24 Easy Ways to Add 1920s Glamour to Your Everyday Style

Although beauty trends come and go, they all tend to circle back with a modern twist. One of the latest trends to reemerge is the jazz bar aesthetic. This is a nod to an era of decadent parties, flapper fashion, lively music, and a booming economy that left people with more money to spend on themselves.

Are you ready to incorporate a roaring ‘20s look into your style? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Sculpted Curls

Wavy and curled hair is an iconic staple style of the 1920s. Just look at Josephine Baker and Greta Garbo, who repeatedly sported bouncy, curly hairstyles.

To achieve sculpted curls, use a roller set or curling iron and curl all strands of hair the same way. Then, use hairspray and gel to plaster down the curls for a sculpted finish.

Bold Nail Colors

Another way to achieve the seductive jazz bar aesthetic is with bold, bright nail colors. Your nail color can effortlessly elevate your style, so opt for a bold nail shade for a look that stands out and is daring.

Dark red, purple, blue, and emerald green nail colors will pop and match the 20s aesthetic. You can add a chrome overlay to make your nails shine and pop.

Embrace Bold Lips

Bold, exaggerated lips are a trademark of 1920s style for women. A bold, dark shade is hard to ignore and will make your entire makeup look pop with an effortless glow.

For a daring, seductive makeup aesthetic, lean towards dark red or purple lipstick. Matte lips will give you that classic, dark finish that emulates the bold lips of the 20s.

Rosy, Flushed Cheeks

The Jazz Bar age was defined by daring looks, and flushed, rosy cheeks were undeniably one of them. To recreate the dramatic flushed cheek look, go for a brighter and more vibrant shade of pink or red.

Avoid muted tones and any bronze or orange-toned blushes, as they will give you a more tanned glow. A bright pink will lift the color in your overall look and give you that rosy cheek aesthetic.

Dark, Smokey Eyeshadow

In an interview with Bustle, makeup artist Benjamin Puckey explained how daring, opulent, and seductive makeup is essential to achieving Jazz Age beauty. Think dark browns, black, purple, and emerald green eyeshadow shades.

After applying the eyeshadow to your lids, gently smudge it outwards to nail the smokey shadow style.

Thin Eyebrows

Thin eyebrows were a staple trend in the 1920s, a long way from the thick brows that have become viral in recent years. The skinny brow is making a return—just ask celebrities like Bella Hadid and Nicola Peltz, who have been spotted rocking the trend lately.

If you have naturally thin brows, use a brow gel and pencil to get them finely shaped. If you don’t, rather than overplucking your brows, tame them with a brow gel and slight trim for a clean finish.

Black Lips

The bolder the lips, the better — so what better way to embrace the Jazz Bar aesthetic than by rocking some black lips? Black lips are the boldest of the bunch and will completely elevate your look for a night out on the town.

Use a lip liner to define the outside of your lips to give them a uniform, dark look.

Glitter

Standing out in a dimly lit jazz bar requires a bold, adventurous makeup finish. One of the easiest ways to elevate your makeup is with glitter.

Add glitter to your eyelids, the corner of your eyes, and to your cheekbones for the ultimate shine. This technique will highlight your best features while also giving you a gorgeous glow that won’t go unnoticed.

Lip Liner

Clara Bow was an iconic figure in the 20s, and she was known for using lipliner on her cupid’s bow and lower lip to create that memorable pouty lip.

To recreate the pouty lip, choose a lip liner that’s darker than your lipstick to create a visible contrast that outlines your lips. The stark contrast will make your lips pop and give them a voluminous, plump finish.

Winged Eyeliner

In the 1920s, heavy black eyeliner was a massive trend as a dramatic look was the ultimate goal. Today, you can easily create dramatic eye makeup with black winged eyeliner.

Use a liquid black liner with a thin tip to draw on a sharp or curved winged eyeliner. The bigger the wing, the more dramatic your makeup will be.

Diamond Accessories

Accessorize your outfit with diamond jewelry. Even small diamond accessories like earrings or a hair clip will give you a glistening shine that will completely transform your style.

There’s no such thing as being too bold or flashy in the jazz bar era, so don’t be afraid to experiment with diamond jewelry and accessories.

Red Lipstick

Red lipstick is another simple way to achieve a bold lip that catches the eye even in a dark bar. It’s a shade that effortlessly stands out with an elegant, classy glow and is a great option if you want to recreate the glamorous look of the 20s without using too daring of a color.

