Once upon a time, I found myself on tour with the blazin' hot band, Johnny Hootrock, barrelling through the even hotter Death Valley (117 degrees during the day!) in a darling RV, with a less than darling broken air conditioner. When we pulled up to the honky-tonk in Arizona, my cohort Coco Lectric and I had to quickly get into glamour mode and put on a top-notch show for those fine folks. That was some challenge, let me tell you! Just a couple of hours earlier, we'd decided bikinis were the only acceptable outfits to wear on this trip, and had taken to spraying ourselves down with water bottles to keep from spontaneously combusting!
Now that was a rather extreme situation, but since we seem to be having a global heat wave, I wanted to share some tricks I've learned for maintaining that glamorous demeanor, from growing up in Texas...
1. Put it up! Sweep your hair up off your neck into a French twist or chignon, and anchor it with an embellished chopstick. To further avoid a schoolmarmish look, add earrings that dangle: hoops for day, chandeliers for night.
2. Wear silver. Ancient alchemists believed that silver had a cooling effect on the face, skin, and even emotions!
3. Have a peppermint. This works especially well if you have to be outdoors where breathing the heat of the air can be suffocating! Peppermint will cool your breath and lungs, not to mention make intimate conversations more pleasant. Share one with a friend.
4. Embrace the dewy look. You don't want to spend all day gazing into a compact and diligently re-patting your powder puff long after your face has gone cakey... Instead, begin with an oil-controlling foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF (I love Lorac!), which you should keep in the refrigerator. Brush a white or gold shimmer powder atop cheek and brow bones, so that dewy glow looks deliberate, and give a once-over with loose powder and a big fluffy brush.
5. Carry a parasol. One of the ultimate pin-up girl necessities, these quaint souvenirs of an earlier time are perfect for providing personal shade and protection from the sun's damaging UV rays. From antique Chinese silk to brightly colored paper, parasols come in styles to suit any taste. I personally like to embellish my own! Yes, people will stare at you if you're walking around with one, but we showgirls are used to that, right?
6. Sip Perrier with lime or cucumber slices. It's very important to stay hydrated, and the little bubbles in mineral water add a touch of extra glamour. When you're ready for something stronger, a gin & tonic with lots of lime works wonders.
7. Care for your tootsies. We all know summer is the season for espadrilles, open toe and foot baring shoes of all styles, thank goodness! To keep feet soft and supple between pedicures (or if you're a dancer like me), cover with a generous layer of Vick's Vap-o-Rub and put socks on before bed.
8. Color change. The de rigueur manicure/pedicure color for pin-up girls, showgirls, and glamma girls of all stripes is RED, right? Well, red will always be elegant and striking, but for the already red-hot days of summer, I recommend lightening up a bit with a classic coral, or "shocking pink"; the shade made famous by Elsa Shiaparelli in 1937.
Coral manicure detail. (photo: Steve DeMent)
9. Take a cue from Marilyn. Or her character, rather, in The Seven Year Itch. "When it's hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox!" Don't knock it till you try it, ladies ;-). According to fellow showgirl Jolie Ampere Goodnight, it's also nice to keep your pajamas in the freezer until bedtime.
10. Monochromatic Makeup. While I don't necessarily endorse the "natural look" when it comes to makeup, keeping all shades in the same color family can look fresh, youthful, and effortless when it's steamy outside. Whether a warm peach, or cool orchid pink, consider swiping the same color over cheeks and lids, deepening it for lips. Black cat-eye liner and lush black lashes always finish off the look, of course.
Now go forth in glamour, Girls! I assume that I don't even need to mention sunscreen, right? Good! ;-)
Till next time, xoxo
Ruby Joule