This started as just a review of Benefit Cosmestics They're Real Lengthening Mascara. I wanted to review some of my favorite mascaras, and find a new one to try, and the more reviews I read, and the more mascaras I tried, all with the promise of bringing dramatic, falsie looking lashes, the more I realized that you just cant create that. The only way to look like you have eyelash extensions is to get eyelash extensions.
The big problem with extension is that they are time consuming to put on and they are $$$. There is an excellent approximation though, in a lash lift and (if you need it like I do) tint.
On the left is just my normal eye. I have no makeup on at all. My eyelashes are long enough, I suppose, but they stick straight out, and the are light in color. On the right is the exact same eye, after I had the lashes lifted and tinted. A lash lift, formerly a lash perm, is literally exactly what it sounds like. My lower lashes were taped down so they didn't get curled up in the rods, and exactly the way you would perm hair, my eyelashes were curled up in a permanent way. At the same time, they were tinted, meaning colored dark so they'd show up more.
In the picture on the right, I still don't have any makeup on. Not one drop. No mascara. That's just my eyelashes. In fact, after I had it done, I didn't wear any mascara. It isn't needed. If you are in or near the Kansas City Metro area, no one is better for lashes/brows than Kristine Kay. She is a true artist and I have been going to her for years. If you would like to have your lashes lifted/tinted I cannot recommend her highly enough.
Unfortunately for me, I am extraordinarily claustrophobic. Because there are chemicals involved in a lift/tint, it is important that you keep your eyes closed through the whole process, which lasts about 30 minutes. Something about not being able to open my eyes, caused the process to be really hard for me. Some people it wouldn't bother a bit, and if you have had extensions before, you have to keep your eyes closed for way longer, so this would be a piece of cake for you. The process doesn't hurt a bit, but you have to keep your eyes closed, and I just cant. So for me, this probably isn't something I'd be able to do again, at least not without a lot of Xanax. That's just me though.
For me, the easiest option is mascara. I used to really hate mascara, but I've come around to it in the last year. I love to try different mascaras and I have probably 10-20 sitting in my mascara drawer. I'm always searching to the closest approximation I can find to the look of the lift.
My most favorite that I have been using are W3LL People Expressionist Mascara and Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara. I strongly prefer rubber mascara wands to the traditional brush type, because I feel like they clump way less, and they grab the little baby eyelash hairs. The W3LL PPEOPLE mascara has one of the best wands I have ever used. Smashbox has a traditional brush, so I was surprised by how much I liked it, but I think it gives really good coverage, and it isn't hard on my lashes. In a drugstore brand, I think Covergirl Eyelights is the best, because it also has a great rubber brush, and the tinting of the mascara does really make your eyes pop.
I wanted to try a really dramatic mascara though, something that I feel like really has a lot of reviews for its lengthening mascara. I feel like the big three that you just hear about over and over are Benefit They're Real, Too Faced: Better Than Sex Mascara, and Younique 3D Fiber Lashes.
I knew, for sure, that Younique was not for me. I will probably make enemies from that statement, because the people who use Younique totally swear by it, which is great. If you use it, and you love it, God Bless. In the words of my very, very favorite makeup blogger, Angie Castellano, "there's no mascara police. Calm down. Do what you want." I just have had bad luck with anything involving fibers in the past. I cant make them work right, and its too hard for me. I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, who was the first person to introduce me to Younique, and she loves the super cakey spider eyes look, which is not for me. So, I always sort of equate the two together, which I am sure isn't fair. I have other friends who wear it, and it looks great. I just cant.
That left me choosing between the Benefit and the Too Faced. Both amazing brands, both available at my beloved Ulta. I ended up choosing the Benefit to review, because it has a rubber brush and the Too Faced has a traditional brush.
My little iPhone camera is not what I would like it to be, in terms of getting pictures of eyelashes, so most of them look pretty goofy, but hopefully, you can get a basic idea of how this all worked out.
The top photo is me with no makeup on, and the bottom is the benefit mascara.
In this picture, I have the Benefit mascara on the left and the Smasbox mascara on my right eye. I definitely noticed an immediate difference in terms of length, and the rubber wand has tons of tiny spindles, including a ball of them at the top, so I definitely feel like its really grabbing everything.
The only real drawback that I can see is that it is flakey. A lot of the review mention it, and it was something I noticed within just a few hours.
Even with the flaking, I really like it a lot. Though it is not waterproof (there is a waterproof one, it just isn't this one) it does last all day, whereas some of my others, I feel like are gone by the time I get home. You do need a good makeup remover to get it off though, soap and water will not do the trick. Even with that, it doesn't feel sticky or clumpy. I really like it, and will definitely put it in the regular rotation.
