The Swinging 60s: Flower Power and Mod Fashion
As women went back to the workforce or to get an education, they needed less time-consuming beauty rituals. For that reason, they chose more practical hairstyles. And complimented them with a fresh-face. The look of the 60s was clean, uncomplicated and in a word, modern.
Flower Power Sixties Hairstyles
Straight hair was in. Sometimes long, sometimes as short as the bob cut from the 1920s. It was simple, pulled back and curled into a bun or coiled and pinned in place. The bouffant was a popular ‘do at the time. This style involved sweeping the hair up and piling it high on top of the head, often in curls and garnished with ribbons or barrettes.
Makeup for Mod Fashion
Foundation was matte and slightly tan to make up for the lack of blush. Lips were left nude, covered with foundation or in shimmering, metallic shades. With the landscape of the face being so pale, eyes became the main focus. Mascara was applied so thick that the lashes looked spiky like false eyelashes. And the fake lashes that women wore were coated with an additional layer of mascara. Eyeliner, called kohl, was generously applied all the way around the eye. And to complete the look, bluish-green eye shadow was swept all the way up to the browbone for the look of big eyes.
How to apply makeup for 60s fashion
To achieve the mod makeup look, start with a pale foundation. Apply that all over your face, including on your lips. Next, use black eyeliner to line top and bottom lids. Then, glue on fake eyelashes, coating them with a few more layers of mascara. Then cover the entire lid with blue-green eyeshadow up to the browbone. Finish with a pale lipstick or white if you can find it.
How to style hair like a lady of the 60s
To get that mod 60s hair style, start by separating part of your hair in front for thick bangs. Then divvy up the rest of your hair into three sections, starting midway towards the back of your head. Using 2 inch curlers, roll your hair away from face. Separate the leftover hair into four sections, and continue rolling in the same direction. Leave rollers until hair is set.
Release hair from rollers and brush up all around the head, teasing hair across the top for height. Secure hair just behind the crown. Separate it in two sections and tie in a loose knot, pinning in place along the way. The two ends are then arranged in loose curls down one side.
Style Icons for the Flower Power and the 60s
Trendsetters in this era tended to be models and actresses, with a few exceptions.
- Twiggy - known for her alluring false eyelashes
- Edie Sedgwick - the "it" girl of the time, with her dark black kohl eyeliner
- Audrey Hepburn - every one wanted to be her in Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Jackie Kennedy - made the bouffant hairdo popular