Tried & True

While each of these trailblazers accomplished great successes during their heyday, for me, the great takeaway was their impact on the world of beauty and the trends we continue to wear because of their influence.

The supreme songstress of the 1960’s, Diana Ross made thick, flirty eyelashes the norm for the masses. 1970’s screen siren, Pam Grier wore purple eyeshadow with confidence, and Beverly Johnson [the first black model to grace the cover of American Vogue in 1974] made the use of heavy eyeliner unabashedly sexy. 

To get flirty eyelashes, all you need is eyelash adhesive glue, scissors, tweezers and an Ardell Fashion Lash Strip ($3.49, riteaid.com). Follow these steps to apply them on yourself like a pro:

1. Use tweezers to carefully remove the strip lashes from the package.

2. Hold one strip up to your eye. If the length of it is too long, then cut the excess. Lay this newly cut strip on top of the uncut one and remove the excess on the second strip.

3. Use tweezers or your fingers to hold the first strip steady while you apply a VERY THIN amount of glue to the base. Let dry for one to three seconds.

4. Hold the strip as close to your lash line as possible and press down starting with outer edge and working in. Hold for a few more seconds while it dries. Repeat these steps with the other strip.   

Tip: You can also use a toothpick to apply glue to the strip base as well. 

If you want bottom lashes like Ms. Ross’s then use L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Explosion Mascara ($7.99, target.com) to get true lash definition. I actually have this in my purse now and the spherical brush really does work because it coats and seperates the tiniest of lashes. Love it!

Wear purple eyeshadow fearlessly like Pam Grier did by using Dior’s 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow, Electric Lights ($56, sephora.com). First, apply the softest blue eyeshadow in the compact to cover the entire eyelid (up to the brow bone) and then use the dark purple in the crease of the eye. Finish by applying the silvery white eyeshadow to your brow bone to accentuate your brow shape.  

Tip: Don’t use a dark eyeshadow above the crease line because dark colors make eyes recede.

And if you’re not sure how to achieve Beverly Johnson’s heavy eyeliner look, no problem because Bare Escentuals bareMineral Tutorials: Eyelining Kit  ($38, ulta.com) walks you through the process of achieving Beverly’s look with ease.    

Hue Knew It? I did.