Beauty

[Jayro]

were all the different beauty brands at Ulta and Sephora - before there was Ulta and Sephora and all the various on-line suppliers? I remember when there was either drugstore or department store, and the department stores had 5-7 main staple brands that had been around for years, such as Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Lancome.

I've read so many articles that say it was because of the bad economy and that even when women have no disposable income, they will still buy cosmetics as a treat.

The first time I remember noticing a movement toward all these brands and niche products was when I caught Saturday Night Beauty with Patty. I'd never heard of those brands, and had never heard of Sephora and had never been to my Ulta. I think that was about 2006, but I'm not sure. I was raising small children before that and never had time to notice anything but them.

When did you start noticing all these lines outside the realm of either drugstore or department store?

[4doggies]

I think it started when the oldest Baby Boomers (born in the 50's) started to hit 35 or 40. Prior to that, there were only a few products to choose from. I remember that Adrienne Arpel (much later Signature Club A) always had big ads in the newspaper. There was also the "EB 5" that was developed by a pharmacist, a few brands in department and drug stores.

To the best of my recollection, the huge number of products started around mid to late 80's. Retailers found a good thing--baby boomers/anti aging.

[serenity4ever]

I started seeing new brands around the time that Bobbi Brown in the early 90's was selling her lipsticks in Nordstrom. When Sephora opened early nineties there were a lot of brands I had never heard of and I remember being hesitant to try them. Now of course, there are a myriad of brands that seem to be mainstream.

[Katluvr58]

I remember getting the mega kits at Xmas from the dept store brands around 69 or 70. Back then you had the dept store with Estee Lauder, Chanel etc... or the dime store like Woolworth or Kresge. Max Factor was a biggie back then as was Maybelline. Yardley make-up and Bonne Bell were big for the teens (me). I think that the "mod" look started a make-up revolution. I didn't find Sephora till the 90's and Ulta's in the 2000's.

[Tricolor]

On 2/21/2014 Katluvr58 said:

I remember getting the mega kits at Xmas from the dept store brands around 69 or 70. Back then you had the dept store with Estee Lauder, Chanel etc... or the dime store like Woolworth or Kresge. Max Factor was a biggie back then as was Maybelline. Yardley make-up and Bonne Bell were big for the teens (me). I think that the "mod" look started a make-up revolution. I didn't find Sephora till the 90's and Ulta's in the 2000's.

OMG did you bring back some memories with Woolworth and Kresge. In the late 60's I loved Max Factor, Mary Quant, Yardley and Bonne Bell. We all wanted to have the British look. Remember Hazel Bishop and Chantilly?

[Katluvr58]

On 2/21/2014 Tricolor said:

On 2/21/2014 Katluvr58 said:

I remember getting the mega kits at Xmas from the dept store brands around 69 or 70. Back then you had the dept store with Estee Lauder, Chanel etc... or the dime store like Woolworth or Kresge. Max Factor was a biggie back then as was Maybelline. Yardley make-up and Bonne Bell were big for the teens (me). I think that the "mod" look started a make-up revolution. I didn't find Sephora till the 90's and Ulta's in the 2000's.

OMG did you bring back some memories with Woolworth and Kresge. In the late 60's I loved Max Factor, Mary Quant, Yardley and Bonne Bell. We all wanted to have the British look. Remember Hazel Bishop and Chantilly?

No I don't remember those but I did forget about Mary Quant. My first cologne was that Baby Powder scent by Bonne Bell and then my "grown up" scent was Jovan Musk. I was 13 in 69 and wanted to be a hippie, lol. I had the long straight hair, bells, loud prints, moccasins, bright eye shadow and white lipstick. I wasn't in to bra burning (not wearing one) because I just got my first bra and I was proud of it. My parents let me paint a wall in the laundry room bright purple, put up my black light posters and hang my incense holder next to my cowbells. What were we thinking, lol.

[Katcat1]

It seems in the last 10 years, a bunch of new cosmetic/skincare cos. have emerged. Especially, introduction of facial/body oils, organic & natural.

[willdob3]

I believe the cosmetics boom started some time before Cleopatra was born...

[Sooner]

On 2/21/2014 willdob3 said:

I believe the cosmetics boom started some time before Cleopatra was born...

Exactly! The folks in those tomb paintings were INTO eyeliner!

[Sooner]

On 2/21/2014 willdob3 said:

I believe the cosmetics boom started some time before Cleopatra was born...

Exactly! The folks in those tomb paintings were INTO eyeliner!

And Alexander the Great's mother was, if I remember, a Thracian (sp?) and they were known for wearing blue paint.