Today I tried out bliss Bold Over Long Wear Liquified Lipstick. It was a brand that I have never tried before, or even heard of before. I don't know if its new or if its been around for ages, because I couldn't find a lot of information about it. bliss doesn't have any social media that I've been able to find. Kind of odd in this day in age, but it seemed like they had a fun array of colors. I didn't try them all, but I did try four:
I have been suckered in by the nude colors lately, even though they tend to look dumb on me. Its .2oz of product, which is a decent size. The colors looked pretty opaque:
From left to right we have "Nude Attitude, "Mauvin On Up," "Cherry On Top," and "Very Berry." I was pretty excited by the swatches, because the colors looked really rich. I started with the lightest color first.
I must have Stockholm Syndrome or something, because the more I look at the pictures, the more I like the color, but I promise you, in person, it looked insane. It was magically at the same time the exact same color as both my skin and my shirt. The color did not apply very well, and you could see every line and crevice in my lips. It looks like the primer you put on before the real lipstick. It was really drying and in person kind of looked like clown makeup. I am not sure who this color would suit. Chelsea Houska. Chelsea from Teen Mom. She can wear this type of nude color and look cute, but I think she is the only one. Everyone else should avoid it.
"Mauvin On Up" is probably the one I liked the best (which, spoiler alert, isn't saying a lot.) It was a pretty natural color on me, but it was also drying and not very buildable. I really had to put a lot on to get any kind of color payoff, and to me, it looks like basically the color my lips actually are. If you are into a natural look, this is a good color, but I can recommend a lot of options for a natural look that are less expensive and work better than this brand.
The reds must have a different formula than the non-reds in this line, because where I had to really work to get some product to build with the first two, this one came out like melted chocolate. This color came out of the tube almost goopy, and went everywhere. I had to clean this up before I took any photos, because it was literally onto the side of my face. I've done this a time or two, so when I cant keep track of the color, I feel like the formula isn't keeping track of itself. The color was pretty good, but it is pretty shiny in person, which the first two really weren't. I don't love shiny reds, and red in general takes some practice, so a red I cant control is really too much work.
Where "Cherry On Top" was goopy, "Very Berry" was patchy. I had to go back and refill in different sections of my lip because the color was not distributing evenly. I think all of the colors are photographing better than what they really were. It was like touching up a room, a little over here, and a little over there. Patchiness can happen with darker reds, but again, I can think of some that are way less patchy, and stay better, and dry less than this product, and they cost a whole lot less. You can get three "Cherry Skies" for the same price of one tube of this "Very Berry," and it will give you a lot less trouble.
Because bliss doesn't have social media (which, honestly, that's just laziness, my one year old can work my iPhone. If she can do that, someone over there can make an instagram...) I decided to learn about a few of their other products. Honestly, they need to take this line back to the drawing board. Its drying, unwieldy, uneven, and has horrible color transfer. It claims to have a long wear formula "that lasts for hours." Lie.
I wasn't really sure who they had running product development and marketing at bliss, but when I saw this product, I knew the inmates were running the asylum.
Also, check out that color transfer. Not good.
They actually have a whole subsection of Fatgirl Slim beauty products. I'm sorry, but that's the dumbest name ever. The girls who are concerned enough about their cellulite to drop $40 on self tanner/ skin firming spray are not going to want a product called "Fat Girl" and the girls who have zero fucks to give about being called Fat arent dropping money on this product. What fratty dudebro thought up this name? Know your audience, people.
My recommendation would be, until these people figure out what they're doing with themselves and their products, skip it, and go for something else.
Today started out kind of rough for a Monday. There is a lot going on, and I had to be at work early so I didn't have a super lot of time to get ready. I didn't feel my best, and I definitely didn't look my best, and there is no cure for a bad mood like a trip to Ulta.
She has darker coloring than I do, but oh, man, what a pretty color. I asked my bestie if she thought I could pull off brown, and of course, she said "sure!" So I have had this color in the back of my mind since then.
Since, as I mentioned, it was kind of a rough morning, when I got to Ulta, the only shade of that line that they were out of was, of course, Soft Spoken. So that will have to wait for another day. Since I was there, I figured I would see what other nude/brown colors I could find.
As a baseline, I swatched Revlon HD Matte Lipcolor in Seduction, which I already know I love. You should love it too. It applies like a dream, and smells even better. The whole line of colors is amazing, and Ulta has them on sale right now, buy one get one 50% off.
