Happy Valentine's Day!

After Halloween, Valentine's Day is probably my favorite holiday photo theme.

First, a scan of Rita Hayworth on the cover of the March 1943 issue of Modern Screen magazine, made to look like an actual Valentine card.

The "magazine as a Valentine" was something that the fan magazines did fairly often from the 1930s through the 1950s. Modern Screen was especially fond of doing it. Unfortunately this is the only Valentine-themed magazine that I own, but hopefully I'll come into possession of more in the future!

Joan Leslie as the Queen of Hearts in the 1940s.

Adorable Puerto Rican actress Olga San Juan in 1945.

Nancy Carroll in the 1930s.

Lana Turner posing in front of a giant red velvet heart, 1940s.

Betty Grable's leggy Valentine's Day photos are still very popular. Here's a slightly less common one, from the 1940s.

source: flickr.com

And last but not least, Miss Marilyn Monroe, inside a giant heart wearing a bathing suit with hearts all over it! The photo is from the late 1940s.

New Years Beauty Resolutions

Happy New Year!

The following are beauty tips from the January 1948 issue of Motion Picture magazine attributed to the stars, but most likely were actually written by a magazine staff member.

 

"Irene Dunne" says:

Resolve to attend to all the details that make up the composite of beauty --buttons and snaps sewed on clothes, freshly laundered collars and cuffs, secure straps on slips. Make sure dress hems are straight, likewise heels on shoes. Keep in mind that cleanliness --the daily bath, perspiration control-- even though it may not show, is the keynote to a beautiful woman, makes for a "just-stepped-out-of-the-bathtub" appearance.

 "Rita Hayworth" says:

Resolve always to wear foundation and powder that improve your skintones, never to wear lipstick or nail polish that clash with costume colors. If skin is too ruddy, stay away from face coverings containing pink; do wear them if you're a pale-face or if skin is sallow. Your lipstick wardrobe should hold a rosy red to wear with light neutrals and pastels, a rich blue-red for wine, fuchsia and all shades of blue, a sparkling clear red to complement black, navy, brown, green.

 "Deanna Durbin" says:
Resolve to remove make-up completely and thoroughly every night; most skin faults can be traced directly to improper cleansing. Swish off make-up and surface dirt with cream, rely on soap and water for deep-pore cleansing. If skin is oily, experiment with the new creams that are washed off instead of wiped off; use astringent to subdue oiliness. Dry skin needs lubricating cream after cleansing, always at bedtime.

 "Myrna Loy" says:
Resolve never to be caught with red, roughened hands, with chipped nail polish. Acquire the habit of using hand lotion or cream after every hand-wetting, always dry hands carefully, push back cuticle with towel. Patch up marred nail lacquer immediately, completely change every week. Use one of the new base coats which actually make polish stick for keeps; seal in color with a special top coat. Avoid awkward gestures, use hands with poise and grace.

"Joan Caulfield" says:
Resolve to give locks a thorough brushing every night, wielding your hairbrush from the scalp upward and outward. Shampoo whenever necessary, at least once a week, more often if hair gets oily. Pep up its color with a tinted after-rinse; counteract dryness with cream rinses, cream massages. Give thought to your permanent problems. Consult operator six weeks in advance to see if hair needs treatment, to determine type of wave that's best for you.