It’s my birthday on May 4th and so this week’s blog post is all about birthday’s (vintage photos, ads, magazines & more from the 1940s-1960s) in honour of this special day. Enjoy!

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s housewife holding a birthday cake with red lipstick, pearls and birthday balloons behind her

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Birthday Photos, Advertisements & More!

September 1949, SEVENTEEN Magazine “Birthday Issue” featuring two well dressed women blowing out birthday candles on a giant cake.

1950s vintage magazine cover Seventeen magazine from September 1949 featuring two young women in late 1940's dresses blowing out birthday cake candles

Source: Pinterest

1950s Domino Can Sugar for icings and frostings perfect for a little girls birthday cake.

I am personally not a cake lover, I love pie. Any kind of pie. YUM! How about you?

Further Reading: Vintage Cake Ideas As Seen Thru 1920s-1950s Ads

1950s vintage ad for Domino Sugar featuring an illustration of a little girl looking at a big frosted birthday cake.

Source: Pinterest

Cherry-Blush Nut Cake vintage recipe – LIFE magazine, 1942.

1940s Vintage Cake Ad / Vintage Baking Recipe: Cherry-Blush Nut Cake - LIFE magazine, 1942

1960s vintage photo of a Woman holding a heart shaped birthday cake while her mom looks on. Love their hair and 1960s dresses.

1960s vintage photo of a woman holding a heart shaped birthday cake with candles it while in a 1960s dress with her mom standing behind her also in a pretty 1960s dress.

Source: Etsy-therescuedphoto

“Who’s afraid of BIRTHDAY CANDLES?” 1940s vintage advertisement for Ivory Soap.

Source: Pinterest

“Please use these to light your birthday cake”. A fun 1950s novelty matchbook from Hallmark wishing a happy birthday to whomever receives this gift.

Source: Etsy-SanDiegoVintage

Now take the matches from above and light those birthday candles! 1950s Betty Bolling birthday candles in the original box. Fun illustration on the boxes.

Happy Vintage Birthday Party! 1950s Betty Bolling birthday candles in the original box. Fun illustration on the boxes.

Source: Etsy-pinkchicboutique

March 1949, Sharon Jones (the adorable girl in the center of the picture getting ready to cut her birthday cake) celebrates her birthday at Mrs. Howard’s nursery school.

Late 1940s vintage photo of a group of young Black kids celebrating a birthday party at a nursery school. They are all wearing party hats and waiting for the birthday girl to cut the cake.

Source: National Museum of American History

“Hi Sister! Happy Birthday! A lovely 1960s birthday card featuring young women in fantastic early 1960s fashions playing records.

1960s vintage birthday greeting card / vintage birthday card featuring an illustration of young women playing records in early 1960s fashions

Source: Worthpoint.com

1944 Birthday Party Stand-Up Cut-Out Dolls for girls and boys. Cute 1940s fashions for kids (avail for purchase as a PDF).

Source: Etsy-PastPaperPrettiesCo

1950s vintage photo of birthday cakes from 1959 for a boy and girl turning 3 who are also twins. Adorable!

1950s vintage photo of a boys and girls birthday cakes for the age of 3 from 1959. Adorable twins!

Source: eBay

“Happy Birthday! 27 Songs for fun and frolic”. The vintage album cover is possibly from the 1960s.

Vintage 1960s (possibly) album cover for songs to play at a birthday party. The vintage album cover features a boy and a girl in party hats eating cake.

Source: Pinterest

1957, “Happy Happy Birthday Baby” from ‘The Tune Weavers‘.

The record entered both the Billboard pop and R&B charts in September 1957, reaching no. 5 on the pop chart and no. 4 on the R&B chart (Source).

Take a listen to this popular song below (video link).

“Fred Waring’s New Happy Birthday Song”. 1950s sheet music for piano, vocal & guitar.

1950s sheet music for Happy Birthday Song from Fred Waring featuring an illustration of a birthday cake. The sheet music is for piano, guitar & vocal.

Source: Etsy-Memoryvillelane

“When out-of-town family or family have a birthday..Telephone your Greetings”

1956 magazine ad for Bell Telephone (Canadian company). Great image of children having fun at a birthday party. Includes long distance rates to and from a few major cities.

Source: Atticpaper.com

“Birthday Surprise” Jello Mold Birthday Cake! 1950s or 1960s. The ad even has the vintage recipe so you can make it yourself.

