1930s makeup guide

1930 s Makeup guide

In the early thirties a complexion like "Gardenia" (white and waxen) or "Tea rose" (ivory with a touch of pink) was most popular face foundation. Therefore powders applied in rich ivory, light mauve or with a slighty light green touch.

From the mid thirties on women prefered ivory in varying tones of pink, light blue and orange cream. A color - as natural as possible - with an easy bright pink undertone then arised at the end of the thirties.

In the early 1930s rouge in very light pinks was used, if any. Later, from mid to the thirties, raspberry shades, yellow red or purple red were fashionable.

Many different eyelid shades which stretched over blue, bright violet, green, brown and orchid were applied .

Blondes prefered blue, green or bright violet eyelid shades, brunettes used brown grease paint with faint purple for a mysterious exotic flair. For evening the brightly shimmering eyelid shadow was applied from the upper eyelid up to the eyebrow.

A dark eyeshadow was used in the crease of the upper lid and smudged slightly to create a deep set effect.
For a daytime look petroleum jelly (without eyelid shade) was applied to the upper eyelids to match the shiny eyebrows. The (often false) eyelashes were curled.

The eyebrows were plucked thin or shaved off entirely. Then the eyebrows were drawn on with an eyebrow pencil extended well toward the temple. To give them a shiny look, eyebrows were then be dressed with petroleum jelly, brillantine or olive oil.

Up to the middle of the thirties most popular lipstick colors were light rose, raspberry tones, chinese red and orange tones. In the later 30s primarily bright red tones.

The mouth should have full lips with an elongated bow that rounds and flares at the corners. This kind of mouth was called the rosebud mouth, bird mouth, "Crawford Smear" or "Cruller".

For nails colors like pale rose, light pink and cream shades were applied during the early thirties. 1932, for a short time, even black nail varnish came into fashion. From mid to late 1930s every shade of red, deep corals, lilac, emerald green, mother of pearl gray, pale pink, cornflower blue, mauve, gold or silver were used corresponding to the dress color.

During this decade (as in the 20s) polishes were applied only in the center of nails with the half-moon and tips left bare (white). During the end of the 1930s fashion-conscious women still kept the half-moon bare but applied polish to the end of the tips.