1940s World War II Makeup Tutorial | History Inspired | Feat. Amber Butchart and Rebecca Butterworth

Join us in Dover Castle’s wartime tunnels as we show you the important role the humble makeup kit played during the Second World War.
Dover Castle was on the front line of attack during the Second World War, and from 1939 the tunnels housed the command centre for naval operations in the English Channel. There were many women in service stationed here during this time, and among those were the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), otherwise known as the Wrens.
Watch Fashion Historian Amber Butchart and Makeup Artist Rebecca Butterworth transform our model Ella Montrose with a Wren-inspired look, and find out why a bright red lip was an additional weapon in a woman’s arsenal. Our English Heritage Curator Dr Kathryn Bedford discusses what life was like for the Wrens in the tunnels, and we explore the military lives - and look - of these remarkable women.
Prior to this episode, we asked our audience for tips and tricks from the 1940s and we received some fantastic homespun hacks. A special thank you to everyone who sent in a tip from the period.
To start planning your trip to Dover Castle, visit: bit.ly/2qmA8pa
PRODUCTS USED
SKIN
'Flesh' Vanishing Cream - LBCC Historial Cosmetics
"Rachel Rose' Loose Powder - Yardley
EYES
Burnt corks
Vaseline
Mascara wand - Louise Young Brushes
CHEEKS
Beetroot - Tesco
LIPS
'True Velvet' lipstick - Lisa Eldridge
LEGS
Gravy browning - Sarson's
Brown eye kohl - MAC Cosmetics
HAIR
Sugar water (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) as a setting lotion
Hair rat made from an old stocking stuffed with hair
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[@EnglishHeritage]

We’re incredibly grateful to all of the women of the Second World War for their vast contributions to the war effort, that extend far beyond the realm of cosmetics. We would also like to extend our thanks to you, our viewers, for your suggestions that helped us to bring this history-inspired makeup tutorial to life. If you'd like to learn more about the history of the Wrens, we suggest taking a look at the Association of Wrens website: wrens.org.uk/history/ The best way to learn more about Dover Castle’s role in the Second World War - and indeed across nine centuries of English history - is to plan a visit of your own. For more details, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/

[@christinethornhill]

This video has been a wonderful reminder of what my dear old Mum told me about . She was a 'Land Army Girl ' throughout the Second World War . Times were really hard for everyone , but the women did their utmost to keep some form of Beauty going forwards ! The lack of stockings was pretty awful , especially when trying to pencil in a 'seam' , apparently !

[@trollololol4601]

Where did u get the tips and tricks from for the mascara and stockings and whatnot? I went on ur Instagram but couldn’t find much, I’m just rly interested in the variety of things people tried

[@mygreenfroggy]

You can still buy the Tangee brand of lipstick and cosmetics if you want an original look. They are a little hard to find but a google search turned up quite a bit when I looked. I remember using Tangee lipstick some in the 60's or 70's, though there were more era appropriate colors I loved, lol.

[@lunastella2323]

Bésame cosmetics makes a lot of replica colors from various eras and powders too. I think it would be relevant to recreating this type of look.

[@allim.5941]

I’m a female and an Iraq Vet and Marine. Lol, maybe they will be doing tutorials in 100 years on my ghetto ways I wanted to look nice for special days like Xmas. Basically, I used the pink hydrocortisone cream as a foundation. I used talc powder for powder for foundation powder, just a tiny bit so I didn’t look like a ghost. That’s basically it. I could have used the red off-brand powder-aide that we’re in MREs for a lipstick stain, but I would have got in trouble.

[@kalliste01]

government: wear makeup for morale, ladies! Also government: *adds a luxury tax to makeup*

[@rocksgio]

@I know it all. I know it all. living up to your username I see.

[@kalliste01]

@I know it all. I know it all. It's more that they're saying it's a luxury when they're also making people feel obligated to do it. So, which is it? I'm assuming makeup was already taxed before they added the luxury tax

[@kiki29073]

@I know it all. I know it all. Maybe the royal coffers?

[@arlocourtney4594]

@@ernestscribbler2294 women's dresses take much more fabric than men's trousers

[@SirParcifal]

that's the beautiful thing of freedom - you don't have to wear it or buy it

[@marmotronica]

"This is an original 1940 powder" I could see the model's face screaming on the inside...

[@daniellewinterholler2373]

I thought the same thing lmao 😂

[@arisistance1006]

I saw and felt it too!! 😂 It’s prob just a novelty copy of the originals.

