1940s Beauty
The
commercial cosmetics industry saw its most substantial growth in the
beginning of the 20th century, as previously the excessive use of
cosmetics had been associated with women of loose morals. The
advertisements of the 1910s to 1950s informed women that they could be
more attractive with the correct diet, exercise and the proper use of
cosmetics and hair products.
Perhaps
one of the most influential events on the cosmetics industry was the
advent of the cinema and the later introduction of colour films. In
wartime Britain some 25-30 million cinema tickets were sold each week.
 Max
Factor Pancake Foundation Advert
Products
and brands that came directly from the advent of film were pancake
make-up developed by Max Factor who was a Hollywood make-up artist and
Helena Rubenstein who developed mascara as well as the idea of coloured
powder. She borrowed the idea of colour shaded eyes from the French
stage and accentuated mouths by reddening them.
Both
the world wars had a significant impact on the reach of cosmetics. For
the first time a large number of women had independence and a
disposable income through working and a large majority spent a portion
of this on make-up.
 Advertising
an English Complexion
Rationing
through WWII affected the beauty and fashion industry and shortages
became the norm. Slogans such as 'Make do and Mend' exhorted people to
be inventive in their resources and womens magazines were packed with
handy tips on how old lace curtains might be cut up to make a 'dashing
little bolero'.
Women
excelled and when there were no alternatives beetroot juice replaced
lipstick and shoe polish or gravy browning replaced stockings,
completed by a line drawn in eyebrow pencil up the back of the legs by
a friend.
This
proved to be a successful idea for the beauty industry with products
such as 'Silktona Liquid Silk Stockings'and the 1950s saw the increased
marketing of skin tanning aids following on from the production of leg
make up during WWII.
 Sun
cream advertisement
The
beauty industry joined in the war with gusto and adverts such as 'How
to make your Lux Beauty soap last longer' with diagrams on the best
storage and usage of your soap.
Fighting Red lipstick exhorted women to do their bit for the war effort by being brave and beautiful.
 Advert
for Fighting Red lipstick
In
America the popular Success School advertised that "Beauty is your
Duty" and offered a regime of exercises to ensure the modern girl
looked trim in her uniform.
 Success School
advert
However
the advert from Coty celebrating the liberation of Paris from the point
of view that fashion had been starved of its muse was surely even by
the standards of the time slightly excessive!!!!
 Coty
advert
1940's
fashion shows will
be running throughout the duration of the show.
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