A Vintage Guide to Color Matching Makeup 

First +pls pin

This is hands down the BEST shift of the beauty community in years, positive and fun. I love learning all this history!! Truly thank you Erin 👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️

I say this in the best possible way- please don't feel like you have to squeeze in a time frame, we really appreciate the long form content and hearing what you have to say, this video was amazing!

I'm in my mid 50's and when I was 16 my grandmother passed she was 72. While cleaning out her room I found an old shoe box containing some old make up, it was all Helena Rubinstein. As in your video the pigments in the powdered Rouge were very bright and not much was needed . From a little investigating and the help from my grandfather I found out the make up dated back to around the early 1930's when she was in her 20's ....So glad she kept it and now it's very treasured 💕. I'm new to your channel, I love your style....so beautiful 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

The brunette and purple is gorgeous I had no idea that they were so vibrate and colorful with their color pallets back then it’s sad that they only had black n white photos

Erin, I'd love to see you explore other cultures approaches to makeup. Such as current Korean trends, traditional Balinese wedding, 80s Bollywood, late 1800s Chinese and bourdoir looks over the decades.

I think the undertone of ones skin and hair (and eyes) also plays a huge role, not just the contrast and the colours themselves. This was really interesting! Thank you :)

Thank you for bringing my love and passion back to makeup. It’s so refreshing to see an artist that focuses on the history of product, rather that a cyclical stream of drama and marketing. You can get so disenchanted with the constant negativity and sincerely applaud your passion and energy.

I just recently found you I am a 53 year-old grandma I clean houses for a living and I never wear makeup. But I have to tell you you are quite possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen you are gorgeous naturally!!! And a personality to match!🙋😍

I don't do makeup but it's just fascinating learning about the history of makeup. You're mothering!

I really like purple eye make up with green eyes. It makes them magical. Personally, I think trying to match green lids with green eyes or blue lids with blue eyes often leads to clashing. But purple or reddish purple eye make up with green eyes, contrasts extremely and makes green eyes. Pop like magic.

All of the looks suit you, but there's just something extra special about the "light auburn" look. It made you glow

I’ve only just discovered this channel and I’m OBSESSED. I’m not a make up girly but I love history and old Hollywood. So knowledgeable and calming. This woman is a babe ✨

the color theory I think enhances each hair color but definitely works with each different combination. You're my absolute favorite channel ☺️ Love your content.

I am a dark (Auburn) Brunette. Dark brown eyes. Purple has always been my “ride or die” color. Your brunette creation is fire. ✌🏻💖💄

Yay! We get another long format video! It's so cool to explore the history behind these looks. I think it would be really awesome if you took a look at ancient beauty rituals as well. Along with other aspects of beauty, such as skincare and haircare. Also, I think the idea behind color harmony makes sense when you consider the various skin tones people have. But I feel like it gets thrown out the window when it comes to an extremely pale white complexion. Let's forget that we are thinking about skin, and just look at it as purely colors. Everything goes with white backdrop. If you had an empty, white painted room and put in a purple couch with magenta cushions, it would look nice. Maybe not the colors you prefer, but it would still look pretty. Draw those colors on a white sheet of paper with markers and it works. But once you start getting into the various shades of brown, it starts to change, and those same colors may not be as flattering. So that's why I feel like regardless of your hair color, the makeup looks still work for you. Plus you also know how to apply makeup well since you are a professional.

The history lessons Erin gives are really intriguing, and the artistry of the application is interesting to watch as well! I’m a guy that doesn’t wear makeup, and love and appreciate how well these videos are done.

Well now I know what that brush was for in the vanity sets I got from my grandmother! There was a hair receptacle, powder box, tray, mirror, comb and a very soft brush like the one shown in the movie clip. My grandmother was born in 1902 and I loved looking through her vanity.

You deserve to go viral for all the right reasons. You’re what we needed for YEARS!!!!!! Thank you for all of this

I love the idea of the cake of mascara. I feel like it would last much longer. Also, I’d love to see you do all of the steps, the blending, the lining, all of it!

Erin is what the beauty community should be! I'm a stan, in love. This is everything. Refreshing, education and just a cool ass chic. Love her passion for what she does. it's a breath of fresh air.

Now I want to start researching where I can get some vintage makeup in my area, this is incredibly interesting. As Lisa Eldridge also explains, studying all material culture including makeup is extremely important to get an idea of the zeitgeist of an era and more specifically for makeup it helps understanding the female condition in that period. Great work!