[@ernestscribbler2294]

I always thought makeup expiration dates were a suggestion, not a rule. 😁

[@joannecarroll5504]

Powder is ground from minerals that come from the earth. If they've been in the earth for thousands of years before we use them, a couple of decades sealed in a clean box isn't going to hurt them. Expiry dates on non-edible products are mainly just litigation-protection for manufacturers & a fear-based marketing ploy to make you buy more product while you still have some open product that's been unused for a while. How cosmetics etc. actually 'expire' is by humans sticking their germy fingers & their unwashed powder-puffs & brushes into the product repeatedly, consequently filling the products with bacteria.

[@ErinDavila76]

@@joannecarroll5504 lol what?

[@Hana05]

Rebecca's hair and Amber's turban are a perfect match 😂

[@User77cool37]

Hana05 evenmore Rebecca’s lipstick matches with Amber’s hair.

[@AllieRouge]

Looks like a turban from maker Sarah's DooWop Dos to me. Great seller.

[@rah62]

That fact scares me nearly to death.

[@sianrohde8714]

@@rah62 wow you scare easily don't you lol

[@sharid76]

That's EXACTLY the first thing I noticed when they showed them together at the beginning of this!

[@MissCaraMint]

Well if Hitler hated red lipstick then I’m wearing it.

[@natalierussell7491]

MissCaraMint Hugh Hephner also disliked red lipstick on anyone other than Marylin Monroe. He said it looked harsh and cheap.

[@buddhabro.9130]

I know right! If Hitler hated red lipstick then I'm wearing it too...and I'm a guy! LOL

[@jessaguilar4747]

I’m pretty sure this isn’t true. In fact, Hitler asked his ministers to ration out makeup gradually so not to upset Eva Braun. She loved her cosmetics and he didn’t want to upset her. That’s what I’ve read at least.

[@MissCaraMint]

Jess Aguilar Well I wasn’t being entirely serious. After all info used for propaganda purposes are notoriously unreliable.

[@MissCaraMint]

Jess Aguilar Though I am pretty sure Hitler would deffenetly not approve of men wearing makeup, like our friend above says he might consider.

[@e.urbach7780]

My friend's mother-in-law said that she and all of her friends would go to their local auto repair garage where cars could be painted, and the guy who painted the fine detail lines on cars would use auto paint and paint the fake seam lines down the backs of their legs! She said the girls and women drew quite a crowd of boys and men when they came to get their lines painted, because they'd have to stand on a table and hold up their skirts above their knees so that the painter could make the lines for them.

[@TracyD2]

E. Urbach nice

[@frenchartantiquesparis424]

Oh My! Shocking.... lol

[@arisistance1006]

He started skin airbrushing?! 😂 GENUIS Ahead of his time.

[@e.urbach7780]

@@arisistance1006 LOL! Something like that!

[@misscatalina711]

How naughty! Sounds like something my grandmother would have done.

[@BLINGOUTKID]

Unlike those half-assed, inadequate, and inaccurate buzzfeed video of recreating each era's makeup look, this is so much better and well thought. I love English heritage like a lot because each of their videos are carefully researched, so they wouldn't be making videos that are misleading and offensive to people. Makeup is such an importance because it is also a part of culture and history. This is a great video!

[@fireflyserenity31]

Keep in mind the goal of the video. English Heritage is more about the history/historical interpretation; buzzfeed is entertainment.

[@no-ln3nm]

fireflyserenity31 i do think buzzfeed should stop doing make-up history themed videos then though because it looked horrible

[@whutzat]

BUZZFEED SUCKS in every way imaginable.

[@AlbertaRose94]

English Heritage’s Victorian Era How To Make Butter recipe can in extremely handy during Covid. As an added bonus I ended up with two cups of true buttermilk.

[@mariayala2283]

Exactly! 👏👍 I couldn’t agree more!!

[@OofusTwillip]

I've a 1940s sewing book that includes instructions for turning a man's suit into a woman's skirt-suit. When fabric was rationed, and the men of the household were in the military, their clever female relatives at home commandeered the closets of clothes their men had left behind. Some women even took their men's civillian shoes to cobblers' to be remade into women's shoes.

[@sayhello5377]

OofusTwillip That’s so interesting!

[@e.urbach7780]

Yes, and men's hats reshaped into women's hats! I have a 1940s sewing book that says the same kinds of things!

[@lunanova6651]

Those men probably came home to find their closets completely empty😂😂😂

[@kiki29073]

@kshiftkometh Yes. She is speaking of #BernadetteBanner for those wondering. A KZbinr that specialized in authentic historical costuming and clothing design. Also #CathyHay.

[@Dolleemixtures]

Omg! I'd love to read that book!!!!

