Hair and Makeup Inspiration for the Women of South Pacific
 Please take a look at the information below. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Charbonneau (jscharbonneau@verizon.net or call her at 301.412.4029). If you need to purchase any makeup for this production, you may purchase the recommended products through Sara at her website: http://www.marykay.com/scharbonneau3. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to RMT.
Military Women of the 1940s
The photos above are representative military looks for women from the early 1940s/WWII era. As you will see, most women wore their hair in a chin-length, curled around the face bob with their hat. In every day life, and military life, women of the 40s were completely put together. No matter what the weather, they looked impeccable.

Typical Hairstyles for Women of the 1940s

Movie Star Liknesses

Betty Grable (#1 WWII pin-up)
Judy Garland (popular movie star)
Rita Hayworth (#2 WWII pin-up)
Mitzi Gaynor (the "movie Nellie")

Required Makeup for Large Stage Performances: Women
Natural beauties (natural with "a little support") were the ideal of the forties. Click on the images to purchase these products.

1

Foundation

Choose a medium-coverage, waterbased foundation that is 2-3 shades darker than your natural coloring. Use your neck color as your guide. You will apply the foundation all over your face, neck and blend into your chest (if your chest will be showing). Try to apply as smoothly and evenly as possible.

Avoid the temptation to use a wedge sponge - unless you have a lot of area to cover. Your fingers are your best applicator for foundation.
2
Highlighter

This facial highlighing pen serves several purposes. You will want to use it to cover any darkness on your face (under-eye circles, jowl lines, and blemishes).



The highlighter also contains a reflective quality that will help bring light to your face. You will want to use the highlighter up underneath your eyebrows and on the top of your cheek bones (under your eyes at a 45 degree angle outwards).

Use your fingers to blend.
3

Powder

You will choose a pressed powder color that matches your foundation color. Powder is used after foundation and concealer and is used to set the foundation in place. It is also great under the lights to keep your face from looking shiny.

You may apply with a round sponge, but a large brush is best.



Investing in a good brush set, like the one above, will last you forever!
4

Bronzer

Bronzer is the makeup artists' trick item. This will wake up your skin, give light to your face as well as give you a healthy glow - remincent of a light suntan.

Bronzer should be used all over your face and body (wherever you have put foundation and powder) with a light dusting. Use more bronzer on areas where you would naturally get more sun - like your nose, cheeks (no need for blusher!), forehead and the tops of your shoulders.

A large powder brush is the best applicator for bronzer.
5

Blusher

To get a natural rosy look popular rouge colors were red with pinkish undertones, bright pinks with fuchsia undertones and bright roses.

To apply you will want a nice round and slightly stiff brush for the best, natural coverage. Smile. Start at the apples of your cheeks and work in a circular motion. There should be no straight lines on the face.
6

Brow Liner

Eyebrows were kept fairly natural in thickness, but were manicured into clean, well defined arches and accented by use of a dark brown pencil.

Choose a brow pencil that matches your natural brow color and apply with short, light strokes. You shouldn't "see" the brow liner lines, instead, the browliner should darken and thicken the brows.
7
The Eyes Have It!

You will need the following tools to achieve the 40s look:
  • Black Mascara (buy it now)
  • Brushes and/or Applicators (buy it now)
  • Eye Lash Curler
  • Eye Shadow Primer (buy it now)
  • False Eyelash Glue
  • False Eyelashes (Ardell 113; ~ 3 pair)
  • Tweezers (if needed)
  • Cream Highlighting Shadow (buy it now)
  • White Pencil
  • Eye Makeup Remover (for eyes and lips) (buy it now)
Eye Makeup Application Steps

Apply your false eyelashes. For a strong hold, apply adhesive to false lashes, count to 20 and then apply over a clean lashline.

After the eyelash glue has dried, apply the eye primer. This will keep your eyemakeup in place throughout your performance. It is great for every day, but especially important under the hot lights.

Apply your brown or black eyeliner. Fair to beige skintones should use brown (bronze for blue eyes, sable for green or brown eyes); bronze skintones should use black (charcoal).

A great tip is to blend and set the eyeliner
pencil with a complimentary eyeshadow shade.

You will place the eyeliner in the areas marked in the picture above. Make sure that you apply the eyeliner outside of your eye right at the lash root. Doe eyes, ladies!

White pencil is used to accentuate your eyes. You will want to line the inside of your eyelids with it to make your eyes appear larger on stage.

Next, you will apply your eyeshadow:

1. First, you will apply your lightest color, or
    highlight.
2. Then you will move to the lid of your eye
    and apply your midtone shade.
3. Finally, in the outside crease of your eye,
    you will apply your accent, or darkest
    shade.

The eyeshadow colors to the left represent the highlight, midtone and accent shades for fair to beige skintones and those using brown eyeliner.

The eyeshadow colors to the right represent the highlight, midtone and accent shades for bronze and darker skintones and those using black eyeliner.

After you have applied your eye shadow, you will want to use a creamy reflective eyeshadow, like Eyesicles® (vanilla for fair-beige and bronze for bronze and darker skintones) to further accent your brow bone, upper cheek bone and the inside of your eye (where your nose and eye meet).

Then, you're ready for the final step. When applying mascara to false, or natural lashes, you will want to first curl them. One eye at a time. Count to 10 while you are curling them. Then, start with your mascara at the root of the lashes (false and natural), count to 10 and shimmy up. Keep doing that until the desired amount of mascara has been applied. More mascara should be applied on the outside lashes. Don't forget to mascara your lower lashes!
8
The Perfect Pout

Lipstick was "the it" thing in the 40s. Many times, it was the only cosmetic a woman could afford, so special attention should be paid here. You will need the following to create this look:

For lips all shades of red including clear bright reds, cherry reds, pinkish reds, and orange reds were popular. Two different color plans for lipstick use existed. On the on hand the "monotone", where lipstick was used to support a glorified natural look (includes light red, reddish orange, and raspberry tones) and on the other hand the "contrast", where lips brought a definite accent (includes cherry red, crimson and vermillion shades). In any case lips should look full and soft. To increase effect the top lip was slightly exaggerated.

Lip Makeup Application Steps

First, apply a lip primer to the lips. This will help condition your lips, keeping them soft and supple and helps your lipstick stay on longer.

After you have let the lip primer dry, outline your lips with a lip liner. If you are looking for slightly fuller, or exaggerated lips (popular in the 40s), exaggerate your top lip, only.

Once your lips have been lined, fill in the lip your lip liner. This also helps keep your lip color true and the lipstick on longer.

Now it is time for your lipstick. You don't need a special brush for this (unless you are scraping the bottom of the tube). Start on your upper lip, working inside to outside. Then apply to your lower lip.

The final, and one of the most important steps is to apply lip gloss to the inside of your top and bottom lips. This makes them look fuller and more youthful.

As for colors, take a look at your theatre tool kit to see what you have. True colors like reds (with blue or brown), neutrals (like chocolate) and corals are very appropriate and look great on stage for this period. Be sure to coordinate your lip gloss, lip liner and lipstick colors.