Happy birthday, dear Audrey!

If you didn't already know, today is Audrey Hepburn's birthday! If she was still with us she would have been 82 years old today, but you know what? Audrey is still very much with us. Her influence is as strong as ever, she's as popular as ever, and everyone still wants to be her.

To celebrate the fairest lady's birthday, WatchMojo put together a video tutorial on how to get Audrey's Breakfast at Tiffany's look in makeup:



So if you would like to celebrate Audrey's birthday but don't quite know what to do, why not give yourself a little makeover and pop in one of her films? To make it extra Audrey, indulge with a piece of chocolate, Audrey's favourite treat. Remember a lovely person by making yourself feel beautiful.

Special thanks to Stephanie for sharing this link with us.

hello again

I can't thank you enough for your ongoing patience with all this! My computer is fixed, I'm just waiting on acquiring Photoshop and GoLive again so I can fix pictures and webpages, but I've still being working two jobs and prepping for a move. So after the move next month, the dust should settle and we should be back to normal.

To make up for my extended absences, here's a little something for the ladies: an Audrey Hepburn 50s makeup guide, complete with an elfin Audrey look-alike model! Enjoy, and be sure to try it out on yourself sometime soon. Thick black eyeliner's back in, ya know. :)

Audrey Hepburn makeup tips

I've been throwing out tons of tips lately on how to look like Audrey Hepburn or Holly Golightly for Halloween lately, but what about in everyday life? That's where the book Audrey Style comes in. The first Audrey Hepburn book I ever bought, this book is in equal parts a tribute to her enduring sense of style, impact on the world of fashion, and tips on how to get your own Audrey style. There's a section in the middle that gives simple, step-by-step instructions on how to do your everyday makeup to look like Audrey, and you even get a variety of styles to choose from (click for full-sized version):








Experiment with all four! I'm sure one of these will end up being your new favourite style.

How to be Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly for Halloween

It's that time of year again ... Halloween! And I've noticed that a lot of people have been searching for an Audrey Hepburn costume, so here's everything you need all in one convenient post. Since most women tend to do Holly Golightly as an easily recognizable Audrey costume, most of these tips are Breakfast at Tiffany's oriented. The film was recently voted the most stylish film of all time, so it's hard to go wrong as Holly Golightly!

1. The hair. A lot of people think that Audrey's iconic "pineapple 'do," that massive updo from the beginning of Breakfast at Tiffany's, is almost impossible to do by yourself. But this step-by-step tutorial shows that it's actually quite easy and possible for almost any hair length. You might need a lot of hair pins and hairspray, especially if your hair tends to be fine, but it's definitely achievable. Ask a friend for help if you have trouble; what friend could resist dressing you up as Audrey Hepburn?


2. The makeup. Recently makeup artist askmemakeup posted a video tutorial on how to do Holly Golightly's makeup. It's very good and true to Audrey Hepburn's real makeup both on and offset, so whether you're doing Holly or Audrey you're in good hands with this video.



3. The accessories. What's an Audrey Hepburn costume without a tiara? And not just any old tiara will do, my dear. Luckily, Tiaratown offers very good replicas of some of Audrey's most iconic jewelry pieces, from Breakfast at Tiffany's to My Fair Lady, and even Funny Face. Available in both gold and silver finishes, these tiaras and necklaces are beautiful enough to wear anytime, not just on Halloween.*


Sunglasses. You can't be Audrey Hepburn without some fabulous, oversized sunglasses now, can you? Audrey's top choice in shades were the iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarers, but they may be out of your price range for the time being. Not to worry, though! The Wayfarers are so enduringly popular that they've spawned tons of knockoffs, all much more affordable and all still good looking. You can get good knockoffs starting at $2, if you know where to look.


*Bonus: While you may not feel comfortable parading around in nothing but a men's tuxedo shirt and an outrageous sleep mask in the middle of autumn, you can still get an excellent replica of Holly Golightly's sleep mask, made by Fred Flare. You know, for personal use. ;)


4. The dress.* If you're very crafty, you could sew your own dress, but you'd probably have to either make your own pattern or modify an existing one to get what you want. If you're not so crafty, or you're just running out of time, then it's probably just easier to buy a dress off the rack. It's completely up to you whether you want to go long and formal or do an easier little black dress, but shop around before deciding! Remember that Audrey was known for simple and elegant LBDs, so less is always more. Try to stick with knee-length, maybe with a nice boatneck, since that was Audrey's preferred neckline. Any local boutique should have what you're looking for.

from Charade

Well, that should be everything you need. If I've forgotten something or you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to help. Have fun!

*Update: I've added a second section with even more costume tips and tricks here. This entry includes opera gloves, jewelry, dresses, cigarette holders, and more!
- Sewing patterns for Audrey costumes of all sorts and sizes can be found in this guide.
- And to add a little touch of Audrey the humanitarian to your Audrey as a fashion icon costume, click here.
- As long as you're going to be Audrey for Halloween, why not enter our contest and get a free book or DVD out of it? See details here.
- Link checked on July 9, 2010 and the Tiaratown website is temporarily closed for a holiday. If it's not back by the end of July, I'm afraid it's closed for good. I will find alternatives for you.

