The Evolution of the
Savvy Cosmetic Consumer
Presented to:
Ohio Valley Chapter of the
Society of Cosmetic Chemists
November 19, 2013
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
1. Before There Were Stores
beauty rituals touched on by others- Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Biblical times
(Jezebel in the book of Kings) Book of Esther - communal beauty rituals
● Ingredients include: Kohl and coal, herbs, oils, perfumes, essential oils, soaps made from fat
lipstick from crushed rose petals, carmine
● Early Islamic Treatments: The Medicine of Beauty (one volume) Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, or
Abulcasis
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Ancient
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
2. Upper Class Beauty: Society & Class
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Ancient China- longer nails proved that the upper classes didn’t work The colors used represented social class: different
dynasties royals wore gold and silver; later royals wore black or red. The lower classes were forbidden to wear bright nail
colors
In Japan, geishas wore lipstick made of crushed safflower petals which they also used to draw in their eyebrows and the
outer edges of their eyes. They used something called bintsuke wax, (a heavier duty version is used in Sumo wrestler’s
hair treatments). they also powdered their faces with rice powder and nigh tingale droppings. very recently nightingale
shortage
Paris during the reigns of the Louis - powdered faces, powdered wigs The closest they got to retail were ladies maids
dressing their hair and pinching their cheeks.
Queen Elizabeth I used a paste made with white lead paint, women were poisoning themselves, to create a porcelain
complexion since ruddy skin was considered of the lower classes.
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
3. Early Informal Sales
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Wise women, some later considered witches who created herbal treatments and tonics.
Gave way to Soaps & Skin Whitening Treatments
Who were they targeting? Society women in a pre-industrial society had more time to concentrate on their looks than other
women. So the treatments targeted their status.
Only Actresses went out looking for cosmetic and hair products
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
4. Snake Oil & Native American Treatments
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During the mid-19th Century the settlers had a brutal lifestyle women on the prairie looked old
way before their time
Looked for skin treatments including the Water Snake treatments brought over by Chinese
laborers. Charlatans jumped on the trade and went to the prairies and railroad camps to try to
sell these treatments to both men and women.
Native Americans of the Eastern regions (Pennsylvania & New York) would collect petroleum
from oil seepage and rub in cuts. Seneca Oil became Seh-Nake Oil - became snake oil
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
5. Before Stores It Was Door to Door
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Early Door to Door Salesman
Proselytizing and religions - Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses- the earliest brand evangelists
Encyclopedia Britannica, Vacuum Cleaners targeted housewives paved the way for the Avon Lady
Crowd Psychology gave way to individual pitches
Also the pushcarts in Lower East Side - like our open air malls now
Products advertising started, huge extensive claims, products had to be geared to many members of
the family.
Men made the money, women decided how it was spent
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com
6. Meet The Flappers
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Suffragettes of the late 19th century early 20th century - rejected original roles, fashions, clothing
Flappers of the 1920s cut their hair, discarded their corsets, Dark eyes, dark lips, beauty was
exaggerated
Influenced by ballet dancers and theater actresses - Sarah Bernhardt
Were seeking out makeup and products to Marcel their hair, dye their lips
Tan was in - Coco Chanel the first seen previously it was seen as only peasants
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
7. Film At Eleven
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The popularity of moving pictures changed the way that women wanted to look
In Shakespearean times the actresses were actually actors, as movies gave way to talkies,
women saw and wanted to emulate the sophisticated women they saw on-screen
Finally! Makeup. From Max Factor inventing pancake makeup Elizabeth Arden, Helena
Rubinstein, Estee Lauder - all immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe and Canada. Hair color
invented by Eugene Schueller who later went on to found L’Oreal
Took the notion of old family beauty and hair treatments and went mass market
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
8. The Prettiest Generation
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1930’s Women heavily influenced by the on-camera glamour of Carole Lombard, Hedy Lamarr,
Claudette Colbert, Barbara Stanwyck
Easing into the war era, privation, two main types of women
Being beautiful was considered patriotic- red nails and lips, no money for stockings, so they drew
seams up the back of their legs, took baths in tea to dye their skin, Victory rolls hairdos
The other was the Rosie the Riveter- the working women who went to the munitions factories hair worn up, pants becoming more common- hair had to be practical. Women in factories
having accidents with peek a boo Veronica Lake hair so started wearing hair up and with
kerchiefs.
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
9. The Dawn of Salon Culture
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After the war, the men came home, the women had to look beautiful went from working, to being decorative
Started going to the beauty parlor, having their hair done
Beauty formulations changing
Home Perms
Young mothers a new demographic
A new type of youth culture
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
10. Va Va Volume:
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A new type of bombshell: Marilyn Monroe vs. Audrey Hepburn or Elizabeth Taylor or Ava Gardner....Women could buy
glamour in a bottle
Hair dyeing was not longer a secret, it was desired
Nearly every advertisement had a celebrity face in it
The dawn of faux beauty: false eyelashes, hair pieces, padded bras, recently found out that Marilyn had more than a nose
job, chin job
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
11. Shake Up Your Makeup
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The dawn of youth culture- California style and the Carnaby culture- colors went wild, first makeup geared to teens Cover
Girl
Shopping was no longer only made by the mothers, daughters were shopping too - first segmented shopping demographic
Advertising changed- Volkswagen and the whole advent of the Mad Men culture. Suddenly there wasn’t only a primary
demographic, there were micro-segments
Jet Setters as air travel began, women were more influenced by International beauty and had access to it.
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
12. Protest Beauty
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As the protests against Vietnam gained popularity, the Flower Power movement took off
Promoting love and peace- looser beauty ideals, softly waved hair, subtle makeup and grooming.
Makeup companies came up with new formulations to match the un-made up look
Afro culture, and at least five companies created makeup for African American beauty including Fashion Fair and Flori
Roberts.
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
13. Super Beauty
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The beginning of the 1980s brought on Supermodels and super brands
Cosmetics became heavily branded as women wanted to create specific looks for themselves
Working women - ruling the workplace and more disposable income than before, big shoulders, big hair, over the top
wealth.
Enjoli: I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan..
Madonna vs. Cyndi Lauper a new kind of youth culture as pop artists became visible on MTV
We see Lady Gaga with her blobs of makeup but in the ‘80s Linda Mason created the earlier version of that look.
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
14. The Global Consumer
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The advent of the internet meant that people could see trends in motion
The beauty ideal loosened as more looks, products and trends emerged
New ways of retail, the early e-tailers
There was more ebb and flow between companies as International companies had branches and offshoots in the states
and vice versa.
Prices dropped, savvier consumers, demanded incentives,
More brands more fickle
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com
15. New and Now
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Brand explosion
Celebrity brands, celebrity endorsements
Prestige, Mass Market, Masstige
from tween, to teen, to youth to anti aging- every age and every stage
Buffet Shopper- no longer relies on one brand alone
Crowd Shopping- no longer rely on mom’s advice or preferences rely on friends
Multi-screen influencers
Selfie generation
Blogs, Vlogs, Tumblr,Facebook, Twitter
Rachel C. Weingarten AKA The Beauty Historian
@rachelcw http://beautyhistorian.com 646.783.8827 rachel@hirachel.com