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Home | Decades of beauty | The make-up moguls | The changing faces of power | Because they're worth it | Find out more
1900 | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | Into the 21st Century
Viewed as the sole preserve of prostitutes and music-hall performers, make-up is such a taboo in Victorian society that a man can divorce his wife for wearing it. Extravagant hair arrangements are, however, considered very attractive. French hairdresser Marcel Grateau introduces his famous wave, designed to make the hair look like a rippling sheet of silk. Cologne is accepted as a healthy adornment for the senses, though vanity is generally frowned on.
Whereas cosmetics had previously been sold 'under the counter', the decision of Selfridges department store in London to sell powder and rouge openly proves hugely popular with women, though not with men. As the suffragette movement struggles to win the vote, they also fight for the right to look as they please and wear red lipstick as a symbol of feminine defiance. The work of women during World War I soften MPs' opposition and the right to vote is won - only for women aged 30 and over - in 1918.
Liberated for the first time, women feel free to experiment, eschewing the discreet and natural look for daring styles. One of these is 'la garçonne', a masculine look inspired by the heroine of Victor Margueritte's scandalous novel of the same name and typified by short hair and vampy make-up. Stylish women begin plucking their eyebrows and wearing kohl around the eyes. Applying the new twist-up lipstick in public is the ultimate fashion statement. Coco Chanel falls asleep in the sun and inadvertently establishes the must-have beauty accessory of the century - the tan.
Cinema, now the most popular medium of news and entertainment, not only brings the world to our doorsteps but the first screen celebrities, too. Hollywood sets standards for beauty, and everyone wants to look like movie idols. And every movie idol wants to have their look tailor-made by Max Factor, Hollywood's leading make-up artist, who is quick to pick up on the potential of celebrity endorsement. Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein also establish popular cosmetic ranges. Despite the Depression, lipstick remains affordable and, to glamour-starved women, essential, and sales remain high.
World War II has a dramatic effect on women's position in society. The absence of men forces them to step into traditional male roles at home and at work. Fabrics are scarce, and the austere mood is reflected in practical clothes in muted shades. Max Factor introduces stocking cream in response to shortages. Make-up fulfils an important role as an instant feminiser and affordable morale booster, and is even produced in shades to match air-raid shelters and gas masks. Red lipstick is seen as a symbol of patriotism, as women defy hardship by maintaining their appearance.
An explosion of colour - in everything from films and furniture to clothes and make-up - epitomises post-war optimism. There is a renewed emphasis on the family. A shortage of men encourages women to try to look as beautiful as possible in the hope of 'catching' a husband. As women return to domestic duties, technological advances result in a whole host of new labour-saving devices for the home, giving them more time to pamper themselves. A boom in the luxury beauty industry - led by Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein - ensues. Avon calls for the first time, and the door-to-door cosmetics rep remains the bored housewives' best friend for the next 20 years.
Elizabeth Taylor stars in Cleopatra, setting off an outrageous new fashion trend of 'Cleopatra eyes', where kohl pencil lines are dramatically extended. Make-up trends become even more exaggerated as 'Swinging London' style kicks in. The model Twiggy epitomises the look. The emphasis remains on the eyes, with false eyelashes being cited as a must-have item by fashion pioneer Mary Quant, whose hair is fashioned into the revolutionary five-point 'bob' by Vidal Sassoon. Meanwhile, pale lips in pearlescent hues are influenced by the genesis of space travel. Diana Ross and the Supremes define the cool, elegant style of young, black America celebrated in the first black beauty magazine, Ebony.
In an era of increased political activity, the women's liberation movement emerges, generating a backlash against the concept of prettying oneself to please men. Women also realise that the beauty industry is governed by and perpetuated by men, and eschew the defiant lipstick-wearing of their suffragette sisters to denounce make-up and embrace the natural look. The publication of Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch inspires an anti-establishment look. Boiler suits are donned, bras are burned and women stop shaving their armpits and legs. Despite the growing assertion of black culture - symbolised by the popularity of the Afro hairstyle - major cosmetics companies continue to ignore the need for a beauty range suited to darker skins. Iman, a Somali-born diplomat's daughter, becomes the first black supermodel.
Materialism and consumerism are the buzzwords and a super-glam look personifies the get-rich-quick philosophy of the times. Vanity is celebrated and decadent; expertly applied make-up symbolises the high-maintenance grooming of the trophy wife. The 'Princess Di' becomes the most popular hairstyle of the decade. Paradoxically, the increasing profile of animal rights groups highlights the vivisection inherent in the survival of the cosmetics industry. Growing consumer unease is appeased by The Body Shop. Founder Anita Roddick's aim of sourcing cruelty-free and natural ingredients from ancient cultures and threatened communities, while highlighting global issues, proves that conscience shopping can be a commercial winner.
Consumers become increasingly sophisticated. A desire to enhance one's natural beauty with lighter, less visible formulas results in a scientific approach to cosmetics that appeals to users. Cosmetics no longer just cover-up but are 'light-reflecting' and 'wrinkle-defying', too. The battle to rid the body of cellulite with expensive creams and body-toners dominates, while the growing interest in celebrity looks sees top make-up artists such as Bobbi Brown launching highly successful independent ranges. Supermodel Iman, frustrated by the appalling lack of ranges to suit women of colour, succeeds with her own make-up line. Meanwhile, Isabella Rossellini, famously dumped by Lancôme for being too old at 43, launches her own Manifesto range, designed to suit women of all ages.
As the population grows ever older, the urge to remain youthful blossoms and the anti-ageing cream becomes king. Much cosmetic surgery is increasingly accepted as risk free. Quick-fix treatments, such as collagen lip implants and 'Botox' anti-wrinkle injections, can be performed in a lunchtime; while other treatments, such as facial skin peels and electric wave therapy, are increasingly popular.
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