A beauty-measuring mask that looked like something from a “Hellraiser” nightmare
Beauty procedures from the 20s, 30s and 40s look a lot more like a torture chamber than a salon. The beauty micrometer certainly is a scary-looking gadget that resembles a medieval torture device or something out of a “Hellraiser” nightmare. Also known as the beauty calibrator, it was a device designed in the early 1930s by the make-up legend Max Factor (Maksymilian Faktorowicz, 1877–1938).
To help in the identification of the areas of a person’s face which need to have their appearance reduced or enhanced by make-up. Born in 1872 in what is now Poland, Maksymilian Faktorowicz started work at a young age in the wigs and cosmetics industry. He founded Max Factor & Company in 1909 selling everyday cosmetics while researching and experimenting with new concoctions.
His experiments helped him break into the film business with innovative make-ups designed specifically for the screen, without the caking and cracking of traditional theatrical greasepaint. He is also credited with originating the term “make-up”.
