This week’s High-Five Friday are a mixed lot of glamorous vintage fashion and film history and collectibles — and news.

1. At The Vintage Powder Room, researching The Lady Conceta face powder box — including a discussion of shawls & Lupe Velez.

2. At Kitsch Slapped, the unfairness of showing an obsessive collector playing cards with silent film star photos.

3. Cliff Aliperti gives his blog a cool name: Immortal Ephemera! (Here’s the story of the name.)

4. Shopping Alert! Violetville Vintage, an eBay seller that I’ve mentioned a few times at this blog (at least in terms of posting about individual vintage fashion finds), has a new store site: Violetvillevintage.com.

5. And, because I have a lot of old photos and vintage magazines, I’m thinking of attending the Organizing a Bookmark Collection and How To Store And Display Your Bookmark Collection sessions at the Bookmark Collectors Virtual Conference — if you mention Inherited Values when you register, you might get a free, limited edition, commemorative bookmark too.

Tags: collectibles, Makeup, Shopping, vintage, vintage glamour

High-Five Fridays are easy ways to acknowledge cool articles you’ve read during the week, or a way to give a high-five to a blog or blogger you just like in general by giving them a link — and some readers, we hope! Here are mine for this week:

1 One of Klaudia’s Shoe Fits is finding boots like Brigitte Bardot wore in 1968’s Shalako.

2 At GadaboutMedia, Deanna looks at the shades of history in cosmetic powder colors.

3 At Collectors’ Quest, Val Ubell wishes she had saved her clothing because it’s vintage now — and I agree! (Not only do I wish I had saved more of my own clothing for the return of the 80s, but if Val had saved her own there would be more to buy!)

4 & 5 At Kitsch Slapped, Deanna (how does she write it all?!) shows us vintage cosmetic products used to hide bare legs during wartime rationing — and, while researching vintage mesh purses, she discovered an unusual bit of film history.

Tags: beauty, collectibles, cosmetics, film history, handbags, Makeup, Shoes, vintage fashion, vintage glamour

In the March 27, 1950 issue of Quick Magazine (sent to me by Deanna — who continues to drag me into her snare of ephemera), an article on “Cherry Bounce,” a new color in lipstick, rouge, and nail polish from Dorothy Gray.

News of Dorothy Gray Cherry Bounce, 1950

The very brief Quick article says the colors danced their way onto the fashion scene on the heels of a new dance invented by the Fred Astaire dancers.

Now dancing couples do The Cherry Bounce in store windows across the country, music publishers have translated it into sheet music and Mercury has recorded it for American’s bouncing juke boxes.

I could find very little of this dance-cum-color… A vintage ad for Dorothy Gray’s Cherry Bounce in a College of William And Mary publication, dated March 21, 1950 (link is to PDF; ad is below).

Vintage Ad For Cherry Bounce Cosmetics By Dorothy Gray

I was surprised I didn’t find anything “cherry bounce” in connection with the Fred Astaire dancers — maybe fans of Fred can turn up something about the dance? However, I was able to disc-cover that Mercury indeed did put out the Cherry Bounce recording. It was by Bobby Sherwood And His Orchestra, Mercury # 5468 (March 14, 1950)

This recording featured Kai Winding, as part of Sherwood’s orchestra; Winding would later be known for his service as Music Director for the Playboy Club — now that’s a Cherry Bounce! *wink*

Kai Winding At Playboy Club, 1966

If anyone has more info — especially color images of Dorothy Gray “Cherry Bounce” cosmetics, recordings of the song, copies of the sheet music, etc., please share!

Tags: beauty, cosmetics, history, Makeup, music, vintage glamour, vintage magazines

I know you’ve quite possibly been getting dizzy from all the circle skirt & Vertigo posts of late (and I promise other stuff is coming soon!), but I couldn’t help but show you this darling vintage powder compact with artwork by Hilda Terry. Look at her shake that circle skirt! (He sure is lol)

Hilda Terry Vintage Powder Compact

For more on Hilda Terry, visit 8HendersonPlace.com.

Tags: Accessories, beauty, circle skirts, collectibles, cosmetics, Makeup, vintage glamour

For all the things which ail us in Vergito, there’s one thing I and my fellow film-fashion-istas agree upon and that is being haunted by the lovely Kim Novak.

