides of my eyes and filled them in.  I also lined my bottom lid with a very thin line.

2. I used a turquoise colored Revlon powder eye shadow and applied that all the way up to my eyebrow and to where the extended eyeliner ended.

3. Put on a tad bit of bronzer. I’m pretty pale and didn’t want to look like a ghost with so much heavy make up.

4. Put on a black wig and some sort of headdress or band to go with it. I had a gold sequined headband that came in handy. Maybe throw on some large, gold, Egyptian looking earrings and jewelry as well.

5. Since I have blond eyebrows and was wearing a black wig, I applied some dark gold eye shadow to my eyebrows so the hair would match better.

Tad-ah! Now you look like Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. Or Cher. Whichever you prefer.

J.P. dressed up as Cleopatra. This was so much fun, but I look ridiculous in a wig.

To review: So you end up looking a little ridiculous, but I always have a blast putting on a ton of make up that you would never wear in your daily life.

Whatever you decide to be for Halloween, have fun and stay safe! If it’s classic movie related, stop by Comet and share your photos.

Tune in next month for November’s beauty tip.

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Actress Beauty Tip #25: Sophia Loren skin

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This is the twenty-fifth  installment of the monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested.  

Sophia Loren in the 1950s in LIFE magazine.

In honor of Sophia Loren’s 78th birthday today, I tried out her secret to health and beauty: olive oil.

The Italian sex symbol and Oscar winner, added a few table spoons of olive oil into her food. She also rubbed olive oil into her skin and added a few cap fulls into her bath to give her skin a glossy glow, according to Glamour.

If you remember, I also tried an olive oil related beauty tip in August, rinsing my hair with olive oil like Rita Hayworth did. Being oily makes my skin crawl, so I didn’t rub it into my skin. So I bathed with olive oil in a different way: I used it to shave my legs.

WARNING: This will leave your shower slippery due to the olive oil, so make sure to use soap to clean your shower afterwords. I’ll admit, I almost fell a few times.

Instead of using soap or shaving cream I used olive oil, after reading that it would give a closer shave.

Not only did it give a really close shave but also left my skin smooth, though slightly greasy.

To review: I liked the results and the slight oiliness wasn’t an issue, the only real annoyance was the mess it left in the shower. Otherwise, I will probably try this again.

Stop by back in October for another classic actress beauty tip. I plan on trying out classic film related make-up tutorials that can be used for Halloween!

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Actress Beauty Tip #17: Carole Lombard Curls

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**Firstly, happy birthday to my dad-famous to all of you for his insightful “Summer Place” comments 🙂 **

This is the seventeenth installment of the monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested.

1930s Carole Lombard hairstyle I was trying to copy

In honor of Carole Lombard’s birthday on October 6 (what also happens to be my mother’s birthday), I wanted to try to style my hair like her’s.

I’ve always loved the way her hair is a soft halo around her face, particularly in the late 1930s and early 1940s.  However my hair is too short to accurately copy that styles so I decided to try Carole”s early 1930s look.

I’m not the best at styling my hair so I kept it simple and used heat curlers.

After heating the curlers, I divided my hair into four sections-2 on my left and right side and one in the back. Then I rolled my hair under and all the way up to the root.  I kept my hair parted to the side when I rolled my hair. I let the curlers sit in my hair and then unrolled them. This was the result:

Front shot of my hair

Side shot

Back shot of my hair-had a hard time in the back with the short hair along my neck

To review:  I was pretty pleased with the way my hair turned out and thought it was sorta similar to early 1930s Carole. I did have a hard time rolling my hair because it was slick. If any of you have this issue, maybe try spraying a light coat of hairspray on your hair first- I’m going try this next time. My hair has been short since October 2009, but I plan on growing it out this year-that way I can test some 1940s actress hairstyles for more beauty tip fun.

Check back next month for November’s beauty tip. Also check back this weekend for more Carole Lombard fun for the Carole Lombard blogathon celebrating Carole’s 103 birthday!

Check out Carole & Co's blogathon!

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Actress Beauty Tip #15: Bette Davis Eyes

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Young Bette Davis

This is the fifteenth installment of our monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested.

Bette Davis is known for her eyes. There is a cheesy song that emulates them, people reference them all the time.