[@stephaniemcintosh2808]

I remember my gran sitting at her dressing table putting on Ponds cold cream at night. She was so proud that she had it - she used to trade eggs from her chickens for ration coupons. She also got extra coupons by sewing for people, baking and making hats out of old clothes and shoes! She taught me most of these skills and everytime I make something, I think of her.

[@RubyTwilite]

...and now Ponds is made in Mexico and in the US there are problems with it containing lead!

[@RubyTwilite]

@Leela Brannigan Yes we do. I switched all my cosmetics and skincare to American made or Canadian.

[@RubyTwilite]

@Leela Brannigan ...and now with the Corona crisis we are seeing the TRUE cost of having everything made overseas. Most of the medical supplies and pharmaceuticals are made in China. Now we can't get what we need. A t-shirt maker in Georgia and a pillow maker in Wisconsin now switched to making masks. Distilleries in the US are making hand sanitizer.

[@RubyTwilite]

@Leela Brannigan Yes. We should. We have incredibly talented people. James Dyson, the genius inventor designed a ventilator he calls Co-Vent in 10 days and is producing 15,000 by early April, about now.

[@whutzat]

Wonderful!

[@ItsJustLisa]

The burnt cork and Vaseline trick is much older than the 1940s. Thomas Williams adapted his sister Mabel’s trick of enhancing her lashes with Vaseline and coal dust to invent the first mascara/brow makeup in 1915. He created the first cake mascara in 1917. In doing so, he founded the company Maybelline, named for his sister.

[@bread5414]

I didn't know Maybelline was such an old brand.. it has such a fresh/poppy vibe now though

[@tammysummers5892]

I didn't know that! Interesting!

[@aritreesengupta7566]

That's really interesting. Thank you!

[@riggs20]

I was surprised at how well the Vaseline/ash mix worked!

[@RubyTwilite]

As you know, most people who served in WWII are in their 90's. About 20yrs ago I was visiting the Imperial War Museum in London and I happened to walk behind a group of 3 older ladies who would stop at each exhibit and say 'Do you remember when we used to do this during the war?' It was a privilege to hear their stories. It made history very real for me. They spoke about the burned cork for the eyes and said they mixed Bisto with water and painted it on their legs because they couldn't have stockings! They also said they used old parachutes to make wedding dresses! Quite honestly the courage and grit of that generation, especially the British people is a lesson to us all.

[@pravinatawde5135]

Wow! Great that you got to hear their stories!

[@heatheranne3103]

Bravo!!! Some of the war time habits were very hard to break - my granny was part of the home-front effort, she wore her red lipstick into her nineties till she passed several years ago! Thanks for shedding a bit of light on our dear ladies of the war 💕

[@lastlyfirstofall2833]

Heather Anne you had an awesome granny! Thanks for sharing xo

[@tammysummers5892]

My great grandma died at nearly 80 and red lipstick was all she wore!

[@aprildavis2727]

So did mine, pin curls and all.

[@n.k.s74]

I *knew* that was Lisa Eldridge's lipstick the moment she opened it! An amazing red color!

[@maximilian9295]

Do you know what red it is? I love it

[@n.k.s74]

@@maximilian9295, True Velvet by Lisa Eldridge

[@BeckyThomson]

Max I’m sure it’s Velvet Ribbon

[@Scorpio_Moonshine]

@@n.k.s74 Nancy is correct. It's in the description section. 😉

[@n.k.s74]

@@Scorpio_Moonshine I think Becky is also correct. True Velvet is the title of Lisa Eldredge's line of three shades of red lipstick. Velvet Ribbon is probably the shade used here. I can't be 100% sure but that looks right.

[@SirParcifal]

P.S. the morale: Hitler hated women who wore makeup - it was an international rebellion ;} LOL

[@lucyvlogandart5166]

Wow😯

[@saskiacornish7126]

Interesting

[@MizzKittyBichon]

I love how the hairdresser had the model's hair wrapped up in a bandana before she styled it. Very 40s.

[@daniellewinterholler2373]

Because she had her hair pinned underneath, I use a scarf or bandana too when I pin curl my hair 🤗💐

[@ghidorahs1fan209]

Lol I'm 32 but was homeless at 16 and had very little money and I actually used the beetroot as blush and lip tint and the burnt cork as my eye makeup including eye liner I also used rice flower or white chalk crushed up as face powders. All of these I learnt from my great grandmother as a kid and they did me well until I was on my feet and had a ok paying job. I actually still use the white chalk as a face powder/setting powder as I'm a very pale redhead. Lol little add on I still use sugar water as a setting spray for my hair and my girls hair if we want to put our hair in curls and it's the only way our hair will stay in nice organized curls.

