Last Updated on March 8, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

cosmetics during world war I

The Second World War (1939-1945) is one of the most tragic events in human history. Sixty million people – the majority civilians – lost their lives in the conflict. Europe was left a barren land.

But during this terrifying time, while their towns were bombarded and people were dying all around them, women still worried about looking good.

It may sound silly to you, but a swipe of lipstick or a touch of hair dye for them was a way to retain their humanity, dignity and femininity, to put on a brave face, to boost their morale as well as that of the soldiers, and have some fun, even if only for a little while.

Cosmetics In Europe During World War II

During the war cosmetics were expensive and hard to find. That’s because everything, including the ingredients used to make them, were used mostly for war efforts. The little left over for civilian life was rationed.

Back then, even taking a bath or washing your hair wasn’t easy. You would have only a few inches of water available, which certainly weren’t enough to fill a bathtub. Shampoo (if you were lucky enough to get it) was rationed. Soap was another luxury during the war and most of the time, people washed themselves using only that little bit of water they could get.

And you can forget about fancy skincare routines. Most women had to make do with whatever they could find. Cold cream? A rare luxury. Face powder? If you had any, you stretched it for as long as humanly possible. Some even resorted to using flour or chalk dust to get that powdered look.

Because everything was scarce, women had to be creative and resourceful: if they wanted to dye their hair they could only use vegetable dyes and if they wanted to shave but didn’t have a razor, they’d use a soapy pumice stone instead.

As for hair, it was usually wrapped in scarfs or hairnets which served two purposes. It would hide a bad hair day (after all, not everyone had shampoo, remember?) and, if the women had a job (and many did as they had to do the jobs men left behind when they went to fight) it’d avoid their locks from getting tangled in machinery.

And then there was the problem of stockings… or, more accurately, the lack of them. Silk and nylon were being used for parachutes and military gear, so women got creative. They painted their legs with gravy browning or tea to mimic the look of stockings. Some even drew a line down the back of their legs with an eyebrow pencil to fake a seam. Talk about dedication!

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Cosmetics in the USA during World War II

The situation was better in America. The USA also participated in the war, but the main battlegrounds that suffered the most devastation were Europe and Asia.

Cosmetics were more easily available in the US, but not that popular at this time. Many women had relatives fighting abroad and weren’t in the mood for excess, celebration, or showing off their wealth.

They also had to pick up the jobs men had left behind. To retain their femininity and boost their morale, women put on makeup. They went for a subdued, natural look that was sophisticated and glamorous.

On the eyes, a touch of natural eyeshadows in brown and grey tones, a line of eyeliner and a dash of mascara. The brows were thick, perfectly arched and defined with an eyebrow pencil.

On the face, women applied a dark but warm foundation and, on top of it, a powder that was actually lighter than their skintone. This would give skin a rosy glow.

They used natural pink shades on the cheeks while the nails were painted in lots of different colours, from pinks to reds and mauves, to greens and blues. And what about the lips? Red lipstick was all the rage and was considered a natural look back then!

The Red Lip: A Wartime Staple

Thank Elizabeth Arden for making a red lip popular. She was invited to create a makeup kit for the American Marine Corps Women’s Reserve with the aim was to boost their morale. Arden created a red lipstick that matched their uniforms.

Red lipstick wasn’t just a fashion statement. It was a power move. Women in the military were encouraged to wear it to symbolize strength, confidence, and resilience. It was basically war paint, but make it glamorous.

It was also during this time that companies started to realize how popular camouflage products (back then used on wounded soldiers) could be. They are now known as concealers and widely used by women (and men) worldwide.

What Happened After the War?

After the end of the war, cosmetics became less expensive and easily available everywhere. Women finally had the money to buy what they wanted, and the beauty industry soared. The 1950s saw an explosion of beauty brands, and makeup trends went from wartime practicality to full-on Hollywood glam. The red lip stayed, but now women had access to more products than ever before.

The Lesson

Even if nowadays the recession and economic crisis mean most of us can’t spend as much money as we’d like or were used to on cosmetics and other trifles, just thinking about what our grandmothers went through and, even today, what’s happening in other parts of the world where people are affected by natural disasters, wars and poverty, just puts everything in perspective, doesn’t it?

They had to make do with burnt matches as eyebrow pencils, flour as face powder, and gravy as leg makeup, all while dealing with air raids and food shortages. And here we are, panicking when our favorite lipstick is out of stock.

Makeup was never just about looking good—it was about feeling human when everything else was falling apart. And that’s something worth remembering.