How to be a Bombshell 101

So in Pride, Prejudice and Perfume this week, I covered the parfums fit for only the most glamorous of the vintage pin-ups, and this week in Beauty Bar I’m looking at products that every good bombshell can’t live without. This is a crash course in How to be Like Mae West. (No you don’t get your money back if the end result isn’t quite what the history books say it should be, and don’t try and track me down, I’ll be on a plane on my way to the Bahamas).

The Candle

Bombshell boudoirs are not complete, without a scented candle (or several) providing mood lighting and sensual aromas. That’s just common knowledge. A bombshell must choose her candles wisely – candles with essential oils are the way to go, their scent is stronger – after all, ambience is one of her most vital weapons.

We love:

• Royal Doulton Aromatherapy Candles, particularly Romance. Honey, musk, amber, jasmine and orange, this candle is the queen of the pack – $29.95
• Mor’s Vines of Arcadia Fragrant Candle. Orange, lemon, peach, strawberry and amber. $29.95

The Doll Face

You would never have caught Vivien Leigh with an uneven complexion. Vintage pin-ups had to maintain baby smooth skin, minus surgical interference. Hydration is key – thirsty skin looks haggard and haggard does not fly with cheesecake girls.

We love:

• Endota Bush Honey and Macadamia Skin Drink. This moisturiser is beautiful – nourishing and rich, it hydrates without the feeling you’re clogging pores. $65

The Silky Skin

The beauty of body balms is not only does it make your skin look as smooth as ice-cream, but it acts as perfume. Scented, silky limbs are pre-requisites, Marilyn wouldn’t have it any other way.

We love:

• Rituelle Body Balm in Cucumber and Linden Blossom. This body balm is as refreshing as pims and lemonade on a hot summer’s day. $29.95
• Endota Everything’s Roses Body Balm. Nourishing, organic and Australian made, Endota is natural beauty. $17

The Bette Davis Eyes

Gone are the days of waging war with liquid eyeliner and losing (thus looking like you got smacked in the face and didn’t get the frozen peas on in time) are over. Languid, liquid, luscious Bette Davis eyes are but a brush flick away.

We love:

• Gorgeous Cosmetics Gel It Eyeliner, $30

The Ruby Lips

You show me a 1940s movie star, I’ll show you a crimson mouth. Whilst it’s true one has to be careful with exactly what shade of red they were (blondes, I’m looking at you) a vivid red lipstick is the base of every bombshell’s make up case.

We love:

• Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess in Aphrodite $30
• Gorgeous Cosmetics lipstick in Show Girl $35

The Rose Lips

Grace Kelly led the way for ice princesses the world over, and yes she could pull off ruby lips, but that flaxen hair and those pale blue eyes were better suited to something a little more subtle – the rose lip. Angelic innocence meets come-hither insistence.

We love:

• Max Factor Lipstick in Dusky Rose $20.75
• MAC Adoring Carmine 3: Rose Lips $80

The Parfum

Do not ever leave your boudoir without a spritz of your signature scent. That just goes without saying. If you haven’t quite decided what your signature scent is, don’t worry, you have time. Keep a selection on hand, and remember – different occasions warrant different perfumes. As we head into summer, keep it fresh, light, floral and pretty.

We love:

• Rituelle Jasmine & Tuberose eau de parfum, from the Garden Party collection. This is a light, crisp fragrance, sharp with jasmine. Tuberose, neroli, sweet honey, tiare flowers and bergamot, sit atop a warm base of spices and clove. An ice covered volcano, as Miss Kelly herself was famously described by Hitchcock. $49.95

The Accessory

And, of course, finally, a place to stash it all. Frilly, flippant and frivolous.

We love:

• Anabel Trends Mini Dot range