Show Us Your Compacts . . .

[Black Dahlia]

Gorgeous compacts everyone! Love seeing what you ladies have.

Find below pics of my favourites, all given to me by my mum. The last one she gave me is the one below that looks like a pocket watch - so cute!

XX
BD

 

[bellabella327]

Dahlia those are gorgeous!

I really need to find me one when I get more money!

 

[Black Dahlia]

Dahlia those are gorgeous!

I really need to find me one when I get more money!

Thank you Bella. You can often find lovely ones on ebay. I prefer to hit the yard sales and flea markets. Sorry the photos are so dark!

X
BD

 

[ZombieGirl]

Anniversary Gift!

Here's my little jewel. I picked it out of course But I still think it was sweet of him to get it for me.

P.S. Hope these pictures post OK... *crossing my fingers*

And yes... That is built in lipstick!

Can't wait!

 

[CherryWry]

I just revisited this thread - ZombieGirl, I love your compact!

Dahlia, how big are those lipsticks? They look sample-sized. I adore wee lipsticks. My mother inadvertently started me collecting vintage compacts and cosmetics when she cleaned out her attic and discovered a ton of Avon rouges and lipsticks from the 1940s and '50s, with some Max Factor and Pond's products thrown in for good measure:

 

[CherryWry]

Sorry about the giant images, I resized them, but photobucket doesn't seem to be cooperating.

 

[Black Dahlia]

I just revisited this thread - ZombieGirl, I love your compact!

Dahlia, how big are those lipsticks? They look sample-sized. I adore wee lipsticks. My mother inadvertently started me collecting vintage compacts and cosmetics when she cleaned out her attic and discovered a ton of Avon rouges and lipsticks from the 1940s and '50s, with some Max Factor and Pond's products thrown in for good measure:

Amazing Cherry - love them! The lipsticks are full size actually, just look small in the pic. The lipstick is still in them..what lovely vintage reds.
X
BD

 

[ZombieGirl]

Thanks Cherry! Kudos on your lipsticks... Gorgeous!

 

[suziemac]

Searching for a vintage American clock compact

Hi,
I wonder if someone can help? My Dad, now 86, bought my Mum a square compact in New York in 1942. It went missing several years ago and I would dearly like to find an identical one for Mum's 86th birthday in December. It was inlaid with tiny square tiles of mirrored glass with a border of blue mirrored tiles. A button on one side, when pressed, made a clock pop up in the top left hand corner. I've been searching for years on every internet site, but without success. If anyone out there has seen such a compact I'd love to hear from you!

 

[Isis]

So many lovelies in this thread!

I have two powder compacts, given to me by each of my grandmothers. One in Art Deco style from the 1930's from Marinello.

Meant to hold both pressed powder and rouge at the same time.

And then I have one from the 1940's in red enamel, from Kigu.

 

[Katue]

Your amazing compacts made me want one for myself!
Just one question - does anyone use them? may be put some loose powder, change the puff?

Thanks,
Kathy

 

[Drappa]

Ohh, what a fun thread! I only have three so far, but can see how collecting them may become addictive...
First a Kigu basket compact

And these two were recent birthday gifts from my husband. I especially love the one with the bee, absolutely adore it.

 

[Drappa]

Your amazing compacts made me want one for myself!
Just one question - does anyone use them? may be put some loose powder, change the puff?

Thanks,
Kathy

The puff in two of mine was in bad condition, so I did buy new puffs from the drugstore. You can use both loose and compact powder, but obviously loose powder could spill easier in your handbag. I have managed to buy a Rimmel compact powder in a cheap plastic case and removed it from the original packaging. It fit perfectly into my Stratton compact. For the other one, I have made a paste from loose powder mixed with surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol and let it dry for 24 hours. There are some great tutorials on this online, for instance http://vixenvintage.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-to-fill-vintage-compact.html

 

[Katue]

Drappa, thanks a lot for the tips!

 

[ThePowderKeg]

Drappa, that KIGU set is stunning. Love the color!

I've been collecting compacts for a while and have some that I use, some that are solely decorative. It can be tough to find one that works well for loose powder--the right screen is the key to keeping the powder in the compact and out of the rest of your purse.

I recently won this Evans compact on eBay.

 

[zombi]

I just bought a Stratton compact -- photo forthcoming -- and it comes with its original screen still in. Does this mean I don't need to make a paste with powder & rubbing alcohol, etc? I can put loose powder in and the screen holds it? Sorry gals, I just want to use it when it comes, and I don't know what it means with screen and so forth.

 

[ThePowderKeg]

The combination of a screen and a puff that fits the compact well *should* be enough to keep the powder in place.

I still test-drive new ones inside a zip-lock bag, though. If I can carry it around all day with minimal powder inside the bag, I know I've got a decent screen/puff combo and ditch the zip-lock. Better to have powder all over the inside of the plastic bag than inside your purse!

 

[DigThatBeat]

Is there a thread for old makeup products? I have some 30s-40s eyeshadow and rouge I want to show off.

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

I'm "renovating" my Dorothy Grey compact, and I'll be trying the powder paste concoction this weekend. But the attached lipstick tube is giving me fits! Its stuck and the mechanism won't roll upwards. I've been sticking it in the oven to melt out the old lipstick, but does anyone have some advice?

 

[DigThatBeat]

Really cool 1924 compact. The powder goes in the bottom and it comes up when you press the center.

Rho-Jan compact.

Richard Hudnut Three Flowers Dainty Twin Compact.

WWII Elgin American powder and lipstick compact. Louisville, KY, October 1941