I came across a beauty regiment of Bette’s that I’ve always wanted to try that Miss Davis used to keep her eyes striking and bright.

I think we’ve all seen advertisements, television shows or movies where people lie around with cucumber slices on their eyes. I have always wondered, “What does this do? Is there any purpose?”

Bette Davis would put cucumber slices on her eyes at night and would sleep with petroleum jelly under her eyes. This was to help reduce swelling and dark circles under the eyes.

I have relaxed for 10 minutes before bed over the past week with cucumbers on my eyes.  I made sure I had washed off my make up before I did this so the cucumber would touch clean skin.

It gives sort of an odd sensation. The cucumber gave a cool and fresh sensation.

It is very relaxing sitting with your eyes closed for a few minutes. The skin around my eyes felt softer, but I’m not sure if it actually reduced puffiness or dark circles.

10 minutes with the cucumbers. Watch out for your pets!

I’ve been sleeping with petroleum jelly under my eyes for about a month and could tell a slight difference. Under my eyes seemed a little clearer.

To review: I could tell a small difference from the cucumbers but not large enough to do it every night.  Honestly, I think the only real way to get rid of dark circles is getting sleep.  However, if you are looking for a good way to relax this is perfect.

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Classic Actress Beauty Tip #14: Clear Katharine Hepburn complexion

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This is the fourteenth installment of our monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested.

Recently, Glamour magazine listed several classic actress beauty secrets. One that peaked my interest was how Katharine Hepburn had such clear skin.

It’s no secret that I am not the biggest fan of Katharine Hepburn, but I will admit that she had wonderfully clear skin.

Katharine Hepburn and her clear skin

Similar to Lana Turner using Four Mule Team Boraxo soap as an exfoliate, Hepburn had her own concoction.

Hepburn mixed lemon juice and sugar and scrubbed her face with it every night to keep her complexion clear, according to Glamour.

Recipes for the facial said to squeeze half a lemon and add water and a tablespoon of sugar to the mixture.

I’ll admit, I didn’t measure any of it and used way too much lemon juice. Regardless, it still made an invigorating scrub.

1. First I washed off my make-up with soap and cold cream. I’ve read several times, that to really get your skin clean, you must always wash your make-up off and then cleanse again.

2. I made the exfoliant mixture and got in the shower so it would possibly make less of a mess around my sink.

3. Scrubbed the lemon and sugar mixture on my face.

4. Rinsed it very well with cool water.

My face surprisingly didn’t feel sticky afterwards like I thought it would, but felt clean and smooth.

To review: It may be a good idea to measure the ingredients unlike I did. This seems to be a pretty good method, but be wary of sticky bathroom counters afterwards. Also, be careful of rubbing the sugar too hard. I rubbed too hard and my cheeks were a little red afterwards.

Stay tuned for August’s tip!

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Actress beauty tip #9: Red, red lips

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This is the ninth installment of my monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have tested.  This month I’m actually on time!

Rita Hayworth wore Max Factor Rose Red. Lana Turner wore Elizabeth Arden’s Victory Red.

Rita Hayworth in Max Factor lipstick ad

The 1940s and 1950s was a time of minimal eye make-up and concentration on the lips.  Popular lip colors during the 1940s were pink red, bright red, cherry red or deep red, according to a 20s-to-40s make-up guide.

Rita Hayworth in particular was known for her red lipstick, along with her long red finger nails. The lipstick was a style constant from the 1930s to the 1960s for Hayworth. She was also involved in a 1949 Max Factor lipstick advertising campaign. Hayworth’s lips were even voted the best in the world by the Artist’s League of America.

Bright red lipstick looks beautiful on many other actresses including Betty Grable, Linda Darnell and Gene Tierney.

However, I think the bright reds are a hard look to pull off today. I’m not sure why people of the 1940s and 1950s look naturally better with bright red lipstick than people today. Maybe it’s their complexion. Maybe its because we emphasize eyes more with liner, mascara and shadow now.

But red lipstick is so enticing. It makes you feel powerful, feminine and glamorous. I bought two Maybelline lipstick shades on a whim: Are You Red-dy and Peachy Scene.