They never give examples for brunettes with blue eyes I feel like 😭

Erin, I would love to see more 1930s celebrity inspired looks based off Max Factor’s work and techniques from you. I find the “creation” of it all so fascinating and I want a bigger peek inside your antique beauty books. 🔍👀 Plus I just adore the 1930s looks on you!!

I can't tell you how amazing this is. I literally found your channel yesterday - and it just happened to be the same day that I finally finished putting my vanity back together after 18 months of health struggles. I am still quarantining due to said health, but I had a big meeting that *had* to be in person. It was the first time I put, even just the eye, makeup on since 2020, and it was amazing. However, there's some challenges: I have grown so very pale, more so than even just the lack of sun for 3 years (almost 4, LONG story)... I have complications with severe anemia. So finding the absolute most pale concealers and foundations has been an expensive journey, and I still haven't gotten there. But since I have to wear a mask when I go out, that's ok - I usually get by with just powder. And finally - I'm having to finally accept that I am starting my 5th decade on this Little Blue Rock - and as hard as I have tried, the years are finally starting to catch up with me. So adapting everything I know about my own skincare and makeup has kind of been turned on its head. We'll see how having access to all of my cosmetics will change things. :) Thank you for sharing so much great information.

I love historical fashion and makeup especially! That’s why I’m so glad your making these videos. I would love to see some looks from the 1960s-1970s!

The light red look was EVERYTHING omg

Love this. They sure were absolutely trying it with all the rules back in the day. The girlies were doing these book tutorials looking like rainbows going to the grocery store. Love!

The last makeup look with dark hair was stunning, your eyes looked so captivating! The blond wig you wore looked grey/silver/white to me. I’m curious to see a more neutral toned blond, maybe that ashy of a color was uncommon in the 30’s? History of hair dye would be fascinating! I really enjoy your history content!! Part 2!!

I can not tell you how much I love your content. I love makeup and I love history by themselves but the history of makeup and how it was used and that you ACTUALLY follow it?! Freaking obsessed.

*moves across the country, has panic attack in seedy motel, sees EP has put up a new video, starts applying lipstick* It’s so good to see someone so deserving of her position in life to have it!

Oh goodness, it is so difficult to choose a favorite on you. I agree that the purple looked great with any hair color. Maybe that’s because purple can be both warm and cool depending on how much red or blue tone it has. I would love to see you try the silver haired tutorial. I think you definitely need a silver wig in your collection 🤩 I’m enjoying these beauty history videos so much!

I've done a TON of studying on Color Analysis/Color Harmony, (it's my special interest just like yours is with the history of beauty), and I wanted to quickly explain why the blonde and the deep brunette wig both worked with the brunette makeup! I have training from one of the authors of Color Me Beautiful, as well as practice doing color analysis and years of research into the subject. Later into the history of color analysis, we see a resurgence of this trend around the 80's re-marketed as Color Seasons or "Color Me Beautiful". With this evolution of color analysis, we lean away from categorizing people by their hair color alone and start including other factors into their palette such as skin undertone and eye color, thus fitting them into a more generalized "season" palette. From the four main season categories, (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), the Brunette makeup you tried above fits into the Winter color palette, as it contains the signature Winter traits of being Dark, Clear (or "saturated"), and Cool. While most winters have naturally deep hair like the brunette wig you chose, they can also pull off a very specific type of cool, white-blonde such as the blonde wig you chose for your comparison of the brunette makeup. This is because it's a very cool and "clear" blonde, making it fit into the Winter palette! It would not have looked so good with a more golden, warm blonde, as that hair color is more fitting for a Spring or Autumn palette. I know that was super wordy but I just love this stuff and thought you might too! I don't know if you've ever had your color analysis done but you yourself are in fact a Winter, which is why that last look was so incredible on you. It's also why you are always so naturally drawn to outfits and color schemes that are brightly saturated and high-contrast. Your best colors will be an intense Royal Blue, a deep Blood Red, true Black and true, cool White. Love your videos so much, I hope you find this as interesting as I do!

My mom was a teen in the 70’s, when colour harmony was referred to as your ‘Season’. I’m too greedy to be limited by one palette.

Lost my eyebrows due to thyroid disease so I took on the Harlow brow... Glad to see you mention the shape here because it makes me feel better for the choice!

I do think the color harmony looked best as intended, while it would work for other hair colors, it really excelled as they suggested you do it. Such gorgeous looks!

