Category: movies and culture

The Babes of Horror Movies: Make-up Inspiration

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

People who know me, knows that I likes me them horror movies! My boyfriend is stuck with the tedious duty of watching them with me and letting me squeeze his hand and burrow my face into his shoulder all the way through every jump scare, freaky monster, and demonic possession out there in this high energy genre of film that is often underrated artistically. Pulling off what is called a “B movie” takes a lot of talent… And I am grateful for this genre for scaring the bejebers out of me. It makes my life seem less scary…

But did you ever notice that horror is loaded with foxy ladies? Let’s dissect my favourite leading ladies of horror and how to possibly achieve some of their gorgeous, babe-alicious make-up and hair looks:

#4 Ana de Armas in Knock Knock

Ana de Armes is a Spanish actress that is just gorgeous, with her big innocent eyes, and cute baby face. Most recently seen in the thriller Knock Knock with Keanu Reeves, I thought she stole the show in her skimpy out fits and cute blondie ways.

Here she is stealing the show in a glamourous sparking body con dress. I love her short blonde hair and black lined eyes.
Here she is stealing the show in a glamourous sparking body con dress. I love her short blonde hair and black lined eyes.
she looks great with less make-up, more than anything else. Recreate by doing neutral eyes paired with a dark magenta lip.
She looks great with neutral eyes.  Recreate by doing neutral eye shadow,paired with a dark magenta lip. Heavy mascacra and false lashes add drama to already big eyes.

#3 Emma Stone in Zombieland

Emma Stone is known for being a Hollywood glamour queen, but before she made it big, she was in a small little horror comedy called Zombieland.  It was so funny, and so fun, and quite scary at times, I loved this movie.  Emma stone was so cute in it, because she really knew how to rock a darker brunette hairstyle that was both edgy and soft at the same time.

I loved Emma Stone's hair in this movie. The side swept bangs and bouncy wavy hair made her darkly lined eyes that much more feminine!
I loved Emma Stone’s hair in this movie. The side swept bangs and bouncy wavy hair made her edgy black lined eyes that much more feminine!

#2 Katrina Bowden in Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil

I loved Katrina’s performance as the damsel in distress and romantic lead in this hilarious horror comedy about college kids going to the backwoods, and learning that hillbillies are not as scary as them preppy young selves.  So funny.  And Katrina was so foxy with her tousled wavy hair, and minimal make up.  I think she is following that trend in South Korea of just rocking really nice dewy skin.

You can't have a B movie without a hot babe of some sort. And Katrina Bowden fits this bill. But her performance was also super funny.
You can’t have a B movie without a hot babe in her knickers. And Katrina Bowden is up to task! But her performance was also super funny.
Nice wavy hair like this can be achieved with a curling iron and rollers. Pair it with little to no make up for Katrina's look.
Nice wavy hair like this can be achieved with a curling iron and rollers. Pair it with little to no make up if you dare for Katrina’s look.

#1 Amber Heard in The Ward

And my number 1 pic has to be Amber Heard who is no stranger to being a siren in horror movies.  She was Mandy Lane in the slasher All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, but I want to focus on her make-up and hair in her lesser known movie The Ward.  This movie has great twists and turns, I do recommend checking it out.  If not for Amber’s strikingly gorgeous look and portrayal of a disheveled young blonde, then for the mysterious intrigue that happens in it, as it is set in a psych ward full of disturb young women.

Amber Heard's character does a lot of worrying in this movie, but look and the simple pastel palette that is used on her eyes and mouth.
Amber Heard’s character does a lot of worrying in this movie, but look at the simple pastel palette that is used on her eyes and mouth, and accentuated eye lashes.  It is a pale, ghostly and drained palette that mirror her state.
It doesn't look like a lot of make-up, but it is. To get this look, you need disheveled hair, dark lined brows, and a neutral lip. I think it is a youthful make-up.
It doesn’t look like a lot of make-up, but it is. To get this look, you need disheveled hair, dark lined brows, and a neutral lip. I think it is a youthful looking make-up.
My attempt at achieving the same look. Pastel eye shadow, with darker lined brows, shadow lined eyes, and fake lashes. finish with pastel lip colour/nude.
My attempt at achieving the same look. Pastel eye shadow, with darker lined brows, softly lined eyes, and fake lashes. finish with pastel lip colour/nude.  Hey I’m not Amber Heard, but I tried!  🙂

An example of classic glamour: Gone with the Wind

~ Emmie Reve ~ 2 Comments

I remember my mom was a fan of vintage Hollywood movies.  I watched all of them with her when I was a child.  Whenever they came on TV, she would tune in, and together we would watch them from beginning to end.  While I assume other children watched Disney films, I however, got to watch the original Bond movies, The Sound of Music, Hitchcock thrillers, and Gone with the Wind.  What did all these old classics have in common?  Incredibly beautiful iconic female characters, great fashion and romance and drama done in the most legendary way.  This post I will be focusing on the lush adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s 1937 novel Gone with the Wind.

Made in 1939, and so epic in its nearly 4 hour long story-telling, this movie was the big one. It had in it so many love stories and triangles that there was never a dull moment.  And the colours and costumes in this film were fantastically grand, beautiful and perfect.  Taking place in the Civil War era in the United States’ history, it showcased a very strong female character, Scarlett O’hara, played by the actress Vivienne Leigh.  My mother told me so many women loved her character portrayal so much that the most popular westernized name in Hong Kong given to baby girls at a time was “Vivien”.  (If that was the case, how did I end up with my modest name Emmie?)  Well, anyways, back onto track, Vivien Leigh played Scarlett, a “southern belle” who full of determination, pride and guts, was a victim of unrequited love, even with all of her beauty.  While watching the film, we don’t know weather to pity or admire her, for her dire circumstances; with not getting the beau of her dreams and for having to survive war, famine, and poverty during the worst of the civil war.  As we all know, the South loses, but Scarlet never lets that affect her.

