Blast From The Skincare Past (Part 1)

The 1950s was the decade of girlish goodness, movie star glamour, and the skin care industry boom!

The Fabulous Fifties was a decade of wholesome family values intermingled with fun and flirty freedom. Women in the media were always portrayed as glamorous, whether they were housewives or super beautiful vixens. The 1950s was also an era of high fashion, and with it came a whole new slough of makeup and skincare trends. Skin care in the 1950s was a big deal, as women wanted to look their best, just as ladies of today do as well.

While we obviously have more skin care options today when it comes to purchasing, the women of the 1950s definitely got creative and embraced the skincare selection available to them. The "peaches and cream" complexion was the basis of all Fifties skincare trends. All of their foundation and pressed powders were virtually required to have a soft and feminine look if they wanted to catch on in popularity within the skin care market.

This sweet and girly look was vital for any 1950s beauty, and dramatic blushes were rare. If women wanted to go a little more dramatic with their cosmetics and skincare, the eyeliner came out when the sun went down! Women going out for a night on the town wore liquid eyeliner that made a sharp, extremely noticeable contour. Used usually only on the upper lid, the eyes appeared sultry and sophisticated, while still not losing sight of that feminine feel.

1950s ladies usually narrowed their eyebrows and eye shadow was kept extremely subtle and natural.

While skincare and makeup today focuses on everything from warm hues to iridescent sparkle, back in the fifties it was all about pastels. Pastels were at the top of the skincare heap, featured in everything from eye shadow to lipstick. This was especially true for younger women who already were capable of pulling off that girlish glow naturally.

Red lipstick was also popular and was acceptable as a skincare enhancement both during the day and in the evening it was practically a mandate for any trendy gal. Lips were always extremely full, and just like the skin care trends we see currently, thin lips were not attractive nor desirable.

The Fifties was the era where the skincare industry started to focus on makeup more than ever (due largely to the birth of color movies), and Max Factor as well as others helped to drive the skin care market into the multi-million dollar industry that we know today.
So if you consider yourself to be a girly girl, perhaps you were really meant to be young during this decade where pretty pinks and peachy hues prevailed against a backdrop of glamour and opportunity.

Source: skincare-news.com