Instagram story viewer> @makeup_museum> Posts

The Makeup Museum®

@makeup_museum

9K

followers

1989

following

Where cosmetics and art intersect. Dedicated to the preservation, research and exhibition of makeup from all eras & cultures. Est. 2008.
#makeupmuseum

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

📣To celebrate #nationallashday, I’m pleased to announce the Makeup Museum’s next exhibition! Flutter: A History of Eyelash Adornment is a comprehensive examination of lash beautification. What role do eyelashes play in beauty standards, and how did the concept of ideal lashes – and the tools used to achieve them – change throughout history? From human hair lashes and toxic mascara formulas to bejeweled false lashes and the significance of certain styles for various communities, Flutter will explore themes of identity, labor and femininity by tracing the evolution of lash trends and products. Stay tuned for the launch at the Museum’s website! Are you excited?! 💖
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#flutter #eyelashes #lashes #mascarahistory #mascara #lashhistory #digitalexhibition #virtualexhibition #makeupexhibition #makeupmuseum #themakeupmuseum #makeupcollection #makeupcollector #makeupmuseumcurator #makeupmuseumcollection #mmcurator #makeuparchive #cosmeticsmuseum #makeuphistory #historyofmakeup #realmakeupmuseum #originalmakeupmuseum #officialmakeupmuseum #onlinemuseum #virtualmuseum by @makeup_museum

56

10

2 years ago

#Museum30, day 7: the #number of objects in the Makeup Museum’s collection exceeds 2,600! 😱Digitization is a very slow process but hopefully there will be serious headway in 2023. 🤞Also, since we’re talking numbers, this photo is the Museum’s 1,100th IG post!
What’s your favorite object here? 💄
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#vintagemakeup #vintagecosmetics #newmakeup #makeupflatlay #vintagecompact #vintagelipstick #eyeshadowpalette #facepowder #vintagemascara #makeuppackaging #makeupmuseum #themakeupmuseum #makeupcollection #makeupcollector #makeupmuseumcurator #makeupmuseumcollection #mmcurator #makeuparchive #cosmeticsmuseum #makeuphistory #cosmeticshistory #realmakeupmuseum #originalmakeupmuseum #officialmakeupmuseum #onlinemuseum #virtualmuseum #museumfromhome Variety of compacts, lipsticks and palettes arranged in rows by @makeup_museum

670

71

4 years ago

by @makeup_museum

362

69

5 years ago

On this day in 1960, the St. Louis Post Dispatch identified the culprit behind Vice President Nixon’s poor appearance at the first televised debate in U.S. history roughly a week prior: Max Factor’s Lazy Shave pressed powder. But was it true? Don’t be lazy, check out a deep dive as I try to conclusively determine what Nixon wore that fateful evening. Link in bio! Are you familiar with the history of this debate? How about beard cover products in general? I’m itching to learn and write more about the latter! 😅
.
.
.
.
.
#makeupmuseum #makeuphistory #americanhistory #1950smakeup #mensmakeup by @makeup_museum

41

7

10 days ago

35

8

11 days ago

41

7

a month ago

Today is the last day of Venice Film Festival, so I thought I’d share these two pretties from Lancôme. In the 1950s the company released a lipstick case featuring the two-color spiral designs of the canal poles used to tie up Venetian gondolas. Some sources indicate that both Georges Delhomme and Marcel Reboul created the case; Lips of Luxury, a book by cosmetics expert and collector Jean-Marie Martin Hattemberg, states that Lancôme commissioned Reboul alone. The exact release date is also a bit of a mystery, as it has been listed anywhere from 1949 to the late 1950s. I have a few Lancôme history books on the way so hopefully there will be some more info! Anyway, special editions of the lipstick were gifted to attendees of various events for which Lancôme served as a sponsor, including a charity gala called Le Bal des Petits Lits Blancs in 1962 (do check out a post by @perfumeartmuseum for that one – it’s truly exquisite.) But the story doesn’t end there! In 1996 Lancôme launched Lip Brio, a high-shine gloss housed in a reinterpreted version of the original case. Lip Brio initially came in eight shades, each named for a Hollywood legend like Beige Marilyn and Rose Audrey. The one shown here, Virtual, was released later and was a simple clear shade. Lip brio was also touted as long-lasting due to allegedly containing 20% wax, which was considerably more than the 5% of most glosses. I don’t know what Lip Brio’s marketing of “lastingly brilliant, just like the stars” has to do with the original design other than the ‘50s era, but it’s interesting they chose to resurrect it. Which one do you prefer? And have you ever been on a gondola? I’ve never been to Venice so I haven’t. As for the design, well, I always love a makeup object that can double as a weapon. 🤣 Both are suitable but I prefer the extra tapered design on the original. 💛
.
.
#makeupmuseum #makeuphistory #90smakeup #50smakeup #lancome

The only ad I could find for the original. I’m sure there are more out there in French archives!

