Adventures in vintage advertising: Cutex Nail Polish

In the first year of this blog's life, 2009, I wrote a pair of posts each of which shone the spotlight on the history and ads of a particular product and/or brand (one was about toothpaste, the other Green Giant Vegetables). Back then, these two post didn’t necessarily intend to start a series, but I did hope to put up future editions of "Adventures in vintage advertising" as time went on.

Well, on and on and on time went, and it wasn't until this week that a third post of this nature finally came to be, more than 3.5 years after the last one. As frequent readers of this site may know, vintage ads of all kinds are something that I have a very deeply rooted passion for. I pin them like there's no tomorrow to many of my Pinterest boards, include them often in blog posts here, and routinely look at yesteryear advertisements of all kinds for my own inspiration.
 
So what, you may be wondering, prompted me to think about another edition of Adventures in vintage advertising? Well, I was painting my nails, as many of us do on a frequent basis, and began thinking about some of the fantastic vintage nail polish ads I've seen over the years. In the mid-twentieth century, as now, there were a multitude of different brands selling nail polish (aka, nail lacquer), some of which are no longer around and others that have continued to go strong for decades now.

Though the brand (Essie) that I was painting on my tips that day is much more modern player on the polish scene, it was ads from Cutex - a brand that was established in 1911 - that were floating around in my head that day most of all. And so on this fine Sunday morning, I wanted to share a little bit of history about this classic brand, as well as some of my all-time favourite Cutex ads.

Cutex nail polishes - or, as they were known when they first hit the market, nail tints - began life nearly 100 years ago, in 1914. Three years later, in 1917, a paint that was similar to certain paints being used on automobiles of the day was introduced. Up until that time, nail polishes had usually been of a cake, powder or paste variety, having remained much the same since antiquity. Nail paint however caught on very quickly, and by the 1920s, it had largely replaced anything else on the market.

In 1928 Cutex pioneered another terrific invention, commercially manufactured nail polish remove, which, for a time, was sold right along with their polishes (in a combo pack, which you can see an example of in this etsy listing). A few years later, in 1934, Cutex launched a new polish formula that was glossier and more opaque then previous recipes, which most people would probably find relatively comparable to many nail polishes on the market nowadays.

For the next few decades Cutex reigned as one of most successful and popular nail polish brands on the market, with scores of hues being released and millions of bottles being sold to customers around the globe. However, as the twentieth century wore on and the two-thousands appeared, the popularity of Cutex's polishes dwindled (perhaps in part due to so many other competitors in the marketplace). While many of us grew up with Cutex nail polish (and/or can remember our mothers using this brand, as I certainly can), and they are still available in some countries (I believe), these days the company focuses more on nail polish removers and nail care products. Their liquid nail polish remover has always been one of my favourites, and you can almost always find a bottle of it under my bathroom sink.

Though Cutex nail polishes themselves are not as commonplace or wildly popular as they once were, I'm happy that the brand as a whole is still going strong more than a century after it was founded and really hope that it will continue to thrive for many more years to come.

In celebration of the many wonderful Cutex polishes that were a part of countless women's beauty arsenals for decades, let's take a look at several mid-century ads (spanning the 1930s through to the 50s) featuring an array of beautiful Cutex polishes.




{It strikes me as interesting that in the midst of the Great Depression, a time when a great many people had little to no money to keep in a bank, Cutex would opt to feature three banker's wives in one of their ads. I think however, they they were looking upon this title (bank's wife) as one of prestige and good social standing, and coming at things much more from that angle.}




{Featuring half-moon manicures with bare tips, this ad from 1936 features three shades that were voted most popular by the stylish women of New York.}



{Designer extraordinaire Elsa Schiaparelli lends her seal of approval to Cutex's products in this chic ad from 1938.}




{Polish users everywhere, take a bow with 1940's three largest selling Cutex nail polish colours in the world.}




{As with many beauty ads of the time, this Cutex advertisement from 1942 tapped into the patriotic spirit and wartime sensibility that was prevalent across America in those uncertain days.}




{Those same themes ring true in this lovely illustrated Cutex ad that appeared a year later in 1943, which encouraged users to save their nail polish bottle tops and brushes "as they may be scarce".}




{The war now over, this ad from 1946 returned to more of a focus on glamour and beauty, and implored women to put it (Cutex polish) on their "long, temptress nails".}



{Think, darling, think! Why pay high prices for nail polish and lipstick when Cutex's offerings provide all the benefits of costly brands at a fraction of the price (which in 1950, when this appeared, was only $0.10 or $0.25, depending on the size of the bottle of nail polish, and just $0.25 or $0.49 for a tube of lipstick.}





{Serene beauty radiates from this elegant French Cutex ad from 1950. It's interesting to note that here we see the whole nail painted from cuticle to tip, a look that became more common in the fifties than in decades past, though it certainly occurred (as seen in some of the earlier ads here) prior to that time as well.}



