Western cosmetics in the 1970s

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Western cosmetics in the 1970s reflected the multiple roles ascribed to the modern woman. [1] For the first time since 1900, make-up was chosen situationally, rather than in response to monolithic trends. [1] The era's two primary visions were the feminist-influenced daytime "natural look" and the sexualized evening aesthetic presented by European designers and fashion photographers. [1] In the periphery, punk and glam were also influential. The struggling cosmetics industry attempted to make a comeback, using new marketing and manufacturing practices.

Cosmetics substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body

Cosmetics are substances or products used to enhance or alter the appearance of the face or fragrance and texture of the body. Many cosmetics are designed for use of applying to the face, hair, and body. They are generally mixtures of chemical compounds; some being derived from natural sources, and some being synthetics or artificial. Cosmetics applied to the face to enhance its appearance are often called make-up or makeup. Common make-up items include: lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, blush, and contour. Other common cosmetics can include skin cleansers, body lotions, shampoo and conditioner, hairstyling products, perfume and cologne.

Punk subculture anti-establishment culture

The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature and film. It is largely characterised by anti-establishment views and the promotion of individual freedom, and is centred on a loud, aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock. Its adherents are referred to as "punks", also spelled "punx" in the modern day.

Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diverse sources across music and throwaway pop culture, ranging from bubblegum pop and 1950s rock and roll to cabaret, science fiction, and complex art rock. The flamboyant clothing and visual styles of performers were often camp or androgynous, and have been described as playing with nontraditional gender roles. "Glitter rock" was another term used to refer to a more extreme version of glam.

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Influential aesthetics

Natural look

The feminist-influenced "natural look" was popular during the 1970s. 1970swoman4.jpg
The feminist-influenced "natural look" was popular during the 1970s.

Though some feminists in the 1970s continued to wear cosmetics, many others did not; Susan Brownmiller, for instance, called an unadorned face "the honorable new look of feminism". [2] The cosmetics industry, faced with increasing mainstream rejection of sexual objectification, began to market make-up as "natural" or "invisible". [3] A 1970 ad for Moon Drops "Demi-Makeup" read, "People will think it's your own fresh, flawless skin. (Let them.)" [3] Fragrances were also marketed to the "new woman". [3] Charlie—whose ads featured a no-nonsense, pantsuit-clad, independent woman—was a marketing triumph, becoming the nation's leading scent within a year of its release. [3] Serious, polite, and androgynous cosmetics were seen as appropriate for the business world, where working women felt increasing pressure to present a meticulous appearance. [2] [4]

Susan Brownmiller is an American feminist journalist, author, and activist best known for her 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape.

Androgyny is the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics into an ambiguous form. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual identity. The different meanings of androgyny point to the complex interrelationship between aspects of sex, gender, and sexuality.

Similar aesthetics were seen elsewhere in the fashion world. In the 1970s, American fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein presented understated, neutral designs accompanied by natural make-up. [5] A similar look was embraced by photographer Francesco Scavullo, makeup artist Way Bandy, and hairstylist Maury Hobson, who collaborated on the covers of Cosmopolitan that established the 1970s "natural look". [6] Bandy's philosophy, described in his book Designing Your Face, held that make-up should be used not as a mask, but rather to alter perception and proportion, creating a personalized "ideal" face. [6]

Ralph Lauren American fashion designer and business executive

Ralph Lauren, KBE is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and business executive, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has also become well known for his collection of rare automobiles, some of which have been displayed in museum exhibits. Lauren stepped down as CEO of the company in September 2015 but remains executive chairman and chief creative officer. As of 2018, Forbes estimates his wealth at $7.2 billion, which makes Ralph Lauren the 91st richest person in America.

Calvin Klein American fashion designer

Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry.

Francesco Scavullo American photographer

Francesco Scavullo was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits.

Glamorization

More dramatic makeup was often worn in the evenings. 1970swoman2.jpg
More dramatic makeup was often worn in the evenings.

Make-up used by European fashion designers in the 1970s presented a sensual look for women in striking contrast to the "natural look". [7] Though models in Yves Saint Laurent's hugely influential runway shows wore menswear and short, slicked-back hair, their lips were glossy and bright red. [7] YSL's cosmetics line also employed intense, feminine colors. [5] In the violent, sexual porno chic fashion photography of French and Italian Vogue , women wore blood-red lipstick, glossy red nail polish, pencil-thin eyebrows and black eye make-up. [8] Women employed this vision of beauty for evenings, when they could aim to seduce in the era's discos. [9]

Fashion Popular style or practice in clothing, personal adornment, or decorative arts

Fashion is a popular style, especially in clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle and body. Fashion is a distinctive and often constant trend in the style in which people present themselves. A fashion can become the prevailing style in behaviour or manifest the newest creations of designers, technologists, engineers, and design managers.

