A MEASURE OF STYLE - PART 2

THE 1930'S
saw Hollywood setting standards for beauty, and every movie idol wants to have their look tailor-made by Max Factor, celebrity make-up artist.. Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein also establish popular cosmetic ranges. For the first time, branded cosmetics become a luxury.
World War II has a dramatic effect on women's position in society. Max Factor introduces stocking cream in response to shortages. Make-up fulfils an important role as an instant feminiser and affordable morale booster, and is even produced in shades to match air-raid shelters and gas masks. Red lipstick is seen as a symbol of patriotism, as women defy hardship by maintaining their appearance.


THE 1950's
An explosion of colour - in everything from films to décor to fashion and make-up, epitomises post-war optimism. A boom in the luxury beauty industry - led by Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein - ensues. Avon begins the door-to-door cosmetics routine that is the bored housewives' best friend for the next 20 years.
Brigette Bardots’ dark smouldering eyes and Marilyn Monroe look is in.

THE 1960's
The ‘Cleopatra look’ is borrowed from Elizabeth Taylor where kohl pencil lines are dramatically extended. The emphasis remains on the eyes, with false eyelashes being cited as a must-have item by fashion pioneer Mary Quant, whose hair is fashioned into the revolutionary five-point 'bob' by Vidal Sassoon.

THE 1970's
The hippie look is clearly defined as make-up gets sexy and casually messy. Major cosmetics companies continue to ignore the need for a beauty range suited to darker skins.
Eyes were emphasised with black and sometimes cat like eye make up.
The no make up look of the early to mid 70's was increasingly replaced with heightened artificiality. Models had pale skin and deep red lips. The innocent doe eyed look was gone. Fashion had come a full circle.
Disco, bellbottoms, polyester and thick eyebrows characterized the seventies with icons Farrah Fawcett and Robert Redford both receiving 70 percent of the facial plastic surgeon votes. "The seventies embodied leading ladies who had defined features like Meryl Streep and Cher," said Pearlman. "But Farrah Fawcett's delicate nose and chin and well-developed cheek bones gave her the face of this decade, while Robert Redford's nose and strong jaw line illustrated why he was selected."

THE 1980's
Vanity is celebrated and decadent. Expertly applied make-up heightens the term ‘luxury’ to the woman and luxury beauty buys gain popularity. The 'Princess Di' hairstyle introduces the common man to the term ‘luxury’.
Product use in movies and television programs, especially sitcoms and soap operas, such as the “American Gigolo”, which was a showcase of Armani designs and contributed to the global appeal of the brand.

THE 1990's
Consumers become increasingly sophisticated. The battle to rid the body of cellulite with expensive creams and body-toners dominates, while the growing interest in celebrity looks sees top make-up artists such as Bobbi Brown launching highly successful independent ranges. Meanwhile, Isabella Rossellini, famously dumped by Lancome for being too old at 43, launches her own Manifesto range, designed to suit women of all ages.
The launch of Calvin Klein’s CK One in 1993 provided the symbol of a unisex fragrance that revolutionised the fragrance market. The scent appealed to both male and female and was an instant success.


Into the 21st Century
The anti-ageing cream becomes king. Quick-fix treatments, such as collagen lip implants and 'Botox', facial skin peels and electric wave therapy, are increasingly popular.

THE 2000

THE LOOK- RICH, REBELLIOUS AND SERIOUSLY SEXY
Smouldering eyes with lashes getting longer and sexier. Lots of liquid eyeliner. Natural toned shades in brown, plums, grays for the eyes. Thicker eyebrows. Blusher is natural mainly to draw attention to either stronger lips or eyes. Berries, Wines, and Browns seem to dominate in lipstick. The ’punk-chic’ look of the 80’s is back.
Nails take a new twist. Something that was rather slow to take off but which seems to be catching on is the inverted French manicure - pale nails with dark tips, or the more glamorous deep red with gold tips.
Hair is exciting and free - longer, full shaggy looks accented by soft perms and body waves. Color is softer and less adventurous. We step away from geometric shapes to more carefree, less structured styles shoulder length for both men and women.
Fresh, clean fragrances are popular, nothing overpowering. Fracas by Robert Piguet. Favoured by John Galliano, Joan Collins & Madonna
Mystic Tan becomes the official UV-Free tan of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.