Though I’ve worn red lipstick out, I look horrible. I don’t really know anyone who looks good with red lipstick. It either doesn’t go with their skin tone or they put on gobs of lipstick without bothering to blot it.

To review: Red lipstick may look great on Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth in the 1940s, but its hard to recreate this pin-up look while looking fabulous at the same time. I personally look better in peach and pink shades. Approach bright shades of red lipstick with caution.

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Actress beauty tip #8: Milk bath

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This is the eighth installment of my monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have tested. Sorry this is late, Christmas festivities slowed down the beauty testing!

In Cecil B. DeMille’s ancient Rome epic “The Sign of the Cross” (1932), Claudette Colbert plays the cruel, seductive Empress Poppaea.   The VERY pre-code film features Claudette Colbert bathing lavishly in donkey’s milk in a pool size tub.  A little trivia: In reality, Colbert wasn’t bathing in donkey’s milk, but powdered cow’s milk.  The scene wasn’t very pleasant for Colbert to film, because the milk spoiled under the hot studio lights and smelled bad, according to IMDB.

Claudette Colbert in Sign of the Cross (1932)

After “The Sign of the Cross” inspired this beauty tip, I did some research on the benefits of milk baths.  The protein and fat in milk helps make skin feel soft.  Milk is also a natural exfoliant, according to She Radiance.

I have to say, this is one of those beauty tips (like the champagne hair rinse)  that I feel pretty ridiculous for trying but is really fun.  Here is what I did:

1. I showered earlier this morning, the milk bath was NOT a substitute for a shower or bath.
2. I bought a gallon and a half of two percent Southern Home milk from Bi-Lo.  Some websites said you only needed to add four to six cups, but I wanted as much milk in my bath as I could afford. I certainly wasn’t going to fill the whole tub with milk, though, because that would have been too expensive.
3. I filled the tub with warm water and dumped the gallon and a half of milk into the tub.  You can heat your milk on the stove, but after the cold milk and hot water mixed, the water was at a good temperature.
4. Soak in the tub. I wasn’t really sure how long to bathe, so I soaked for about 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Dry off with an old towel and rinse out your tub with water.  I didn’t notice the bad milk smell that was warned. However, to be on the safe side I rinsed out the tub so my bathroom wouldn’t smell like sour milk.

To review:  After the bath my skin felt smooth and not as dry as it had before. Apparently the milk baths also makes you taste good, because my dachshund is licking my arm as I type.
In the future I may only put a half-gallon or a few cups in to save money. I do suggest this, it was fun and ridiculous a the same time.

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Actress beauty tip #7: False Eye Lashes

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1940s: Subtle lashes on Claudette Colbert

This is the seventh installment of my monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have tested. Sorry that this is a week late, finals have started at Winthrop and life has gotten busy!

Whether it be minimalistic eye make-up of the 1940s and 1950s or emphasized eyes of the 1960s, it is obvious actresses wore false eye lashes.  The lashes give their eyes an extra boost.  Prior to the 1950s it seemed like they weren’t wearing much make-up, but their lashes stood out looking full and beautiful. In the 1960s, the lashes only added more glamour too eyes already caked with eyeliner and eye shadow.

Actress Natalie Wood is one actress that wore false eye-lashes off screen.   Wood wore TWO layers of false eyelashes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, according to Suzanne Finstad’s book “Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood.”  Wood did this as her interest in fashion heightened and she was trying to have a darker look that she felt matched her Russian roots.

Natalie Wood in the 1960s wearing false eyelashes

Like Wood, I’ve worn false eye-lashes four or five times in the last seven years.  I love the way they make my lashes look, but I don’t find them very comfortable.  My eyes get dried out easily, especially because I wear contacts.  I’m always too afraid to blink, because I don’t want my lashes to fall off so for the rest of the day my eyes feel kind of dry and scratchy.

I also use the type that you apply the glue yourself, because I think it sticks better.  Self adhesive doesn’t stick very well and I usually end up applying more glue to it.  Though the glue sticks better, it also gets awfully messy and makes it hard to put mascara or eyeliner on your top lashes.

To review: False eyelashes make your lashes and eyes look great, but you pay a price of possible discomfort and sticky glue.

Stay tuned for some upcoming Christmas posts and January’s beauty tip!

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