{It's new! It's sensational! It's Spillpruf! If this bottle really lived up to its claim, you have to wonder, why didn't it stick around? Who amongst us - our floors and counter tops very much included - wouldn't love a spill proof bottle of nail polish like the ones featured in this ad from 1952?}




{A rich shade of red, undoubtedly one of the most popular polish hues of all time, is in the spotlight in this alluring ad for Slightly Scarlet Cutex nail polish from 1955.}



{Without a doubt, this Cutex ad from 1958, teaming with juicy strawberry and an adorable pink summer outfit, has always been one of my very favourites from this classic cosmetics brands.}


{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}



It was a lot of fun to revive this particular type of post, and you know, now that we're up to three editions, I think we can rightfully call it a series, albeit it one that won't appear quite as often as, say, Saturday Snapshot or Flickr Favourites. Instead, just as in 2009, posts of this nature will pop up when a certain product or brand, and its respective ads, waltz through my thoughts and deserve to enjoy a moment in the vintage limelight.

I'm always open to suggestions, so if there's a product that's been around since at least the 1950s that you might like to see appear in a future edition of Adventures in vintage advertising, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments below or anytime.

As the polish I applied earlier this week is now looking a little worse for wear, I think it's high time I moozy on over to the powder room, whip it off and apply a fresh batch. Now, if only I could track down some gorgeous Hot Strawberry for today’s manicure!

My current top five favourite nail polish colours

Like countless gals the world over (and for decades now), I adore nail polish. As a teenager my collection of bottles nearly hit triple digits and I'd usually give myself a manicure every couple of nights (often opting for intricate designs, French manicures in both traditional and off-the-wall colour combos, and sometimes I'd even sport a different hue on each nail), but as I grew older (and had less free time in the evenings), my nail polish collection gradually dwindled in size.

That's ok though, like so many things that come with age, I find my tastes in nail varnish hues have streamlined over the years and were I to have 100 bottles of polish today, I fear many of them would only get used every once in a blue moon. Instead, corralled neatly into a clear little see-through shoe box style plastic tote under the bathroom sink, one will now find, on average, about twenty bottles of nail polish, each of which I try to wear (either on my fingers or toes) at least a few times a year.

For all the many, many times I've painted my nails throughout my life, I do not profess to be a guru of nail polishes, manicure techniques, or impeccably perfect sets of lacquered nails, like those on the hands of the many, many bloggers who dedicate their whole sites (and Youtube channels) to this fun topic.

I'm just your average cosmetics loving lass who enjoys painting her nails (often in vintage appropriate hues) whenever possible, and who thought you might enjoy taking a peak at the top five shades I've been wearing most often over the past couple of years.

While there are some bold, moody, and far out colours in my box of polishes, for some time now I've been gravitating more and more towards shades that I can get a lot of mileage out of and which (often) compliment (not clash with) my vintage outfits. To that end, it's likely not surprising that two of my favourite polishes are reds and another in pale pink.

 

MAC Cream Rougemarie

 

Bar none, (manicured) hands down my most favourite nail polish colour of all-time. Perhaps it's because my middle name (Marie) appears in the moniker of this nail polish, or maybe it's the fact that two coats tend to last for a week on my fingers or two on my toes. Maybe it's because the colour instantly evokes thoughts of wistfully sweet summertime cherry juice or that I've yet to wear any outfit that it didn't work with. Whatever the reason, this deep, elegant, not-too-shiny shade of deep red is a beloved nail polish favourite that I keep buying time and time again.

 

Essie Red Nouveau

 

With a name that any vintage lover is bound to appreciate, this warm, cheerful shade of red is my go-to colour for nails that sing with classic, fabulous vintage spirit and charm. To boot, this teeny bottle (which was part of a wonderful four shade pack of mini polishes I received from my sister) has lasted me for nearly two years now (which is rather amazing considering I've probably used it thirty or more times).

Revlon Sheer Blossom OO7

These days, I rarely go for hues on my fingers that shock and amaze, instead I lean more towards sweet, girly shades like this ultra soft, almost cotton candy-like shade of sheer pink. One coat delivers a barely there whisper of colour; two start veering into ballerina tutu territory, and three deliver a coquettish level of petal pretty pink that goes with, I do believe, just about any colour in your wardrobe you could ever imagine pairing it with.

 

OPI Curry Up Don't Be Late

At first glance, gold nail polish might not seem like a subtle or easy to wear shade, but I assure you that this one from OPI manages to be both. More burnished than gleaming, completely free of sparkles, and fabulously long lasting, this is by far the best and most beautiful shade of gold polish I've ever worn. If you're worried it will knock your look into 70s disco glam territory fear not, I've had great success in pairing it with everything from leopard print circle skirts to elegant 1950s LBDs without the slightest hint of Studio 54 creeping into the picture.

Joe Fresh Mint

The term quasi-neutral gets brandished around a lot these days - often far too easily, but there are cases when it's more than warranted and this bottle of milky, serenely beautiful mint green nail polish from Canadian brand Joe Fresh is one of them.