Here it is:
This picture was taken awhile back, before I had half an inch of roots showing. Its such a great color. They seriously all are. We're going off on a tangent right now, but I cannot think of another line budget or luxury, where every single color is amazing. These are good.
But I digress.
I decided to see if I could find something else kind of like Seduction. I happened to stumble on NYX Intense Butter Gloss in a color called Tres Leches. I love NYX products and wear them all the time, but I have never tried the Butter Glosses, because I tend to mostly stick with reds and I am not a fan of shiny reds. But since this definitely wasn't red, it seemed like a great choice. It was also a little bit pinker, and since I have such pink skin I thought it would look really good.
I have high hopes that the curling iron burn on my forehead will eventually go away, but in the mean time, here is the lip color. It has he word "intense" in the title, which I think is a misnomer. I had to put on about 10 layers of the color before I even saw anything. Its basically exactly the color of my real lips. Its a little bit sticky, which should be a given with the word "gloss" in the title. Its just. so. sheer. If you are looking for a sheer color, thats really just a hint of color, then I think this might be for you. I was personally hoping for something more opaque and we didn't quite make it there.
I decided after the super light color to go for something that was really going to have a lot of color in in it, and also let me try out something brown, since I had fallen in love with it on instagram. Since I was already trying out budget brands, I decided to stick with that theme.
The color on the left an Ulta Lip Crayon in the color Sugar and Spice and the color on the right is Essence Longlasting Lipstick in Barely There. I have a few different Ulta Crayons and I also love love love them. They are really easy to maneuver, soft but not sticky, and they have great staying power. They have a little bit of shine to them, but they don't feel greasy at all. I felt like Sugar and Spice had kind of a berry undertone against my skin so I thought that would be a fun one for me.
I was wrong.
Hi, nice to meet you. This is totally not my color
In person, it was even less the right color. I am not sure who this would be the right color for. Someone. Probably someone with dark hair and eyes and olive skin. But not I, said the fly. And if you are a pale lady like myself, I would skip this color too. There are lots of good ones. Just... this one is too much.
Yowza.
Essence is a brand that I don't have too much experience with when it comes to lipstick itself. I have several of their gel polishes,redness corrector, and femme fatal lip liner. The liner, as a side note, can be used with almost any brighter red and it blends seamlessly. Since some reds, even the pricey ones, tend to feather, this is a great and inexpensive way to reign that in.
Since I have enjoyed the other products so much, it was only a matter of time until I tried one of their lipsticks. This a very budget, budget brand and most of the products only cost a few dollars. This particular lipstick is $2.99.
Its hidden toward the back of the Ulta, but you can also find these products at both Target and Wal-Mart. They have a fun variety of shades, and my experience today definitely makes me want to try more.
Out of all the colors I tried on, this was the one that made me notice my roots the least. I really liked the feel of it too. Even though it also had shine it was not sticky, and didn't feel heavy on my lips, like some tube lipsticks do. I didn't feel like I was wearing anything, and I felt like I got a lot of color with just one application. I wore it for the rest of the day and it felt like it really stayed in place, even through eating and drinking. There isn't a lot of color selection with the Longlasting Lipsticks, mostly things in the mauves, pinks, and purples. The nice thing is, even though it isn't broad, there is something for every coloring. I will definitely be trying more of these colors, and I think they are worth a look for you too! Definitely the winner of the day.
I've talked before about how much I love love love instagram. A few weeks ago, I was on instagram, on Kat Von D's beauty page and saw the color "Adora" and I was totally enamored. It isn't a matte red, which is usually the only kind I wear. I decided I would go to Sephora (womp womp) and try it out.
Though you can buy it anytime online I am not a big fan of buying lipsticks (especially pricier ones like Ms. Von D's) unless I can try them out first. I have been to every Sephora in my area, and I haven't found it yet.
I went to Sephora yesterday, and couldn't find it, and was also reminded, yet again, why I am not a Sephora fan. Their selection is much smaller than Ulta's and the sales people are way less helpful and friendly. As I watched all six employees stand in the corner, chatting and examining their hair for split ends, I figured I might as well try something out since I was there.
Since what I was wearing had some pinks and corals (yes, my unhealthy obsession with coral continues) and red didn't really match anyway, I decided to see if there were any nudes that struck my fancy. Urban Decay is a brand that I have heard lots of good things about, but don't have a lot of experience with, so I decided to give them a go.