2001
THE LOOK – SENSUOUS APPEAL
Shorter, layered "messy" hair. More are coloring their hair, and highlights are still the rage! Makeup is darker eyes, with brighter lip colors. The Farrah Faucett look of the mid-70's is back. Women here are going for less perms and a more natural look. The makeup is the glittery and shimmery -- especially the silvers. Also, the three-layer look is "in" here, with the lightest shadow for the brow bone, the dark in the crease and under the lower lashes, with the medium color on the lid. Lipsticks are glossy colors.
Acrylic nails are the big thing here too!


2oo2

THE LOOK – BOHEMIAN CHICA
Its either the smoky sexy look, using colors ranging from a sooty black to lavender. Or... it is natural. This consists of neutrals to contour the eye ,with loads of black mascara. Blusher is natural and the focus is either on the mouth or the eye, never both. Colors are pretty intense, ranging from burgundy to berry tones for the mouth. For the neutral look, go for glosses.
Long bangs are still popular - either long, layered or wispy. Shoulder length, loose and sexy hair with lots of swing is how it is.
Its fresh florals to exotic spices in fragrances - an eclectic mix .
2002 and 2003 ushered in luxury in styling. Celebrity endorsements became imperative for luxury brands. Chanel appointed Nicole Kidman as the face of the legendary perfume No.5.
Cosmetic surgery becomes mainstream luxury now.

2003

THE LOOK – VENUS RISING

Soft shimmery pastels rule while pinks, lilacs, peaches and browns dominate every aspect. Heavily inked eyes as black eyeliner with the 60’s influenced thick line match up with nude lips swiped with gloss. Red lips with a nice touch of shine are the emphasis with this look. Everything else is toned down.
Dusky, smoky, lined eyes, purple shades of shadow bronze cheeks tell a story of their own. Sexy, pretty and feminine. Matt, bronzed skin - sheer, light foundation.
Flat hair is out while the shag of the late 60’s is the rage- with choppy layers and sexy bangs, a little longer with softer edges and a chunkier look around the perimeter.
Square nails are replaced with a squared-oval with pale colors to make them look longer.
It's Indecence by Givenchy for that warm and sensual fragrance.

2004

THE LOOK- TEQUILA SUNRISE
Gently shimmering make-up adds glimmer without the full-on spangle of glitter. Brightly colored eyeshadow.
Lips aren’t a major focus this summer but the mouth goes deep pink
Join the marines with the season's aqua make-up shades in deep blues and light mints. The fake tan is less orange and more natural than ever before.
Going tropical is the brightest beauty trends for summer. Blend juicy orange with grenadine shades.
Interesting reds, browns, coffee colors are hot this season as 2004 is the year of the brunette. Big bouncing hair is in. Blonde seems out.
Tousled and tantalizing. Casual messy. Curls undone.
The season's obsession with flowers translated into hair corsages.
Casual curls were in while the men opted for poker straight hair.
Cacharel's Anais Anais, the ultimate floral scent, is back too.


2005

THE LOOK- THE LOVE GLOW

With clothes taking on a colorful embellished mix, make-up was subtle and quiet. Long flirty lashes, sultry eyes with a pulled out liner, slightly smoked out eyes in black, grey and browns. Very Marilyn Monroe and Brigette Bardot –casual and easy flowing, worn simply with a pale, golden tan. Pouts wore a soft sunset tones or a colorless gloss. A soft pink blusher completed the look of love.
The essential school girl accessory- the band, is back with a vengeance - be it huge and padded or thin, plastic and shiny.
Hair color is big while tone-to-tone highlights work, if at all. The lift is back with more volume.
Creed Silver's Mountain water, a unisex fragrance inspired by the French mountains creates magic.


