Archived Post
Do you have any beauty icons or inspirations?
Not really! I didn’t grow up idolizing anyone’s look (I didn’t keep up with celebrities, and I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup, so I didn’t even have much interest/awareness of makeup until the last year or so in high school, and interest began in college), so I think that as an adult, that’s contributed to how I still feel/interact with celebrities and the like. I do enjoy following some makeup artists and enthusiasts on Instagram, though I think I am more inspired by their attitudes/approaches to makeup than specifically their work (though the two go hand-in-hand!).
— Christine
I don’t have beauty icons, no. I get inspired by bloggers mostly! Not one person in particular, but sometimes I’ll see a look or a tutorial that gives me a fresh new perspective on a technique, color pairing, etc…
There was a similar sounding question asked maybe a week back. However, I took that one to mean were there any celebrities with a similar look as ones own. This one seems to me to be more a question of is there anyone being emulated.
That said, not directly, and not a single individual for me. More of a composite of influences from various sources. Like a cake recipe! David Bowie, Siouxie Sioux, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, JLo, Amy Lee, Raquel Welch thrown into a pot of my imagination, stirred, but not overly so, add some ingenious color combos from a few beauty bloggers/bloggers and there it is! All ME, but with tidbits adopted, adapted to me, learned fairly nicely and still having a blast putting it all together!
And yes, I have definitely gotten some very cool, kick butt color combinations from right here on Your blog! Thanks bunches!?
Audrey Hepburn, SJP, Bridget Bardot, Kate Moss, Charlie’s Angels TV series. Love their look and find much inspiration. I don’t necessarily copy their looks but I love their beauty.
I remember being impressed by Gwen Stefani’s look back in 1997. Later I discovered Audrey Hepburn and her timeless beauty. I really love that Gwen now has a similar timeless look as I really like makeup that’s not too overdone but is still completely your own.
Though I’d never wear this kind of heavy make-up myself I definitely admire the way the Kardashions/Jenners do their make-up.
I wouldn’t call them icons per se, but when I think about the image that makes me feel the best about myself, certain women come to mind.
Katherine Hepburn was the take no sh*t kind of woman I aspire to be, and I like how she showed that beauty doesn’t have to be feminine, especially in the era where women were told that so much more than today.
Iris Apfel is someone who reminds me to do whatever the hell I want with my appearance and damn the rest of the world. She also shows me getting old can be really rad.
Helen Mirren is another women who is graceful and beautiful yet also takes no sh*t. I want to be like her when I “grow up”.
Gillian Anderson is a bamf who is unapolegetically sexy and open and proud about being bisexual, and she is ridiculously smart to boot. I am definitely down for channeling my inner Scully or Stella some days.
Eartha Kitt was just breathtakingly gorgeous and active in social justice circles (she was blacklisted in the US after speaking out against the Vietnam War).
Nina Simone was similarly striking, had the most amazing voice, and used it to be active in many different civil rights issues, and eventually was pushed out of the US because of it. Mississippi Goddam is one of my “getting ready and need eyeliner with wings sharp enough to kill a man” songs.
I think my all-time inspiration, who isn’t a “fashion” or “beauty” icon, is Melinda Gates. Her foundation (along with Bill) is my dream employer, and so much of the work she does is an inspiration for who I want to be, and by extension that affects how I want to look. I want to be creative with makeup and fashion because as a women in my particular location I have the freedom to do so, and because in doing so I can fight internalized sexism and make dude-bros uncomfortable about not being feminist. XD
I have a bajillion other women I draw inspiration from in bits and pieces but I’ll leave that here for now because it’s already a freakin’ essay.
I love your choices, and the reasons why.
I like getting inspired by looks I see and recreate them on me, but I don’t have one person that I will follow and try to copy the look of.
They’re not really beauty icons but I love the overall ‘cool girl’ vibes that Alexa Chung and Leigh Lezark exude. Their makeup is quite minimal but edgy.
Kate Middleton. She always looks elegant and pretty, never overdone. Besides her makeup, her hair and wardrobe are always on point as well! Her wedding day makeup was so great and I love that she did it herself. Also, who doesn’t want to wear a diamond tiara at least once in their life???
😉
KathleenLights and GlamAndGore on YouTube (kathleenlights and _mykie on Instagram) are definitely icons of mine–Kat’a dewy skin is basically everything I want and Mykie’s super dramatic tendencies are great to follow! As far as more overall icons, like ones I relate to more as a whole aesthetic, Emma Watson, Kristen Stewart, and Audrey Hepburn hit my classic/grunge makeup styles and short hair!
I loved the supermodel look of the 90s, the contoured eye, the way Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra did their eye makeup. I did go a bit crazy when I started making my own money and got out on my own and could finally wear makeup. Now for inspiration it’s youtube, instagram or blogs.
