Yeah, the library is a great bet, old magazines are great, or even if you can find 'Fashion through the Ages' types of books, there's so much information in them that has yet to be converted to the interwebs.
I ripped this information for a project I had to do on hair and make up trends last year. I got about 90% of it from books and old magazines from the library (fashion books). It's a fair amount of information and the fashion is just a footnote, but hey. Sorry no images, but you can look those up easily enough.
40s - Makeup
For the first time, women wanted to appear as if they had been working outdoors. Those that were seen as not helping the war effort were frowned upon, so it became the trend for the average woman to have a glowing, outdoorsy look about her. To achieve this, a foundation colour with a warm, slightly darker tone than natural is used and topped with a powder that is slightly lighter than the skin. In contrast to this, some celebrities of the decade still opted for a creamy, pale complexion, with a pinkish undertone.
Rouge was again popular for the cheeks to make the women look flushed. To get a natural rosy look popular rouge colors were red with pinkish undertones, bright pinks with fuchsia undertones and bright roses. It was applied high on the cheekbone and blended out towards the temple.
Eyeshadow was used sparingly in browns and greys, with the women of Hollywood favoring a dark, contrasting crease colour. A small line of brown or blackeyeliner was used just above the upper lid, and flicking out if a touch of glamour was desired.
Eyebrows were left alone for the most part; growing to their natural thickness but groomed well, with a definite arch and any stray hairs removed. A light brown pencil was used to fill in sparse places for blondes and brunettes alike.
For lips all shades of red including clear bright reds, cherry reds, pinkish reds, and orange reds were popular. Two different color plans for lipstick use existed. On the one hand there was the natural look; where lipstick was used to make a woman look healthy and pretty (includes light red, reddish orange, and raspberry tones). On the other hand there was the dramatic look; where lips brought a definite accent (includes cherry red, crimson and vermillion shades). Lips were full and soft, and slightly overdrawn. To effect this top lip was slightly exaggerated all the way along, as shown to the right.
Hair
Their day jobs working with machinery required women to wear their hair rolled back neatly around the neck or over the ears. They would often cover their heads with a scarf knotted at the front leaving the fringe or a few elaborately styled curls exposed.
These scarves came in all sorts of colours and patterns, and showed how fashion forward a woman was.
Another popular option was to put the hair rolls in a hairnet affectionately called a "rat".
The evening allowed for a bit more freedom. Feminine romantic styles reigned with soft curls falling onto shoulders, inspired by Hollywood starlets such as Lauren Bacall (right). Hair worn in this fashion was always parted on the side, so as to look more glamorous.
Elaborate up-dos came back into fashion, with curled hair placed in various patterns across the head.
In the late 1940's, the victory roll hairstyle was wildly popular. This term was actually used for a fighter plane maneuver, but women adopted it for a fashion statement that celebrated the victory after WWII.
Fashion
Fashion was affected by WWII greatly. America's involvement by 1941 started changing the fashion scene. In 1942, Silk and the newly popular nylon, made by Du Pont, wasn't as readily available because it was needed for the war, mostly for parachute material, and many stockings were donated for this purpose. Some women used tanning make up for legs to emulate the look of stockings, or tried to draw the seam up the back of the leg with eye liner. These were both pretty messy options, so most women opted for short white socks instead.
During the Second World War, Paris produced restrained clothing to match the economic atmosphere. The general wartime scene was one of drabness and uniformity, continuing well after the war finished in 1945. There was an austere atmosphere and people were encouraged to 'make do and mend.' Uniforms were seen at all civilian social occasions from cinemas, weddings, restaurants to gala events. It was impossible to go anywhere without being aware of war as uniformed men and women in auxiliary services were an everyday fact. People across the Western World (mainly in the USA and UK) were rationed clothing coupons as well as food. For women, cinch-waisted and shirt dresses were popular, as they were both practical for the workplace and helped emphasise femininity that many women thought was being brushed aside. Pencil skirts were still trendy, but a tight waisted, A-Line (or poodle) skirt was considered the height of fashion for younger women. Shorts were also worn; high-waisted and ending just above the knee.
Jewelery was generally kept to a minimum.
50s - Makeup
Most women’s magazines now featured a ‘how-to’ section on make up. According to these, a flawless, peaches and cream complection was the basis of every makeup look. Applied as either a liquid or as pressed powder, the foundation needed to reflect the soft femininity of the day. The colours used were as close to the natural tone of the skin as possible, but with a definite peachy or warm tint.Cheeks were a toned-down rose or apricot colour, used to enhance one’s natural colouring.
Eyes were still adorned in neutral shades like browns, taupe and greys, but the lining got a little heavier. The thin liner of the ‘40s gave way to a thicker style that could also be winged out at the tips. Many women returned to lining underneath the eye for a sexy, smouldering look that was used by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor (above right) to make the eyes appear larger and more intense. Lots of mascara was used to open up the eye, and false lashes were still popular as shown by Audrey Hepburn here (above left). Towards the 1960s, with the introduction of Rock n Roll, some bright shades were used, and turquoise was an especially popular choice for rocking kittens.
Eyebrows were plucked and groomed with an obvious, suggestive arch. It was a very feminine shape and flattered more women than the extreme brows of the ‘20s and ‘30s.
Red lips were still all the rage, especially for evening. With the addition of titanium to many lipsticks (which toned down the intense colours used earlier and gave a pearly sheen), pastel colours, as shown here, were favoured by younger women for day wear. The colours ranged from pinks and lilacs and orange and even to a light brown.
Hair
Even though World War II was over, the head scarves of the ‘40s were still popular as many women remained in the work place. The headbands seen in the 1920s and ‘30s regained their following also, often worn by younger women. These same women and girls also brought the ponytail into fashion in this decade. It was worn high at the back of the head and was decorated with ribbons or bows, and was often lightly curled for a bouncy, feminine look.
Hair-ups were definitely more relaxed. Hair was again curled and placed atop the head as in previous decades, but it need not be exquisitely shaped to be glamorous. Simple rolls and buns were generally favoured, although the hair could still be in a wave pattern leading back to the crown.
The chignon (as shown right by famous actress Grace Kelly) was a relatively easy, elegant style that captured the femininity of the decade. The time that would otherwise be spent painstakingly pinning seperate curls in place could be spent otherwise; probably on achieving that perfect complexion.
Fashion
Flying In the face of continuity, logic, and sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and 1930s, had greatly believed in progress, was now much more circumspect. The desired silhouette returned to that of the 1910s; with a curvy hourglass figure most sought after.
The designers of Hollywood created a particular type of glamour for the stars of American film, and outfits worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, or Grace Kelly were widely copied.
For teenagers and younger women, full circle skirts and puff-sleeve blouses were a fashion must. Patterns became very popular in this decade, with polka dots, fruits and nautical themed motifs appearing everywhere from skirts to shoes to handbags.
The greaser (or rockabilly or teddy boy) fashion was also very popular with young men and women, though it was deemed entirely inappropriate by most mature adults. Leather jackets, extremely tight pencil skirts (for the girls) and even tighter jeans and leather pants (for the boys and the girls) were widely worn.
Eye glasses were worn for purely decorative reasons, and came in many different shapes and colours. They were often adorned with rhinestones, glitter or other appliques. Bakelite jewellery also became popular, along with lockets and charm bracelets.
Sorry about the weird formatting. Hope that helped in some way.