When I had red hair I used purple eye shadow too and loved it! As you show us, each variation can work with different eye and hair color combinations. When someone is as gorgeous as you, and knows how to do make up, I think it will all look great!! ✌️💚💋

I’m absolutely obsessed with history, especially fashion history and cosmetic history. This really just shows that you should embrace your natural features because beauty trends totally change over time. Clara bow is one of my all time favorites but I would look silly if I tried to imitate her appeal because we aren’t the same. I’m at the point now in makeup where my goal is to artistically accentuate my features God gave me instead of masking or changing them.

the light red hair color look is by far my favorite- that orange red is stunning

I believe there definitely is something to color theory, you can just tell how harmoniously everything falls together, but I also believe that happiness looks best on people so wear whatever you want. Both ways is fine. I must say, my favorite was the light red, my jaw dropped, you looked SO beautiful in that color palette.

You are a chimera! There is no look you can’t pull off! (I have just dyed my hair for the first time after 50 years of being naturally blonde. I have discovered that people are far more attached to my hair colour than I am!)

I’m not a make-up person but you make me appreciate it so much. Great content!

Erin... I just adore your take and bringing us back, taking us there. I'm obsessed with vintage beauty and shapes and fashion and SMELLS. I'm just so grateful for you. Also your voice and articulation are stunning as well. I'm just truly grateful for you 💕😘☺️🙏🏻💖💖💖🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 Thank you Vintage Sister x

I’ve had all different hair colors (pink, blue, purple, fire engine red, “natural” red, black, etc, etc, etc), but I’m a natural light blonde with green eyes. For shadow, no matter what color my hair was, I’ve always played up my eyes- browns, purples, scarlets, greens. I love when you make long form content- thank you, Erin 🙂

You are perfect. You read beauty books so thoroughly and always share what you find. I love all your different looks and watch you as often as time allows. You are by far a true make up artist and your collection of vintage make up, perfume is wonderful to watch. Keep up the good work and your videos.

Ughhh, I needed this. I love your collection and the history behind them! Thank you so much for sharing your passion for makeup with us. ❤️

I can listen to people like you for hours. You are obviously an expert in your area and LOVE it. Thank you for the great content!

Everything looks good on you❤ I never I have this much interest on vintage makeup before I watch your channel. You're truly an Icon, Queen 💅🏻

omg!! i have been thinking about this topic a lot recently!! i’m all for breaking style/makeup rules, however, i also think it’s REALLY helpful to know which colors and styles will naturally compliment your face. i wish more people discussed this in general. its so cool to see what they were saying in the 30s!

Yes, the dark hair with your natural eye color and the purple colorings, looks best on you! You look beautiful, in all the looks, but best with last look!

I'm gonna do the spanish brunette sometime this week (edit: on my south east asian complexion) and I'll tag you on tiktok!! Honestly I have about 5 of your looks bookmarked for my recreating looks using only what i own series hahahah IM OBSESSED with your looks, creativity, skills, and TALENT. OBSESSEDDD

Erin you are so beautiful. You look like a Hollywood star.😊 The platinum hair on you looks gorgeous. All the hair colors look fab as well as your natural black hair. Really loved the green shadows on you. I'm so glad you said" hey if you have blue eyes then wear blue eyeshadow". I used to do that when I was a young teenager and a few girls made fun of me. Now I feel like there are very few " don't ever do that" situations when it comes to makeup. It should be fun and make us feel good about ourselves. I rarely ever wear makeup & don't wear it more than 1 handful of times a year for the last 35 yrs I'd say. That said I do love makeup and your knowledge of makeup is impressive & so interesting.

This is all so fascinating. I have always been challenged by color harmony because I’m golden blond/brown hair, blue/green/grey eyes, and fair skin with olive undertones. Certain colors change my eye color, and really light powders look weird on me because of my olive tones. I have found makeup that works for me, but always love to try new things. Love all your content!

Love how true to the times you did this makeup, I'd live to see a 70's makeup tutorial.

I have natural deep auburn hair (it goes from dark strawberry blonde in the summer to nearly chestnut in winter) and eyes that people have called anything from green to blue to grey. Unlike most natural redheads my skintone is extremely light olive/yellow undertones with zero natural flush. I have intentionally only ever worn black mascara and think the brown looks sickly and unnatural on me. I get the most compliments when I wear the “wrong” makeup colors for what’s supposed to be my color harmony, and I’m so grateful to be validated by the goddess of makeup herself that (esp with the current resurgence) it’s basically total bullshit 😂💛

I don't wear nor do I do makeup but I am absolutely obsessed with your channel!! I just love the artistry creativity and the history of your videos!

girl, your voice is literally so smart if that makes sense 💀💀 i never have to skip through like any of ur videos bc everything u talk about is just so interesting idk how to explain it lol

The blonde in black and white was absolutely stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. I loved it

Love your makeup tutorials and your historical recreations! I grew up in the 50s & 60s and remember color harmony being a big thing back then as well. Nowadays makeup companies take into consideration the tone of your skin and hair, which makes a considerable difference don't you think? But when I was doing drag 30 years ago, I abided by those guidelines; for blonde hair and blue eyes, blue-grey eyeshadow, a pinkish blush and a deep rose lipstick. Plus big black false lashes and an overdrawn lip line, a la Joan Crawford and her Hunter's Bow lip shape. Cheers~

i love that this concept of Harmonizing is still going strong but now its by Season, Spring, Summer , Autumn, Winter

The green eyeshadow looks fab on you!