Use vibrant red lipstick and a matching lip liner to achieve a defined, bold red lipstick.

Arched, Rounded Brows

Not only were eyebrows thinner in the 1920s, but they were also heavily arched. The brows were thinly shaped and arched, with the tail swooping downwards for a pouty appearance.

To achieve this style, brush your brows upwards and keep them in place with a brow gel to create the awe-inspired look women sought after in the era.

Small Crystals

Add a few small crystals to your routine if you want to take your makeup to another level. Small crystals are a fun accessory that will emulate the glitz and glamor of the 1920s.

Think of the showy, dazzling looks from The Great Gatsby. Apply a few small crystals to the inner corner of your eye and the eyelid and outer corners of your eyes.

Use Vibrant Eyeshadow Colors

Steer away from classic neutral shades and opt for vibrant eyeshadow colors instead. Neutral shades tend to disappear and blend into the night, which you don’t want when trying to achieve the seductive look of the era.

Choose eyeshadow colors like gold, silver, purple, and blue to make your eyes pop. Once you apply the eyeshadow, smudge it with your fingers to achieve a smokey eye.

Apply Smudged Kohl Liner

The 1920s were a time of experimentation in makeup, and eyeliner was a big hit. Women loved to sport heavy black eyeliner, and several popular brands like Revlon made major profits from their Kohl shadows.

Grab a Kohl eyeliner and apply it to your upper and lower eyelid to recreate the bold, glitzy 20s aesthetic. For an even more dramatic and sultry finish, smudge the liner towards the outside of your eyes.

Highlight Your Cupid’s Bow

Pouty, full lips were a signature look every woman wanted to emulate in the 20s. Clara Bow was the darling of the 20s and she famously used lip liner to accentuate her cupid’s bow.

Clara would leave the corners of her lips bare of the lip liner. This technique highlights the cupid’s bow even more. If you want the perfect pouty lip, this look is for you.

Rock a Sculpted Up-Do

Hairstylist Evanie Frausto tells Bustle that the sculpted updo is an essential style of vintage jazz hairdos. Pull your hair back into a tight, neatly shaped updo to achieve this snatched hairstyle.

Use hair wax or hairspray to keep the hair neat and plastered down. A sculpted updo will accentuate your makeup look and give you that classy glow.

Voluminous Side-Swept Hair

Opt for a voluminous side-swept hairstyle if you are not a huge fan of up-dos. Side-swept styles are naturally glamorous and feature classic Hollywood waves that give your hair an alluring finish.

A-listers like Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Lawrence are just some celebrities who have rocked the vintage hairstyle on the red carpet.

Circular Blush

The most popular technique for creating a defined snatched blush is applying it with a sweeping motion on the upper areas of the cheekbone.

During the jazz bar era, women would apply their blush in circular strokes closer to the apple of the cheeks for a soft, romantic glimmer. Use this technique with a vibrant pink to nail the romantic flushed look.

Precise, Defined Eyebrows

Untamed, fluffy eyebrows are a major trend, but in the ’20s, precise eyebrows were the go-to look. Since thin and overplucked brows were a major trend, they would have a very defined, sharp look.

Fortunately, you don’t have to pluck your eyebrows out to achieve defined brows. Pluck away hairs out of place around the brows and use a brow gel to brush them into place.

Faux Bob

Short hairstyles were the standard in the 20s, but you don’t have to chop off your locks to recreate the iconic bob. You can style a faux bob to create the illusion of short hair in just a few simple steps.

First, curl your hair and put it into a loose ponytail. Then, tuck the end of the ponytail up towards your neck. If you see any loose strands of hair, pin them with bobby pins upwards with the rest of your hair.

Embrace Shimmer & Highlighter

For a jazz-age makeup look with a modern twist, replace glitter and diamond with a softer glow. Highlighter will be your new best friend when achieving a natural glow that makes an impact.

Apply a shiny highlighter to the tip of your nose, above your cupid’s bow, and along your cheekbones for a glistening finish.

Wear Pearls

To nail jazz-age glamour, you’ll need a long pearl necklace to finish your look. Embrace the classic flapper style with a beautiful string of white pearls.

You can layer them for a more dramatic style that emulates the glitzy look of the era. Complete your look with pearl earrings or a bracelet, which will sport a more subtle style.