The Farrah Effect, A Tribute
By Melanie Parker

For beauty addicts growing up in the 1970s, Farrah Fawcett was a style icon. It wasn’t just her larger than life hair, teeth, and sparkling eyes that made her a star. She was fit, tan, and married to the Bionic Man. Truly, a legend in her own time.

Girls who were just starting to read Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, were not hypnotized by the “jiggle” of Charlie’s Angels like perhaps their older brothers and dads were. They wanted to grow up to be a crime fighter working with a couple of good girlfriends for an elusive mystery man, who never needed to jump in and save them. The Angels were good at their jobs and looked good doing it. Farrah’s Jill Munroe had the life and the look that many of us aspired to reach once we got out of school.

In 1978, Mego Toys released the Farrah Glamour Center and Styling Center. This big plastic doll head came with rollers, brushes, and makeup. Girls learned that if you couldn’t make Farrah look good, you best not try it on yourself.

I loved how the Farrah head’s hair actually grew by pulling it at the base, and I learned how to roll hair in rollers and style “wings” on the side. I also practiced using ponytails and barrettes in Farrah’s hair and dreamed of the day that I could walk in to a beauty salon and sit with a tight rubber swim cap on and be tortured with a metal hook used to pull out little strands of hair to bleach for the “frosted” look. If Farrah could endure it, I wanted to try. I learned that beauty didn’t always come easily.

I also learned from that Farrah head that frosty blue eye shadow was best left for Endora on Bewitched. If I couldn’t make Farrah look good with it, I knew I’d look ridiculous.

I also remember learning what a light touch you need to use when applying blush. Just one swoop and Farrah radiated, two swoops and she looked a little clownish.

Today, I look at Jessica Simpson, Julianne Hough, and Carrie Underwood and I see remnants of the Farrah effect 30 years later. So on behalf of all the little girls who learned to make curls, thank you Farrah. You earned your wings today.

Photo credit: Mego Toys, http://www.megomuseum.com and ebay.com