[@tammysummers5892]

Sorry you had a homeless problem back then but sounds like your grandma's tips helped alot!

[@songchanni]

Tammy Summers sorry to hear ur past but so happy to hear that u are better now. also i love the tips!! love ur grandma!!

[@LindaCasey]

Now at 71, I'm finally a joyful fright and sloven 🌹

[@ghostie6190]

Good for you!

[@scarletpimpernelagain9124]

Good on you lovely, I’m aiming to be a thoroughly disreputable older lady myself 😁✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🇬🇧

[@rashimohan]

Comments like these make me smile so much❤️

[@randykirkland3927]

Your never too old to be a sloven joyful fright ! 💋💋💋💋💋

[@sarahvruwink3027]

Besame Cosmetics! They remake the exact lipsticks!

[@RubyTwilite]

The Vermont Country Store in the US sells Tangee lipsticks and blushes and all sorts of cosmetics that are still being made under the names of those manufacturers and match the same colors and formulas.

[@apriljasso9731]

That's what I was thinking

[@tinarennett9041]

I still have the ration book that was issued for me as a baby dated 1953 with about four coupons clipped out of it.

[@labaccident2010]

That is SUPER cool!

[@louise-yo7kz]

😍

[@ln2559]

Lovely!! I have my grandfather's Weekly Readers that were issued to him in school from the 40s. One of them has Hitler and Mussolini on the cover. They all consist of updates on the war with maps of the Allied Forces battle strategies.

[@angelicgacha]

My grandad has my great nans 1918 ration book for when she was a toddler and a young women making planes in ww2

[@nlbhaduri]

My mum went through WWII in a DP camp in Germany, finally managing to move to England and work her way up from orderly to nurse. She learnt English and learnt to fit in amongst her English friends (she was actually Latvian). She'd tell me of the memories she had of being a young lady in London after the war. People made the best of things. To capture their lost youth she and her friends were avid about dancing, going out to the Palais du Dance as often as they could and climbing back over the hospital grounds wall to sneak back to bed. I believe she even tried beetroot when lipstick was hard to find. She always kept her set of vital cosmetics in a small leather purse which I would try on as a little girl. I would unwind the glorious red satin of lipstick from its golden tube and hold up the matching gold compact of fragrant pressed powder so I could pretend to be her getting ready to go out. Next there was a slim brow pencil and a touch of her Chanel No 5 perfume, that once applied, completed the essentials of beauty. My mum never deviated from those things as part of her routine.

[@miaatkinns]

My grandmother always told me about helping her older sister draw lines on the back of her legs

[@marieelena]

Revlon's "Cherries in the Snow" is a classic red color for the 1940s makeup look.🍒

[@joannecarroll5504]

Burnt cork was commonly used as a form of make-up in Scotland. I vaguely recall one of the older teachers, burning cork & applying it to my face, when I had a part in a early primary school stage musical. I also remember my Nana (a former WReN) "putting on her face" as she called it, while a tiny child in the early 70s. She still had her solid cake of mascara in a little blue pan with brush & lid, which she'd had for many years & she never had eye infections, despite her favoured application being via the 'spit & mix' method LOL. Solid mascara lasts almost forever, nothing like the modern stuff that we make-up artists are taught to replace monthly, while in beauty college.

[@hsu-hunghuang4623]

The fact that the turban and the hair matches makes me happy

[@deesanchez6417]

The Amber and Rebecca partnership that you did not realize you would need until you have gone without it for a bit. 😊

[@farah_nm162]

absolutely! we need more content!!

[@khills]

As English Heritage makes these longer (yes, please, thank you - second to Mrs Crocombe, these are my favorite videos here!), please consider actually giving a more detailed tutorial on how hair is being styled!

[@howexistential]

What an experience reading "beetroot - Tesco" and "True Velvet lipstick - Lisa Eldridge" in the same makeup list haha The resourcefulness and grit of these women is inspiring and it's wonderful that you guys are preserving their legacy in such a beautiful way.

[@mariansmith7694]

I think women ALWAYS used beet root to slightly stain lips and add a wee bit of colour to cheeks. These were old tricks made new.

[@P3891]

I’m a traditionalist I like a little bit of vermillion in my lipsticks 😂

[@MissCaraMint]

P3891 Especially the part about going mad. That’s a must.

[@ShushaSofia]

Centuries old

[@irenerodriguez215]

I LOVE that you utilized Lisa Eldridge’s Velvet Ribbon!!!

