THE SOPHISTICATED 30’S
The 1930’s were a decade that opened in a depression and ended in war. Throughout the 1920’s, economies worldwide had been booming and bring prosperity to 000’s of ordinary people who gambled their spare cash on stocks and shares but in 1929 the economy of the western world sank into a period of depression. By 1932 there was around 23 million people out of work..With these images in mind it is easy to forget about beauty fashion and glamour.
Escapism was promoted by the movies of the day which showcased exotic locations, singing, dancing and happy endings. This form of mass entertainment provided the optimism needed for a price most could afford. Gone with the Wind was the first movie in technicolour and brought Max Factor’s new revolutionary pancake makeup to the world changing the face of makeup for ever.
Cosmetics availability soars with the opening of Woolworths and other chain stores in the late 20’s .. In Hollywood, the lipstick and eyebrow pencil is more powerful than the pen… but as war starts and rationing becomes ever tighter, women resort to making creams and potions from home made remedies. Despite living off rationed goods, women took beauty seriously. For women, being beautiful was not only looking good but it also showed they were supporting their country. Patriarchal messages encouraged women to ‘Put Their Best Face Forward’ to boost morale of soldiers. Possessing beauty came hand-in-hand with feeling great and more importantly, feeling feminine. Always remember that there is a connection between beauty, health and goodness
Fast forward 70 odd years and makeup, fashion and amazing hair styles to complete a look are still as important but the days of make do and mend and frugality are all but forgotten for most but for those who are passionate about the 1930’s and 40’s whether it is the fashion, the hair, the makeup or the home remedies, it is still very much alive.
I hope that you pick up a trick or two in this article on how best to save on the unnecessary for the sake of beauty… Here Miss Chrissy’s 5 Tips for a frugal make do day…
- Washing your hair every 3-4 or even 5 days will ultimately make your hair healthier as overwashing causes a cycle of the need to overwash.. In a pinch if you need to get another day out of your hair before wash day then give it a dry shampoo but not with a commercial product, why not just use some good ole baby powder or bi Carb Soda? douse it though your hair then give it a really good brushing, it worked for our foremothers! NB: Brushing is a great way to clean your hair, add shine and just feels so good. Give it a try..NB: No plastic or hard brushes, find medium nylon or natural fibre for your a good brush. ** Go for shampoos and conditions free of sulphates, silicones and parabens… Yes they are readily available nowadays.. Best tip though is to cease and desist in using lacquers to set your hair rather go back to tried and true… The Lindy Charm School for Girls Original Formula Setting lotion is indeed from 1934, set with this the you need only use a light Cedal to finish your do…
- Don’t spray perfume direct onto your décolletage area as the alcohol and chemicals in perfume do tend to age your skins and overtime cause pigmentation, Rather, spray in front of yourself and walk into the mist or dab or sprinkle fragrance on/in your hair which tends to last longer anyway and when your head heats up it sends off a continuous scent.
- For a nice natural cheek or lip stain with a fresh scent is crushing ripe crimson rose petals and mixing with a touch of Vaseline, dab on cheeks, eyelids and lips for a hint of coloured glow with a nice rose scent. Picking the neighbours flowers for this purpose is quite acceptable *Wink*
- Exfoliate lips when you are doing face, neck and hands and then moisturise with a home remedy ponds cream perhaps? Here’s a nice easy one to make up at home but remember: : Home made beauty products lack preserving components and don’t last as long as the stuff you buy, so it’s a good idea to keep them in the fridge. When preparing them be mindful of contamination, make sure you wear gloves or utensil when mixing and use really clean containers. The nice refreshing cold cream direct from the fridge is also quite the wake up me needed in the morning (Well it is for me anyways).
The recipes comes from a Swedish beauty book from 1945, that my Mother once had and has handed the recipe down to me.
Cold cream
A classic recipe.
250 gr Spermaceti (Jojoba oil/ester)
25 gr White beeswax
250 gr Olive oil
150 gr Rose water
2 drops of Rose
7 pinches of Borax
Mix oil, wax and spermaceti and heat it slowly under constant stirring. Let it cool a little and mix the borax with the rose water with a silver spoon. Add that to the cream and continue to stir until it is cold. Then add the rose oil.
There are many recipes that can be found online these days so just pick the ingredients you like best and mix in the same way.
- Add a little colour to your skin… the 20’s was all about creamy white pallor but the 30’s were all about sporty, outdoorsy and travel so having a bit of sunkissed colour gave them a healthier glow…Now I’m not one for basking in the sun by any means especially not after all the sun damage received as a child but if I am to don those classic togs from the 30’s (or any for that matter), I do like a bit of colour on the legs and arms.. An original way of getting colour to the skin (without sun) was to tea stain your legs and arms but today we do have access to very affordable and temporary spray on tans so find one that suits, moisturises and doesn’t grab and have a go and frolic at the beach just once more before winter sets in… **Make sure you exfoliate before applying though as it will grab and looks blotchy otherwise.**
OK, so tips aside and before I rush off here is some homework you for.. Go forth and look up and read about my top 5 favourite 1930’s icons, have a look at their hair and their makeup and their dress sense… OK, so they are all Hollywood manufactured by the Studios BUT we can still try and emulate the look and Dare to be Glamorously Different today! And if you want to learn how hands on then come along to one of our workshops – checkout our website for where we are and when.
NB: 1930’s hairstyles were less polished than the shingle bobs and finger waves of the 20’s – more curls, more of a lived in look and softer hair which I think is easier to achieve these days with a good pin curl or pillow roll set using a great setting lotion like … The Lindy Charm School for Girls Original Formula Setting lotion
1. Carol Lombard…..
- Thelma Todd
- Jean Harlow
- Bette Davis
- Lucille Ball