Fashion photography Genre of photography

Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle. Fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the clothes and fashions are enhanced by the presence of exotic locations or accessories.

Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine covering many topics including fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Vogue began as a weekly newspaper in 1892 in the United States, before becoming a monthly publication years later.

Punk singer Siouxsie Sioux-edinburgh80.jpg
Punk singer Siouxsie
In 1974, raspberry-coloured lip gloss, and pencil-thin eyebrows were popular trends Jeanne Griffin 1974 makeup style.jpg
In 1974, raspberry-coloured lip gloss, and pencil-thin eyebrows were popular trends

Punk

The punk movement that emerged in the late 1970s aimed to provoke rather than follow the trends of the day. [10] The movement, described as "anti-beauty" by Kate de Castelbajac, embraced intentionally artificial and aggressive make-up, tattooing, and body piercing to shock observers. [11] Black, fluorescents, and neo-tribalism were major aesthetic elements. [6]

Body piercing opening in the body created by an act or practice of body piercing, form of body modification

Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn or where an implant could be inserted. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice. It can also, by metonymy, refer to the resulting decoration, or to the decorative jewelry used. Although the history of body piercing is obscured by popular misinformation and by a lack of scholarly reference, ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by both sexes since ancient times throughout the world.

Tribalism is the state of being organized by, or advocating for, tribes or tribal lifestyles. Human evolution has primarily occurred in small groups, as opposed to mass societies, and humans naturally maintain a social network. In popular culture, tribalism may also refer to a way of thinking or behaving in which people are loyal to their social group above all else, or, derogatorily, a type of discrimination or animosity based upon group differences.

Images of glam rockers like Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and Lou Reed in the pages of Rolling Stone established the influence of another extreme aesthetic. [12] The glam style drew on transvestism, androgyny, decadence, and camp; its "blasé sophistication" stood in marked contrast to the innocence and sincerity of the 1960s. [12] Glitter eye shadow and nail varnish were popular during this period.

Alice Cooper American rock singer, songwriter and musician

Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over fifty years. With his distinctive raspy voice and a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, deadly snakes, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be "The Godfather of Shock Rock". He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock people.

David Bowie British musician, actor, record producer and arranger

David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Lou Reed American musician, recording artist, singer-songwriter

Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist, singer and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and also had a solo career that spanned five decades. The Velvet Underground were not a commercial success during their existence, but are now regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music.

Women tended to wear lighter foundation in the 1970s, which greatly increased the market for skin care products. [13] Anti-aging products were also increasingly important. [13]

Intensely colored blush carried over from the 1960s to the early 1970s. [13] Tube blush was also extremely popular. [13] Lipstick in the 1970s tended to be either color or gloss; popular hues included deep pink, purple, and raspberry. [13]

Improvements in chemistry enabled the introduction of waterproof mascara along with better lash lengtheners and thickeners. [13] Matte colors were popular for eyes, in contrast to the iridescence that characterized 1960s make-up. [13] The decade's competing visions of beauty were seen in its dichotomy of eye shadow colors: both dramatic, smoky dark gray and transparent, natural beiges and grays were popular. [13]

Cosmetics industry developments

The health of the beauty industry declined in the 1970s, as the growth of cosmetics sales failed to keep pace with overall growth in personal spending. [2] [14] The industry, according to a 1979 article in W magazine, had "lost its glamour". [14] Rather than developing innovative products, many companies had depended on price increases for profitability. [15] Consumers considered cosmetics companies outdated, uncreative, and dogmatic, [15] and manufacturers received negative publicity regarding the safety of cosmetics ingredients, [15] [16] [17] [18] animal testing, [19] [20] [21] microbial contamination, [22] [23] and the possibility of acne caused by cosmetics. [24] [25]

The cosmetics industry responded to these challenges in several ways. New products were introduced, especially in skin care and sunscreen lines. [15] Manufacturers emphasized cost controls, quality, and selectivity in product introductions. [15] They also expanded into the ethnic, teen, and men's markets. [15] [26] "Natural" ingredients were incorporated into cosmetics to satisfy growing tastes for organic products. [27]

New marketing and presentation practices also emerged. The custom of having a model as the contractually exclusive "face" of a single company arose when Revlon hired Lauren Hutton to promote their Ultima II line. [28] The strategy was quickly adopted by other companies; notable 1970s spokesmodels included Karen Graham for Estée Lauder, Margaux Hemingway for Babe, and Catherine Deneuve for Chanel. [12] Cosmetics companies also focused on service and appearance at the point of purchase. [29] Clinique's projection of an image of scientific authority using immaculate make-up counters attended by white-coated employees was representative. [30]

Business structures were also in flux. Revlon acquired smaller cosmetics firms, while Max Factor, Elizabeth Arden, and Helena Rubenstein were purchased by larger conglomerates. [15] [31] Independent businesswomen such as Adrien Arpel, Suzanne Grayson, and Madeleine Mono established small, consumer-focused companies to challenge mega-firms. [30]

See also

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Pin-up model

A pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, i.e. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall. Pin-up models may be glamour models, fashion models, or actors. These pictures are also sometimes known as cheesecake photos. Cheesecake was an American slang word, that was considered a publicly acceptable term for seminude women because pin-up was considered taboo in the early twentieth century.