[@louise-yo7kz]

👄💄💄💄💄

[@Jess-jt4zf]

I love the way you treat your models! You always greet and acknowledge them. As well as giving the model a chance to say a few words - asking for her opinion on the look, how she feels in it, etc. And not only complimenting the work of the artist but also how good the girl looks in it. It's so simple to do - treat the person in a kind, professional way that conveys you consider them equally human to you... And yet a lot of the people in similar videos (especially "celebrity" artists overflowing with self-importance) are at best indifferent, apathetic & detached/distant towards the model, and worst case scenrio obviously cold, dismissive & act with arrogance, superiority and condescension. ... Of course, most people who are actually talented, knowledgeable & successful in their field of work are kind, humble & hard working. They have no need to put people down (even in a passive-aggressive way) because they aren't insecure, hence there aren't any insecurities to project on others. Keep up the good work! I respect people who respect people!

[@Rimmonin]

I can't get over how Amber's head scarf and Rebecca's hair match perfectly 😆

[@misspeach3755]

My grandmother used cherries as a rouge substitute. She was always fond of her Pond's cream. I still remember the scent of it.

[@valeriaa5496]

Makeup is so expensive in my country nowadays that I'm making my own makeup using the tips everyone is sharing, thanks!

[@angelfriend5211]

Which country is that?

[@wuilmarksalcedo2018]

The red lipstick is an iconic accessory of every women 😍 I have to agree with her, the red lipstick show strength and unity back in those dark times. This was a brilliant video very educational 👏👏👏

[@tattoosNtea21]

I'm so glad this historian and the makeup artist are staying true to their personal styles. People were seriously bitching about it on a previous video and I failed to see how their looks kept them from doing their jobs and being competent.

[@sarahtheseraph2869]

My grandma worked in a munitions factory here in Ontario during the war where she met her husband and my grandfather. My mom used to tell me stories about what life was like for her working there. She used beets to stain her lips and soot from the fireplace mixed with vaseline as mascara. She also used the infamous "rag curls" technique on her hair. A lot of crazy things happened in the factory too, apparently. Like the time her blouse got taught in a machine and was ripped right off. Her soon-to-husband and my grandpa gave her his jacket to cover up. It's quite romantic.

[@stephanieoliver8634]

I bet your grandfather wanted to protect her right away.

[@stephanieoliver8634]

And, he didn't want anyone else looking at this lovely lady.

[@leavesongrass]

Revlon still makes the lipstick my mother wore through the war and forever after….Fire and Ice. Bright red!

[@karymystik]

Yes yes yes yes yes !!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💅💄 My 2 favorite things in this world, makeup and history.

[@broflovskie]

Karynna Cerecedo uh i like geography/world and history

[@bbth667]

I love historical fashion

[@beverleysheridan7904]

My Mother DID use gravy browning, as did her sister and friends. I'm guessing she watered it down more than on this video. They also drew a seam line up the back of their legs either freehand or they did each others. They dreaded the rain as it all ran off!

[@johnpluta1768]

In America there was a poster with the slogan, The Red Badge of Courage during WW2 and it referenced red lipstick

[@Blunderbat]

Apparently my great aunts used to try to use gravy for stockings. I remember hearing them talking and laughing about it and how awful it looked, all uneven and streaky.

[@kasiapicur]

😍

[@mayrose9387]

Much respect for women during that time

[@rosalobo4968]

I feel like the gravy browning hack was the original impossible pinterest diy

[@itschelseakay]

Rosa Lobo 😂😂😂😂

[@jcorh3357]

oh god oh fuck

[@sapphirecamui6447]

looked like self tanning lotion to me o.o

[@faithjacksondocherty8970]

OG tanning lotion 🤣

[@georgewang2947]

Or the fake hacks from "Five Minute Crafts"

[@TheGabygael]

in belgium we used beer as setting lotion

[@RubyTwilite]

Of course! Its a shame to waste a good Lambic!

[@ChrisDelAnno]

Ruby Twilite im from belgium and never heard that before!

[@irairod5160]

I'm from the Caribbean, and when I wanted curls on my very straight hair, my mom would rinse my hair with beer and then set it in plastic hair rollers. It worked better than any setting lotion that was commercially available. This was in the 1970s...good ideas have a way of springing back into the collective memory!

[@yl8758]

YOU KNOW LISA MADE IT WHEN THIS CHANNEL IS USING HER LIPSTICK ILY LISA SO PROUD OF YOU

[@heidihall2256]

I have knit and crochet patterns from the early 20's to modern day. So fine and elegant.

[@ameliabrandon7654]

That red lipstick went on so smooth. Like super velvety lol.

[@audreyroses4631]

I love that y'all used LBCC historical cosmetic's vanishing cream! Their products are great and highly recommend to anyone interested in historical skincare or cosmetics!