Sweet, youthful, and just plain pretty to look at, I've found that this confectionary hued polish works wonders with outfits that feature browns, pinks, blues, white, navy, grey, red, dark green, caramel, black, and cream in particular, but really, have yet to have it truly clash with anything (last fall it even went surprisingly well with a rust hued top). Worn equally often on my fingers and toes, this is the currently the one and only green shade of polish I want or need.

 

♥   ♥   ♥

As time goes on, I'm sure other nail polish shades will make it into my top five, though I suspect they'll have a trickier time making the cut, as these particular hues have been in heavy rotation now for 1 to 3 years a piece and show no signs of losing momentum anytime soon.

If you've been looking for a new polish or two (or five) this season, I can't recommend these shades highly enough, and suspect you'll see them popping up from time-to-time in my summertime manis and pedis this year.

C'est les Bon Bons de Revlon

✯ Day 338 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

These days just about anything goes when it comes to nail colour, and while I like the freedom to sport a rainbow's worth of hues on your hands if you so want, at the end of the day, 99% of the time, I - vintage loving gal at that I am - reach for the most classic of shades.

Chiefly reds, but also pinks, burgundies and peaches. These colours are akin to neutrals when it comes to cosmetics for your hands. They're feminine, utterly timeless and unlikely to ever raise an eyebrow (pulses, however, are another matter entirely ).

Sometimes though - I suppose that would be the aforementioned 1% of the time - I do like to break out of my tried-and-true comfort zone of nail polish choices (in a nod to my early teen years perhaps, when I loved sporting funky hues like lime green and cobalt blue), but even then I usually stick with very soft shades like the colours in the delightfully lovely vintage Revlon ad below.

{Charming 1950s Revlon nail polish ad via sugarpie honeybunch on Flickr.}

 

As one might have deducted from the inclusion of the word "frosted" in the description, this particular line - named rather beautifully Bon Bons de Revlon - debuted in 1959, as the decade neared ever closer to the most frost-filled make-up era of the 20th century.

Thankfully however these hues - with scrumptious sounding names like Pistachio Mint, Pineapple Yum Yum, Champaign Taffy, and Butter Pecan - stopped short of crossing into Priscilla Presley territory and remained more in line with the pastel craze that filled homes and wardrobes alike during the decade.

I love the sweetness of this line's name, the cheerful add with its trays of sweets and fresh cut blooms, and every single one of the nail polishes themselves.

Though these particular Revlon shades have probably long been out of product, one need only glance at them for a minute to recognize colours that are currently available from other lines at all manner of price points.

So while I do like to stick to my timeless reds and pinks most days, I love knowing that if I want to don pale, pearly blue or marigold yellow nail polish once in a while, I (and you!) can do so and still be wonderfully, authentically true to the styles of the 1950s. Now that’s c'est bon indeed!

Vintage 365: Darling vintage Dogette ad for dog nail polish!

 

✯ Day 55 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There are certain vintage finds that can't help but put a wide grin on your face. They're those images or items that someone how seem so off-beat, so quaint, so entirely irreverent compared to the ways things are generally supposed to be that they instantly become likeable. "Give me a 'for instance', Jess", I hear you say. Delighted to! :)

Ladies and gents, I present a vintage ad for Dogette Nail Enamel: nail polish for your favourite canine companion. Matching was big in the 1950s (not of course, that there's anything wrong with that - I can think of few things more lovely than matching one's lipstick and nail polish, and do so myself quite frequently), from home decor (think kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms in primarily one colour) to identically hued hats and shoes, it was seen as classy and classic at the time to colour coordinate.

{Wonderfully interesting Vintage Dogette Nail Enamel poster, measuring 18 x 12.5 inches, $19.99 from All Posters.}

 

Evidently, thanks to the fine folks at Dogette, you could match your dog's claws (nails) to many popular fashion and automobile shades of the day. As we can see in this delightful vintage ad, Dogette came in a range of au currant mid-twentieth century colours, from whisper pale lilac to bold sky blue, these hues were definitely going to get your pretty (and pampered) pooch noticed. (Can't you just imagine regal, highly groomed 1950s poodles sporting perfectly manicured nails?)

While Dogette may seem like a rather strange product (after all, it is a cosmetic product for dogs!), the brand (for whom I honestly could not find much information at all; if anyone knows more about this company, please don't hesitate to share your knowledge in the comments) was decades ahead of their time. In recent years a handful (pawful) of companies have hit the market with their own lines of dog nail polish. It would seem though Dogette has gone the way of the Molossus of ancient Greece (which is a shame, their logo and packaging was downright adorable).

Color Paw (which comes in a wide array of colours) and OPI's Pawlish are two of the best known brands of dog nail (both companies produce formulas that differ from human nail polish and which are safe for use on dogs) on the market today, proving that sometimes even the quirkiest of yesteryear beauty products - be it for people or pets - has staying power.