Get the Mad Men look

The award-winning Mad Men is back on BBC Four. Set in the early 1960s in the world of advertising it follows the lives and loves of Don Draper (John Hamm) and his chain-smoking colleagues at Sterling Cooper.

But it isn't just the storylines that have viewers hooked. Its authentic 1960s styling makes it an absolute treat to watch.

So is it any coincidence that retro is one of the hottest trends for A/W? Old-school glamour has filtered down onto the catwalk and the high street, so today Life Matters show you how to inject some Mad Men style into your make-up bag and get the look of the show's leading ladies, January Jones, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss, AKA Betty Draper Francis, Joan Holloway and Peggy Olson.

Prepare to get back-combing...

LOOK 1: Betty Draper Francis (played by January Jones)

The hair: Flamingo Amy, who is based at the Flint salon in Bridewell Alley, Norwich, is an expert in creating retro hairstyles. She says: 'Betty's hair seems to be cut into a medium to longer-length bob. To create this style now, before blow drying your hair, I would recommend using a firm or extra firm hold mousse.

'You would need to use large heated rollers on dry hair, set back away from the face, covering the whole head. Leave until completely cool and then remove them. This wouldn't give the hair curl as such, but movement and some volume.

'Now you should take the front section of the hair, from the forehead to just behind the crown and backcomb the hair. The amount of back combing you do should depend on how big you want your hair! This section should now be sprayed with strong hold hairspray and gently brushed over to smooth the top with a boar bristle brush. This section should now be clipped, pinned or rolled into position just behind the crown.'

We're lucky that hair products have moved on since the 60s, she says.

'Back in the 60's they would probably have put rollers in on wet hair, adding some setting lotion and either sat under a dryer at a salon or slept on them overnight – ouch! My step-mum did this and tells me is was incredibly uncomfortable.'

The make up: This is a 'barely there' natural look, so a flawless matte base is key.

Use Boots No7 Trio Concealer (�10.75, Boots) to hide any blemishes and under eye circles, blending the colours to perfectly match your skin tone. For even coverage use No7 Instant Radiance Foundation (�13, 30ml) to keep your skin looking healthy and free of impurities. Then add some definition to your cheeks by applying No7 Sunkissed Bronzing Pearls (�11) along the cheekbone line.

Brighten your eyes with Clinique's Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Like Mink and a slick of their limited edition High Impact Mascara in Brightening Black. Add just No7's Autumn Limited Edition Soft Matte Finish Lipstick in Nude (be quick, it's only on the counter until October 5) and you have the look.

LOOK 2: Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks)

The hair: 'Joan would follow the same setting instructions as above. This is a classic set and how your hair looks depends on how you style it afterwards,' says Flamingo Amy.

'Joan would have her hair put up in a chignon (or french twist) at the back of her head. The top part of her hair would then be backcombed, leaving the fringe out and also the first centimetre or so just before the fringe. This is so you have a smooth layer of hair to lay on top of the back combing. You are aiming to make a structure in the centre of the head onto which the smooth hair should lay, so you should take you backcombed centre and roll it under itself to make a giant roll – this is your foundation.

'You would then take the un-backcombed hair at the sides and bring this round to the back, secure in place with some grips. Then take the front un-backcombed section behind the fringe and bring this over the top of your inner structure. At this point you may want to use a little strong hold hairspray and then smooth over with the boar bristle brush. Pin this hair at the back with your side pieces. To disguise the pins I usually arrange the hair in a loop so it hides the pins.

'Joan has some loose tousled pieces at the side, these would have just been left out, you can achieve the curls by either using a tong or straightener.'

The make up: This is a chance to crank up the glamour a bit. Again, your foundation should be natural and flawless.

Bobbi Brown has spent five years developing her new Illuminating Finish Powder Compact Foundation. The powder formula can be applied wet or dry, giving a matte velvety finish, plus reflective pigments give you a healthy glow and minimise the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles. It's launched tomorrow and costs �26. There's a Bobbi Brown counter at House of Fraser at Chapelfield.

Your eyes need to have impact. This season Topshop is embracing the grunge trend with its Heavy Duty range. But it's perfect for glamorous evening looks too. Its Kohl Dust and eye liners are great for creating Joan's smokey-eyed look. Get luscious long lashes without the need for falsies with myface.cosmetics' Lash Upload Mascara (�9.99, Boots).

And turn up the volume on your lip colour. Not a trend for shrinking violets, red is A/W's hottest lipstick shade. Bourjois has just brought out four new reds in its Sweet Kiss range. It has a light texture, but an intense colour – and it keeps your lips moisturised (and kissable) for eight hours. We love number 76, Rouge Fashion (�7.99 from Boots, Superdrug and asos.com).

LOOK 3: Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

The hair: 'Again, the same setting instructions should be followed,' says Flamingo Amy.

'It looks from the photo as though Peggy has a long length bob. She would sweep her fringe to the side and begin backcombing the crown area of her hair. Again, to avoid seeing the backcombing you should backcomb the 'core' and leave some hair to flip over this to disguise it. The hair should then be brushed back behind the ears and the rest of the hair brushed under.'

The make up: Peggy has a low-maintenance yet glamourous girl-next-door look. Create a flawless base as before, then give your eyebrows some definition with Clinique's Instant Lift for Brows in Soft Blonde or Soft Brown. Smudge, some No7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in putty (part of the Classic Matte Eye Pallette) on your lids and finish with Bourjois Volumizer Mascara.

Lips should be kept natural. We love Clinique's Vitamin C Lip Smoothie in Running Latte.

A note on backcombing from Flamingo Amy: 'This should be done by lifting the hair up in the air at a 90 degree angle to the head and combing towards the roots. You will not get the lift if only your mid lengths are backcombed,' she warns. 'If you have fine hair a would recommend not only using mousse before drying your hair but also a little bit of hairspray on the hair before backcombing.'

Flamingo Amy is based at Flint, Bridewell Alley, Norwich. For more information phone 07961 525 358, e-mail mail@flamingoamy.co.uk or visit www.flamingoamy.co.uk

Mad Men is on BBC Four on Wednesdays at 10pm.