[@daftoptimist]

Host: “They advised women against turning into frights and slovens.” Model: “Ooof.” I felt that.

[@kelliekrevosky8193]

I've said it once and I'll say it every single time. This is my favorite series on this channel! And wow, this episode is no different! Such interesting information delivered in an incredible format. I love Amber and Rebecca so much. Please keep producing these episodes!

[@carolinebennett5615]

So enjoyable and so well done. This series is just brilliant. I recognised that lipstick immediately and own it. Fabulous shade, formulation and packaging courtesy of Lisa Eldridge.

[@Tina06019]

May I ask how much it cost?

[@carolinebennett5615]

bluegreenplanet89 I think so. The info doesn’t specify which shade. But it looks like that one to me. I also have Jazz which I love too. Glorious lipstick.

[@carolinebennett5615]

Tina They cost £26 and you can purchase from her website. They are very special and worth the price.

[@kiki29073]

@@carolinebennett5615 Also limited edition. She only releases them a couple of times a year and doesn't do restocks. When they are gone, they are gone.

[@ginalibrizzi5204]

I love how this video combines makeup and fashion with the daily life of these brave and generous women who served in the war effort. It was really fun to see the burnt cork and Vaseline used as mascara, although I don’t plan on trying it myself. Based on the photos and re-creations I’ve seen of their American counterparts, the British makeup look is more subtle, especially the eyes and brows.

[@m.e.b.255]

This girl has perfect skin

[@azabujuban-hito8085]

Which one? Coz the model has lots of pimples

[@RubyTwilite]

@@azabujuban-hito8085 Those are beauty marks. They are tan and flat, not red and raised.

[@azabujuban-hito8085]

@@RubyTwilite BEAUTY marks? LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@RubyTwilite]

@@azabujuban-hito8085 beauty marks, moles whatever you want to call them. That is her skin. With HUNDREDS of British models available at the drop of a hat for a video about 1940's makeup why would they chose someone with an acne flare up? They wouldn't that is her skin.

[@angs1868]

Sumida Ryogoku damn you jealous 🙄

[@milliejay1451]

My grandma was born in 1936 so just before the start of the Second World War, she was the second youngest of 13 children. She came from a rather wealthy family. She showed me one of her older sisters diaries that had swatches of different red lipsticks in it. Her sister was 15 at in 1942 and had just joined the local land girls with her friends. They were trying to find a red lipstick colour that they all liked so they could wear it as a group on their first day. It was really fascinating. My grandma told me that her sister would have killed her if she knew she read her diary. They had circled the colour they chose in the end. Teenagers never change. She also told me that her mother, when she couldn’t get stockings, would patch up old ones by darning them with a very thin thread and then stoping them from laddering with egg whites.

[@ABC1701A]

I still do but use nail varnish rather than egg whites. I was taught to always sew up ladders growing up, this was the 70s and 80s, waste of money constantly replacing them for the smallest hole.

[@milliejay1451]

@@ABC1701A I do that as well. I use hairspray

[@tallisinwonderland4724]

To any one who enjoys vintage make up, there is a lovely channel called Laura Jane Atelier, she shows favoured beauty products of Hollywood icons of the golden age and tutorials. Loved this video so much. I have been to the war rooms at Dover Castle and it is so eerie. Our tour guide told us that a Canadian soldier recognised a photo of himself on the operating table as there was a hospital down there.

[@RubyTwilite]

It doesn't hurt that the model has naturally luminous creamy skin and no darkness around her eyes. Ah, to be young and flawless!

[@helolange1132]

1940's makeup: ... Me a crazy marvel fan: PEGGYYYY

[@clhatfield15]

In case you don't already know: Besame cosmetics makes vintage inspired makeup. And their 1946 ted velvet was peggy's lipstick on the show. They've don some other stuff for her, but I think they were limited edition.

[@muumol]

Omg same!

[@mirimeerkat2087]

Lotte But the price is sooo worth it. Their makeup last way longer than any other brand because you don’t need to reapply the lipsticks throughout the day so you are using less making it last longer, and the cake mascara for example last as long as about 12 tubes of regular mascara and you can use it as eyeliner. So all in all, you are actually SAVING money. And this is from someone who tries to buy the cheapest makeup possible without getting an allergic reaction lol

[@pippir]

Helo Lange aaah same! Agent Carter is the reason I’m getting into vintage fashion and makeup!

[@Zeynep-ut5gt]

yessss

[@SirParcifal]

To our Wren's - thank you for your service - God bless!

[@Girltripped]

My great grandmother, who was born and raised in England and also lived through the second World War did say they colored their legs (with coffee if I remember right) and did draw their stocking seams on as well. She's passed noe but when she was alive I showed her a picture from the show Bomb Girls & Land Girls and she said she can remember when women started wearing socks and pants. What a crazy time to be alive.

