Harmonizing Lipstick and Nail Polish Color

I’m in a colorful mood today. Summer is sticking around and before Fall takes root, I thought we should celebrate bright summer colors a little longer.

Did you know, makeup companies changed their advertising strategies regularly on how you should choose your correct face powder color, especially in the early years of makeup. From the 1920s into the 1940s the color choice could be determined by the clothes you wore, the color of your hair, the season outside, what your favorite movie star wore, or just what was in fashion at that moment. Revlon based their campaigns entirely on color harmony.

We all know the Fire and Ice campaign best, but that was one of hundreds of color campaigns over decades of advertising that Revlon produced.

Here is another memorable Revlon advertisements.

1940s Makeup Color Tips

Going through a 1943 beauty shop magazine, I came across this announcement to beauticians who read the magazine. It suggests that face powder should match your lipstick/nail enamel.

“Windmilled Face Powder is the newest product presented by Revlon Products Corp., New York City. Designed to harmonize with Revlon lipstick and nail enamel colors, the new powder is available in a variety of shades-Snow Pink, Vanilla Frost, Misty Coral, Peach Icing, Country Cream, Mrs. Miniver Rose, Rosy Future, Sun Mocha. It is sold in two-ounce and three-and-a-half-ounce sizes.

Another introduction by Revlon is a new lipstick and nail enamel shade-Bright Forecast. An attractive feature offered in connection with the new shade is the Couturiere Box, resembling a fashionable dress shop box and containing nail enamel and lipstick in the new shade.”