Yale Joel/LIFE
Again within the Nineteen Fifties, cosmetics testing was much more, let’s say, eccentric than as we speak’s strategies. One delightfully odd instance was lipstick analysis: to make sure the product’s sturdiness, vibrant colour, and security, a devoted workforce of feminine testers was tasked with smooching keen gents.
Yale Joel/LIFE
However right here’s the kicker—the first requirement for these male volunteers was full baldness. Why baldness, you ask? Properly, the bigger, smoother floor space offered by shiny, hairless heads ensured lipstick marks would stand out prominently. This allowed scientists to exactly measure colour longevity and verify for pores and skin reactions. Certain, it was unconventional (to place it mildly), however that’s how of us again then made positive cosmetics have been examined on actual human beings—with fashion.
Yale Joel/LIFE
Famend photographer Yale Joel captured this quirky experiment for LIFE journal, leaving us with delightfully peculiar snapshots from an period when lipstick trials have been a head-turning affair—fairly actually!
Yale Joel/LIFE
Yale Joel/LIFE
