Max Factor
Max Factor was a pioneering figure in the cosmetics industry, known for revolutionizing makeup for the motion-picture world and beyond. Born into a large family in Russia, he began his career as an apprentice in various trades related to beauty, which sparked his lifelong interest in cosmetics. After emigrating to the United States in 1904, he established the Max Factor Beauty Salon in Los Angeles, catering to the burgeoning film industry. His innovation in makeup formulation led to the creation of a lighter, translucent greasepaint designed specifically for films, which became a standard in Hollywood.
Factor's contributions extended beyond makeup; he developed iconic beauty techniques and products, including Pan-Cake makeup, concealer, and wand mascara. He also introduced the Color Harmony Principle, allowing women to match makeup shades to their skin tones, making Hollywood glamour accessible to the general public. His work not only transformed the appearance of actors but also laid the foundation for modern cosmetics, earning him a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Factor's legacy continues through the enduring Max Factor brand, known for its high-quality products that reflect the spirit of innovation he championed.
Max Factor
- Born: September 15, 1872
- Birthplace: Lódz, Russian Empire (now in Poland)
- Died: August 30, 1938
- Place of death: Beverly Hills, California
Russian-born cosmetician and businessman
The son of a rabbi, Factor rose from humble beginnings in a small Eastern European town to create a global cosmetics empire bearing his Americanized name, which became synonymous with Hollywood glamour.
Early Life
Max Factor (FAK-tur) was born one of ten children of a rabbi, and his family was unable to afford formal education for him. At age eight, he was apprenticed to a local dentist-pharmacist and a wig maker to learn the trades. At the time, pharmacists supplied health and beauty products. It was during this time that Factor first developed his lifelong fascination with the human face. Factor learned quickly, and, as an adult, he opened his own cosmetics store in Ryazan (near Moscow), selling handmade creams, fragrances, rouge, and wigs. He became so well known for his work with a traveling theatrical troupe that soon he became the official wig and face-paint designer for the Imperial Grand Opera, the Russian czar’s Royal Ballet, and even the members of the Russian royal family.
Life’s Work
In 1904, Factor, his wife, and children fled Czar Nicholas II’s Jewish pogroms and moved to the United States. Arriving at Ellis Island with less than four hundred dollars, Factor found his last name simplified by immigration officials to Factor. The Factors moved from New York to St. Louis, Missouri, where Factor rented a concession stand at the 1904 World’s Fair. The unique skin cream, makeup, perfume, and hair goods that he sold under his newly Americanized name attracted the attention of actors. As his reputation grew, Factor moved once more in 1908, this time to the theater district of Los Angeles. It was in this location that Factor opened the iconic Max Factor Beauty Salon, in the hope of supplying wigs and cosmetics to the newly established Hollywood film community. Eventually, Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Harlow, and other Hollywood luminaries would become Max Factor Salon regulars. When Factor arrived in Los Angeles, the only form of makeup in use in films was that which had been in use on the stage for years: greasepaint, in stick form. The problem with using greasepaint in black-and-white films was that it was too thick and looked artificial on screen. However, the studios did not have a satisfactory substitute.
In 1914, Factor invented a breakthrough in makeup products, the first of many that would come to be known globally. This initial invention, a thinner, translucent greasepaint in cream form, was designed specifically as a makeup for use in films. This new greasepaint, available in twelve shades, did not crack, was flexible and light, and became the Hollywood standard cosmetic. Factor called his product “makeup”—as in the verb “to make up one’s face.” Factor’s new makeup transformed the film industry. He layered hues and shades of colors of eye makeup and lipstick according to his Color Harmony Principle (which matches shades of makeup to skin tone). Factor is also credited with creating the “Clara Bow pout,” “Bette Davis eyes,” and “Joan Crawford lips” that were the actors’ trademarks.
By 1927, demand had increased to the point where Factor was able to begin mass-marketing his namesake line—consisting of wigs, false eyelashes, cosmetics, and perfume—to consumers, in the belief that all women should have the opportunity to look like the stars. Factor even invented color harmony charts that enabled housewives across the country to “get that Hollywood look.” Thus, the cosmetics industry was born. Factor’s brand soon gained global recognition, as Hollywood clients such as Hedy Lamarr also agreed to appear in magazine ads to market his cosmetics. His innovations did not end there. In addition to Pan-Cake makeup, which Factor patented in 1937, he is credited with inventing concealer, lip gloss, wand mascara (as opposed to cake mascara), colored eyeshadows, and eyebrow pencils, as well as realistic fake blood (for films) in a range of colors.
Factor died of heart failure in 1938 in Beverly Hills, California. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the film industry. He was even mentioned in the unforgettable Johnny Mercer-Richard A. Whiting song, “Hooray for Hollywood”:
To be an actor
Significance
Factor’s eye for beauty and groundbreaking cosmetic inventions revolutionized the motion-picture industry. Thanks to him, Hollywood glamour is accessible to every woman, and his innovative spirit lives on in the cosmetics brand known for high-quality, trendsetting products.
Bibliography
Basten, Fred E. Max Factor: The Man Who Changed the Faces of the World. New York: Arcade, 2008. Traces the development of what became a multibillion-dollar industry, cosmetics, and how Factor navigated the Hollywood world to make cosmetics work for everyday consumers.
Basten, Fred E., Robert Salvatore, and Paul A. Kaufman. Max Factor’s Hollywood: Glamour, Movies, Makeup. Santa Monica, Calif.: General, 1995. Features two hundred rare photographs from the Max Factor Museum; chronicle of Factor’s career includes beauty tips and a survey of the great beauties of the century.
Fulcini, Joseph J., and Suzy Fulcini. “Max Factor.” In Entrepreneurs: The Men and Women Behind Famous Brand Names and How They Made It. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1985. Brief profile of Factor; includes index and annotated bibliography.