I grabbed a tube of what I thought was liquid lipstick, but could tell as soon as I put it on that it was actually gloss. I am attracted to the pinkier nudes, and so I picked out a color called "Liar". It is also available in actual lipstick form but I tried the gloss.
And glossy it was. As soon as I stepped outside, I was smacked full on with the hair in the lip gloss. Yuck. It smelled good, and tasted good, but it was definitely stickier than I prefer, which is why I don't hang around much with glosses.
The thing about this color is, I am pretty sure it is the exact color of my actual lips. So I am not sure how opaque it is. I layered on a few coats but it still felt sort of sheer, which, again, could have been the gloss, as those tend to always be more sheer. The color also perfectly matches the curling iron burn on my forehead, so there's that...
This picture is hilarious. I look so...severe.
What I can tell you is that for a gloss, this has amazing staying power! It lasted me through the rest of my work day, which ended up being pretty late. When I got in the car, about seven hours after the above pictures were taken, and after both eating and drinking, I looked like this:
Now again, this is pretty close to my actual lip color, so I don't know how much of this is me. I would probably purchase a different color than the one God gave me, since that is the whole point of lipstick, but this is a pretty color and stays really well for a gloss. You wouldn't be wrong to try it out.
Halo got sick last night and so I am home with her today. We had some time to kill between her pediatrician appointment, and when the pharmacy would have her medicine ready. It put me in a different part of town than I am usually in, and pretty near to another Sephora, so I thought I would give it a shot. No Adora.
I test a liquid lipstick of Kat Von D's awhile back and wrote about it here. Since I was at Sephora, I figured I would give one of her regular tube lipsticks a try. One of her most popular shades is "Underage Red" which is in the same Studded Kiss Lipstick line as the Adora that I can find nowhere.
Kat has come under fire for the name more than a few times, which I do understand. She explains how the lipstick came by its name here and it I would encourage you to read it if you find the name bothersome. I know enough about Kat Von D that I believe she meant no harm, and the fact remains that several years after its debut, it is still one of her best sellers.
She describes it as "fire engine red" and on her skin that may be true. I have so much pink in my skin that for me, it reads bordering on hot pink. Its definitely red, but if you have a lot of pink in your skin, it will pick that up.
The KVD liquid lipstick is without a doubt the softest, smoothest, best feeling lip I have ever worn. It feels like pillows. It doesn't stick at all and the color is so thick. It is a wimp when it comes to staying power though, so I wanted to see how this one added up.
It is not liquid, so it is thicker in texture. It still goes on really well, but is a tiny bit sticky and not nearly as soft as the liquid. It does seem to stay a little better. It absolutely fades to a dark pink, probably on everyone and not just the pink skinned. It is not kiss proof, as it has ended up on my baby.
Here it is after wearing down some:
I probably wouldn't rush right out to buy this one, because I already have so many that are basically this exact color, but if you are a KVD fan, its a solid lip color.
I haven't been able to get summer lip colors off of my mind. When I was at Ulta the other day I saw a color called "HD Love." I mean, hello? Clearly, it was meant for me, it has my initials on it! I ended up getting the Smashbox color, which I love, but I couldn't stop thinking about the HD colors.
The cool thing about this website is that you can see each of the different colors as they look on a variety of different skin tones. The color I first tried on, Love, is a bright blue-red. I think it could be a cool summer color, and if I am being honest, I will probably get it before too long. I have a real problem when it comes to lipstick. Do you remember that episode of Sex and The City, where Carrie is trying to buy her apartment and cant because she spent all her money on shoes? And she says she is going to be the Old Woman Who Lived in Her Shoes? I may have to build a house made of lipstick. There are four of these colors that I am holding myself back from buying at this very moment:
Since my camera is a little fuzzy, those are flirtation, love seduction, and passion. And if you noticed that two of those colors aren't red, you are correct.
Red is definitely my true love, but summer is the perfect time to try and change things up a bit. I went back the next day to try flirtation, because its sort of a corally color, and apparently, I just cant let that go yet.
It applies really well, and it smells fabulous. Sort of peachy and sugary and fresh all at the same time. I love the scent, and that is something that you cant usually say about lipsticks in the drugstore pricepoint. These are a little pricier, they run about $9.00, but the smell is great. They are a little more sheer than I would like in a liquid, and you have to build up a few layers to really achieve a good color. Especially with the flirtation, it seemed to really settle into the lines on my lips and I had to apply several layers to get it to actually sit up.
