ZainabRubyArtistry: 1920s Make up Research

In this post I will be recapping in great depth the ins and outs of make during the 1920s. This will help me to create the right look for my final piece.

During the 1920s make up played a huge part in the lives of the elite as well as ordinary women. The cosmetics industry boomed thanks to new innovations and iconic make up extraordinaire's such as Helena Rubinstein.
Again with more women now earning this left more disposable income to spend on cosmetics.
During the 1920s brands such as Max Factor and Maybelline contributed to the growing industry by producing innovative products such as 'lip stick, eye shadows, mascara and pan shadows'.1

With reference to contextual studies. Make up played an important role in the increasing confidence of women. This was at a crucial time as men and women began to rejoice after the terrible time of war that had just been.

In London Selfridges helped to rid the stigma of make up by opening one of the first cosmetics counters that allowed women to 'try before you buy'.2 Before this make up was something secretly kept in ones bedroom. By the end of the era nearly all stores and pharmacies had a make up counter.3

What to Wear?

With reference to Period Make up there were certain specifics that contributed to a stereotypical 1920s complete look. Such as the choice of shades, tones and the specific shapes used to sculpt and shape the face.

For the base during the early twenties cream or ivory coloured face powder was used mostly by women.4 This was in line with the natural tones of the skin and lasted until the sun tan became a thing thanks to Coco Chanel and her beautiful tan that was photographed in Vogue.

For the cheeks the ideal colours to use at the beginning of the decade would have been rose, raspberry and pinky tones, towards the second half of the decade orange tones also became popular.7

Lips are an extremely important and key aspect of a 1920s make up look. Natural lip shapes were changed and exaggerated to create an emphasis on the cupids bow on the upper lip. In fact with reference to period make up the term cupids bow originates from the 1920s make up muse herself Clara Bow. She put a strong emphasis on her cupids bow and this was part of her signature look.

For the eyes unlike times before this decade there was a strong emphasis on the eyes. Usually they could be made very smoky and dark with colour heavily applied in particular to the inner corners and up as far as the brows. To create this look the colour choices would have been smokey kohl like colours. Alternatively greens and turquoise colours were fashionable.11

Of course eye brows are another iconic element to the 1920s look. Thin, black and long sloping eye brows often finishing near the temples were key to creating the hollywood look. Razors were widely available and many women chose to shave their eye brows in order to obtain the perfect shape. This was encouraged by ambassadors such as max factor who showed women how to create the 'perfect brow'.12