Source: Chronicallyvintage

1940s birthday card. I just adore our young woman’s hair and 1940s clothing. So cute!

1940s Birthday Card / 1940s Birthday Greeting Card featuring an illustration of a young woman with her birthday cake in 1940s fashions & 1940s hairstyle

One more birthday card, this time from the 1950s featuring a young woman in saddle shoes and a plaid skirt chatting on the phone.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Saddle Shoes

1950s birthday card featuring an illustration of a young woman on the phone in a plaid skirt and saddle shoes and a cute 1950s hairstyle.

Cheers to Barbs birthday! 1960s vintage photo of an adult birthday party celebration, complete with an adult beverage.

Further Reading: Mini Guide To Holding The Ultimate 1950’s Themed Party

1950s 1960s vintage photo of an adult birthday party complete with a birthday cake and an alcohol beverage. One lade has cat eye glasses.

Source: Pinterest

Thank you so much for dropping by and taking a look at my vintage birthday blog post. I truly appreciate every single reader even if it’s just for one time (which I hope it’s not).

Further Reading: Vintage Advertising 1920s-1960s (archived posts) & Vintage Photos 1920s-1960s (archived posts)

Liz

From flapper girls to pin-up dolls, vintage makeup ads not only sold cosmetics but also sold a lifestyle.

Join me as we dive into the captivating world of vintage beauty as seen in these iconic advertisements from the 1920s-1950s.

1950s vintage advertisement for Maybelline makeup-Before and after as seen on a 1950s woman.

(Note: These ads are also perfect vintage beauty / hair & fashion inspiration for when you are looking to recreate an authentic look from your era of choice.)

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

Vintage Makeup Advertisements 1920s-1950s

“Try Maybelline Eye Shadow”. 1920s makeup ad featuring an fantastic example of dark eyeshadow on our 1920s lady.

1920s makeup ad for Maybelline eyeshadow featuring an illustration of a 1920s woman with dark eyeshadow. Fantastic 1920s makeup ideas

Source: Pinterest

A 1920s flapper applies her mascara in this vintage advertisement from Maybelline.

1920s vintage makeup advertisement for mascara from Maybelline featuring a 1920s flapper

Source: Pinterest

“Touches of Loveliness by Vivaudou” -1920s advertisement for talcum, face powder, lipstick & rouge.

1920s vintage makeup advertisement for Vivaudou cosmetics featuring an art deco illustration of beauty products

Source: eBay

“It’s THIS NEW MAKE-UP that is Hollywood’s Secret of Attraction”. 1930s Max Factor ad featuring four 1930s movie stars showing off the makeup.

Vintage 1930s Max Factor Cosmetics Print Ad featuring classic Hollywood movie stars promoting their makeup.

Source: eBay

“Artists and Models say…Choose your makeup by the color of your eyes”. Marvelous The Eye-Matched Makeup by Richard Hudnut. 1930s advertisement.

The Eye-Matched Makeup by Richard Hudnut - 1930s vintage magazine ad / 1930s vintage makeup ad.

Source: eBay

1937 Avon Cosmetics advertisement…”Gifts you friends will love”.

Fun Liz fact: I sold Avon in the 90s but I did a horrible job and I only bought them which made me no money. Ha!

1937 AVON COSMETICS advertisement. Fun 1930s makeup ad.

Source: eBay

1939 Pond’s Ad: “Now Fashion Says: “Be Feminine”. Pond’s answers with 4 soft Summer Shades of powders”

1930s vintage makeup ad: Pond's Ad: Four New Summer Shades of Pond's Powder ! from 1939 featuring a young woman in a late 1930s evening gown with a young man and then at the beach in a late 1930s bathingsuit.

Source: eBay

“Matched spring make-up….Dorothy Gray Portrait Make-Up Set”.

I love the 1940s hairstyle on the illustrated woman showing off the lipstick, face powder & rouge.

Source: Pinterest

“Soprano over the Atlantic”- A 1944 DuBarry advertisement.

During WW2 when the Women went to work on the Homefront or abroad, maintaining a beautiful look was considered mandatory. This started with red lipstick.

“Miss Damant is doing a man’s job for the duration (air traffic control). But she’s keeping pretty and womanly as ever with DuBarry Beauty Preparations”. “She is shown here wearing “Rose Cerise”, that exciting DuBarry Lipstick keyed to Spring’s new costume colors”.