Gazing Upon Kim Novak's Beauty Gazing Upon Another Beauty In Vertigo

While none of us would be as creepy as Jimmy Stewart and force another woman to look just like Novak, we do all admit there would be nothing wrong with emulating Kim’s iconic look in Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Perhaps the look that most accentuates Novak’s fair and classic beauty in a most decidedly nostalgic and dreamy way is that grey suit — yes, that grey suit that Stewart menacingly stalks and deplorably directs his new girl into wearing.

Kim Novak In Iconic Grey Suit In Vertigo

The little grey suit has it’s own story which explains why the ensemble was so suit-ed to Novak’s role as Madeleine Elster. Director Alfred Hitchcock wanted to give Madeleine’s clothing — and therefore herself — an eerie appearance. So costume designer Edith Head selected the grey suit, saying it would be “odd” for a blonde woman to be wearing all grey, as it can tend to wash a fair woman’s complexion. This, along with some other details, would have the desired, “eerie” and haunting effects.

In order for that suit, or any similarly styled grey suit in a curve-accentuating classic vintage style to really work on Novak in such a way, Novak had to be a blonde. But not just any blonde. Neither a brassy yellow or a bright and bold platinum would work; Novak’s hair would have to be a lovely ashy-blonde.

Ashy Not Brassy Blonde Novak in Vertigo

And Kim — as the sough-after lost-lover, Madeleine — has demure lady-like makeup in neutral ashy tones of taupe, grey and light peach lips. This prevailing ash-tone-wash of color is continued in Madeleine’s ensemble — her gloves, for example, are taupe, not, as her pumps are, a contrasting black.

Overall, this use of tonal-wash is much like today’s use of pastels in set & costuming to create the feel of a black and white film. The more subtle colors lend themselves to a washed-out “living in the shades and shadows of grey” look which mimics classic black and white film (save, perhaps, for the film noir style) and when applied to just one character, makes them pale by comparison in ways which draw attention and make them seem less real at the same time.

Why then would Madeleine’s shoes be black? More “eerie” and off-putting by design. Not only would black pumps seem fashion-backward in the 1950’s world of matching accessories (and therefore more “odd”), but Hitchcock had other reasons which likely mirrored, in an odd way, Novak’s personal fashion thoughts on shoes (Novak believed your shoes should “match your head,” as you’ll soon see). It is my opinion, that the black shoes are the one thing that anchor Novak in those scenes as Madeleine; they are the one thing that tether her eerie and ethereal beauty to the world — Jimmy Stewart’s world and the viewer’s.

When playing Judy, however, not all of Madeleine’s fashion and makeup tricks were used. For example, the same neutral ashen cosmetic tones may be applied when Novak’s alter-ego (or true self, Judy Barton) is forced to have a make-over — but note that Judy’s eyebrows are fuller and darker, the eye make-up still more defined, that the soft blurred and blended regal yet ethereal beauty of phantom Madeleine.

Kim Novak as Judy as Madeleine in Vertigo

If you are film fashion obsessed like I am, you might enjoy this interview Kim Novak did with Stephen Rebello for The MacGuffin (2004), in which Kim discussed her Vertigo wardrobe:

SR: Costume designer Edith Head was quoted as saying that you arrived on the set with all sorts of preconceived notions about what you would and wouldn’t wear.
KN: I was always opinionated. Once we were making Vertigo, Hitchcock never questioned anything about what I was doing character-wise. Before shooting started, he sent me over to Edith Head, who showed me a set of drawings. When I saw them, the very first thing I said was, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t wear black shoes.’ When she said, ‘Alfred Hitchcock wants you to wear these shoes,’ I said, ‘I’m sure he doesn’t mind.’ I didn’t think it would matter to him what kind of shoes I wore. I had never had a director who was particular about the costumes, the way they were designed, the specific colors. The two things he wanted the most were those shoes and that gray suit. When Edith Head showed me that gray suit, I said, “Oh, my god, that looks like it would be very hard to act in. It’s very confining.’ Then, when we had the first fitting of the dress, it was even worse and I said, ‘This is so restrictive.’ She said, ‘Well, maybe you’d better talk to Alfred Hitchcock about this.’

SR: How did that conversation go?
KN: I went in and he said, ‘I understand you don’t like these black shoes.’ He asked me why and I said, ‘I tell you, black shoes always sort of make me feel I’m pulled down. I’ve always felt that your feet should be the same as the top of your head, so that you’re connected. Wearing the black shoes would make me feel as if I were disconnected.’ He heard me out. And then he said, ‘Fine. When you play the role of Judy, you will not have to wear black shoes. When you are playing Madeleine, you will wear them.’ When he put it like that — after all, he’s the director – I said, ‘OK.’