One of the many marriages a siren like Scarlett would get. Look at her elegant gown, and oh so perfect hair and make-up. Classic.
One of the many marriages a siren like Scarlett would get. Look at her elegant gown, and oh so perfect hair and make-up. Classic.
In the most girly red piped top, perfect hair, and a the gorgeous ball gown skirt that most "southern bells" don.
In the most girly red piped top, perfect hair, and a the gorgeous ball gown skirt that most “southern bells” don.

 

look at her perfect hair and make-up. Even when she is being haughty, she is beautiful.
look at her perfect hair and make-up. Even when she is being haughty, she is beautiful.

One of my favourite things about Scarlett was that she was not ashamed of her attractiveness and was not afraid to use it to get ahead or for survival reasons.  She wasn’t able to land her love obsession Ashley Wilkes, a southern gentleman with honor, but she was sure able to beguile playboy, womanizer Brett Butler.  A skill that is not to be taken lightly.  He fell for her hard.

After she marries into weath with the famous Rhett Butler, Scarlett visits her family plantation in style.
After she marries into wealth with the famous Rhett Butler, Scarlett visits her family plantation in style.
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What woman looks this good after giving birth? Apparently Scarlett does, with her gorgeous sleep cape and hair so romantically curled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favourite outfits in the film. A green velvet house coat with gold embellishments. When I lounge around my place, I don't look like this!!
One of my favourite outfits in the film. A green velvet house coat with gold embellishments. When I lounge around my place, I don’t look like this!!
The perfect family, with tons of scandalous secrets, thanks of Scarlett, or course! Look at her striped dress. It is still current with today's fashion...
The perfect family, with tons of scandalous secrets, thanks of Scarlett, of course! Look at her striped dress. It is still current with today’s fashion…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only some women can pull off this amount of glamour. Scarlett does this admist gossip of her indiscretions.
Only some women can pull off this amount of glamour. Scarlett does this admist gossip of her indiscretions.
This is her famous red dress that gets her in trouble with Rhett. A bit Christmassy for me, but still loving it with the loose flowing hair curls.
This is her famous red dress that gets her in trouble with Rhett. A bit Christmassy for me, but still loving it with the loose flowing hair curls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think?  Can contemporary Hollywood actresses compete with Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett?  Or is even trying to out do this gal a hopeless venture?  I for one think this is a tall feat.  What do today’s Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson, or Emilia Clarke have on Scarlett O’Hara?  Apparently nothing, if you’ve been able to catch this classic gem of a film.

The mystery of the “top knot” bun

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

As a  child I remember loving the Nancy Drew series…nothing intrigued me more than a good mystery and following it out as the teen-aged sleuth Nancy solved it.  The current mystery I have been trying to solve is about why every girl has been sporting a hair style known as the “top knot” these days. So I recently made an effort to make one of these things and two tired arms later, from combing my hair in an upwards direction, I finally understand.

In case you didn’t know, a top knot is a really, really high bun.  The kind that is so high, the round “bun” part is actually on the top of your head, and all your hair is pulled upwards along the face.  I had to ask myself why it has become so popular, and the go-to style for casual elegance and put-togetherness amongst women everywhere.   Because for some reason, a regular lower bun is granny-like, and unglamourous, maybe even too cerebral? But the higher top knot is alluring, fashionable and fun. Why is this great divide happening between where on the head you gather the bun?

After some thought, here is what I think:

~ Top knots are like an instant face lift.  Pulling the hair up, and out of your face has a gravity defying character that flatters and lightens up facial features such as the eyes, fore head and cheek temples.  It pulls everything up a bit.

~putting a bun at the top the head is dramatic, and adds height to a person.  It e-longens the face, making it seem slimmer and more delicate

~Because the bun part is on the top of the head, it doesn’t stick out in the back and doesn’t interfere with the line of the back of the head.  It’s smooth all the way down to the neck and swan like.

I gather and comb my hair up into a high pony tail. fasten with an elastic.
I gather and comb my hair up into a high pony tail. fasten with an elastic.
coil the hair in a bun shape around the base of the pony tail. Tuck in ends underneath the bun. arms tired yet? Mine were.
coil the hair in a bun shape around the base of the pony tail. Tuck in ends underneath the bun. arms tired yet? Mine were.

The second part of this mystery?  Why are top knots so hard to do in hair?  I have thick, ultra straight hair that really wants to go down in direction. The idea of making it go up is foreign.   My arms always get so tired combing my long hair in an upwards position, to wind into a bun.  But a few things really help tame hair so that it will get into place for top knots:

These are french pins. They do not pull or tease hair. They work by weaving through different layers of hair!
These are french pins. They do not pull or tease hair. They work by weaving through different layers of hair!

-have slightly dirty hair, or hair that has not been washed, using dry shampoo helps.  I find the added texture in your hair makes it grip as you are pushing it up.

-use french pins because they work, and do not pinch and pull hair the way bobby pins do. (French pins are awesome and so easy to use.  Ask me if anyone needs a tutorial!)

-Forget hair donuts (those spongy, foam donut shaped bun fillers used to make top knots), they are way too unnatural looking and uniform, if you get them to work–not everyone has thick enough hair to cover the hair donuts!

Am I right about why there is all this rage over the top knot?  What has been your go to hair style that never lets you down whenever you wear it?