Get The Look - Dita Von Teese

So in the previous incarnation of my blog over at tumblr i used to occasionally do a section every other week (or when i could be bothered, i was a bad blogger back then) called "get the look" focusing on how to achieve some of my favourite celebs looks.
I decided to bring it back and i'm starting with one of my personal big time style crushes, Dita Von Teese.

Dita's style is always flawless, she channels that icredible 1940's burlesque/vaudeville/old hollywood glamour with such ease and elegance, she doesn't just turn heads, she breaks necks. So follow these tips and you too could snag a hot french count like Louis Marie de Castelbajac. J'adore!

Make Up

Dita's make up is always flawless and always dramatic. She also pretty much always goes for the same look which has become her signature, the bright red siren lips and the dark cat eyes. Dita herself says she uses a light reflecting foundation in an ivory shade, such as L'oreal true match N1 Ivory. This is a non oily foundation which contains glycerin to make it blend completely with your natural skin tone, science lesson over. I find using fingertips is best with this foundation as it's easier and leaves fewer traces than a sponge. This is also a long lasting base since it doesn't melt away like some other products. Although Casper pale girls like Dita (and myself) can get away with choosing the lightest shade possible, i suggest if you have a darker skin tone you opt for something a little darker than ivory as you can end up looking washed out if you go too light.

A powder cover will give you that perfect matte complexion. I recommend using MAC Invisible Set Powder, the matte finish absorbs oil for a long time and gives a very dramatic finish to the face.

For the eyes you obviously want black black and more black. You're going for the Cleopatra look but you want to make sure you keep it classy and not end up like a panda. Choose the eyeliner format you're most comfortable with , i personally use a mixture of the liquid and rectractable pencil both from Rimmel's Exaggerate line for daytime and use Écriture De Chanel automatic liquid liner for night, but you can also use a regular pencil, or if you're feeling really brave, powder.


For best results, stretch your eyelid out with your free hand and, starting from the corner of your eye, sweep right across towards your temple. Making sure your wings at the end are perfect is ESSENTIAL, if you mess up just use a cotton bud to remove the excess and start again. Practice makes perfect.

I would suggest keeping the eyelids bare but depending on your skin tone, a little white eyeshadow can really make those eyes pop.


Fake eyelashes can really make a difference and with so many to choose from you can go from a subtle lengthening to full blown peacock feathers! I'd recommend MAC's fake eyelashes, or my must have, Naturalites 101. They can really be tricky for some people at first but once you get the hang of it it's just like riding a bike, but much more glamourous.
For mascara you want to use a volumising product to give that Bambi effect. Something like Max Factor 2000 Calorie Dramatic Look or L'Oreal's latest offering, Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara, which has a brush 50% larger than other mascaras and gives you the biggest lashes i've seen without falseies.. I do however suggest you at least TRY Benefit's Bad Gal Lash at least once. It's a product i think every girl should own.


The Pièce de résistance of Dita's look is of course her fierce scarlet lips. Dita herself confesses to having hundreds of different shades of red lipstick. She says her favourite shades are 'Russian Red' by MAC and Christian Dior Diorific 'Rouge Bingo', but experiment at the make up aisle for yourself and don't forget to get liplock to keep that pout perfect no matter how many martini's you sip ! Also to get that perfect 40's pout use a cotton bud to push a little V shape into the top lip to really have that perfect cupid's bow the old glamour stars lusted after.

Hair

Dita's dark hair really sets off her pale skin and red lips. After a return home to L.A. from Paris recently, Dita herself tweeted: "Blonde roots are showing. Big day at the drugstore to pick up a box of blue/black! Hope the Hollywood goths didn't beat me to it. Hate salons!" So if you want hair like Miss Von Teese i suggest Schwarzkopf Live in Cosmic Blue for the same shade Dita covers her blode locks with.

As for styling, be prepared to spend a LOT of time perfecting this one. She says her hair-spiration was Sherilyn Fenn from Twin Peaks back in the day. You can do your hair in multiple styles to recreate Dita's look, from pincurls to victory rolls to complete that 1940's bombshell look. There are a lot of really great tutorials on Youtube for these styles but as long you keep it looking classy you can't go wrong.

Outfits
For a woman who made her name for what she wasn't wearing, Dita has become a fashion icon of late with designers gagging to get her at their front rows.
Dita LOVES couture, and would die for Dior. She also has a real obsession with shopping vintage and loves a bargain find. Copying her look however doesn't have to break your bank. You can't go wrong with a classy black shift and a cinch belt or a high waisted skirt. It's all about class for the Dita look and the word casual should be obliterated from your vocabulary.


MORE TO COME.