Bob Kelly worked as a Broadway makeup artist and wig master. With his expertise, he founded his own cosmetics company. He worked with well known productions throughout his career.
Gemma Taccogna was a Mexican artist that is responsible for popularizing papier-mache. During her career she produced many sculptural works including lipstick dolls. These dolls were recognized for their aesthetic and were copied by other artists.…
Elgin American began as a wholesale jeweler founded by Max and Solomon Eppenstein in Chicago, Illinois. They began selling compacts in 1919. Elgin American sold a compacts in a wide range of prices and materials. Elgin American was one of the most…
Harriet Hubbard Ayer established one of the first female-owned manufacturing companies before her death in 1903. After two changes in ownership, Harriet Hubbard Ayer's name was used to create a successful line of cosmetics. The brand expanded…
Julius Kahn founded AR-EX Cosmetics in Chicago, Illinois. AR-EX was well known for their hypoallergenic products. However, in 1952 there wwas a complaint filed to the Federal Trade Commission arguing that AR-EX products falsely advertised the…
Jean and Jane Ford founded Benefit cosmetics in San Francisco, California with a small boutique beauty studio. There, the sisters worked to create a recognizable brand and moved their products into department stores by the 1990s. Today Benefit…
Schneider was founded by Karl Unger and Carl Schneider in Germany. Relying on Unger's background as an aritst, they produced unique table sets instead of copying other popular designs of the 1850s. Because of this, Schneider won an award at the…
Terre De Retz powder jars were sold in Parisian deparment store, Galeries Lafayette in the 1920s. Georges Duchesne is the artist responsible for painting the papier mache designs. However, some Terre de Retz powder jars were left unpainted.…
Josephine Baker, a famous singer, dancer and actress, developed a hair styling product, Bakerfix, in the 1930s. The product was marketed as a way to recreate Josephine Baker's iconic hair style. Advertising for Bakerfix is found during the 1930s, but…
Beauty Counselor began as a door-to-door cosmetic sales company in Grosse Point, Michigan. In 1939 the company registered its trademark. The main marketing strategy for the Beauty Counselor brand was to allow customers to try samples, in forms of…