Book Reviews: Vintage Hairstyling and Retro Makeup by Lauren Rennells

by George McQuary, First published for the July/August 2012 issue of Finery

Lauren Rennells’ book Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques, 2nd Edition can be used in two ways: First, as a look book. Take it to your favorite hair stylist, point at a picture, and say “Make my hair do this for tonight”. Or you can take the time to learn the techniques, playing with them yourself — and for the stuff above and in back that you can’t reach, pointing to the pictures to your man (roommate, sister, partner, mom…) and saying, “See? Do this.”

You will need shoulder length hair or longer to achieve these styles, but all the styles use modern styling products and tools — no scary vintage curling irons here. Nor are these cuts — her scissors-free styles rely heavily on pins, gel, and hairspray, so you will return to your modern hair style afterwards, fully intact after a wash. The book’s focus is heavily on pin-up styles of the 1940s and 50s, with a few 30s styles thrown in.

Rennells mostly forgets to say which styles go with which decade, and many of the styles seem to be modern interpretations with no sources or documentation backing up a particular style being period. If you can handle that fuzziness, it’s a bright, colorful book with extensive photos and good explanations.

Rennells’ second book, Retro Makeup: Techniques for Applying the Vintage Look, is much better written. Broken down by decade, Rennells introduces a new tool or technique over a couple pages, gives you modern store equivalents, and then provides multiple two-page style-looks with detailed photos of how that look was achieved on her model. Styles are footnoted and documented so you can be sure the style actually is authentic. The book is heavy on the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, less so for the 1950s, and offers only a few 1960s styles. No Mad Men styles, sadly. Highly recommended!

Both books are available directly from the author at http://www.hrstbooks.com/