Ava Gardner’s beauty was smoldering, magnetic and impossible to ignore. But the smoky eye that became one of her earliest trademarks wasn’t created with luxury cosmetics or studio‑perfect palettes. In her pre‑MGM days, before she had access to professional makeup artists, Gardner used a resourceful, era‑typical technique: soot mixed with petroleum jelly to darken andContinue reading “Ava Gardner: Her Smoky Eye Was Created with Soot + Petroleum Early in Her Career”
Tag Archives: WW2
What Happened When Nylon Stockings Were Scarce During WWII? Women Got Creative! Plus, the Birth of Sally Henson Leg Makeup
During World War II nylon stockings largely disappeared from civilian life, because nylon production was re-directed to military uses (parachutes, ropes, tire reinforcement), prompting rationing, black markets, creative leg-make-up solutions came into play and intense post-war demand that sparked the so‑called, the infamous “nylon riots.” Nylon was invented in the mid‑1930s and introduced to theContinue reading “What Happened When Nylon Stockings Were Scarce During WWII? Women Got Creative! Plus, the Birth of Sally Henson Leg Makeup”
Materials for Lipstick Were Scarce During WWII, the Importance of Victory Red and What Did Lipstick Represent in the War?
During the Second World War, in both America and Canada, lipstick materials were in shortage, leaving women to become creative, since lipstick has sustained a powerful symbol of morale and normalcy on the home front. Upon the conclusion of the war, the “Victory Red” shape was worn by women in celebration, much like the VictoryContinue reading “Materials for Lipstick Were Scarce During WWII, the Importance of Victory Red and What Did Lipstick Represent in the War?”
How Lucien Lelong Single-Handedly Saved French Haute Couture During WWII from the German Occupation
Lelong protected his younger designers including Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, by keeping them employed inside his couture house during the Occupation. Under German rule, French men risked being deported to Germany for forced labour. By maintaining couture as an active industry, Lelong ensured that his staff remained classified as essential workers, protecting them fromContinue reading “How Lucien Lelong Single-Handedly Saved French Haute Couture During WWII from the German Occupation”
How 1940s Women Created Iconic Victory Rolls Hairstyle
During the 1940s, a handful of fashion and beauty moments defined the decade and the Victory Roll was one of its brightest symbols. More than a hairstyle, it became a cultural emblem; a blend of resilience, glamour and wartime ingenuity. But behind every perfect roll was a secret. That secret was heat not from curling irons orContinue reading “How 1940s Women Created Iconic Victory Rolls Hairstyle”
Lipstick on the Legs: A 1940s Trick Women Actually Used
During World War II, when nylon stockings disappeared from store shelves and rationing re-shaped every part of daily life, women became masters of improvisation. One of the most surprising and strangely glamorous tricks was using lipstick on their legs to mimic the sheen of real stockings. Most women already used leg make-up or gravy browning to tintContinue reading “Lipstick on the Legs: A 1940s Trick Women Actually Used”
