Vintage Beauty Tips That Still Work! 

Behind every screen siren’s flawless finish existed a bevy of beauty secrets the public was dying to know. Not everyone could afford the lavish treatments these Hollywood divas indulged in, so they found their own alternatives. We tested out some of these simple and accessible techniques to looking glam and discovered if they really work!

Rouge à la Rose

Did your beau buy you a bouquet of crimson roses? Pluck a petal or two and crush them between your fingertips until you see red liquid seeping out. Dab and blend the rose extract over your cheekbones for a healthy flush and swipe the excess over your lips for an all-natural stain!

Beautylish Quick Tip: Blend the stain quickly to avoid splotches.

Lustrous Locks from Hops

Believe it or not, ladies used to douse their locks in a bath of brew! The vitamin B and natural sugars present in beer gives hair the shine and extra volume that pin up Beauties were famous for. If your locks are looking lackluster, soak your strands after shampooing with warm, flat beer (the more hops, the better). Let the rinse sit in your hair for a few minutes, then wash out with cool water and condition after.

Beautylish Quick Tip: Warm up a frosty brew on the stove before you bring it in the shower.

Rag-A-Curl

Steel rollers could often be cumbersome and uncomfortable to sleep in, so inventive ladies found a cheaper and more comfortable solution by using leftover fabric. Take damp hair with a light coat of leave-in conditioner and roll over small 2”x 5” strips of rags close to the root of your hair. Tie the ends and leave overnight. In the morning, you’ll unravel gorgeous waves without heatstyling or heavy duty rollers!

Beautylish Quick Tip: Create rags from any excess fabric—an old tee will do!

Pick-Me-Up Petroleum Jelly

Better known as Vaseline, this wonder ingredient was a multipurpose face saver for retro ladies in their heyday. If you’ve stayed out all night, dab a bit of petroleum jelly underneath puffy eyes and you’ll wake up to refreshed peepers.

Beautylish Quick Tip: Looking for another use for this inexpensive helper? If you’re in a pinch and don’t have time for eye shadow, sweep a touch of the petroleum jelly over your lids and brownbone for a subtle and pretty sheen.

Grease Lightening!

When mothers went a day between hair washes, they’d grab their diaper bag for beauty supply. Baby powder, after all, was the original dry shampoo! Formulated with starch, talc and fragrance, the inexpensive talcum powder still refreshes oily scalps and baby butts to this day.

Beautylish Quick Tip: If baby powder is turning your hair ashy or gray, let the powder sit for a couple of minutes to soak up the oils. Work the formula through your roots with a brush and your fingers.