[@EllieCheng]

Would be super cool if we can see an episode with a woman of color, and investigate how women of color kept up with western beauty standards when products werent made for them!!!

[@LoveNathasha]

I’d be really interested in seeing what skincare/make up was like for someone like Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was known for being very beautiful, she must have had a beauty regime!

[@laurenkahre4785]

Clicked on this so fast, cannot tell you how much I love this series!

[@alissakoski1791]

This is without a doubt my favorite period, as well as my favorite episode of your show. My grandfather an American solidier with proper English and Scottish heritage, was a munitions driver in England and throughout Europe.Brilliant episode, strikes quite close to home.Well done!😊

[@elizabethabbott9177]

My Great Aunt Eileen Elliott was a WREN in Mountbatten's Office in London and her portrait is the most glamourous I have seen. Auntie married Edmund Hockridge and had 2 children, one of whom survives today.

[@deborahgodley6980]

I think the Wrens' contributions at Dover Castle should be made into a film.Loved this story!

[@gjorski9714]

Oh the painted stockings. My grandma has stories of doing it in Texas with our killer humidity.

[@wellhowthehellareya]

Army female here!!! I really wish women could wear a red lip in dress uniform in the U.S. soooooo pretty 🥰 these women and U.S. women paved the way for us. So grateful. ❤️

[@yekdeli]

Ray I was in the Marine Corps in the ‘80’s. We were actually taught to have our lipstick match our cap cord, which was a deep scarlet.

[@RubyTwilite]

Except for the attack on Pearl Harbor the US didn't see the level of war that the British saw, on American soil. As the song said "Over there..." When I see old footage of The Queen Mother walking amid the rubble of London, with her head held high showing strength and tenacity, it really is amazing. Hitler called her The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe because of her ability to rouse people's patriotism and give them strength. Sadly once Queen Elizabeth dies, that will be the end of an era. There is no one after her that has lived through truly dangerous times. Thank you for this beautiful tutorial.

[@kevincaulfield9736]

Good on you for highlighting the WRENS. Fascinating

[@noreenedge8951]

My Mother told me they used coffee or onion skins soaked in water on legs and charcoal to draw stocking lines .Make do and mend was continued after the war.Jumble sales where used clothing and wool could be recycled.When matedial got goo shabby for clothes ,aprons were made from mixmatched fabric.

[@TheElisabethMaria]

My grandma (who lived through the war) always cleaned plastic packaging and stored it cause "you never know when it'll come in handy"

[@natashab5969]

TheElisabethMaria my grandfather (who was in ww2) did the same thing! I’d go to his house and pick up what I thought was a yogurt and there would be drinking water in it! Or left over food in empty plastic butter containers. He would save the tooth picks you used to get in sandwiches, boil them and keep them. He to be honest hoarded a bunch of completely random stuff with the same reasoning “you never know when you’ll need it!” Bags of pens, rubber bands, rusty nails. Bags stuffed with tons of other bags lol he was a cute old man

[@TheElisabethMaria]

@@natashab5969 exactly! My grandma would handwash the plastic sandwich bags (not ziplock) and hang them to dry like it was the laundry. Unnecessary but impressive how inventive they can be! So many wartime "hacks" prove how creative and driven people were.

[@irairod5160]

The older ladies in my family kept the waxy paper sticks of butter come wrapped in in the freezer, and used them to "grease" cake pans before baking. They had lived through wars and the Great Depression. "Waste not, want not."

[@angelam.4353]

Irai Rod That’s an awesome tip, especially for today! I might start doing that! 😊

[@gretamurphy3704]

My 92 year old mother is horrified to see the things people waste. She's neither a hoarder nor a miser, but she gets plenty of mileage out of what she has. She lives solely off a small Social Security check and has more money saved than most of us. ❤

[@jivrajdhaliwal1000]

Please do a 1950s fashion makeup look. As well as makeup and dress worn by women in the 1810s during the time of the Regency and if possible makeup for both and women during the court of King Charles II.

[@2themoonz]

The model Ella is a STUNNER. She looked gorgeous ❤❤

[@peachcakesanimations]

Wow that vaseline mascara looks so real to normal mascara. I love how creative they were!

[@elainebradleyceramist]

I wouldn’t rely on Vaseline to stay put though. Body heat, a warm day or just a rub of the eyes and boom, you’re a panda.

