How to Create the Perfect Face - Max Factor

Max Factor’s Secret to a Perfect Face Makeup

In his own words – the supreme master of female beauty Max Factor explains how to achieve the perfect face through the art of makeup and hair-styling.

Just what is beauty? Is it really only skin deep? The cameraman of Hollywood will answer in the affirmative.
They will point, particularly, to the case of Sylvia Sidney and tell that she has the most perfect “screen face” in Hollywood. It’s so wonderfully proportioned, and her skin is so clear.

Max-Factors-Art-of-Eye-makeup---Sylvia-Sidney — Max Factor’s art of eye makeup

Create the perfect 1930’s Face

Just by mastering your eye makeup alone – a girl can transform her face contour.

Sit in front of the mirror and analyze your face and compare it with Miss Sydney’s, which as I have said – expert cameraman say is the ideal feminine face.

Take a ruler and measure the distance between your eyes.

There should be the width of ‘one eye’ between them.
The width of your face should be twice the length of the nose.
The upper lip ought to equal the lower one in size.
The length of the face should be divided into three equal distances – from the top of the forehead to the bridge of the nose – from the bridge of the nose to its tip – and from the tip of the nose to the chin.

Now unless you are extremely fortunate – these proportions will come out wrong. Sylvia’s face is one face in a million. She ticks every box on this list – lucky girl.

The Perfect Face by Max Factor

Max-Factors-Hollywood-beauty-secrets---the-perfect-face — 1930’s actress Sylvia Sydney’s perfect face contour by Max Factor

So what to do?

Fix your Face

What if your forehead is too high? – Just bring the hair down down in a soft line over it or arrange your wave so that it comes out over the temples. Easy.
A narrow brow? – then brush the hair straight back off it.
Prominent – dare I say – masculine jaw bone? Well – never draw your hair behind your ears. Soften the hard jaw with a frame of curls. Instant femininity.

Nose Perfection

Now – noses – seem to be the “bone of contention” for most women I know. As a makeup artist – I have always believed that the nose – no matter what shape a girl is given – should be left as it is. It is your character – and woe unto those women who have their noses surgically done – for they lose the very essence of what makes them beautiful.

Mouth Perfection

Mouths are easy to build up or reduce and I have written many articles on the subject. If the upper lip is narrow, by all means enlarge it so it matches the lower – especially if you have a small upturned nose.

Eye Perfection

Eyes too small? – draw a line with an eyebrow pencil just below the lashes of the lower lid – now soften this line by blending with the fingertip until it is a smudgy shadow. This immediately magnifies your eye.
Deep-set eyes? – yes I know these kind of eyes are difficult to makeup – but here’s the answer – apart from a touch of foundation – don’t shadow them – but offset them using your eye-shadow only from the approximate center of the upper eyelid and outward.

The rage these days is to have oriental cat like eyes – and again by extending the line upwards and outwards ( not too far) from upper and lower lid edges – to meet – you achieve that exotic demure look
that makes you feel oh so sophisticated.

Read Besame Cosmetic’s Gabriela Hernandez‘s tips for the perfect 1930s face.
Watch an original 1938 Makeup Tutorial
Read the full History of 1930s Makeup.