The Makeup Museum new York

In terms of the cultural lexicon makeup has a place from the realms of film to fashion, the creative artists of makeup have been front and center of this and in a move that will span the globe the Makeup Museum New York was founded. Giving legitimacy to the craft by exhibiting talent and looking at how makeup has become central to the lives of men and women alike.

Historically, makeup has been a part of life and often missed in the grander scheme of things and has been a respected craft from the Egyptians to the current talents and stars of the cosmetics work such as the amazing Pat Mcgrath who has created iconic looks for both print and catwalk before pushing boundaries with her own makeup line.

The Makeup Museum has taken all those elements and put them in the limelight taking both current and historic icons of the industry and given them a place to be seen.

From the fashion world, the renowned and respected Kevin Aucoin’s journals have been made available giving the world at large an insight into one of the leading lights in beauty whose talents saw him work with stars like Liza Minelli, Tina Turner and many more, creating books and talking openly about the tricks and techniques that made him a household name and The name on everyone’s lips when it came to beauty.

In film and TV, it is without question the innovators and founding fathers of the industry as we know it: The Westmore’s that truly stand out shaping how we as makeup artists work today and creating iconic images and characters that are still recognizable today, the family was and still is a respected benchmark for excellence in the creative fields and to this day are part of the industry offering their insight and professionalism to the world.

Having a dedicated space for makeup as an art form is a stellar move that is lauded in the press and offers a space for the makeup artists to the makeup lovers to appreciate and revel in a craft that is both an art form and a pleasurable indulgence.

The Lost Creatives along with Lost Project and our hard of makeup and creative director JamesC will be showing support for the museum as a part of the industry we feel that this is a cause we can get behind and love the fact that talent in the creative side is being showcased.

To learn more about The Makeup Museum or to shop from the store see:

The makeup Museum Website.

The makeup Museum Shop.

The makeup Museum Instagram

The makeup Museum Facebook.

The Makeup Museum Twitter.

The makeup Museum Youtube.

George Westmore Establishing an Industry the Legacy of Makeup Artistry

George Westmore an on Set Moment

In the early days of cinema, it was common for actors to do their own makeup and wigs, a craft that found its roots in theatre and vaudeville and carried over to the beginnings of the film industry and changed dramatically thanks to the savvy and artistic vision of George Westmore.

George Westmore, whose vision brought him from the Isle of Wight in the UK where he had established himself as a hairdresser and wigmaker, going onto become a leading light in the film industry working his way from Canada to the USA as a wigmaker with his family and taking risks along the way that led to a career and legacy that is still talked about today. 

With an inauspicious entry into cinema: offering his services for hair and makeup to the Selig Polyscope Company at a starting rate of $25 per week to later and by chance, it was Perc Westmore (son) offering support to Adolphe Menjou who had accidentally shaved off part of his mustache, which so impressed the legendary Douglas Fairbanks (senior) that the Westmore’s were hired to create all the wigs and take care of the hairdressing needs thanks to the professionalism of Perc Westmore and his father George Westmore (father of the clan and founder of the makeup artist industry we all know). 

With a client list that reads like the who's who of cinema throughout the years, from the Talmage family, Theda Barr, Douglas Fairbanks to name but a few, it is no surprise that the ethics and work started in early cinema with the Westmore clan have carried on throughout the cinema age into TV and beyond keeping alive a family legacy of excellence and defining a now multi-million-dollar industry.

To learn more about the Westmore family and its legacy see:

The Westmore’s of Hollywood Website

*With Special thanks to the Westmore family for supporting this blog series.

The Westmores of Hollywood

For anyone in the makeup industry, there is a nod of reverence due to the Westmore family that needs to be done as we move into a new decade: acknowledging those whose innovations and skills have helped to drive our industry forward, defining and shaping how we view the beauty side of makeup as well as creating iconic characters and showing the potential of makeup in a cinematic realm, the Westmore family is amongst those founding clans that have changed the way we look at makeup and created an art form second to none with a flourish that has spanned over a century in film and TV.

Icons of cinema and TV makeup, they are often overlooked in the public domain but remain firmly (and rightly), a part of cinema history with a continuing stance of professional standards that echoes across the world.  Hollywood royalty is a term that is often thrown around without knowledge and rarely looks at the talent behind the cameras who helped create the iconic images and star looks that are still held up today as a classics of both stills and moving images.

Credited as the founders of the makeup artist role in cinema, the Westmore family are seen across the board as being innovators at the start of an industry giving it an edge and sense of style to a world that is unrivaled to this day.  With reams of coverage over the years, the family historian, Christiana Benson a makeup artist and beauty marketing guru of repute in her own right, is taking the lengthy and storied history of her family and making them available to everyone as a part of cinema history. 

From its early days with George Westmore and his sons to its current family artists, the Westmore clan is amongst the elite of the elite in cinematic history and worthy of note to anyone in or entering the field of makeup artistry.  

To learn more about the Westmore family and their brands see:

The Westmore’s of Hollywood Site.

The Westmore Beauty Makeup line.

The Westmore FX line.