Cosmetics Of The Times Of The USSR: What Soviet Women Used

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Cosmetics of the times of the USSR: 10 legendary products

In the USSR, the assortment on the cosmetic market was not very diverse. Most of the women in their cosmetic bags had the same set of products, and to get the coveted cosmetics, women of fashion stood in line for hours. However, despite the meager assortment and poor quality of cosmetics, women still managed to look great.

Soviet cosmetics: the top ten products

In the USSR, women did not have much choice of cosmetics. And in order to buy the cherished lipstick or mascara, it was necessary to stand in long lines. Nevertheless, a lot of interesting things could be found in the make-up bag of a Soviet woman.

In the USSR, women did not have a large selection of cosmetics

Mascara for eyebrows and eyelashes "Nevskaya kosmetika"

The famous "Leningrad" ink was in the cosmetic arsenal of every girl

The famous Soviet ink was produced in Leningrad. It looked like a matchbox, in which there was a black solid mass and a brush. Before applying, it was necessary to wet the mascara with water, and the already painted, stuck eyelashes had to be separated with a needle. Such mascara did not hold well and crumbled heavily, and rain or snow nullified all the efforts of Soviet women. However, despite all the shortcomings of mascara, the girls managed to paint so that their makeup turned out to be quite decent. Many applied the first layer of mascara, then powdered eyelashes and, after they dried, painted with mascara again. This is how women created the effect of extended eyelashes.

Ballet foundation

The first foundation in the USSR was let in by the Svoboda factory in 1881

This foundation was a real challenge for the skin. The product lay in a dense layer, as a result of which the skin did not breathe and looked like a mask. That is why many women have mixed this cream with another, lighter texture. The Svoboda factory, which produced the Ballet foundation, together with L'Oréal Paris produced the Jemey cream. It was the dream of Soviet women, however, because of its high cost, the girls had to use the more affordable, but imperfect Ballet foundation.

Blush Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder blush was the object of special desire for women in the USSR

Many Soviet women dreamed of the coveted American blush. However, until the end of the 1980s, it was impossible to buy them in stores. Therefore, women of fashion purchased expensive blush from speculators, and their cost was equal to half the monthly salary. As a rule, blush was sold in only one shade. It was a deep pink color that did not suit everyone. And those who did not get the blush used another technique - they painted their cheeks with their lipstick.

Powder Lancome

Sometimes it was possible to buy Lancome powder “legally” in the “Beryozka” store

Another coveted product - Lancome powder, could be bought at the Birch store. To do this, you had to stand in line for several hours. It was a simple matte powder that was perfect for removing shine from the face. Since this powder was the ultimate dream of fashionistas, no one threw away the packaging after the powder ran out. The women took home-made powder, diluted it with Soviet perfume, dried the mixture and placed it in an empty package of foreign powder.

Shadow Ruby Rose

The Polish Ruby Rose sets were considered not very high quality, but they won the hearts of Russian beauties with their rich color palette

Polish pearlescent shadows were poorly applied and rolled, but the choice of color was wide. There were 12 or 18 shades in the palette, and many women bought a set because of several colors, and did not use others. And all because other shades of good quality were impossible to find.

Baby cream

In the USSR, there was no variety of cosmetics

A variety of cosmetics in the USSR was not observed. The most popular remedy was baby cream. His smell was not the most pleasant, but the cream moisturized the skin well. Also in the Soviet Union, natural creams were produced, for example, "Sea buckthorn", "Strawberry", "Cucumber" and others.

Petrolatum

Vaseline was used to tidy up chapped and very dry skin

The familiar petroleum jelly could be found in the cosmetic bag of most women. It has been used as a balm and clear lip gloss. Vaseline was sold in flat metal jars. Fashionistas had to adapt to open the petroleum jelly and not damage the manicure.

Pupa lipstick

Pupa lipstick was almost a favorite cosmetic in Soviet times.

This lipstick was very popular in the USSR. However, it has nothing to do with the famous Italian brand Pupa Milano, since fakes from Poland were sold to Soviet women. Nevertheless, it was one of the favorite beauty products among women. The lipstick was popular for its rich color.

Louis Philippe mascara

Louis Philippe mascara had the usual tube format

During a shortage, Soviet women dreamed of Louis Philippe mascara, because it did not need to be wetted with water. It was also no longer necessary to separate the painted eyelashes with a needle. By and large, there was nothing special about Louis Philippe mascara, but compared to what women used, it was a real luxury.

Christian Dior Lipstick

Christian Dior lipstick - the ultimate dreams of Soviet fashionistas

Christian Dior's blue and gold lipstick in the USSR was a real beauty luxury. Not everyone could get it, but they did not spare money for such lipstick. It was the ultimate dream of all fashionistas. In terms of quality, Christian Dior lipstick could not be compared with the Polish fakes of Pupa lipstick.

Cosmetics in the USSR did not differ in quality or variety. It's amazing how women used poor-quality Leningrad mascara and not the best Polish lipstick, but at the same time looked luxurious. They definitely have a lot to learn.