I ended up really liking it, but I think I can only wear it when my hair is really, really red, which it is right now. Red is a bitch of a color to upkeep and it fades like crazy. When it fades on me, it becomes sort of a reddish/brownish color, that I don't think this would mesh with very well. I kind of felt like a Barbie doll from the 1950's in this color. I just needed my striped swimsuit, winged eyeliner, and kitten heels. It was a fun, bright color, and with bright hair, and the pinkish undertones in my skin, I feel like it worked pretty well.
I'm also starting to think nude lips are kind of fun. I was resistant to it for a long time, because why would you want to make you lips the same color as the rest of your face, but its grown on me, in spite of myself. I decided to try out a couple of pre and post-makeup selfies to see what the difference really is. As it happened, it ended up that I didnt have any lipstick on.
I decided to try out the seduction in this line, which is really close to the American Girl I already own. Honestly, I don't need any of these colors, because I already own 18 other ones that are exactly the same, but I cant help it. I love lipstick. Love.
I kind of love the seduction more than the flirtation because I feel like it could look good no matter what my hair color is, or what else is going on with my face. I'm having a thing about coral right now that will make me get the flirtation and then be sad about it later, but this color, I really really love. This is a really easy color to wear, anyone could slap this sucker on, and look polished. I think that this color probably looks better on pale people than on people with warm skin (which hardly ever happens) but I think really anybody could make this work.
I kind of want all eight shades, actually. I think they are all fantastic and are fun colors. They all smell amazing and seem to wear really well. I think they are all good bets.
I am obsessed with instagram. Not only is it thick with beauty, fashion, and makeup bloggers, its covered in just regular ladies who are killing it. And I get to pick up on all the cool stuff they're doing.
I love my red lipsticks, but I feel like, going into summer, a lot of them are a little too severe in color for this time of year. I have a hard time, because I am really pale, and the warmer summer colors don't really work on me. I've said it before, you need warm skin to go with warm lipstick and I don't have it.
I have been seeing coral lipstick pop up a lot lately, and somehow got it into my head that I could wear it. I saw it on Melissa McCarthy and loved it, and then the other day, I saw it on one of my favorite beauty/regular lady instagrammars.
The other nice thing about regular people on instagram is that if you ask them what they are wearing, more often than not, they will tell you. Actual celebrities will not. Hayley Atwell told the world on twitter what lip she wore on Peggy Carter (which was awesome of her) and Besame sales went through the roof. So, I get why actual celebrities would not want to respond, because it could probably be construed as an endorsement, and I am sure they want that $$$. Sucks for me though, since I cant ever find out what they're wearing. I'm sure Taylor Swift gets big bucks whenever she sings the praises of Ruby Woo but nobody else even talks.
Anyway, this lady, the Spookyfatbabe, otherwise known as Minerva, seems like her coloring is kind of like mine, and I love this color on her. I asked her on instagram, and she graciously responded in short order that she was wearing Ouji by Colourpop, which is a brand that I REALLY WISH was available in stores!! I mean, look how pretty that is on her!
I have kind of a coral-like lipstick in my arsenal that I wrote about last year. I still don't love it, but I found that if I put the right amount on, its sort of coral.
I still don't love it. What's a girl to do? Especially when she has a $10 off coupon? Head to Ulta, of course, and try and find something that's red, but summery, but also looks good on me, and is maybe a little bit pink, but not really. Easy, right?
I enlisted my bestie to go with me, and we tried on about six different shades, that were all pretty, but not exactly what I was looking for. I seriously considered the beso I tried before. I figured with the coupon it was a good time to splurge, since it would end up costing me the same as a lower cost brand without the coupon.
The very helpful sales lady- as the sales ladies at Ulta always are- suggested I try out a color from Smashbox, which is a brand I have never tried before. She suggested a color called Bing which the website describes as a "classic red" but to me, it feels like it has a little bit of pink to it. It is really light and bright and summery.
And I love it!
I felt like the application was really smooth and I didn't feel like it was overly drying either. I was really pleased for the rest of the afternoon at how well it stayed on.
At least until I ate my salad. The oil from the salad ate the lipstick right off my face, but that's kind of always the truth. Oil and citrus are lipstick killers and I just have to accept it. It still made me kind of sad though.
Womp womp.
The nice thing about it not being a liquid is that you don't have to take the last vestiges off and start over. You can just re-apply.
The packaging is little, only .1oz, but it would be really easy to put in a small bag for a night out. It runs you $21.00, so it is definitely on the pricier side, but Ulta is fantastic with coupons. I really feel like this is a fantastic color for summer, especially if you have pale skin like I do, I think this is a great buy.