SR: How did being opinionated lead to any other disagreements between you and Hitchcock?
KN: I really wanted the chance to express myself and he allowed me that chance. It felt OK because he had heard me out. He felt my reasons weren’t good enough, they weren’t right. I just wanted to be heard as far as what I felt. So, I thought, ‘I’ll live with the grey suit.’ I also thought, ‘I’m going to use this. I can make this work for me. Because it bothers me, I’ll use it and it can help me feel like I’m having to be Madeleine, that I’m being forced to be her. I’ll have it as my energy to play against.’ It worked. That suit and those shoes were a blessing. I was constantly reminded that I was not being myself, which made it right for Madeleine. When I went out of Alfred Hitchcock’s office, I remember his wonderful smile when he said, ‘I’m so glad we had this talk.’ I think he saw that this was going to be good. He didn’t say to me, ‘Now use that,’ he allowed me to arrive at that myself.

SR: Was it your idea not to wear a bra when you played Judy.
KN: That’s right, when I played Judy, I never wore a bra. It killed me having to wear a bra as Madeleine but you had to because they had built the suit so that you had to stand very erect or you suddenly were not ‘in position.’ They made that suit very stiff. You constantly had to hold your shoulders back and stand erect. But, oh that was so perfect. That suit helped me find the tools for playing the role. It was wonderful for Judy because then I got to be without a bra and felt so good again. I just felt natural. I had on my own beige shoes and that felt good. Hitchcock said, ‘Does that feel better?’ I said, ‘Oh, yes, thank you so much.’ But then, I had to play ‘Madeleine’ again when Judy had to be made over again by Scottie into what she didn’t want to be. I could use that, again, totally for me, not just being made over into Madeleine but into Madeleine who wore that ghastly gray suit. The clothes alone were so perfect, they were everything I could want as an actress.

SR: The short haircut you usually wore in your films was copied by women all around the world. Why did Hitchcock make you wear wigs in Vertigo?
KN: That’s right, my hair was short at that time in my career and Hitchcock wanted that perfect pulled-back hair. I already hated that gray suit and then having to go through putting on that wig with a false front — again made me feel so trapped inside this person who was desperately wanting to break out of it but she was so caught up in the web of deception that she couldn’t. The fear of not being loved if she didn’t have on these clothes or wore her hair in a certain way — oh, god, she had nothing left but to kill herself in the bell tower.

The Two Faces Of Novak In Vertigo

Tags: film history, Makeup, suits, vintage fashion, vintage glamour

Continuing on the movie themed cosmetics, there’s a new Twilight lip product to be released on July 1:

This special limited edition Lip Venom is a sneak preview of our highly anticipated Twilight Venom, debuting this Fall. Lip Venom V is not your typical DuWop venom. Instead of a gloss, Lip Venom V is a shimmering crimson lip stain suspended in a venom-laced liquid lip conditioner with a bite, and contains argan, avocado, olive oils and vitamin E.

This product should be shaken before use to represent the blending of the human and vampire worlds and applied repeatedly until lips are plumped, revitalized and the desired intensity of color has been reached.

Only a limited number of Lip Venom V have been produced. Vampires may live forever, but this offer won’t. Due to limited quantity and exclusivity of this offer, limit 2 per customer.

Twilight Lip Venom V

According to the makers, Lip Venom is a blend of essential oils (including cinnamon, wintergreen, and ginger) that cause the blood to rush to the surface of the lips, flushing and swelling them slightly.

Tags: beauty, cosmetics, Films, Hollywood, Makeup, Shopping

What makes your life colorful? Maybelline New York and More magazine want to hear your story!

Maybe you’ve started your own business based on a personal passion, or you’re a community leader who everyone looks up to. Perhaps you dedicate your time and energy to a cause, or use art as a means of creative expression. Tell us how you exude confidence, optimism and personality while balancing a variety of roles – at home or at work – all with grace, flair and style!

