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Has a movie ever inspired a makeup look you wore?


Has a movie ever inspired a makeup look you wore? If so, which?

I’m trying to think of a time, but I can’t remember anything, though it feels incomprehensible to say no, never!

Thanks to Jillian for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Leah Avatar

Definitely for Halloween! I was cruella de vil one year and edie sedgwick right before that movie came out. I also went through a major smoky phase which was partially influenced by Pirates of the Caribbean.

blueraccoon Avatar

Off the top of my head, no? Not unless you count envying the glamour of Ingrid Bergman and wishing I could look like her someday 😉 (I love, love, love old 30s and 40s black and white films; Casablanca is my all-time favorite ever).

18thCenturyFox Avatar

TOtally. When I was much younger I was trying to get the au naturel Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing- again I was very young and just playing around. I wanted to look like Katherine Hepburn in Philadelphia Story but couldn’t figure out her cosmetic coloring, and I would study Grace Kelly in Rear Window and Kim Novak in Vertigo. As you might imagine I had a lot of fun with my brows. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre and a number of other BBC productions influenced me cosmetically. My hair for a period was far more Mrs Slocombe on Are You Being Served? I still want to achieve Sean Young in Blade Runner but I am missing her gorgeous bone structure. Monica Bellucci in Brotherhood of the Wolf was another inspiring one I tried. I’m not really one for the natural look but Naomi Watts in Painted Veil kept me in a thrall. I looked up the tutorials for Black Swan and here is my last of a lengthy confession- I just revisited the Titanic tutorial for Rose’s Edwardian bloom. I love that palette. Seems I’m either hopelessly Goth or terribly Edwardian in my cosmetic proclivities. So sorry for the extensive confession.

Veronica Avatar

I’m also quite fond of Peggy from Captain America: The First Avenger. That bold fuschia lip with the gentle eye and short, wavy hair. (We could be twins with that hair! :D) I’ve tried to find a good closeup of her face to see how the artist did the eye to offset the lip, but no go. 🙁 I can’t figure out if they used heavy eyeliner or eyeshadow.

I’ve also worn the look they used for Natasha Romanov/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in The Avengers, with the bold liner and downplayed lip, though I generally use a cooler-toned shadow then the copper/brown they used on her in the film.

I apologize in advance for throwing out my geek cred with these movie choices. :p

Leah Avatar

I can’t say if I’ve been inspired by a movie look, but definitely a tv one! In one episode of BBC’s Sherlock, Irene Adler had the most fantastic eye makeup. A stunning smoky eye with black liner… until she looked down, and you could see a second line of liner that was bright blue! I went out and bought an electric blue liner right after I watched that episode! Double liner on top: I’d never thought of it!

Alexandra Avatar

Movies always inspire me! For example, I went to see Anna Karenina and wore Keira Knightley’s makeup look for a week afterwards. I watch the Sherlock series and a character wears a red lip and bright blue eyeliner? I wear it the next day and so on. There is always a movie to inspire me to try something new.

AmberM Avatar

Cher’s lipstick in Moonstruck when she gets the makeover and ready for the Opera. It was the perfect velvet matte burgundy-red. Everyone forgets about late 80s makeup. The bright colors were gone. . .it was matte and powerful.

L Avatar

The Hunger Games Books & Movies inspired me to wear gold eyeliner like Cinna and I bought a colourful palette to make bold looks, but more wearable, like the Capitol.

Sara Avatar

I admit that when I was watching the new James Bond movie (Skyfall), I found myself taking notes on some of the Bond girls’ makeup! One girl in the movie (from the casino scene) had an awesome smoky eye and I copied it for New Years Eve!

Brenda Avatar

I am quite often inspired by movies (and tv)!! My most recent was from the Merlin series on the Space network. Katie McGrath’s character Morgana now has fantastic green eye makeup that I tried out as an inspired look last week. My husband actually liked it!! Before that, Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand made me want to go put on her very 1960’s face! It was the middle of the day though so I refrained. LOL

xamyx Avatar

While not exactly a movie, I took my love for Louise Brooks to the next level. I had the hair, and I wore similar makeup. There is a strong resemblance naturally, so it was a very simple look. Prior to that, was my Wednesday Addams phase, including the braids & similar dresses.

There was also the Halloween I dressed as a cat, and took several cues from my programme which I picked up a few months prior. I wasn’t even planning to dress up, but on a whim while I was cleaning my room, I happened to pick up the book and realized I had almost everything I needed, so why not?

Jessica Avatar

Breaking Dawn part 2 for sure!! I absolutely loved Bella’s vampire makeup! Other than movies, I’ll be the first to admit that the Kardashians inspire me to work on my smokey eye!

Liz Avatar

I watch a lot more TV than I do movies. So, it’s hard for me to say a specific movie that inspired me. In general, I enjoy watching old movies from the 40s, 50s, and 60s and recreating the looks. Most of the colors have to be altered because the actresses are much paler than me. I’ve googled Dorothy Dandridge because I would say she’s close to my color.

Lastly, I remember being very impressed when watching Jennifer Lopez’s transformation in Maid in Manhattan. She’s a little paler than me, but I really love the makeup in the scene. Actually, I really love her makeup most of the time.

futuralon Avatar

I am clearly not the only one who’s seen Pandora’s Box! Louise Brooks’ powder eyeliner and dark lip with a shiny bob with bangs immediately sprung to mind as far as movie inspiration. Lots of movies and TV both new and old inspire me to try new things. I watch a lot of old movies so the dark or red lipstick idea comes up a lot -like Barbra Stanwyk, but newer stuff will inspire too – the bronze smoky eye from Skyfall being one example.

Lisa J Avatar

I was hanging out with my mom recently and we decided to watch the movie Valley of the Dolls. OMG!! The makeup! The hair! The LASHES!! I totally tried to emulate a few of the looks, but modernize them a bit. Especially Sharon Tate’s and Barbara Parkins. It was fun, but not quite good enough to wear in public…LOL! I still need a bit more practice, especially with the lashes!

I have also tried to emulate looks from the lovely ladies of Mad Men. Just stunning makeup, IMO. Obviously, the 60s is my era for fashion and makeup, even though I’m only 32. 😉

Mietta Avatar

I saw the trailer for The Great Gatsby and it looked splendid! Irene Adler from Sherlock, a lot of people have said her double liner with blue and black was gorgeous. Basically any movie with the typical ‘English rose’ type of look because I have really fair skin and enjoy seeing a lady work it and not fake tan 😉 Marie Antoinette makes me want to powder my face and bleach my eyebrows!

Briana Avatar

Last Summer I wore NYX’s jumbo eyeshadow in Gold a lot on my waterline because of Cinna from the Hunger Games. It was a detial I forgot about when I read the book but I remebered it when I saw the tailer for the movie and I was like what is only his eyelids(becuase I remember he was supposed to be one of the only normal looking people from the capital) and thought it was a cool eye idea. I still use it a lot but more for an eyeshadow base under MAC’s Amber Lights and Urban Decay’s Penny Lane.

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