Further Reading: World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Homefront Posts

1940s vintage makeup advertisement / 1940s vintage ad featuring a woman during WW2 working as an Air Traffic Controller while wearing makeup by DuBarry.

Source: eBay

1940s vintage ad: Pond’s face powder and lipstick.

Another cute 1940s vintage hairstyle example as well.

1940s vintage advertisement for lipstick and face powder from ponds featuring an illustration of a 1940s woman with a 1940s hairstyle

“Revlon’s Fashion Plate Cream Wafer”. 1948 make-up ad featuring a very fashionable model in the style of the “Dior New Look“.

1948 Revlon Make-Up Vintage Ad for cream foundation you just use your fingers to apply. The image features a woman in late 1940s dress and hairstyle. Very much the "Dior New Look".

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

“2 make you twice as lovely”. “Make-up Cake + Powder..Shade-Matched…Both in one box. New Jergens Twin Make-up”. 1940s magazine advertisement.

1940’s Jergens Twin Cake Makeup Cosmetic Beauty Magazine Ad

Source: eBay

1950s makeup advertisement for ‘Madam Walker Cosmetics’ featuring makeup for darker skins tones.

INTERESTING FACT: Madam C.J. Walker looms large among Black pioneers. She was a sharp businesswoman in the late 1800s and early 1900s, becoming the country’s first self-made female millionaire after turning her beauty / hair-care company into an empire—employing up to 20,000 sales agents and opening an eponymous manufacturing company in Indianapolis in 1910 (source).

1950s vintage makeup ad for women with darker skin tones featuring a Black model with her makeup from Madam Walker Cosmetics.

Source: vintagehairstyling.com

1950’s Solitair “Moisture Miracle Make-up” contest ad. “Your vote will help choose Campana’s College Beauty Queen”. The winner will then go on a 10 day trip to the luxurious Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Hawaii. WOW!

What Beauty Queen would you have voted for?

1950's Solitair "Moisture Miracle Make-up" contest ad. "Your vote will help choose Campana's College Beauty Queen". 1950s vintage makeup advertisement

Source: eBay

1954 Angel Face by Pond’s. “Today’s #1 make-up-in two glorious Summer shades!”

I was drawn to the fun polka-dots in this ad and just had to add it.

1950s Makeup Ad / 1950s vintage advertisement for Angel Face by Ponds-Face Powder.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

If you needed a little extra money you could always sell the makeup you wear, as seen in this Lucky Heart cosmetics 1950s (possibly early 1960s) advertisement.

“Lucky Heart “Color-Keyed” Cosmetics can bring you $65 to $250 extra, regularly!”

Further Reading: The Vintage Advertisements for “Work from Home!” Jobs

Source: vintagehairstyling.com

Do you need help with your vintage makeup look? Then look no further then the following tutorials booklets you can buy right now (note: they are in PDF format, so you can start working on your makeup right away)!

“1940 The New Art of Make-Up” booklet. Inside includes instructions from Max Factor on applying makeup which is demonstrated by some of the popular actresses of the time such as Ida Lupino and Eleanor Powell.

1940s Vintage Makeup Instructions: "1940 The New Art of Make-Up" booklet. Inside includes instructions from Max Factor on applying makeup which is demonstrated by some of the popular actresses of the time such as Ida Lupino and Eleanor Powell. Fantastic vintage 1940s hairstyles on the cover.

Source: Etsy-livydarling

“Glamorize Yourself the Hollywood Yay..Make-up-and LIVE!” 1953 beauty tip booklet that includes guidance on skincare and make-up as well as some information on nailcare and haircare.

1950s Vintage Makeup: "Glamorize Yourself the Hollywood Yay..Make-up-and LIVE!" 1953 beauty tip booklet.

Source: Etsy-livydarling

What a fun post to put together! And so many advertisements, I might have to break this post down in the future into various categories (like just lipstick or hair products).

Please share in the comments section below what you favourite ad was, or any fun stories / memories you might have around this topic. I love hearing from my readers!

Further Reading: Vintage Advertising 1920s-1960s (archived posts)

Thank you for dropping by!

Liz

Category: Vintage Advertising

Charming Vintage Birthday Photos, Advertisements & More!

Vintage Birthday Photos, Advertisements & More!

Vintage Makeup Advertisements

Vintage Makeup Advertisements 1920s-1950s