![]() ![]() The first reason built-in lipstick mirrors were a necessity - again, according to the advertising at the time - was the ease provided by a fused lipstick and mirror. Now that we have a good sense of the types of mirrors that were available, let's spend a little time thinking about why they were made, or at least, why the advertising claimed they were the greatest things since sliced bread. Of course, Max Factor upped the design ante with their "Doll Set" lipsticks, which were introduced in 1967. It was introduced in 1950 as the "biggest news in lipsticks since swivels were born". This item from Revlon would appear to be a regular hand mirror, but the lipstick is cleverly hidden in the handle. The folding model's popularity continued well into the 1960s, as evidenced by Kigu's "Flipette".įinally, there are the handle inserts. Schildkraut's represent possibly the earliest form of lipstick mirrors, judging from the patent. Here are some rather dainty petit point and floral versions by Schildkraut. Here's an unmarked, super blingy version. Instead of a tube clip, this was an entire folding hand mirror with the lipstick hidden within the handle. ![]() Next up is a more complex version of the folding mirror. I'm still hunting down all the designs, which actually isn't difficult given how many the company produced. ![]() You might remember I featured these in the Museum's holiday 2016 exhibition. ![]() I believe they were mostly sold in department and jewelry stores.ĭespite the silver cases' ubiquity, I'd say the most recognized name-brand spring-loaded lipstick mirror was Max Factor's Hi-Society, which was heavily advertised from their debut in 1958 through approximately 1965. They're unmarked, meaning no particular company patented the design and choice of metal. Given how many came up in my search for lipstick mirrors at Ebay and Etsy, it appears that the most widely available model of the spring-loaded variety of lipstick mirrors was a silver carved case accented by gemstones. Elgin, Elizabeth Arden and Kotler and Kolpit offered similar cases. Shown here is Volupté's Lip Look, which dates to 1949-1950. Spring-loaded, sliding cases in which the mirror popped up when the lipstick was opened were also quite popular. These next few will put a spring in your step. The mirror could also be protected from smudges and scratches via a sliding mechanism instead of a folding one, as shown in this fan-shaped Stratton lipstick holder. Enter the folding lipstick mirror and clip! Elizabeth Arden's Rolling Mirror lipstick debuted in 1959, and while I couldn't find an exact date for Stratton LipViews, they probably were released around the same time and continued to be sold until the early '90s.Īvon also made a far less elegant plastic version. The only design flaw with these types of mirrored tubes and clip-on mirrors was that they would be easily smudged since the mirror was exposed. Here we have the "Looky" mirror, which was patented in 1957, and Compliments, which most likely dates to around the same time. I purchased a couple of these clips for the Museum's collection. The adjustable design meant that it could fit virtually any tube and was easily removable. The second most basic and inexpensive option was the humble lipstick clip, which attached directly to the lipstick tube. The simplest design consisted of a mirrored tube, favored by the likes of Avon and Flame-Glo. As usual this exploration is not intended to be a comprehensive history of lipstick mirrors, but a brief overview and theories as to why they have mostly disappeared from the beauty milieu as well as the reasons they were even produced in the first place. Today I'll take a look (haha) at the various vintage contraptions and mechanisms that allowed for a quick lipstick touch-up. Sure, there are still some run-of-the-mill fabric and leather lipstick cases with mirrors inside, and some contemporary companies have recycled the basic designs, but no current lipstick mirrors are as novel as their vintage counterparts. As with lipstick holders and tissues, another piece of makeup ephemera has seem to gone nearly extinct: the built-in lipstick mirror. ![]()
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