I love & appreciate your beauty history obsession & am so grateful to your taking time to share it in your content & so thankful I discovered your channel b/c I love experimenting & creating various looks & you have taught me so many useful tools & techniques & how to actually find & where to look & your obsession should be an encyclopedic manual for beauty history everyone who is anyone should have for a useful reference at home in private especially if your like many who aren’t per se the professional artists but love to experiment & play around with their personal look & not to mention things like Halloween which I love designing unique costumes & doing the whole enchilada top to bottom & detailed. So far the most challenging was authentic original traditional Geisha. & it wasn’t necessarily the make up part, but lord the hair crafting part & using my long thick hair was insanely intense & took me forever to do by myself w/no prior experience. If only I had discovered your stuff 20 yrs ago I think it would of not taken me the 6 hours it ended up taking me hair & makeup. Putting on the clothing & foot wear was the easy part once I had finished sewing it all & made my own shoes w/help from my Dad & his talent for crafting wood & painting, b/c the footwear is insanely expensive if you want genuine Geisha wear. & I love how you even include fascinating historical info like the perfume museum & your adventures in exploring perfume is forever filed in my brain files of info that is just stuck even if I never get to share it or do & get a response like how it is I know the oddest collection of information & how do I remember the most random fascinating things. Idk. So other people’s obsessions are my obsessions if that makes sense. You’re one of my favorites in beauty history truly I love knowing the why or how of the various looks in history it’s fascinating & sometimes strange even crazy or gross even but I love it cause it tells so much more in general about the past & the people too in general. After all wether it be pixels now or brush strokes or stipple points the tiny parts come together into a blended bigger picture each very unique you manage to show a complete dissected full scope practical & applicable look at beauty history that is most relatable to me. Idk you but I love you for this really! ❤❤❤❤ 😊. TY

Really looking forward to this. I am an oldie 👵🏻 but never to old to learn. I love your videos and shorts . Beauty is from within and you have it in bucket loads . I admire so much what you do. As i said i am an oldie and i love my makeup , it has changed through the years but i still love leaving my home knowing i have tried to look my best. Ps i LOVE green eyeshadow in all shades. Thank you for your videos and thank you for being you , you are beautiful inside and out. 💕 🇬🇧

You are the sole reason I started being interested in beauty RU-vid again💗 this is amazing quality content and I hope you know how much you are revolutionizing this part of RU-vid

As a dark skinned black woman, I'm very curious about the Spanish brunette one, not really because I think it will be good, but moreso because at a time where they lumped all people with the lightest tan together (let's be real they weren't even thinking of someone darker than light medium) did it translate to the "universal" as they thought. Having experienced something similar just in life, it rarely does because the darkness the skin tone, the more color variety there is, and as such, it becomes more complex as to what actually compliments your overall look.

Really love how thorough you are with research and well spoken with ur presentation of it!! So fun to geek out on this video

I adore this channel!! And even more so, the long videos. The vintage aesthetic really warms my soul. Thank you for sharing your collection and knowledge with us 💕

I love this history of makeup videos bc everything was in black and white film. I absolutely love your content. It is so wonderful to watch and very informative. Just want to add that you are absolutely stunning and no matter what you put on, You look totally gorgeous.

Your videos are so fun. Much needed creativity + positive escapism for today's world.

You look spectacular in all the color ways, but I think the prescribed colors really did actually suit the best! And I’ve NEVER agreed with 1980s’ “season” prescriptions. Please, more long form gorgeous deep-dives! You’re the best 😘

I'm always overwhelmed when I watch any of your videos. The beauty, talent and inspiration comes at me from so many different angles-- kapow! What an extraordinary woman. Thanks Erin for sharing your passion, talent and inspired Self with us all. 🤯🥰💘

Please keep making youtube length videos 🥹🥹!! This is by far my favorite lil nook of youtube rn!!! History and makeup combined ! My 2 favorite things ❤

Keep these coming please!! Best beauty videos in a very long time here on YT! It's different, it's fascinating, and it's history. I'm loving your channel! You can't tell by my profile pic (I'm not wearing makeup in it lol) but I am a lifelong makeup lover, and at 51, I'm finding that the history of beauty and makeup is even more fascinating than just slapping it on. It's always interesting to find out where trends came from and how products have evolved over time. Thank you so much for giving us this important history lesson and adding something new and unique and special to the YT beauty space! 💄❤️ P.S. Would love to see you do 60's, 70's and definitely 80's looks.