[@jonashoumann855]

The model is SO beautiful both with and without makeup😍

[@stefaniesombaty8980]

In the US my Aunts were part of the war effort. One was my 2x's great aunt and the other was my great aunt. They were aunt and niece to each other but only a few years apart in age. The older was a pinup model and the other drove trucks on an army base. They told me that they would draw black lines with charcoal and eyebrow pencils up the backs of their legs to make it look like they were wearing stockings. I have some of their food ration books.

[@chantem175]

That vanishing cream is my daily essential. Burnt clove is better and it smells better.

[@howler9503]

I wish there was more to this episodes! Its not only about fashion but also about history which is My Favorite subject, An interesting Mix! And i wish there was more to this! Even though its quite imposible now😢

[@RiotgrrrlPearl]

The smell of my grandmother's gold tubed red 💄😍

[@Therealdesolatia]

Besame makes historically accurate makeup. They have a color called victory red

[@amystehlar9246]

I’ve been waiting for this video since the Instagram teaser! Such a great series, so interesting and informative. I can’t wait for the next episode.

[@TheShandalala]

The model look horrified that you're putting 80 year old make up on her

[@michelascheuerman7166]

I would be lol

[@kaylas5461]

They had makeup made from 1930s and 1940s recipes. They weren't putting expired, old products on her.

[@cobraqueen89]

@@kaylas5461 it says that they actually used authentic vintage face powder. that's what the comment is on

[@milliejay1451]

I’d love it. Idk why I’d just feel so honoured

[@mcrosemasters3060]

@@cobraqueen89 no she said she was using a face powder that followed an authentic 1940s recipe. That is not the same thing as using a product made in the 1940s.

[@oliviahamilton8654]

re: finding an accurate lipstick colour... Besame Cosmetics is run by makeup historian Gabriel Hernandes and she does accurate replicas of different lipsticks from different years. I know she has Victory Red which was worn in the states during WWII.

[@Beaguins]

If I had to choose between putting my sugar ration in my hair or in my tea, I'd choose the tea.

[@louise-yo7kz]

☕🍵

[@elizabethanncook6571]

I’m in love with a good red lip 😍

[@Roxy-ch4gv]

ELF put out an amazing retro red lipstick last year. It's gorgeous

[@annarenvall]

This was really interesting, but I would have loved to also hear about British women of color in the 40s. There were many Black and Indian women critical to WWII efforts.

[@chingthemean6813]

My 90 year old grandma tells me about how they used to pinch their cheeks when they didn’t have rouge. She also said everyone would draw the lines on their legs as stockings and it was very common.

[@irairod5160]

My great aunties used a pattern marking wheel (using in sewing) dipped in cake mascara, brow powder, or ink to draw "stocking seams" up each other's legs. Envisioning them engaging in such a process makes me smile.

[@sianvaladian8574]

Yes!!! I love these makeup videos and I've been waiting for a 40s one!! (Also Rebecca's hair matches Amber's scarf and I think I love that as much as the rest of the video)

[@henrikh.4843]

Oh wow, I was so happy to see there is a new video for makeup tutorial,it was soooo interesting to learn again, I just love the history and love Amber Butchard and Rebecca Butterworth :)

[@Liv-zx2dp]

My Great Nan would use gravy browning and eyebrow pencils as stockings, when she would go dancing with her friend, to save money!

[@nancykraus5127]

In the States, there is a company called Beseme that makes these 1940's make ups now. Their Victory Red matches the original 40's color.

[@spencersfanpage]

You guys NEED to do more of these videos! It’s all I’ve been watching for the past few hours and I’m obsessed!

[@debra333]

So fascinating and what a gorgeous, fresh face!!

[@bellarosa009]

I love these historical makeup tutorials. Very interesting and well done and thoroughly researched.

[@conclavecabal.h0rriphic]

The models face twitched when she found out burnt cork was going on her eyelashes.

[@jgiard9030]

I love these historical videos! Thank you so much.

[@kocicteodora8595]

I'm watching every single historical make-up tutorial. This channel is amazing!

[@bethduffus4598]

Beauty as duty! How interesting. Love how colour co-ordinated Amber and Rebecca are in this video; they even match the background. Deliberate? And beetroot. Who knew! I might try this.

[@mayelaine2]

Love it! This is my favorite era in fashion and makeup, the ladies always were portrayed as strong, and resilient, yet beautiful. Nowadays I feel like makeup trends are going back in time, yet I always think they focus too much on aesthetics and not on historical accuracy. Thank you for sharing!

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

11.25 - I read that in the Occupied countries, like France- it was chic to be shabby, because only collaborators could afford to dress well.

[@gretamurphy3704]

Interesting, and makes perfect sense.

[@lizzy6375]

Loved this, great work as always! Keep more episodes of this series coming!