1940s Products and Trends
During the war, makeup products were lower quality and due to shortages in oil, animal fat, and alcohol. This meant products were dry, flaky with limited colour choice. The production of cosmetics was cut to 25% of pre-war levels, leading to women buying makeup through the black market.
Hollywood actresses such as Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner influenced the beauty trends of the time with the rise of the femme fatale.
• hollywood films had femme fatales who influenced makeup
• pan cake and pan-stick foundations
• Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Myrna Loy
• arched brows, powder, big red lips
• for work- hair pushed up and head scarf, topknots
• Marcel waves still popular
• leg makeup became popular to replace tights
• ads saying beauty was a duty for women to boost morale
• cosmetic production cut to 25% of pre war levels
• soap was rationed
• hunters bow lip shape popularized by Max Factor
• ppl bought products even if it didn’t match
• black market makeup
• Max factor, revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Cyclax
Social class in the 40s
Hairstyles
• pin curls, victory rolls, Hollywood waves,