Category: Beauty

Solid Perfume

subtitle: Scent and Sensibility

By Matt Poitras | 10 Mar 10 | Beauty | 7 Comments

Easily applied and alcohol-free, solid perfume has been right under our noses for quite some time. An emerging trend among a throng of chi-chi designers, it is in fact one of the oldest forms of perfume known to man. This tidy, balm-like alternative to the drench-prone atomizer, is an art with a degree of practicality matched only by the extravagance of its reliquary.

Gold and Silver Pomander, 16th Century

7 Comments

Mother Of Pearl

subtitle: Beauty and Brawn

By Aurora Almendral | 3 Mar 10 | Beauty, Materials | 10 Comments

Unlike its flashier progeny, mother of pearl is more than an accessory to a favorite pastel sweater set. As masculine as the grips on Wyatt Earp’s spinning six-shooters, and as feminine as the posy holder dangling from Queen Victoria’s tiniest finger, mother of pearl’s subtle elegance was valued for adornments and accouterments, and lent weight, permanence and beauty to the everyday objects now molded out of disposable plastics.

Gustave Young Engraved Navy Percussion Revolver with Mother of Pearl Handle, 1851

10 Comments

Natural Toothpaste

subtitle: And the Fluoride Controversy

By Penny Kensington | 19 Feb 10 | Beauty | 4 Comments

Toothpaste has been a controversial product from the beginning. Prior to the 1850s, toothpaste was sold as a powder. Tooth powder dates back to Egypt as early as 5000 BC. The ancient Romans added harsh abrasives such as crushed bones, sand and oyster shells to their tooth cleaners.

Colgate Advertising with Brooke Shields, 1975

4 Comments

Safety Razor

subtitle: The Indisposable Shaving Solution

By David Vega | 5 Feb 10 | Beauty, Materials | 4 Comments

I was walking on the beach not long ago and came across a sight not entirely uncommon in Southern California – a pile of trash. Scattered amongst this little hill of debris situated along the foamy line where surf meets sand, was: A plastic lighter, an empty Dasani water bottle and a Gillette disposable razor. Further down the beach lay a Bic ballpoint pen. Now, how is it that both Gillette and Bic, who’ve won over consumers with the offering of cheap lighters, razors and pens, keep us convinced that plastic is the material of choice? When did men’s little personal effects become so cheap, so… disposable?

Gilette Safety Razor Catalog, 1909 / Razor Archive

4 Comments

Body Soap

subtitle: A Brief History of Soap Making

By Jessica Hundley | 29 Jan 10 | Beauty | 6 Comments

The science of soap is more complex than one might imagine, requiring at least a rudimentary knowledge of chemistry. Even the most basic ingredients of soap rely on key reactions with other ingredients — a give and take that makes you wonder how we ever figured out soap in the first place. It makes some sense then, that the creation of cleansing products was supposedly discovered by accident.

Ivory Soap Advertising with WWI Soldiers, 1919 (Click on Image to Read the Homoerotic Undertone)

Ivory Advertising with WWI Soldiers, 1919 (Click on Image to Read Copy)

6 Comments

Beeswax

subtitle: The Natural Wood and Leather Polish - and Much More

By Jessica Hundley | 2 Dec 09 | Beauty, Materials, Product Care | 3 Comments

There has been much noise about the possible disappearance of the honey bee in parts of the United States, and the hoopla is certainly for good reason. The bee, as the saying goes, is busy — being an essential cog in the natural cycle of life’s growth and decay. The honey bee is an industrious multi-tasker whose absence would most certainly be missed. Among their indespensible contributions to the environment is a remarkedly useful byproduct that many take for granted — beeswax.

100% Pure Beeswax

3 Comments

Aw Boon Haw

subtitle: The Good Man Behind the World Famous Heat Rub

By Jessica Hundley | 20 Nov 09 | Beauty, Entrepreneurs | 1 Comment

It may be called “hǔbiao wànjīnyóu” in its native tongue, but it’s just Tiger Balm to me. I’ve been using this Chinese remedy since my hippie mom rubbed it on my chest during the cold New England winters of my youth. The burn on my skin still has a calming, comforting effect.

Tiger Balm was invented by Chinese herbalist Aw Chu Kin in the 1870s, using the healing combination of menthol, eucalyptus, clove, cassia and mint oil. Kin had two sons, Aw Boon Haw was a hell-raiser known for street fights and mad business skills while Aw Boon Par was gentle and more reserved. Together, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par would make their father’s tincture a global phenomenon by the early 1930s.

Aw Boon Haw in China 1949

1 Comment

Braun Electric Shaver

subtitle: Goodbye Plastic: Is This the End of Electric Shaving?

By Sebastian Kaufmann | 8 Nov 09 | Beauty, Electronics, Plastic | 19 Comments

When buying electric products, a compromise is likely unavoidable. I feel this way with electronics more than with most other products. This is partly because you never really know what’s inside the shell, and often the shell doesn’t look or feel good to begin with. It usually doesn’t help that they are made out of one of my least favorite materials – plastic.

Braun Micron (5410), 1976

19 Comments

Category: Beauty

Solid Perfume

subtitle: Scent and Sensibility

Mother Of Pearl

subtitle: Beauty and Brawn

Natural Toothpaste

subtitle: And the Fluoride Controversy

Safety Razor

subtitle: The Indisposable Shaving Solution

Body Soap

subtitle: A Brief History of Soap Making

Beeswax

subtitle: The Natural Wood and Leather Polish - and Much More

Aw Boon Haw

subtitle: The Good Man Behind the World Famous Heat Rub

Braun Electric Shaver

subtitle: Goodbye Plastic: Is This the End of Electric Shaving?

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