Three Grand-Prize winners will:

* Star in a Maybelline New York “Colorful Life” short film

* Take a fabulous, all-expenses paid trip with a guest to New York City

* Receive a Maybelline New York Makeover by a professional make-up artist

* Meet Candace Bushnell, best-selling author of Sex and the City, at her Webisode Premiere Party and appear in a “behind-the-scenes” webisode

Ten runners-up will also be selected. Each of them will receive signed copies of each of the three newest paperback novels from Candace Bushnell (Lipstick Jungle, Trading Up, and One Fifth Avenue) and a year’s supply of Maybelline New York Color Sensational lipcolor (4 shades).

Women can enter the nationwide contest today by logging on to www.Maybelline.com/ColorfulLife and following the instructions to upload a photo & an essay of 200 words or less about “what makes your life colorful.”

The contest ends June 30, 2009. Winners will be selected by Meredith Publications and Maybelline New York.

Tags: Books, Contests, cosmetics, Hollywood, Makeup

Deanna’s review of 1976’s Sparkle reminds me that Illusions has lip gloss named after some of their favorite films, including Sparkle, Mahogany & Dreamgirls.

Tags: beauty, cosmetics, Films, Makeup, Shopping

Vintage Hane's Stockings Ad

For fashionistas who like to learn about fashions — old & new — I’m proud to share with you this month’s edition of the fabulous! festival. Hosting was fun!

Beauty:

Icy presents L’Oreal Infallible 16 Hours Lipstick Compact posted at Individual Chic.

Woman Tribune presents Piggy Paint Finally Makes Non-Toxic, Kid-Friendly Nail Polish a Reality posted at Woman Tribune.

Fashion:

Azrael Brown presents Three Gents In Snappy Hats posted at Infomercantile.

Deanna presents Smoking Hot Fashion: Recycled From Cigarette Butts posted at Kitsch Slapped.

Ed Biado presents Today’s most common fashion mistakes posted at Ed Biado at MST Life | Philippine Lifestyle News.

Ed Biado also presents Sunglasses at Ed Biado at MST Life | Philippine Lifestyle News.

Fabulously Broke presents 3 work environments to dress for posted at Fabulously Broke …in the City.

Pop Tart presents Tips On Darning Stockings & White Satin Blouses Yellowing? at Things Your Grandmother Knew.

Savings not shoes presents How to update your wardrobe after a major weight loss or gain posted at Savings not Shoes.

Personal Style:

Deanna presents The Answer To One Of Life’s Hardest Questions posted at Kitsch Slapped.

Icy presents A handbag of uniqueness, Part 1 & Part 2 at Individual Chic.

Pop Tart presents Kilgallen’s Boo-Boo posted at Kitschy Kitschy Coo.

Tali presents Mexican Pinups - A Cinco De Mayo Special- The Pinup Blog Way posted at The Pinup Blog.

Lastly…

This one may not entirely fit the theme, but I found Matt Curt’s Mafia Looking College Basketball Coaches (posted at NCAA Football 10 News) too clever not to include.

The next edition of the fabulous! festival will be hosted by Barry at 3stylelife.com on June 15 and the deadline for submissions is June 12th. You can submit your posts here.

Vintage stocking ad Found in Mom’s Basement.

Tags: Accessories, beauty, blouse, cosmetics, fabulous! festival, Fashion, handbags, hats, Makeup, pin ups, stockings

My favorite (and nearly daily) vintage beauty look is giving myself 40 lashes — 1940’s lashes that is!

The 40’s look was one of the most glamorous yet natural looks ever. The face was kept natural looking, and the eyes, while being the focus, were still not outrageous.

The Lovely Lashed Gene Tierney

To recreate this vintage look without looking like you’re stuck in a time-warp or possessing an out-dated style sense, here are a few tips:

* Keep the cosmetics as light & natural as you can. Nothing dramatic; just highlight what you have.

* Use light & fresh rosy shades on cheeks and lips.

* Use neutral or natural shades of eye shadow. Soft browns, whispering violets, and light mauves work best on all skin shades.

* You’ll need well manicured eyebrows. And, unless you’re got the darkest of hair, you’ll darken your brows too — not the black brows of the 20’s, but still dark.

* And you’ll need the ultimate lashes — upper lashes, that is. This is the definitive part of the look.

To see the the world through the fringe of 40’s lashes:

Before you reach for your mascara, get out the curler. Never ever use your eyelash curler after you’ve applied mascara; not only does it clump and mash your mascara, but it will pull out and break-off your eyelashes.

