Conclusion

Between the 1910s and the 1940s, a symbiotic relationship formed between Hollywood and the cosmetics industry. Product endorsements from famous actresses helped to sell cosmetics to the working woman. Advertisements for cosmetics were also emphasized in popular film magazines, ensuring that women interested in keeping up with the stars were always up-to-date on what products were on the market.

The women of the screen were the influencers of the era. American women looked to them for the latest trends in makeup application and products. In many instances the cosmetics industry took advantage of actresses' star power to sell their products. Early Hollywood was instrumental in helping the cosmetics industry create a mass market for their products. Although the rise of cosmetics was influenced by the ideal of the "New Woman" in the 1910s and 20s, it did not take long for 'making-up' to become a custom that women were expected to follow. What started as a way of defying the status quo only created a new one with more expectations for women to meet to be able to achieve the standard of beauty. Between the 1910s and the 1940s, cosmetics rapidly evolved from something taboo into an essential form of consumption in women's lives. Despite the social pressure, it was not all bad. Many women surely enjoyed buying and using cosmetics, whether it was to copy their favourite star or not. 

Cosmetics companies were not the only ones to use Hollywood fame to sell their products to the masses. Adjacent industries, such as skincare, used the same tactics. The products that fall within the realm of skincare could have been included in this exhibit as they were so closely related to beauty, but they were excluded for the sake of keeping the scope of research more limited. Clothing and nail polish brands are more examples of industries that used actress endorsements and Hollywood glamour to help sell their products.

Celebrity culture and Hollywood were by no means the only factor that affected the growth of the cosmetics industry and the new standard of feminine beauty that emerged over this period. Many advertisements for cosmetics did not include any reference to the stars or to Hollywood. Many leaned more into the themes, identified by historian Frank Trentmann, of fear about loss of youth and being reduced to objects of men's desire. Some portrayed these themes in connection with Hollywood. What I have tried to show with my research is that a mutually beneficial link does exist in the histories of the cosmetics and film industries. 

The legacy of this relationship lives on in modern times. One would be hard-pressed to find an advertisement today that doesn't involve some form of celebrity. Now, in the age of the internet, endorsements come not only from actual celebrities but from internet personalities with large followings. The cosmetics industry today still heavily relies on the parasocial relationships that fans form with their favourite famous people. This exhibit hopefully illustrates the earliest beginnings of this phenomenon.