I don’t have anyone I consider my beauty icon(s). As far as people who are beauty inspirations: Lady Gaga; Morticia Addams; 40s & 50s pinups, especially Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor; Cyd Charisse; Dita von Teese; Gwen Stefani; Cyndi Lauper; Siouxsie Sioux; Debra Harry; Madonna; David Bowie; Joan Jett; Katy Perry; Rihanna; Nicki Minaj; Jeffree Star; Kat von D; Grace Jones; Amy Lee. Non-famous: Drac Makens on YouTube is crazy unique, creative, and talented.
Not specifically. But, I do get inspiration from blogs and pins for makeup and chlothes. I have a ton of screen shots of your eyelid And lips Christine, lol!
Audrey Hepburn. For years growing up I had no idea why so many people admired her as a beauty icon and then I actually watched some of her movies. I get it now. Isabella Rossellini, Liv Tyler, Rachel Weisz, Nigella Lawson, Anne Hathaway, Lisa Eldridge.
I think it’s funny that all of them have brown hair. I’m basically a Veronica who’s forced by genetics to be a Betty (my hair doesn’t take color well at all).
I like Madonna, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga since they are always changing up their looks and trying something new.
Twiggy made a big impression on us back in the day – her clothes, hair, makeup. We read Teen Magazine, etc., to learn about new products and of course visited stores. Today I receive a few magazines (Instyle, etc.) and get ideas from there. Blogs such as this are so important so I don’t choose products that don’t perform well. As for one particular celebrity, no, they change their looks constantly so I wouldn’t follow just one for their appearance.
The first model I remember was seen frequently in Teen magazine, Cheryl Teigs. That’s probably the only model’s name I recall.
Kate Hepburn was fierce and amazing. Loved the actresses in Downton Abbey.
I don’t think I followed any to copy their design and makeup
Growing up I absolutely loved Valerie Bertinelli, “One Day At A Time” and also Heather Locklear, “TJ Hooker”, ” Dynasty “, her ” Fabrige Organic” commercials. You looked at these two ladies, different styles ect. But to me, both of them were absolutely gorgeous.
I do admire women who have a certain style about them – Princess Mary from Denmark, Queen Maxima from the Netherlands for example, but I don’t emulate them.
My real inspiration is from the kinds of products you show me Christine. You are the best.
Not necessarily now as a 30+ year old woman who likes her own beauty style 🙂 But I admire Halle Berry & Angelina Jolie’s beauty styles 🙂 as well as old-school actresses who always looked so put together makeup wise a la Marilyn Monroe, etc. When I was younger tho, I had a brief obsession with the more sexy /dramatic looks a la Scary Spice and Foxy Brown that I wanted to copy!
Elizabeth Taylor. To me she was the epitome of beauty. Even without makeup she was flawless and had such star quality.
Icons: Sophia Loren and Diana Ross. Sophia Loren’s cat-eye is flawless. Diana Ross works black eyeliner like none other.
Audrey Hepburn is who I try to channel.
I like classic beauties— Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Candace Bergen and the like. Jennifer Lawrence is a young version of this type of elegant beauty.
Dita von Teese. Flawless skin, red lips and cat liner. She’s really into skin care, goes to a normal regular dermatologist, not the crazy medspas with all the duck lip fillers, Botox and other injectables. That’s why she always looks the same, has her look and sticks with it. She really doesn’t use a lot of makeup but always looks neat and classy. No cut crease, no strobing, no insane contouring, no overly done drag queen eyebrows, no tanning, just good skin with simple makeup, just like the French do.
When I was a child, it was Marilyn Monroe, Gina Lolobridgida (SP??) , Sandra Dee…you know, 50’s stars!
Teenager…well, MM still worked…and others, of course…as a young adult, society’s tastes changed, and there was a “rollover ” in the “who is the most beautiful” world. As the decades rolled by, beauty icons changed, and reality had set in. Did and do I still see “icon-able” women in whatever media? Of course! Do I have one? No, not really…I could never look like any of them from the time I became aware of beauty ( someone once told me I should go for the Kim Novak look back then…I think that person needed glasses!) , because I am me, looked like me, and and yes, could put on the colors, try a hairdo, etc., but usually didn’t work. Have usually been and still am overweight ( I get the “but you have such a pretty face” bit, even now) , so trying to copy looks from thin women…nope. On top of that, have had glasses since I was 10.
Then in the 80’s I found wonderful allergies to make-up ingredients, and was getting corneal ulcers which we tied to eye makeup flaking and cutting the cornea,,,just a nick, teeny, impossible to see w/o magnifying, put an end to 99% of my make up use. Now, as a senior citizen, I have a few kinds of the newer, healthier skin products, but mainly still stick to lipstick and eyebrow make up.
Icons, yes. Just look at the celebs who are seniors that look fantastic for their age! My age! Would I could look like some of them!
But no. not for me. However, I have a gd who loves her make up, knows how to use it, and I can live vicariously by watching her !