Max Factor Sr.

Max Factor Sr. (1877–1938) was a Polish-American makeup artist and entrepreneur who founded the Max Factor cosmetics company and developed makeup suited to motion-picture cameras.

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Hollywood studio system: A production and distribution system in which major film studios controlled much of American filmmaking. Studio productions created demand for makeup that looked convincing under film lights and close-ups.
Greasepaint: A heavy, oil-based theatrical makeup traditionally used to create visible stage characters. Factor adapted theatrical greasepaint into formulations better suited to filmed faces.
Pan-Cake makeup: A water-activated foundation created by Max Factor for use in color motion pictures. Factor developed it to give actors a natural-looking complexion under Technicolor photography.
Hollywood makeup artist: A specialist who designs and applies makeup for performers in film and television production. Factor helped establish screen makeup as a technical craft distinct from ordinary stage cosmetics.
Cecil B. DeMille: An American film director and producer known for large-scale silent and sound films. DeMille’s productions helped establish Hollywood as a center of screen spectacle where specialized makeup mattered.
Panchromatic film: Photographic film sensitive to a broad range of visible wavelengths, including red light. Its wider tonal response exposed flaws in makeup that older film stocks concealed.
Lip gloss: A cosmetic product that gives the lips a shiny finish, sometimes with color. Factor introduced a commercial lip gloss in 1930 to create a luminous screen effect.
Beauty culture: Shared ideals, practices, and industries surrounding physical appearance and personal grooming. His products carried Hollywood styles into public ideas about everyday beauty.
Jean Harlow: An American actress who became a major Hollywood star in the 1930s. Harlow’s platinum-blonde screen image was among the star looks associated with Max Factor’s Hollywood work.
Technicolor: A set of color motion-picture processes used to produce vivid color films, especially in early Hollywood. Color cinematography required makeup shades that appeared natural rather than distorted on screen.