For over 100 years, Max Factor has been one of the leading brands in the production of all types of cosmetics. But its founder opened his first store in Ryazan. How a cosmetologist Maximilian Faktorovich became the main make-up artist in Hollywood - further in the review.
The future "father" of decorative cosmetics Maximilian Faktorovich was born in 1877 in Poland, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. Since he was one of 10 children, the boy had to earn extra money from childhood. Maximilian sold oranges and sweets at the theater. At the age of 8, the boy ended up as an assistant to a pharmacist, and at 9 - to a beautician.
In 1895, Faktorovich opened his first store in Ryazan, where you can buy creams, blush, perfumes, and wigs. The store was popular, but only on the scale of the province, in the capital they learned about the beautician, thanks to the theater, which was a passage through the city. The actors liked the products offered in Faktorovich's store and the owner's useful advice on applying makeup so much that after a while he moved to St. Petersburg to work at the Opera House.
In 1904, anticipating political changes in the country, Faktorovich moved to America with his wife and two sons. In Los Angeles, he opened his store on Hollywood Boulevard. The name had to be shortened to the easily pronounced Max Factor.
With the advent of cinematography, Max Factor's business took off. The old fat-based theatrical make-up was no longer suitable for the actors on the set, as it flowed under the hot spotlights. The creamy makeup offered by Max Factor had 12 shades, was applied to the skin in a thin layer, and did not peel off.
After a short time, the Max Factor store became the main supplier of cosmetics to the "Dream Factory". Max Factor himself has developed waterproof cosmetics, a powder brush, a tube for mascara, a foundation and much more.
The cosmetologist was able to bring his products to a wide market and "forced" the entire female half of the country to paint. Until the 1920s, American women did not wear makeup unless they were actresses or girls of easy virtue. Max Factor, in turn, offered the ladies shades of natural shades, pink lipsticks. The main rule of the cosmetologist was: "Make-up cannot be considered successful if it is visible to outsiders."
The merit of Max Factor was not only in the invention of cosmetics, but also in teaching women how to properly apply makeup on the face in order to hide flaws and emphasize advantages. Plus, Max Factor was the first to develop individual makeup for blondes, brunettes, redheads and brownies (from the English brown - "brown").
In 1938, Max Factor died, but his sons continued his business. They were able not only to support their father's business, but also to develop it many times over. Today the Max Factor company is one of the leading brands for the production of all types of cosmetic products. In addition to cosmetics, Max Factor has come up with an invention that measures the standards of beauty in women. It looked, to put it mildly, terrifying. But they were much more terrible to look at 25 inventions of the beginning of the last century, the purpose of which can only be guessed at.
