Mascara

In the early 1930s, mascara (also referred to as “eyelash beautifier” and “eyelash darkener”) generally came in a solid “cake” that was activated with water and applied with a small, separate brush. Maybelline, one of the leading manufacturers of the product (founded by a chemist, T.L. Williams for his sister, Mabel), began marketing their mascara product around 1917 according to the company history. Originally, their mascara could only be obtained through mail order, but proved so popular that about 1932 they began selling it in drugstores. By the mid-1930s, an alternative to cake eyelash darkener was cream mascara that came in a tube and did not need water to activate. It was likewise applied with a small, separate brush. Cream mascaras were advertised as more “natural” looking and claimed to avoid the eternal mascara pitfall, clumping. It was available in waterproof formulas, and came in various colors: black, brown, blue, and green. Helena Rubinstein advised in her 1936 book, This Way to Beauty, selecting eye shadow and mascara to harmonize with the color of the eyes. Some period beauty books also suggested that women with naturally dark lashes could get away with simply applying a dab of petroleum jelly to the lashes for emphasis. For an "exotic look," This Way to Beauty noted that blue mascara used to tip the edge of black lashes gives "a charming effect." The lashes would be curled by curving them back with the applicator brush, or by using an eyelash curler, available at any drugstore (as seen in the Kurlash ad from 1938 above, the technology of this item has changed very little). Brands such as Winx and Lash-Kote had been selling a liquid mascara in the 1920s, but haven't come across any reference to it in the 30s. Near the end of the decade, Helena Rubinstein used the occasion of Billy Rose's Aquacade at the 1939 World's Fair in New York to promote her new waterproof mascara (it is not correct, however, that this was the first waterproof mascara; waterproof formulas, or at least claiming to be waterproof, had been around since at least the 20s).

Recreating a 1930s look: Daniela Turudich’s book Vintage Face suggests curling the eyelashes, then applying mascara to the upper lashes only, with an emphasis on the outer lashes. Classic cake mascara is still readily available and looks remarkably like the 1930s version of the product. Some brands to look for are La Femme, Paula Dorf, and Longeils. Also, Besame has recently introduced a “1930s waterproof mascara” using an original 1930s formula. We have tried it and wonder where it has been all our lives.

Images:

• Balanced colors...Winx ad, 1936
• What do people say...Maybelline ad, 1936
• Kurlash eyelash curler ad, 1938
• At last, what women have been hoping for...Maybelline ad, 1931
• Let your eyes speak...Maybelline ad, 1932
• At last, the perfect cream mascara...Maybelline ad, 1936
• What a difference...Maybelline ad, c. 1933
• Eye makeup in good taste...Maybelline ad, c.1936
• New cream mascara...Tattoo ad, 1936

Sources:

• Vintage magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, New Movie Magazine, Screenland, True Confession, and True Romances, 1931-1939.
• This Way to Beauty, Helena Rubinstein (1936).
• Maybelline corporate history:
  http://www.maybelline.com/aboutus/our-history.aspx
  http://www.maybelline.co.uk/about_us/l282l283.htm
  http://www.maybelline.com/aboutus/classic-ads.aspx
• Vintage Face, Daniela Turudich, Angela Bjork (Streamline Press, 2001).
• War Paint: Madame Helena Rubinstein & Miss Elizabeth Arden - Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry, Lindy Woodhead (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2003)