To Boldly Go... (even if it's just to work...)

My partner and I have been seriously enjoying relaxing in front of the TV lately. We’re usually both very much into our video gaming and other hobbies, but after a stressful time, it’s been nice for both of us just to sit in front of Netflix and relax.

In particular, we’ve been enjoying some Star Trek. I’m a bit of a Trekkie in general, and so I’ve really been enjoying going back through the original “Kirk Era” 1960s Star Trek. When you’ve not seen something for a while, you sometimes forget how good it is.

I’ve been taking some inspiration from some of the female characters for my work makeup over the past week or two as a way to change things up a little.

Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols)

 Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura- her makeup was usually neutral in colour but dramatic in shape

I noticed Uhura’s makeup probably varied the least of any of the regular female characters; she generally sported a neutral cut crease, which was sometimes dramatic and sometimes a little more subtle. Me being me, I chose a more dramatic look.

In the episode "Mirror Mirror", with a bolder cut crease

I used the darkest cool-toned brown from my Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Cool Contour palette on a fine angled brush to cut the crease and gently blended this up with a slightly lighter shade from the same palette. I usually “close” my cut creases by joining them with my eyeliner, but I noticed Uhura never had this, so I left mine open. I used a matte white eyeshadow from Sleek on another angled brush to fill in my eyelid. I didn’t go for opaque coverage with this, but I also drew it out under the open end of my cut crease to highlight it.

My look, inspired by Lt. Uhura

I think it’s quite a classic 1960s cut crease look. If it’s good enough for the bridge of the Enterprise, it’s also good enough for work. I teamed this with a brown lipgloss from Rimmel on my lips, in deference to the original.

Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry)

Nurse Chapel’s makeup varies quite a lot throughout the series, but is probably some of the most natural makeup overall; I noticed a lot of soft beiges and warm browns kept close to the lash line, comparatively subtle eyeliner (versus most of the Trek ladies) and some serious false lashes (which I don’t use).

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (The First Lady of Trek) as Nurse Christine Chapel

Gorgeous as I think the late Majel Barrett-Roddenberry looked, I struggled to find inspiration for the sort of thing I like to wear until we watched the episode “Return to Tomorrow”. I noticed in this episode, Nurse Chapel seemed to sport a “halo eye” look with her trademark warm browns higher in the crease and a central “glowing” spot in the centre of the lid in a matte pale blue.

Nurse Chapel's makeup was generally very neutral, but sometimes a little more colourful than others

I tried to recreate the look, again using my Lunatick Cool Contour palette for the browns as cooler shades suit me better. I applied a wash over the crease in a lighter shade, and then defined this with a darker shade afterwards. For the centre, I used Sigma’s Blue Chocolat from my Crème de Couture palette, over a little Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Primetime white base. I couldn’t resist my usual wing over the top. I decided to wear a Barry M lipstick which I got recently, in a corally orange shade (429, I think), which, quite honestly, could not be more fitting for the 1960s. It’s a little brassier than Nurse Chapel’s standard lip, but it’s definitely a similar colour.

My look inspired by Nurse Chapel- it was hard for me to embrace the neutrals 

This Barry M lip colour (no 429) is definitely a serious departure from the norm for me

Overall, I like how it turned out- a very 1960s colour combination.

Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney)

Out of the main female characters, I think Yeoman Rand had the most variety in the shortest amount of screen time. She generally sported a slightly messy, rounded smoky eye, with a thin line of barely-winged eyeliner, and a bolder version of the same coral-orange lip which I later saw on Nurse Chapel. I noticed several colours used for her eyes, particularly blues and greys. I was particularly attracted to one look, in which the colours used were pink and grey.

Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand- you can't help but love that hair

I wouldn't say this would necessarily the kind of look that sprang to mind when thinking about 1960s makeup. Compared to the previous styles, Yeoman Rand's makeup is all about clashing colours rather than neutrals. Although I probably could've gone for a charcoal or navy smoky eye, I really liked the pink undertone peaking through.

Yeoman Rand generally sported the most colour combinations in her day-to-day "bridge" makeup

I thought, initially, that this would be a very difficult to pull off, particularly in the time I had before work in the morning, but it was actually very simple. I used Sugarpill's Dollipop on a fluffy brush to build up the pink in the crease and on the brow bone. Although Dollipop is a pretty extreme colour, it is possible to use it sparingly and build up a wash of colour, which was exactly what I wanted. Once I had laid down the pink, I took a shimmery grey colour from my 88 palette and applied this to the lid and working it into the crease; and then it was done! Another application of the Barry M 429 lipstick and a little orange gloss, and I was out the door.

My look inspired by Yeoman Rand- much quicker and easier than I expected

Out of all the looks I tried, this was the quickest and easiest. I'm surprised how much I actually liked the final look; I can see myself wearing it again, particularly for work (I did actually wear it twice in the week, but with a lilac lip colour second time around)

I find it quite hard to do what most people probably think of as an "everyday" or "work-appropriate" look, so I enjoyed brightening up my morning by setting myself a little challenge in the mornings.