Auction listing from Art Valorem for another special edition of the case, supposedly for the launch of the SS France in 1960. Incidentally, this is the same boat that Le B by @makeup_museum

58

6

a month ago

Speaking of books, be sure to register for a very special online event featuring @sarahjanedowning author of Beauty and Cosmetics in the time of Jane Austen, and Alicia Schult of @lbcchistorical LBCC Apothecary! Hosted by the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network, the session will delve into Regency era beauty and feature some of Sarah Jane’s original illustrations. Email hello@cosmetichistorynetwork.org to sign up. It’s free!

Details:
Series: CHMSN Salon Series
Date: September 11th, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM GMT
Where: Online

#regencybeauty #beautyhistory #makeuphistory by @makeup_museum

56

0

a month ago

Along with other areas of the website, the Makeup Museum’s library section is in need of updating. Can’t believe I didn’t have one of my faves up! This image of a Maasai girl wearing pigment made from red ochre is just one of many incredible photos from Painted Bodies: African Body Painting, Tattoos, and Scarification by photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher @africanceremonies and journalist Mary Anne Fitzgerald. This book proved to be invaluable when I was working on a chapter on global makeup history for an edited volume. Alas, I was limited to 10,000 words for the chapter, so I’m hoping to cover the face and body paint of every single culture in Painted Bodies (and other Indigenous peoples across the globe) on the blog in the future. 😅
.
.
.
.
.
.
#facepaint #makeuphistory #maasai #paintedbodies by @makeup_museum

27

3

a month ago

In the spring of 2002 Chanel released Les Gouaches de Chanel, a set of mixable shades for eyes, cheeks and lips inspired by traditional opaque watercolor paint. The set also contained a clear gloss and tiny tray for mixing, similar to an artist palette. Not to be outdone, Dior released their Summer Hits collection or Les Tubes de L’Ete. A set of 5 tubes in 3 colorways - Pastel Graffiti (shown here), Chic Graffiti and Fun Graffiti - appeared, at first glance, comparable to Chanel. However, while both were packaged in tubes, Chanel seemingly offered more versatility as the colors could be used anywhere on the face, whereas Dior opted for just 4 eyeshadows and one shade of gloss. There was also a sizeable difference in price point with Chanel ringing in at $65 USD and Dior at $35. So, if you were around in 2002, which one would you choose? I remember buying Les Gouaches because I couldn’t resist the packaging - it was one of several pieces that led to the formation of the Makeup Museum…but I actually like Dior’s color scheme way more! (The other sets were beautiful, hope to track them down eventually.) 🎨👩🏻‍🎨
.
.
.
.
.
#makeupmuseum #makeuptubes #paint #makeupisart #2000smakeup by @makeup_museum

96

10

a month ago

“Hi, I’m Babo, what’s your name?” “Uh, Babo.” “Haha, my name’s Babo, what’s yours?” “It’s Babo!” “Hmm, I don’t think so, I’m Babo.” “No, I am.” “No, I AM!” 🙄🤣They went on like this for a solid hour - their fuzzy little pea brains couldn’t comprehend they have the same name! Babo on the left is from the Uglydoll relaunch in 2024 and arrived at Makeup Museum headquarters in early 2025 - can’t believe I didn’t introduce him till now! The Babster on the right is the OG plush released in the early 2000s (and long-serving Chair of the Museum’s advisory committee. 😆) Even if they’re confused, it’s easy to tell them apart, don’t you think?
.
.
.
.
#Makeupmuseumstaff #uglydolls #babouglydoll #plushiesofınstagram #plushies by @makeup_museum

66

16

2 months ago

🤩Primary Sources, Regency Beauty & Cosmetic History 💄

👉🏼The Cosmetics History and Makeup Studies Network is thrilled to host author and historical researcher Sarah Jane Downing for an exclusive live discussion as part of the CHMSN Salon Series!
💄 Alicia Schult of LBCC Historical Apothecary will be sitting down with Sarah Jane to discuss her latest publication, Beauty and Cosmetics in the Time of Jane Austen.

“After the success of Pastimes and Pleasures in the Time of Jane Austen, Sarah Jane Downing turns her attention to the hair and beauty styles of Jane Austen’s era. In Beauty and Cosmetics in the Time of Jane Austen, she examines the beauty ideals of the Regency period to shed light on the transition from the baroque high hair and formal doll-like faces of the court of King George III to the fresh complexions and glossy, bouncy ringlets of the Regency. She also dispels the myth that cosmetics and beauty aids disappeared during the period...”

💋 Together, they will dive into the material culture of the 18th and 19th centuries, authentic beauty receipts, and the reality of cosmetic practices during the Regency era. Whether you are a deep-dive history lover, an experimental archaeologist, or a Jane Austen enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this conversation!

Event Details: 🎤

Guest: Sarah Jane Downing (Author of Beauty and Cosmetics in the Time of Jane Austen)

Host: Alicia Schult (LBCC Historical Apothecary) 🐈‍⬛ 🥼

Series: CHMSN Salon Series

🎉Date: September 11th, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM CST / 12:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM GMT

📍Where: Online

Cost: Free 🆓

🪧📝 To Register: Email hello@cosmetichistorynetwork.org to receive your access link. Hope to see you there!

#regencyhistory #freeevent #beautyhistory #janeaustenbooks #janeaustenfans by @makeup_museum

43

0

2 months ago