For best results, you may warm up your eyelash curler by placing your plastic eyelash curler in front of a blow dryer blowing warm air. (It only takes a few seconds to heat a plastic eyelash curler — don’t use a metal one because they get too hot.) With the now warmed plastic eyelash curler, gently curl your upper lashes with a soft squeeze near the base of the lashes — then again about half-way up. You have just used the same heat setting qualities of your curling iron to give your lashes a more natural upward curl, as opposed to the strange ‘angled’ lash look. Re-heat the plastic eyelash curler and repeat on the on the lashes of the other eye.

Now you can coat your upper lashes with your favorite mascara.

Next, along your upper lash line, glue false strip lashes that are longer than your natural ones — just long enough to make your real eyelashes appear more noticeable and defined.

Then, using a black liquid eyeliner, create a very thin, fine & even line over the region where your false lashes meet your lash line. This helps pronounce the shape of the eye as well as disguise the fake lashes from the real lashes.

Now, for a bit of balance, you may apply a light coat of mascara to your bottom lashes. Do not use any eyeliner along the lash line; you may use a very light application of the same eyeshadow used on the lid to gently line the lashes, but that’s it.

If you’re not used to this look, it may seem out of balance, “too light” compared to the heavy fringe above, but that’s the look. Not only that, but heavier top lashes will draw attention up, up and away — even drawing attention away from dark circles!

A very simplified way to do this for really busy days (everyday is a really busy day lol) is to just focus on the eyelashes. One or two coats of mascara on well-curled upper lashes, none on the bottom, and you’ve got a hint of the vintage look without a lot of work, (And less mascara smudges to worry about because most smudges occur from mascara on the bottom lashes.) If you have great skin, skip all other makeup. Easy-peasy!

Since I wear this look a lot, my eyelashes get a real work-out. Even the gentlest curling, kindest mascara, easiest to remove false eyelashes, and the mildest yet most efficient eye makeup remover (used in the most tender, non-skin-pulling fashion) means my eyelashes get quite a work-out. I didn’t think about it much — until the makers of LashFood contacted me and gave me their LashFood Eyelash Conditioning Stimulant to try.

LashFood Eyelash Conditioner

The company says the product takes 2-4 weeks to really see results, and the full results will be seen after 2 or 3 months (don’t worry, one bottle lasts approximately 5 months, if used as directed), but after a few days (and I mean 2-3 days), I noticed that my eyelashes actually had a sheen to them! Like dark shining hair on shampoo commercials even!

I don’t know if my eyelashes have ever had that before (and if they did, I can’t imagine how long ago it was), but I do know that it makes me feel the beauty of an eyelash flutter — even when my lashes are naked.

I guess that’s what stronger, healthier, better conditioned lashes look like *wink* (See, that wink even sexier than before!)

What LashFood is, is a scientific, liquid blend of natural ingredients that you apply like eyeliner. Twice a day, just dip it into the bottle, and use the brush to slowly drag it along at the base of your lashes. It doesn’t sting or anything — not even when you’ve just applied it before you watch your favorite movie & cry like a baby. (I know; I’ve tested it!) If anything, you just feel the cool slip of the brush applicator and that’s that. And it’s perfectly safe to apply makeup over it (and I can honestly say that it doesn’t interfere with the way your makeup looks or lasts).

The liquid formula of biotin and arginie (natural amino acids) and iris extract (natural oriental medicine complex extract) promotes the natural growth of healthy lashes. Darker, fuller, longer, and, at least for me, shinier eyelashes.

LashFood can also be used on eyebrows. Now, I know what all you pluckers think, “Who wants darker, fuller, thicker eyebrows?!” While lots of looks demand the control & shaping of eyebrows (especially vintage beauty looks, like 1940’s eyes), brows should also be strong & vibrant, framing your eyes. Lots of women have eyebrows which are thin and/or weak in spots, either from over-zealous plucking, health reasons, or just the bad luck of the genetic draw. Some women have “yesteryear’s eyebrows”, where plucking was done “so well” for one decade’s style, that the hairs refuse to grow in for fuller brows. Ugh. But the makers of LashFood even go as far as to say that the product has helped some users with sparse, balding areas on their brows begin to grow new hair as well.

So, naturally darker, longer, thicker, healthier eyelashes and eyebrows in just weeks for just $115 — and since the .34 oz tube lasts 5 months, that’s just $23 a month. Totally worth it for my strong & healthy — and shiny — lashes.

Tags: beauty, cosmetics, eyes, Makeup, reviews, seduction, vintage glamour, vintage style