The cosmetics industry takes off in the 20th century

The cosmetics industry takes off in the 20th century

As the popularity of beauty salons increased, in the beginning of the 20th century, the cosmetics industry became established – and it’s never looked back. Starting with a salon called Selfridges, which opened in 1909 in London, cosmetics were no longer hidden under the counter, but were sold on the open market. Women became more confident, and didn’t worry as much about what others thought – as long as they looked good.

If you can think of makeup application as an art, then perhaps you’ll understand that one of the biggest influences on the cosmetic industry was actually the performing arts – ballet, to be specific. When the Russian Ballet came to London, a designer named Paul Poiret took the Russian style and created a whole new look – a much more colorful look. And that look was reflected in cosmetics, not just clothing.

Now those society hostesses didn’t have to make all those trips to the beauty salon. They now had permanent cosmetics at their disposal. They could have their lips, cheeks and eyebrows tattooed, with vivid color that didn’t fade and didn’t have to be replaced. Permanent cosmetics are fairly popular today, too.

As the years wore on, cosmetic use came and went. During the 1930s, lipstick was dark red, with an ever-changing array of shades. But that was bad news for the philanderers – the dark lipstick left a distinct stain, and many wives were looking for explanations for the “lipstick on the collar”. At the same time, fingernails followed suit with the lipstick, with their dark crimson colors. But that was contrasted by the lighter pink of the toenails.

Around World War II, the use of cosmetics dwindled a bit because of shortages of ingredients to make them. But as soon as the war was over, people started spending money again. Now women could buy all the makeup they wanted. And the competition was heating up, too.