I watched this movie-twice-this past weekend. I haven't seen it in years, but its actually, Ann Hathaway's facial expressions aside, a really good movie. I think this scene is my favorite. We're all interconnected, whether we realize it or not.
I own tube after tube of red lipstick. Of gloss. Liquids. Pencils, crayons, stains. I own so many. Because I just woke up one day, and decided that I liked them. Or maybe, just maybe, they represent years of work, and innovation. Maybe red lipstick is the work of several geniuses and I am lucky enough to carry it with me.
Max Factor was born in Poland on September 15, 1872. More than one hundred years before I would get here. His name then was Maksymilian Faktorowicz. His mother died when he was two, and he had no formal education. His father sent him to work for a dentist at age eight, and at 14 he went to work for a wig maker and cosmetician. 1886. Poland. Let that soak in. He married his first great love, Esther, who he called Lizzie, for reasons I couldn't tell you, and by 1904, when he was 32 years old, he was a father of three children. And Jewish. Living in a country that was growing more hostile toward Jews by the day.
In 1904, he, and his wife, and their three babies, the youngest of whom was two, got in the steerage section of a boat, and came to America. They left their family, and friends, and their entire way of life. I am sure it was terrifying. And after they spent weeks in the steerage section, came to a country where they didn't know anyone, and didn't speak the language. They would never return to Poland.
They were processed on Ellis Island on February 25, 1904. Mr. Maksymilian Faktorowicz became Max Factor that day. He came for his American Dream.
The Factors moved to St. Louis, Missouri, which also happens to be where my dad's parents hail from. In 1906, six years before said grandparents were born, Lizzie Factor suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage. She left behind three children, ages four through nine. I cannot imagine the devastation. Mr. Factor, needing a mother for his children, married again, and had another son, Frank, in 1907. But, like most decisions made in grief, his marriage proved a bad idea, and it swiftly came to an end. After a very long court battle, Max Factor, future mogul, new to this country, and with no formal schooling, argued for, and won full custody of his children.
The Factors moved again, this time to Los Angeles, where Max married his third wife Jennie, who he would remain married to until his death. His last child, Sidney, was born in 1916. My grandparents were five. Max Factor became an American citizen in 1912.
For the history of his business, I defer to my beloved Wikipedia:
Max Factor moved his family and business to Los Angeles, seeing an opportunity to provide made-to-order wigs and theatrical make-up to the growing film industry. Besides selling his own make-up products he soon became the West Coast distributor of both Leichner and Minor, two leading theatrical make-up manufacturers.
In the early years of movie-making, greasepaint in stick form, although the accepted make-up for use on the stage, could not be applied thinly enough, nor where did colors work satisfactorily on the screen. Factor began experimenting with various compounds in an effort to develop a suitable make-up for the new film medium. By 1914 he had perfected his first cosmetic product. With this major achievement to his credit, Max Factor became the authority on cosmetics in film-making. Soon movie stars were eager to sample his "flexible greasepaint".
In the early years of the business Factor personally applied his products to actors and actresses. He developed a reputation for being able to customize makeup to present actors and actresses in the best possible light on screen. Virtually all of the major movie actresses were regular customers of the Max Factor Beauty Salon on Hollywood Boulevard.
In 1918 Max Factor completed development of his "Color Harmony" range of face powder which, due to its wide range of shades, allowed him to customize and provide more consistent make-up for each individual actor or actress.
In 1920 Max Factor gave in to his son Frank’s suggestion and officially began referring to his products as "make-up" based on the verb phrase "to make up" (one's face). Until then the term "cosmetics" had been used; the term "make-up" was considered vulgar, to be used only by people in the theater or of dubious reputation and not something to be used in polite society.
In 1922 while on holiday in Europe with his wife, Factor visited the headquarters of Leichner in Germany. He was by then the biggest retailer of their theatrical stick greasepaint, yet he was snubbed and kept waiting at reception. Upset at this treatment he left and immediately cabled his sons to begin selling his own brand of greasepaint. Until then Factor had been making his own greasepaint for use on his clients, but had made no attempt to market it while he was representing other brands. Now he concentrated on his own products, which he offered in a collapsible tube, instead of in the stick form used by other producers. His tube greasepaint was not only more hygienic but also could be applied more thinly and evenly. Soon Max Factor's version was the leading brand.
By the 1920s his sons Davis and Frank were heavily involved in the business, with Davis the general manager and Frank assisting his father in the development of new products.
