In a delightfully frank interview – Fay Wray shares her beauty secrets with Caroline Van Wycks –
I shall always think of Fay Wray as very much of an individual. Just why, I’m not sure. Her dark auburn hair, her deep blue eyes and warm skin make her exceptionally lovely to look at, but while Hollywood is full of lovely girls, to be in her company – which I was lucky enough to enjoy for a whole afternoon, fills you with a deep sense of peace and satisfaction. She truly is a star, but with a warm embracing personality. Perhaps it is her fine sense of her own beauty, without any ego, that is so charming. You sense it, as well as see it in her. Fay’s taste in 1930s fashion is perfect but actually rather conservative.
Her makeup is perfectly tuned to her coloring and type. While chatting with Fay, she showed me her handbag, a black and gold model of convenience, containing three lipsticks, red, ivory and black, a double compact, perfume, key, purse and a charming little mirror attached by chain.
” I probably spend more time and care on the planning of my dressing table than on any other part of my day. I dabble in ordinary powder, and lipstick and rouge much more than I do in grease-paint. Not because I’m vain, but because think it’s important to every woman, and an actress particularly.
It’s true, I’m working on developing a new kind of ‘hand mirror’. It will have two mirrors that swing from side to side on a handle; and they can be adjusted at any desired angle, so that all parts of head and face can be seen at once. Tricky? I should say so … an it practically does away with triple vanity mirrors.”
Colorful nail enamel to match her evening gowns is another of Fays pet ideas. she shows me a sapphire blue polish which she has matched with a lovely white afternoon frock. Fay went on to enthusiastically tell me about her little ‘beauty tricks’ which she employs both at home and in her dressing room at the studio.
“The other thing I am proud of is a small ice-box that I have had built right into my dressing room. I not only use plenty of ice for invigorating skin massages – but I keep all my lotions and astringents in it. Both of these things are twice as effective, if they’re cold when you use them. Stands to reason, doesn’t it!”
“An astringent is supposed to close the pores, and so is ice; therefore, if you use a cold astringent, it should be doubly effective. I keep a few of my creams in there, too – my “fruit” creams especially, my strawberry cream, and lemon bleaching cream – for these things, if allowed to get too warm, are apt to turn rancid.
Don’t make the mistake of putting cleansing cream in the ice box, though – for the pores should be open when you apply it, so that the cream can get down into them and get the dirt out. A cold cleansing cram would close up the pores immediately!”
“There’s another reason why my baby fridge comes in handy. Every evening my maid puts a pint of fresh orange juice in the box for me. i drink one glass at night just before i tumble into bed, and the other I have the first thing in the morning.”
“Another bit of equipment that is a perfect delight to me is my bathtub. It’s black, set in “niche” of mirrors, and when it was built in, I was very explicit about having a space for bottles and jars and boxes on one side – a sort of shelf. The right kind of bath not only cleanses – it beautify’s. You should have all sorts of things to put in the water and on yourself before you climb in or out of it. these should all be within handy reach. I use a solvent cream which i rub all over my body – so that when i get into the tub, it melts away into the water, leaving my skin as soft and smooth as a baby’s.”
“Another thing I’m crazy about are these little perfumed tablets that effervesce and start the water fizzing all round you. then there are the perfumed oils, which are really fragrant and softening. My favorite odors are pine and lavender – so now you know what I smell of !
I have pine in the morning and lavender in the evening when I bathe before I go out. To some girls, a bath is just a bath – but it should be more. Stimulating perfumes inspire me to be beautiful, it puts me in a beautiful state of mind. I’ve always found that while I’m in the tub is the best time to use creams on my face. Occasionally I’ll use a cream mask while I’m bathing as the heat from the tub seems to really help it sink in to my skin.
Gobs and gobs of nourishing cream – just slap it on and let it soak in. ”
