Yvonne Martin London

03/09/2026

BEAUTY THROUGH THE AGES · (HOLLYWOOD, 1947)

Before the ice rollers and cryotherapy🌟

This woman is wearing Max Factor Jr.’s experimental “Ice Mask”.

Those aren’t loose ice cubes - this mask had plastic cube-shaped compartments filled with water and frozen. It was created to cool actresses faces under the hot studio lights without ruining their makeup. And was very effective with reducing puffiness after Hollywood parties.

(image originally published in Science Illustrated 1947.)

02/09/2026

Elizabeth Arden & Helena Rubinstein

(Beauty & Ambition with a dose of Rivalry)

They were important architects of the beauty industry in building two of history’s greatest beauty empires.

What Arden and Rubinstein did exceptionally well was transform “beauty” into a sophisticated international business They branded skincare, beauty “science,” aspirational advertising, elegant packaging and luxurious salons.

Their professional beauty Culturists gave individual consultations, advising each client on a complete beauty routine.

Helena Rubinstein opened her first salon in Melbourne in 1902, later expanding to London, Paris and New York.

Elizabeth Arden opened her famous Red Door salon on Fifth Avenue in 1910.

Their New York rivalry began around 1915, when Rubinstein arrived in the city.

By the 1930s, both women had become extraordinarily powerful international beauty entrepreneurs.

They apparently never met, but their rivalry continued for decades. However both remained dominant forces in beauty into the 1950s and early 1960s.

20/08/2026

BEAUTY HISTORY……..

“Strange, ingenious and sometimes completely bonkers beauty practices from different eras.”

THE DIMPLE MAKER · 1936

Isabella Gilbert of Rochester, New York, in 1936 introduced her rather extraordinary “Dimple Maker.”

The contraption fitted around the face, with two little k***s pressing firmly into the cheeks - supposedly training the face to develop dimples.

The instructions reportedly advised wearing it for around five minutes at a time, two or three times a day, while dressing, resting, reading or writing.

But did it actually work?

Despite their claims, the American Medical Association later dismissed the Dimple Maker as ineffective. In 1947, it included the device among others, that was regarded as medical quackery.

Modern plastic surgeons similarly explain that pressure devices might produce a temporary indentation, but are not a reliable way of creating the anatomical change responsible for a true permanent dimple.

Interestingly, I can’t find any original before-and-after photographs showing that the device actually created permanent dimples. 😄

19/08/2026

Mission accomplished 🙌

Creating cleansing balms and body balms for case studies. Love my new 2 ring stove for making one offs and tiny batches. They smell gorgeous ❤️

Now let’s see the results.

06/08/2026

04/08/2026

Testing !!

Using Universal PH strips

When the ph is problematic & I need the product under 5.5 - 8 strips later.
The process of making 1-2-1 products is one of serious concentration - losing focus for seconds can mess up the whole project. One product seems to take forever! 🤔😅

I’m nearly finished my 2 year formulation course using essential oils, other ecocert ingredients plus really understanding & learning the chemistry.

Roll on September!! I’ll be honest Its extremely challenging, but incredible 💫

23/07/2026

It’s all about figuring it out what’s right for you as an individual. Everyone is unique.

Such as what skincare to choose from and when to use it.

Which healthy food and nutrition programme. Or the best type of movement.

Plus in clinic face and body treatments there are so many choices.

On top of that; it’s the time and patience to do it or most of it.

22/07/2026

Kintsugi

The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. So fascinating.

Kintsugi is about repair, resilience and transformation. It’s not about pretending the cracks never existed. They’re not hidden; they become part of the object’s beauty and story

I like to think of our own imperfections (and life experiences) in the same way with our body and mind.

I see quality skincare as the “gold” in repairing, regenerating to reveal healthy, glowing skin.

The same can be said for the choice of “food “ we eat, our “thoughts” and our energy levels. All this plays a huge part in shaping the health & beauty we carry on both the inside and outside.

Beauty is not about perfection. It needs to be looked at in a very different way.

14/07/2026

A Bergamot Ritual

For day or evening. A lovely way to enjoy the aroma.

Add 10–20 drops of bergamot essential oil to your diffuser (following your diffuser’s instructions) breathe in the aromas whilst in your warm bath.

After bathing, massage apricot kernel oil onto damp skin. This helps lock in moisture, and leaves your skin feeling nourished.

Finish with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Bergamot gives this tea that distinctive aroma. Take a few quiet minutes for yourself.

Sometimes beauty isn’t another product. It’s a ritual.

Apricot Kernel Oil
- Apricot kernel oil is cold-pressed from the kernel (the seed) inside the apricot stone, not from the fruit itself.
- Rich in oleic & linoleic fatty acids. This helps support the skin’s natural barrier and leaving the skin smooth and nourished.
- Its lightweight texture absorbs well, making it suitable for many skin types.

It’s one of my favourite base oils for both facial and body formulations.

Bergamot
Around 90% of the world’s bergamot is grown along the coast of Calabria in southern Italy. This extraordinary citrus has been treasured for centuries, not for its juice, but for the precious essential oil found in its peel.

Whether used in a diffuser, personal inhaler or a thoughtfully crafted blend, bergamot is loved for its ability to feel both uplifting and calming at the same time. Many people reach for it during moments of stress, mental fatigue or when they simply want to bring a little more light into their day.

If using bergamot on the skin, it should always be properly diluted in a carrier oil. Also it’s best to avoid sun exposure afterwards, as it can increase photosensitivity. I suggest using bergamot FCF (bergapten-free)

01/07/2026

The Beauty Archive
Late 1940s – Early 1950s

“YOUR FACE IS YOUR FORTUNE”

(Safe guard it as you would a fortune 🌟)

I found this fascinating advertisement for this “Facial-Form Studio Massager - described as an “automatic self-massage.”

This home device promised to:

smooth wrinkles
prevent crow’s feet
firm sagging muscles
reduce double chin
bring colour to the cheeks

Of course, these claims were exaggerated, but the principle behind them remains the same: our desire to look and feel more youthful. Long before microcurrent, lasers and injectables, people recognised that massage could stimulate circulation and temporarily improve facial tone.

I find it fascinating to look back through the history of our profession. Some ideas disappeared for good, while others have gradually evolved into the manual techniques and advanced technologies we still use today.

Would you have tried this?