SHADES OF MAKE-UP

February 21, 1938

The head of a Hollywood makeup department reports: 

“When Lucille Ball came Hollywood she still had the mannerisms of a fashion mannequin, which she had been. She had pale platinum blonde hair and was definitely a ‘showgirl’ type. And she was one of the models in the movie, ‘Roberta,’ she was perfect in type, But Miss Ball showed distinct talent as an actress. She was placed under contract and went to work to get out of the ‘showgirl’ ranks. Miss Ball had long hair at this time and wore parted in the middle. She looked like a thousand other beautiful ‘showgirls.’ She lacked individuality.” 

"The first step was to bob her hair and change the part to a new location. Then came a careful analysis of her features to decide how best to develop the new personality for which we were striving. We first allowed her eye brows to grow out to their natural line and then just trimmed them to a conservative arch. We also gave her a new lip line, making her mouth as natural as possible instead of trying to make smaller or giving it an artificial Cupid’s bow, which did not fit the new personality. Next the platinum hair was darkened to real gold blonde.” 

"These changes in appearance had a definite psychological effect on Miss Ball. She lost any suggestion of chorus girl manners and took on the poise and repose which fitted the new makeup and coiffure.”

"As happens in almost every in stance, Miss Ball immediately began to adapt the new screen personality to her social life. Her choice of clothes was influenced by her subdued makeup and hair coloring, and she emerged as charming, poised young woman who might have stepped from the social instead of the show business ranks.”

"In the case of Miss Ball, she had used a very light powder, rouge and lipstick as a platinum blonde. So, as we darkened her hair, we darkened the shades of makeup she used.”

"There is no possible way that rules can be laid down for the shades to be used in makeup for different types. This must be worked out by the individual from the charts supplied by all good cosmetic companies. The type of hair dress, whether or not the hair is curly or straight, the question of the full or thin face, influences the shade of makeup. The best advice I can give is for a woman to use the charts as a guide and, by careful experimentation, arrive at the correct makeup for her personal use. Then this will have to be changed according to the costume she is wearing and the time of the year." 

(Copyright: 1938: By The Chicago Tribune-NY News Syndicate, Inc.)

Antoinette Donnelly (1887–1964) was a newspaper advice columnist and author of books about weight loss, beauty tips and advice. Donnelly wrote the column Beauty Answers for the New York Daily News and other papers. She also wrote an advice column under the name Doris Blake for 45 newspapers served by the Daily News and Chicago Tribune syndicate. In 1920, Donnelly wrote one of the first books about weight loss, the bestselling How to Reduce: New Waistlines for Old. Donnelly retired at the end of 1962 and died in Greenwich, Connecticut, on November 15, 1964.