By the 1920s Max Factor was becoming known outside of the film community, which led to the company in the early 1930s developing an in-house public relations department. While Max Factor was perfectly happy for the company to remain a specialized supplier of products to the film community, his children were convinced that they could grow the company into a much larger enterprise. National distribution began in 1927 when Sales Builders, an established distribution company, obtained the rights to advertise, distribute and sell Factor’s products. Due to his strong connection with the film community Max Factor was able to use celebrity endorsements in advertising its products. In return for a nominal payment of US$1 to the actress the advertising would also promote the star’s latest film.
The development of Technicolor film required the company to develop a new line of products as its existing Panchromatic make-up left a slight sheen on the skin which reflected surrounding colors. As a result of how bad they looked in color many actors and actresses refused to appear in color films. Because Max Factor was recovering from being hit by a delivery van at the time, Frank Factor took the lead in the two years it took to develop a suitable make-up, initially called the "T-D" and then renamed the "Pan-Cake" series. It was sold in a solid cake form and applied with a damp sponge which offered the advantage of concealing skin imperfections under a transparent matte finish. Its first appearance was in the film Vogues of 1938.
It was an immediate hit and its advantages led to women stealing it from the film sets and using it privately. Its only disadvantage for everyday use was that it could not be used at night as it made the skin too dark under all except under the powerful lights used in film studios. While Max Factor wanted to reserve the product for film use, Frank Factor was open to the commercial possibilities and began developing lighter shades. At the time the company was only able to produce enough to meet studio demand, which delayed commercial release until production could be increased. The company used the release of Vogues of 1938 in August 1937 and five months later The Goldwyn Follies, the second film to use the make-up, to commercially release Pan-Cake to the public, It immediately became the fastest and largest selling single make-up item to date, as well as the standard make-up used in all Technicolor films.
Max Factor died in 1938 at the age of 65. He left behind an empire that he built himself. When he first came to America, he started a wig and makeup business, but his partner stole all of the profits. So the man who lost his country, his wife, and really everything he had ever known, had to start over yet again. With no formal education, and really with nothing beyond his blood, sweat, and tears, he built the most successful commercial makeup company in the world.
He left the company behind to his son, Frank, who changed his name to Max Factor, Jr. It was the Junior Mr. Factor who brought the company into the modern age. It was Max Factor, Jr., who really pushed to market "makeup" (a term he coined) to the every day woman. His biggest contribution was the Max Factor "True-Color" lipstick, which was marketed as the first smear proof lipstick, and was really the lipstick that ushered in the modern era. There were six shades and they were ALL red. Red was the color in the 1940's. I love it.
One of Max Factor's favorite models was one of my favorites as well...
I think the greatest thing about Max Factor, Inc., is that they are the creator of Lucille Ball's signature red lipstick, clear red, which she wore for most of her life. The movie "Lured" was released in 1947, so I am guessing this ad is from the same year. My dad was born in 1947.
I Love Lucy premiered in October of 1951. I think the argument could be made that it is the single greatest television show of all time. Think about it. You've seen every episode. Everyone you know has seen every episode. 60+ years later. My four year old can identify Lucy on sight. She's iconic.
Lucille Desiree Ball was born August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York. She's a leo like me. With fake red hair like me. We share the same favorite color, yellow. Much like Mr. Factor, she got off to a rocky start. In 1915, when she was three and a half years old, and her mother was pregnant, her father got typhoid fever and died. She went to live with her grandparents until her mother remarried four years later, and she was sent to live with her step-father's parents. In 1927 when Lucille was 16, her family lost everything. A group of neighborhood children were target shooting in her yard, under the supervision of her Grandfather Ball. One of the boys heard his mother call, and took off across the yard, forgetting about the shooting going on. He was shot and paralyzed and the Ball family was destroyed financially in the lawsuit that followed.
Lucille was sent to drama school in New York City as a teenager and she failed out! Possibly the greatest comedic actress ever failed out of acting school. She said herself that all she learned from The John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts was how to be afraid. But imagine if she had given up then!!
She became a model in New York City, but was sidelined by illness and unable to work for over two years. In that moment as well, she could have given up, but she didn't . She came back, and then on to Hollywood to follow her dream of being an actress.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had maybe the most famous marriage in all of show business. I Love Lucy was created to keep the two busy stars in the same timezone, and honestly, in an effort to save their crumbling marriage. She fought hard. They had to overcome institutionalized racism from the studio who didn't believe that America would accept their interracial marriage.