How to look like Holly Golightly; Audrey interview from 1990

A few days ago I got a message from askmemakeup on You Tube, telling me about a new makeup video she's done instructing women on how to get the Holly Golightly look in makeup. I watched it last night, and wow! It's really good. I've always had a difficult time with false eyelashes (maybe due to my real eyelashes -- they've been likened to giraffe eyelashes), but after watching this video I really want to try it again, and I have a good feeling I'd finally get it right. Watch for yourself, then try for yourself!



This, coupled with previous posts on how to get Holly Golightly's hair, her sleep mask, and how to be Holly Golightly, should send you well on your way to being truly obsessed.

There's another great video of Audrey up, this one found by lovely reader MaDoNnA4L. It's an interview Audrey did with Phil Donahue in 1990, and Miss M says: "It is so wonderful to see her in a light atmospehere, laughing with the audience and having fun discussing her handsome costars and her current boyfriend, Robert Wolders. It also has very touching moments where Audrey discussed her time in the war as well as her father leaving." Watch for yourself and see! All four parts are below:









If you liked these videos, and I'm almost certain you will, then please thank 1988CityRhythm for being so kind as to post these for everyone to enjoy.

House of Givenchy still inspired by Audrey Hepburn

It's been over 50 years since Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy met, changing the course of fashion forever. While it may be ancient history to some people, it's nice to see that even now Audrey is influencing Givenchy, though in a slightly different way. This fall, the Givenchy 2007 makeup collection will feature subtle nods to the one and only Audrey. For example, the 9-colour eyeshadow collection to the left features an Audrey mantra, "Style for Life," etched into the mirror. There are other goodies that also feature Audrey quotes, along with two shades of lipstick that I'm fairly sure are Audrey-inspired or worn (they're called Interdit, and her personal perfume was called L'Interdit), but I'll let you peruse for yourself at Makeup Bag, where I found all of this fantastic stuff.

Sometimes it pays to be a girl, doesn't it, ladies? :)

Hear Barbara Walters interview Audrey Hepburn

Sirius satellite radio will launch a new weekly radio show titled "Barbara Walters' Best of the Very Best," and for the first installment, an interview with Audrey Hepburn will be featured! The first week's episode is about leading ladies, and besides Audrey, actress Diane Keaton and Sophia Loren (a real-life friend of Audrey's) will also be featured. In Audrey's interview, she confesses to falling a little in love with all of her leading men, and hopes that out of all her film roles, she would be remembered for Roman Holiday. The first episode will air Monday, January 22 from 6-7 pm EST on channel 102. For more information, go here.

Next up, a 13 year-old leukemia survivor got an Audrey-style makeover to celebrate the remission. I know it's not terribly Audrey related, especially when you read the story, but it struck a chord with me and I really wanted to share the story. The girl's name is Krystal, and she had her teacher along with her for the makeover, and student and teacher ended up getting matching pixie haircuts! It's a really sweet story, and I recommend reading it, if just to add a little balance to your day. To read the whole story, go here.

Last for today, I mentioned Katie Couric's Breakfast at Tiffany's themed birthday a few days ago, but it seems that her celebration is rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. From the invitations, which featured a drawing of Katie as Audrey Hepburn, to the shindig being held at Tiffany's, people say that she's acting inappropriately. They even go so far as to compare her to Marie Antionette, which is just strange. To read more, go here.

Audrey Hepburn film screenings near you; give Audrey a makeover

There's a few new Audrey film screenings coming up that you might want to know about! First up is the British Film Festival, taking place in Tel Aviv. I know it's a bit of a commute, but the film festival runs from January 18-27. The Ambassador's Choice film for this year is none other than Two For the Road. I'm extremely jealous, because Two For the Road just might be my favourite Audrey film ever, and it's not exactly one you see screened very often. Tom Phillips, the British ambassador to Israel, says he chose the film because of Audrey, firstly, and because it's just such a fantastic relationship film overall. To learn more about the film festival, go here.

This Sunday, January 14, in Tampa, Florida there will be a screening of Funny Face. If any Florida Audrey fans can make this screening, I highly encourage it! It's spectacular when it's larger than life, and admission to this event seems very reasonable. Click here for show times and the address.

Last up for screening news, starting today and running through the weekend the San Jose California Theatre will be showing Breakfast at Tiffany's. Again, if you're in the area and can make it, I highly recommend catching this! You see so much more detail when it's on the big screen. I've watched Breakfast an uncountable number of times, and it was only at the Castro Theatre showing that I realized that Holly's cigarette holder in the party scene was collapsable! And I've been watching that movie for 10 years ... You get something new every time with that film, really. Besides, the theatre itself looks very beautiful and perfect to see a classic film in. You can find more information and showtimes here.

And on to a frothy bit of news: I can't remember if I've posted this before, but besides those fun little Audrey Hepburn paper dolls, you can now play with Audrey's face and dye her hair, do her makeup, and spice her up with some jewelry. It's more than a bit silly, but still very fun to play with. Go here for Dress-Up Games.