She’s one of the most recognisable faces in the world of pin-up styling. With a You Tube following of more than 289,000 and almost 400,000 on Facebook, Cherry Dollface is one of the original modern pin-up girls.

Cherry toured Australia in August 2015, attending the Greazefest Brisbane and Melbourne events, along with conducting her popular pinup hair and makeup workshops in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Retro Betty Editor Francie Flathead spoke to Cherry Dollface after her Brisbane workshop.

Retro Betty: Thanks for taking the time to chat with Retro Betty! I was so excited to have you in Australia for a little while, and I loved your hair and makeup workshop.

You’ve just finished touring Australia for photo shoots, and hair and makeup workshops. Can you tell us about why you started these real life classes as opposed to just doing your You Tube tutorials?

Cherry Dollface: I am still doing both… But the tours are definitely my favorite now. I just started doing little classes here and there in the states and the feedback was overwhelmingly good. I put feelers out in other countries and had so much positive response, that it just kind of made sense! You get so much more from a class than you ever could from a video. I feel like both are useful in different ways.

RB: When did you realise you had a passion and talent for hair and make up?

CD: I have always been a super girly girl. Even in my punk days, I was the one shaving mohawks and spiking hair. haha.

RB: Most of your fans would already know you were discovered after a photo of you at Viva Las Vegas in a truck was featured on the cover of Ol Skool Rodz – was that your own car? And are you interested in classic cars?

CD: It was actually my ex’s car. He and I used to co own a hot rod shop together a million years ago. I used to drive a ’59 Galaxie. I still love old cars but that part of my life has sort of been laid to rest.

“I am in talks with a really well known purse brand to do a Cherry Dollface line. Super excited for that one!”

RB: You’ve collaborated with Steady on a few vintage reproduction style dresses now. How did that relationship come about? And what’s next for you in terms of the Cherry Dollface brand?

CD: I did a review video for them for my channel and it had a really great response, so they asked me to do a collaboration piece. That one took off like crazy, so we just sort of kept going season after season. And I am in talks with a really well known purse brand to do a Cherry Dollface line. Super excited for that one!

RB: When you dress pinup or vintage style for a special occasion, what’s your favourite outfit and hairstyle?

CD: I Love sparkles!!! I am more of an undo girl for special occasions. Super smooth, styled hair, lots of rhinestones, and fancy shoes.

RB: We know from some of your videos that you collect lots of vintage pieces. Do you have one type of item your obsessed with collecting? (Mine is vintage china….I have even bought extra cupboards to fit the expanding collection)

CD: I collect so many different things! I also collect vintage china, head vases, poodles and kitties. I just love atomic era stuff.

RB: You judged the most recent Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup contest. What advice would to give to girls anyone interested in entering a pinup competition for first time?

Don’t stress yourself out!! Pinup competitions are supposed to be fun. Just go up there, have a blast, meet some rad girls, give it your best, and that’s all you can do!

“I never want to be the girl that puts myself out there to be perfect or to have it completely together. I want to be real with the girls that follow me and look up to me. We are all in this together.”

RB: You have become a really strong voice online for body positivity in the vintage and pinup world via social media, why is this so important to you?

CD: I think it should be important to every girl, because we have ALL gone through body image issues in our lives. I think it is important for girls of all shapes and sizes to know that they aren’t alone in feeling weird, or bad, or ugly, or whatever because we have all been there. I never want to be the girl that puts myself out there to be perfect or to have it completely together. I want to be real with the girls that follow me and look up to me. We are all in this together.

RB: What do you do to have fun when you’re back home in LA?

CD: Sleep!!! Haha. After that I just like to relax… read books, cook, hang with friends. I love themed girls nights. I love dance parties.

RB: Finally – can we ask you to do our Betty’s Fast Five – we ask all our interviewees the same five questions

Betty Grable or Bettie Page? Grable

Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash? Not much of a fan of either! But I would say Presley.

Wet set or victory rolls? Hmmm, well you can do a wet set to get victory rolls. There two are so different!! But I would probably say victory rolls just because I have no patience for wet sets anymore.

Wiggle dress or swing skirt? Wiggle!

Chevy or Ford? Ford!!!!!