Trending: the Maleficent look

Today marks Angelina Jolie’s 39th birthday. The film director, humanitarian and impossibly well-groomed mother has come a long way from her previous incarnation as a no-good, down-home, man-stealing, blood-letting vamp. In between the UN summits and fund- raisers, she has even been known to star in the occasional film.

In her new film, the Sleeping Beauty spin-off Maleficent, Jolie plays the titular Disney baddie, all withering stares, vengeful snarls and killer one-liners delivered with more relish than the average ploughman's sandwich. It's a return to the confrontational, no-holds-barred Jolie.

And while hoping to look like Jolie is a fool's errand, the Maleficent look is easy enough to pull off if done with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Ears and a tail will get your bad-woman point across. Plenty of black; strange shoes with ostentatious shapes; and unrealistic prices will also work – hey, Maleficent is a work of fantasy, after all.

(L-R) Leather shoes, €1,040, by Emanuel Ungaro. Panther ears and tail set, €22.50, by Johnny Loves Rosie at Asos. Dress, €270 by McQ. Maleficient Pro Longwear Lipgloss in Anthurium, €23, Mac