The label has always been fascinated by the beauty and sophistication of Parisian women. While TM initially developed its goods towards the middle of the 20th century, it was inspired by independent, self-sufficient women. Its advertising posters always portrayed beautiful, stylish, and seductive French females. Bourjois have upheld this concept until now. Bourjois Evening in Paris 2-0-8 Face Powder. The clear plastic base allowed customers to view the powder shade (US).

Bourjois reception in New York City refurbished with a cream ceiling, green walls with silver edging and a carpet in two tones of gray-green. Worth mentioning is Bourjois’ Mansfield range of men’s shaving toiletries. Introduced in 1936, the line consisted of Mansfield Shaving Soap, Shaving Cream, Talcum, and After Shave Lotion. Bourjois had made shaving products well before this but this range appears to have been specifically developed for Father’s Day which American stores began to heavily promote in the 1930s to help boost flagging sales. Mansfield was not Bourjois’ first fragrance created for men; Chicote was available in the Spanish speaking world by 1935. FranceAdditional Evening in Paris lines added in Britain during the 1930s included: Evening in Paris Toilet Soap, and Vanishing Cream (1931); Solid Brilliantine, Shampoo Powder, Hair Cream, Cold Cream, and Toilet Soap (1932); Evening in Paris Powder Cream (1933); Skin Freshener, Complexion Milk, Astringent Lotion, and Cleansing Cream (1934); Wave Setting Lotion (1935); Eau de Cologne (1936); and Rouge (1938). Clearly most of these were similar to lines already developed for Ashes of Roses. Bourjois Evening in Paris Satin Finish Compact in Texas, Miami, Mexico, and Cuba shades. Note the use of the traditional Evening in Paris pattern rather than Eiffel Towers (UK). The skin-care routine followed the standard practice of cleansing, nourishing, and protecting the skin. Products included: Eau Astringent de Babette, Astringent Cream de Babette, Lait de Beauté de Babette, Cleansing Cream de Babette, Skin Food de Babette; Eau Tonique de Babette, Eau Rafraichissante de Babette, and Protection Cream de Babette. I have found no record of the range appearing in Britain or the United States. Evening in Paris Peaches and Cream Foundation:“A semi-liquid color veil for the skin that doubles the glamour of your face powder. Hides minor surface flaws; plays down tiny surface lines; beneficial as well as beautifying.” Shades: Light, Medium, and Dark. Soir de Paris became available in France and other parts of
Europe in 1929, when conditions were economically very buoyant and initially Bourjois used Babette, the fictional character Bourjois had created in 1924 to promote Mon Parfum and the Fards Pastels, to promote it.

Bourjois had a number of face powders in the American market in 1935 including Java, and Manon Lescaut, two of Bourjois’ earliest face powders; Karess, and Fiancee which had been added to Bourjois through the merger with Woodworth in 1929; and the newer entrants such as Evening in Paris, Springtime in Paris, and Flamme. Enhancing the radiance of your complexion, the inimitable pastel shades and the famous “Sour de Paris” powder, fine and “covering”, in your choice of many skilfully studied colours.

Wertheimer Frères, the French company that controlled Bourjois, Barbara Gould and Chanel, began the new decade by transferring their headquarters from 60-62 Rue d’Hauteville to 43 Avenue Marceau, Paris in February, 1930. However, the French headquarters of Bourjois continued to reside at 60 Rue d’Hauteville until at least 1932. Like the United States, the British Government also raised import tariffs to protect local industry in the early years of the Depression, passing the Import Duties Act (1932) which put a 10% duty on imported goods. Britain also went off the Gold Standard in 1931 which devalued the Pound Sterling. Both developments increased the cost of imports and made local manufacturing more attractive. Release dates for perfumes differed elsewhere. For example, Endearing did not arrive in Britain until 1952, and Roman Holiday until 1959, the same year Springtime in Paris first went on sale in Britain, seventeen years after it debuted in America and France. The manufacturer focuses customers' attention on the fact that beauty is a game. It would be best if you took it easy to create a new image and to highlight accents, rather than sacrificing your individuality for fashion. The company's product lines are full of tools that help create that famous French beauty look and accentuate their individuality.

There are no specialist skin-creams in this routine and the older vanishing cream/loose powder combination is still being recommended as there is nothing in the Evening in Paris series that could replace it. As far as I can tell, the company did not have a tinted foundation (fond de teint) in its range before 1949.New perfume series released by Bourjois during the 1930s in the United States included Springtime in Paris (1932), Flamme (1935), Kobako (1936) and Mais Oui (1939). Springtime in Paris and Kobako were released in France in the same year as America but I can find no record of Mais Oui going on sale in France in the 1930s or any of these new fragrances being available in Britain or the Dominions before the Second World War except for Flamme. Information on the shade range of Bourjois face powders during the decade is also largely missing. In 1940, Poudre Soir de Paris came in Pêche, Rose, Ocrée Chair, Ocre Foncé, and Soleil but there is evidence that the shade ranges of other face powders such as Mon Parfum and Manon Lescaut was more extensive. Another problem for the American company that arose in the 1930s involved its face powders. Like other American cosmetic companies, Bourjois became concerned when Lady Esther began its ‘Bite Test’ campaign in 1935. This suggested that women grind a pinch of their face powder between their front teeth to see if it contained ‘grit’. Most other powders then on the market, including Bourjois’ were not fine enough to pass the test.

The new tax was levied on manufacturers so Bourjois separated the distribution part of its business from the manufacturing side and then paid the tax on the lower price Bourjois Inc. levied its newly created distributor, Bourjois Sales Corp. for the products it manufactured rather than the higher price Bourjois Sales charged for these goods. This lowered the amount of tax the company paid to the Federal Government.

Products

Joseph-Flbert Ponsin was a Frenchman who used to work as a stage actor. Initially, the man was engaged in creating cosmetics, which Parisian actors used for performances. One of the first goods invented by Ponsin was dry blushes. In the second half of the 19th century, such decorative cosmetics did not exist. Entirely naturally, this development created a furore. As previously noted, the Springtime in Paris and Mais Oui series were not introduced into Britain before the war and this may partially explain why the British Evening in Paris series, like the British Ashes of Roses series, appears to have been more extensive than the Evening in Paris range sold in the United States. By the 1930s, the development of cosmetics at Bourjois was primarily driven by the creation of new fragrances rather than new formulations. Each new perfume was developed into a series, its extent depending on the popularity of the fragrance. With few exceptions, all the cosmetics in each new range had already appeared in previous series so there was little need for innovation in formulation. Although profitable, this strategy would prove to be unsustainable in the long term.