Kat and I got treated to a preview screening of The Great Gatsby earlier this week, and if you couldn’t tell already – after all, I am sporting art-deco nail art – here at PRIMPED HQ, we’re in a dither about all things 1920s.
The ‘20s were a time for change. Women became much more liberated after the war, and fashion trends became apparent in all walks of life, particularly in art and theatre. This also meant that women became much more experimental with their beauty look, as Kat dished about yesterday. Makeup usually consisted of perfectly applied kohl eye makeup, rosebud pouts and rosy blush stamped on cheeks.
Putting in mildly, beauty has come a long way in the almost 100 years since The Great Gatsby era. With so many advances in skincare, makeup and hair care, it would only be natural to think that the majority of products would no longer be available. And you would be right, Primpers. However, there are a few that have stood the test of time, some of which also inspired some of today’s cult beauty buys …
Chanel No. 5 EDP, from $175, from department stores
Chanel No.5 is one of those timeless, classic scents that every woman should have in her fragrance wardrobe. When it launched in 1921, Chanel No.5 was considered the most innovative scent of its time, originally created at the bequest of Coco Chanel herself. She worked alongside nose Ernest Beaux for a fragrance that encompassed the complex, modern woman of the era in a bottle. Rather than featuring the note of a single flower (the perfume trend at the time), Chanel No. 5 combined a lush bouquet including top notes of neroli, with creamy jasmine and May rose. Now in its 90th year, Chanel No. 5 is the highest selling perfume of all time.
Weleda Skin Food, $19.95, from pharmacies
Weleda’s must-have body cream has remained virtually unchanged since it became available in 1926 – no wonder those flapper beauties had such gorgeously creamy, well-cared for skin! Enriched with a blend of 100% natural ingredients, including organic chamomile, calendula and wild pansy to soothe and calm dry skin, it also features lanolin and sweet almond oil to protect your skin against the elements.
Maybelline Cake Mascara
I rarely go a day without a slick of mascara. I find that I almost look naked without it. But how’s this for an anecdote; Mabel Williams, sister of Thomas Williams, the founder of Maybelline, was in love with a man who loved someone else. In an attempt to get his attention, Mabel dabbed soot from her oil lamp on her lashes to deepen the colour, perhaps so she could flutter her lashes and enable him to fall in love with her. Realising that this could potentially do serious damage to his sister’s eyes, Thomas (a chemist) formulated a new, safer product for Mabel, and eventually she won the young man’s heart. And that, Primpers, is how Maybelline was born! The first mascara-like product, the Maybelline Cake Mascara, was formulated two years later in 1917, giving ’20s beauties slightly sultry, darker lashes. The concept of the Cake Mascara was where the idea for the now cult beauty buy, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, $15.95, from Priceline, came from. Nowadays, one tube is sold every 1.2 seconds around the world!
Cutex Nail Care Products, from $3.99, from Priceline
While glitzy bows and elegant monograms may not have been so prevalent in the 1920s, that didn’t mean beautifully groomed nails and silky soft hands weren’t important. Despite the fact that Cutex was the first brand to officially create a version nail polish (with a car paint-like formula) in 1917, during the early ’20s the focus was on nail care. Women would tend to their cuticles daily, following similar routines that we still use today, using cuticle remover and an orangewood stick. Today, Cutex is still one of the most popular brands in nail care, and as a side note, the 3 in 1 Nail Strengthener, $7.59, from Priceline, is one of my all-time favourite nail care products.
Bourjois Pot Rouge, $20, from Priceline
You know your little Bourjois Pot Rouge? The concept behind them actually originated way back in the late 1860s, but by the ‘20s, powder rouge became that much more popular. Made from a combination of powder and water, the paste was then baked and sold to customers. Women applied it to the apples of their cheeks using their fingers or cotton, however it was rarely blended in, leaving the perfectly round circles clearly visible. The first shade ever created, Cendre de Rose Brune, $20, from Priceline, which was said to mimic a naturally rosy tone in cheeks, is still available today in a much-advanced formula, plus 11 other beautiful shades to suit your skin tone.
So Primpers, what do you think of the 1920s beauty look?
Have you ever tried any of these beauties, or did your mothers or grandmothers use them?
Hayley x