2006

THE LOOK- CALL OF THE WILD

Arrogant and powerful… oozing attitude… Flirty eye lashes, dramatic eyeliner and red hot lips. The sultry cat like eyes with a pulled out liner, colored kajals in blues, purples and greens and a nude gloss. Bronzers are substituted with dark foundation for a tan.
Light bases, glowing skins with iridescent powders.Pouts get pooched with glossy pinks, vanilla and plums while the Oriental look ushers in the dramatic richness that only reds and dark peaches can.

Face-framing layers in this year. People are adventurous enough to add short and long layers to get that edgy look. Hair colour is ash gold for streaks and chocolate brown for full hair. Accessories make a comeback with headbands in combination with shorter bob styles to hold back the hair for a professional look, and to add a little glitz to the style. Barrettes and combs also make a splash to add some versatility.
For men, the slightly longish very shagged look takes on as does short hair with spikes and jagged fronts. Burgundy, purple, reds and platinum blondes a rage. Trends change from just a head of highlights all over to just flashes of color at the right places to emphasize the style. The salt and pepper look and just a few flashes of copper and blonde for men would also be a rage.
Nails now sport a curved, oval shape.




By Invitation only

Beauty is yet another name for luxury and opulence. Products therefore are getting more expensive by the day.
Primavera Relax Bath Oil is the most expensive oil costing $20.00 while Serums or moisturizers are typically the most expensive products within a skincare line.

Olay Age-Defying Daily Renewal Cream, which typically sells for around $5 per ounce (more expensive than caviar). Given the whopping amounts of money that people are willing to spend fighting the effects of aging, it should come as no surprise that haute couture skincare isn't cheap.

So what makes these products so expensive? For one thing, many of them are made from expensive ingredients such as crushed pearls, caviar and exotic antioxidants extracted from rare plants like the Chilean evergreen tree. Other popular components are anti-oxidants like grape seed extract, alpha lipoic acid, chamomile oils and green tea--protectants that are said to reduce skin damage from free radicals. Among the most important ingredients are customized cell messenger proteins such as peptides and epidermal growth factor that stimulate cell growth.

Celebrities like Madonna, Liv Tyler and Susan Sarandon swear by Tracie Martyn's products--and her $460 Resculpting Facial which involves the use of a special device that delivers electrical currents. The currents cause temporary muscle shortening, and have the effect of lifting and tightening the skin.

Dior Eyes is the first contact lense to be released by a luxury company.
The French brand has come up with two sets of contact lenses designed by John Galliano. These innovative contact lenses don't change eye colours, but rather enhance them with a special technical process exclusive to Dior. Each pair will last for a maximum of two months. The lenses are available in a silver box with a sliding case and mirror or in a pret-a-porter silver box.
While Cosmetic surgery procedures are common, it still continues to be a privilege of the super rich. A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the U.S. runs about $1,250 in South Africa.
There has been an increase in number of celebrity endorsements for beauty establishing luxury in beauty. Italian luxury brand Versace has used music icon Madonna and Hollywood stars Demi Moore and Halle Berry in its print advertisements between 2005 and 2006. Likewise Sharon Stone in Dior and Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Elizabeth Taylor for Elizabeth Arden, Scarlett Johansson, and Uma Thurman in Vuitton ads.
Cartier’s “Le Baiser du Dragon is a fusion of powerful elements including notes of bitter almond, gardenia, cedar, musk, and patchouli with the bottle being an architectural masterpiece. At $83,170.00, it is the world's most expensive perfume. The fragrance, created by renowned British perfumer Arthur Burnham, is held in a 4 inch bottle made in platinum, 24 carat gold, diamonds and rubies. Encasing the bottle in a very special box constructed by Rolls Royce coach builders, locked with a gold and jewel studded key, is called Parfum VI.