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History of cosmetics

The history of cosmetics spans at least 7,000 years and is present in almost every society on earth. Cosmetic body art is argued to have been the earliest form of a ritual in human culture. The evidence for this comes in the form of utilised red mineral pigments including crayons associated with the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa.

The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) was founded in 1894 as the Manufacturing Perfumers' Association. In 1922 it was renamed to the American Manufacturers of Toilet Articles (AMTA) in 1922; in 1970 the association adopted the name Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association; in November 2007, the name was changed to the Personal Care Products Council.

Catherine "Kate" de Castelbajac, Marchioness de Castelbajac is a former model and fashion journalist who now works as an image consultant and educator. She is currently the founder of CdeC Academy of Santa Barbara, and is affiliated with the Association of Image Consultants International.

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MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto, Canada in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company is headquartered in New York City and became part of the Estée Lauder Companies in 1998. MAC is an acronym for Make-up Art Cosmetics.

Ruby Hammer, MBE is a British fashion and beauty makeup artist, columnist, co-founder of Ruby & Millie, and co-founder and Director of Scarlett & Crimson cosmetics brand.

Hairstyles in the 1980s

Hairstyles in the 1980s included the mullet, tall mohawk hairstyles, jheri curls, flattops, and hi-top fades, which became popular styles. Amongst women, large hair-dos, puffed-up styles, permanent waves, and softer cuts typified the decade. Big hair that was "often permed to achieve the desired volume" is especially associated with women of the mid 1980s as well as male rockstars of that era, especially of the glam metal genre. Television shows such as Dynasty helped popularize the high volume bouffant and glamorous image associated with it.

Hairstyles in the 1950s

The 1950s was a decade known for experimentation with new styles and culture. Following World War II and the austerity years of the post-war period, the 1950s were a time of comparative prosperity, which influenced fashion and the concept of glamour. Hairstylists invented new hairstyles for wealthy patrons. Influential hairstylists of the period include Sydney Guilaroff, Alexandre of Paris and Raymond Bessone who took French hair fashion to the Hollywood, New York and London, popularising the pickle cut, the pixie cut and bouffant hairstyles.

Male grooming refers to men who invest time into their own fashion and beauty. The concept of male grooming has become increasingly visible in popular culture. Beyond fashion and beauty, plastic surgery is now considered to be a part of male grooming.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 De Castelbajac, p147-48.
  2. 1 2 3 Inness, p20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Inness, p21.
  4. ↑ De Castelbajac, p147-50.
  5. 1 2 De Castelbajac, p152.
  6. 1 2 3 De Castelbajac, p158.
  7. 1 2 De Castelbajac, p150-52.
  8. ↑ De Castelbajac, p154-57.
  9. ↑ De Castelbajac, p148.
  10. ↑ De Castelbajac, p150.
  11. ↑ De Castelbajac, p158-59.
  12. 1 2 3 De Castelbajac, p154.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 De Castelbajac, p163.
  14. 1 2 De Castelbajac, p159.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 De Castelbajac, p160.
  16. ↑ Bachrach, Eve E. "Cosmetics: The Legislative Climate." In Estrin, p163-72.
  17. ↑ Baker, Frank W. & Norman F. Estrin. "Organization for Action: Development of CTFA's Scientific Programs." In Estrin, p193.
  18. ↑ Marshall, Linda R. "Special Problems of Small Companies. In Estrin, p532.
  19. ↑ Rhein, p343.
  20. ↑ Baker, Frank W. & Norman F. Estrin. "Organization for Action: Development of CTFA's Scientific Programs." In Estrin, p195
  21. ↑ Rollin & Kesel, p104.
  22. ↑ Gad, p180-81.
  23. ↑ Smith, John L. "Evaluating Your Microbiology Program." In Estrin, p303.
  24. ↑ Butler & Poucher, p409.
  25. ↑ Lees, p194.
  26. ↑ Kent, p20-22.
  27. ↑ Binkley, p163.
  28. ↑ De Castelbajac, p153.
  29. ↑ De Castelbajac, p160-61.
  30. 1 2 De Castelbajac, p161.
  31. ↑ Kent, p93.
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