Old Hollywood issue

Old Hollywood isn’t a staple for what we know the modern beauty industry to be; it’s the foundation.

When you think of  Hollywood starlets, who comes to mind? Monroe, Taylor, Hepburn? There were so many beauty inspirations from that era that you can thank for where we are today, beauty-wise.

Let’s go back to when women were getting work in films like Gone With the Wind, whose star Vivien Leigh often used products from Elizabeth Arden and Dior! She was a young poster child of the beauty industry, just what Hollywood needed. Stars like Leigh, who were young and successful, could sell the idea that beauty is attainable, buyable.

Check out “Elizabeth Arden” in my last piece, “The Victory Issue.”

We think of Marilyn, of course, who is famous for her talents (showcased in “Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend”), but also for using up to 5 shades of different reds to achieve her desired lip color, or Elizabeth Taylor, who made celebrity perfumes a popular choice with her launch of the iconic White Diamonds.

I could go on about the absurd skin-care treatments Joan Crawford underwent, or the pressure Old Hollywood standards placed on women, like Anna May Wong. The point is that all of the treatments, regimens, and iconic looks of these women are what spawned the modern industry.

Anna May

Wong

We’d be nowhere without the Mod (modernist) looks of the 1960s, think Twiggy’s vintage Yardley adds for those incredible lashes. Diana Ross rocked this effortlessly.

The ’70s brought us into an era of Disco, color, and bold cheeks. From there, we have the fierceness of Grace Jones, whose sharp lines and buzzed hair were a staple of the 1980s. The intense eyes and grungy look are dramatic interpretations of classic Old Hollywood styles. We get Drew Barrymore in the ‘90s rocking a cherry red lip and tussled hair. Perhaps a grungy nod to our beloved Marilyn?

The Vintage shroud of glamour thrust upon us by the front of a powerhouse industry still stands the test of time. We’d not be here in this place of convenient beauty for all. Celebrity makeup brands like REM (Ariana Grande) and Rare Beauty (Selena Gomez) wouldn’t exist, and skin care regimens wouldn’t have staying power. And that bold lip you’re rocking could’ve gone out of style decades ago. 

Staying power. That is what the beauty industry is all about. Maybelline is an older company, but it’s popular because it works; its tried & true branding has graced women of the Pan-Am era, just as it has yours and mine.

The iconic red of Marilyn has since birthed an endless number of dupes, not because people want a million shades of red so badly, but because they’re buying glamour, beauty, the essence of what Monroe stood for. Or Taylor, or Hepburn.

Marilyn

Monroe

We have makeup artists because we had Max Factor, whose genius graciously lent to making Lucile Ball a redhead, and beautifying Monroe on many occasions. The makeup artist to the stars and father of  Makeup is credited with these titles for a reason.

We have modern lip liners and the red lip, partly due to Factor. Finger waves, which gave way to some modern bridal hair, can be linked back to him. 

Old Hollywood brought us beauty in excess. It stood for escapism during wars and the great depression. Mostly, though, it gave inspiration and access. We would not be here today without Old Hollywood, and in a way that preservation and longevity make it so Old Hollywood wouldn’t be alive today without that inspiration. 

Some of us put makeup on effortlessly, naturally part of our everyday routine, like drinking coffee. Why? Because a wing liner, baked face, and popping lashes make us feel good. As if we’re part of a tradition of beauty, laid before us by women who did it best, those Hollywood Stars!