Along the way, she created a television dynasty and reached several "firsts". Ball was the first woman in television to be head of a production company: Desilu, the company that Arnaz and she formed. After their divorce, Ball bought out Arnaz's share of the studio, and she proceeded to function as a very active studio head, earning herself the nickname Lucille Balls. A female studio head fifty something years ago? She was an innovator, ahead of her time.
Desilu and I Love Lucy pioneered a number of methods still in use in television production today such as filming before a live audience with a number of cameras, and distinct sets adjacent to each other.
Ball and Arnaz wanted to remain in their Los Angeles home, but the time zone logistics made that broadcast norm impossible. Prime time in L.A. was too late at night on the East Coast to air a major network series, meaning the majority of the TV audience would be seeing not only the inferior picture of kinescopes, but seeing them at least a day later. Sponsor Philip Morris did not want to show day-old kinescopes to the major markets on the East Coast, yet neither did they want to pay for the extra cost that filming, processing, and editing would require, pressuring Ball and Arnaz to relocate to New York City. Ball and Arnaz offered to take a pay cut to finance filming, on the condition that their company, Desilu, would retain the rights to that film once it was aired. CBS relinquished the show rights to Desilu after initial broadcast, not realizing they were giving away a valuable and durable asset. In 1957, CBS bought the rights back for $1,000,000, which provided Ball and Arnaz the down payment for the purchase of the former RKO Studios, which became Desilu Studios. Lucille Ball was a boss. In every way.
She was also a fashion icon. She was voted the most fashionably dressed celebrity several times throughout the 1950's. A big part of her look, all through the 1940's and 1950's was Clear Red Lipstick, which, of course, was created by Max Factor. This man who came from nothing, to become the biggest name in makeup, made a shade that became the signature lip of one of the most influential women of the last hundred years.
And now I own it.
You read that right. And I am so excited!!!
Check out this gloriousness:
How beautiful is this?
This particular compact is circa 1956 or 1957. It isn't a replica. It isn't made to look like vintage Max Factor lipstick. It is real live honest to goodness vintage Max Factor lipstick. 60 years old. Sent through time to my doorstep.
We also need to talk about this case:
I think this is breathtakingly beautiful. Can you believe that lipstick used to just come like this?! I think it oozes glamour. Max Factor, Jr. believed in glamour for the every day woman, and if this isn't that, I don't know what is.
This is the lipstick that Lucy wore. That Max made. Its an honor to have something like this. For someone like me, who loves red lipstick to have what is essentially the first red lipstick is really special.
It got here on the 25th, exactly 112 years to the day after Max Factor and his family arrived on Ellis Island, in a package that said "fragile" in what I could swear was my grandmother's handwriting. If she were alive, she'd be 106, and it must just be the way penmanship was taught in those days. Look how sweet:
I opened it with shaking hands. When the compact fell out, it was so tiny and perfect. I thought the pictures looked big, so I was surprised when the compact was little. It still feels like it has a ton of lipstick in it though. I just cant get over how beautiful it is. I cant believe that products were made this way. And according to the bottom of the compact, it was made in the USA. After World War II, the economy experienced a boom and it was a real time of prosperity. I feel like the lipstick really reflects that feeling.
It smells like celluloid. It smells like the old home movie reels that we had when I was a kid, that we would have to watch on a film projector. It smells like my grandma, and looks like the things that she had on her vanity that I was too young to appreciate back in those days. I wish I could go back now and talk to her about a lot of different things, and try on all her makeup and jewelry. Both of my grandmothers were pretty glamorous back in the day. I don't remember either of them ever wearing red lipstick, but I bet they would have. My dad's mom preferred her lipstick in a mauvy color, and I don't ever remember my Gege wearing lipstick, though maybe she did.
I almost didn't put it on. I was worried it would break or not work, when I touched it a few times and there was no real color transfer, but it slid right on. And, as luck would have it, (and honestly I am really not surprised, the packaging is a million times better, so why wouldn't the product be?) it stayed on all day. 12 hours easily. Its kind of an orangy red and I felt like Lucy.
It felt really special to be wearing it. We just wear the stuff we wear and never think about where it comes from. I know exactly where this came from. It came from Poland and escaped the Nazis. It escaped poverty and survived the death of a spouse. It raised six children in a new country. It became an undeniable success. It came from Jamestown and Celeron, New York. It survived the loss of a parent and abandonment by the other. It overcame illness and rejection to become an icon and a household name. Red lipstick is special. When I say its a super hero cape, this is why. It represents decades of bravery and resilience and ingenuity and creativity. Which is exactly what I feel when I wear it, even sixty years later.
