Red wine lips, structured waves and smouldering eyes; now's the time to be inspired by The Great Gatsby's 1920s beauty style, writes Judy Johnson
Last night the Cannes Film Festival kicked off with the long awaited Baz Luhrmann adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and it's clear the film has made an impact on many a red carpet choice. We've already seen plenty of embellishment and vintage hairstyles at the TV BAFTAs , and the film festival is no exception to the budding twenties trend. Leading ladies from Cara Delevingne to Lana Del Rey defied the downpours to look flawless in their twenties-inspired outfits, which wouldn't look out of place on The Great Gatsby set.
With plenty of lace, jewels and beading making an entrance, it'd be easy to get distracted by the fashion of the era, but here at Get the Gloss we couldn't take our eyes off the flawlessly chic make-up and hair of those who chose to emulate the glamour of the festival's opening film. No matter what your take on the latest adaptation, it's sure to make an impression on the beauty world - read on to find out how you can channel your inner Daisy Buchanan…
The hair
If there's one place to experiment with this look, it's the hair. Back in the day the trend was for firmly sideswept partings, immaculately cut bobs and structured, volumised locks. Of course, the most iconic style of the '20s was the sleek waves. As Tom Greenhouse , Style Director at Daniel Galvin Junior explains, “This particular look is reminiscent of Old Hollywood Glamour. It’s a classy and timeless hair style that shows off great colour and has striking effect. It’s all about hold and super high shine.”
To get the look, Tom recommends these three steps:
Step 1: Prep
- To get the best out of this style in terms of manageability at-home, wash your hair the day before to giving it a little more ‘grip’. Any dirtier, the hair can look a little opaque and lose shine.
- Towel dry hair and apply Organic Head Huge Hair Mousse , £4, from the roots to the ends, evenly combing it through section by section
- To offer more shine and eradicate any frizziness when heat styling, apply Organic Head Anti-Frizz Serum , £4, through the lengths and ends
- Divide hair into 3 sections horizontally across your head to allow control
Step 2: Set
- Using a 1 Inch size tong – start from the back tonging each section downwards, parallel to the next, concentrating more on the front sections
- Then, section off a side parting and sweep across, smoothing the crown over, before using your hand like a paddle to ‘mould’ the position of waves.
- Pin each ‘finger wave’ (the kink of the wave at the front of your head) with a section clip or grip, alternating each placement of the grip to back to front. Put a little piece of paper under each grip to avoid crimping the wave and keeping it smooth
- Spray lightly with a setting hairspray and leave for 20 minutes
Step 3: Finish
- Once your waves are prepared and set, if hair is longer, sweep the hair around the side and pin securely at the nape of the neck at one side
- Spray with setting finishing spray Organic Head Extra Hold Hairspray , £4
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The face
Back in the roaring '20s women were bold with their make-up, opting for a pale, porcelain base to offset the dramatic colour worn on their eyes and lips. After using MAC's Prep + Prime Skin , £19.50, to ensure it stays put, go for a nude foundation such as Clarins Skin Illusion in Ivory , £26, dusted off with a vintage-style powder such as Paul & Joe's Face Powder N , £30, which is beautifully packaged and adds a silky smooth finish.
Team with daintily rosy cheeks courtesy of CremeBlend Blush in Something Special , £17.50, from MAC and you're good to go.
The eyes
For sultry eyes with a '20s twist, it's all about shimmering darkness with flecks of colour. Make-up Designer Maurizio Silvi, the make-up artist for Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, explains what was used on Carey Mulligan and her co-stars.
"A MAC custom eyeshadow palette was created with shades in Scene, Contrast, Nehru, and Club. A variation of colour combinations was used on the majority of the party looks. Pigments in Copper, Rose Gold and Antique Green were also used on the lids to pop the eyes. The colours chosen were inspired by the cars of the period."
For a modern take on the smouldering look, we love Lancome's Hynose Drama Eyes Palette , £37, for a dark eye lifted with a touch of shimmering pink, or for the classic smokey eye try Max Factor's Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow in Onyx Smoke , £6.99, which you can nip in your handbag and top up with all night.
Use Clinique's Chubby Stick for eyes in Portly Plum, £16, for a rich touch of colour and be sure to line the inside of lids and corners with a nude pencil such as Rimmel's Scandaleyes Kohl , £3.99, to open them up for a wide-awake glow. On set, Silvi says liner was a key part of the look. "Eyes were lined with Eye Kohl in Smolder and Feline and always blended out to appear “smudgy.”
Add lashings of mascara such as Clinique's High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara , £17, for a finish worthy of the big screen.
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The lips
The classic pout of the '20s is defined and dark; think of a deep merlot and you're on the right track. For the film, Silvi used various shades from the MAC range including the GTG favourite Ruby Woo , £14. We love Lipstick Queen Poppy King's lipstick in Deep Red Sinner, £18, for a dramatic look that's perfectly opaque.
The nails
Immaculate nails are a must for old-time glamour reminiscent of the '20s, but don't feel you have to stick to pillar-box reds. Rich, indulgent colours are the key to the time of the flapper girls; try a gorgeous gold-bronze such as Estee Lauder's Nouveau Riche , £13.05, or go for a twist on a primary red with Mavala's Montevideo , £4.30, a timeless product itself as one of the first six polishes they released 50 years ago.
If a luxurious, metallic purple is better for your fashion-forward approach then Nails Inc's Crown Court shade, £11, will set the tone for your talons perfectly.