You're so beautiful! I just adore your content: the glamour, the education, the aesthetic and your delivery....amazing! ❤🎀💄

So fun to watch. I loved seeing Gloria Stuart in your vintage makeup book.

Your natural hair look, looked PHENOMENAL in black and white 😭. The blonde was good but baybe! Your maker did not miss 😘

I'm sad there was no blue eyes brunette in the book. 😭 But I loved the video regardless! I really enjoy the history of makeup type videos.

I'm not even sure how I stumbled onto your videos Erin but I have just had the most wonderful day watching you! You seriously deserve millions and millions of more followers and should be in the top tier of RU-vid. You're so intelligent and funny, not to mention stunning! I look forward to watching your RU-vid career grow and grow!!!

RU-vid university Beauty community needed you! So grateful for all your videos! I truly enjoy your content !!

Purple looks great with your eye color! 👍 Every time I wear a purple shadow stick over brown eyeshadow on the outer corner, I get so many compliments!

I discovered your channel a couple of weeks ago and it is truly amazing how much history make up can have, you look great too! So interesting to see what were the beauty standards back in the day, keep on the great content!✨

When you popped up with that light red at 10:40 I almost gasped. I’m obsessed with that color and style. You look amazing!

I'm sooo happy dear Erin, that you show us the perfect (or close to) Harmony-School how Colors need to fit to our Skin, our Hair-color a s o.! I'm such an "old Fashioned Girlie and a Hippie-Flower", in my 68 Years of a wild Life and we, in my "Youngster-Time" have had a good Look, how all Colors fit together. Sometimes it is really helpful to be a bit "old Fashioned" ❣️🤗😍💖😘

You are my favorite in RU-vid I have learned so much from you hun ❤

I’m a Mae West fanatic and collector and I’ve somehow never seen that photo of her you used here! Thank you!

19:40 deff gives Dafne from Scooby Doo

I was a colour consultant and I decided that it was just a way to sell makeup too. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you apply makeup so well, you'll always look fabulous. Badly applied always looks bad...no matter the colours.

You can pull off ANY color, ANY look, ANY hairstyle… it’s just unreal how gorgeous you are in modern or vintage! ❤❤❤

Every combination is beautiful on you but the auburn/green shadow, and brunette /purple were my favorite!

I have a face like my mom’s and we both naturally look like silent film stars with large hooded eyes, tweety bird lips, moon faces w full cheeks and high cheekbones, thin curved eyebrows, tiny cute shaped noses, white skin. We’re Russian, German, and Irish decent. It’s like, the opposite of the sultry, ethnic look that’s been “hot” since the past 20 years, but I love watching your videos!

I’m not particularly a make up person but I LOVE your videos and shorts Erin! So fascinating and so well researched, I feel like I learn something new every time I watch!

Erin made me buy it: Went to Besame for that Forever Red lipstick, but walked away with the Ella Fitzgerald Savoy (Terracotta Brown) + a set that has the mascara, forever red lipstick, 1960s perfume , victory red nail polish and eyeliner brush :)

Wow Erin the red hair Looks incredible on you❤

where can i buy the book? also ur so pretty when u do vintage

14:50 omg I’m obsessed w that color combo! It looks incredible

I can't believe how beautifully that nearly 100-year-old lipstick applied and looked. Seriously stunning colour!

Genuinely love you Erin. You're a true breath of fresh air. I had lost all love for the makeup side of youtube but you're wonderful.

I personally think its all in your skintone and undertone. You (at least on camera) look like a cool tone and a huge reason why the last look looked beautiful with all three of the hair colours you had is because the makeup look was cool toned.

The icy blonde wig you had while wearing the purple blazer looked amazing.

I remember my mom buying that making faces book when I was a teenager and she used me as a guinea pig trying some of those old looks on me lol..we had a blast.. but I rarely wear makeup anymore..but I honestly love your videos especially when you recreate older looks.. and your alot more interesting than most makup mavens on here..oh yeah cover girl is a classic you ever seen stardust.. it's pretty similar to cover girl..