Pure Beauty

Makeup Museum lands exclusive gift shop deal with Nordstrom

By Sarah Parsons | Published: 27-Feb-2020

The New York City space dedicated to the history of beauty will sell limited edition designs and a curated range of 1950s-inspired products

The Makeup Museum, the ‘world’s first’ museum dedicated to the history of beauty, has landed a retail deal with Nordstrom.

The department store chain will stock the museum’s gift store with beauty essentials as well as designs that are exclusive to the educational space.

To kick off the partnership, Nordstrom will provide the Makeup Museum with products to support its upcoming ‘Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America’ exhibition.

Visitors will be able to purchase eye make-up to help achieve the 50s cat eye, popular fragrances from the era, a curation of red lipsticks as well as limited edition tote bags and compact mirrors.

Meanwhile, shoppers at popular Nordstrom stores can buy Makeup Museum-themed products.

“Iconic retailers were an important part of the retail experience for the 1950s beauty consumer, and so much more than just a place to shop," said Doreen Bloch, co-founder of the Makeup Museum


Beauty icon Marilyn Monroe's products will be on display

Beauty icon Marilyn Monroe's products will be on display

"There was a true thrill of getting to see and feel the latest products on the market first-hand."

Open from 1 May, the Makeup Museum’s first exhibition will showcase one-of-a-kind products and personal items from 1950s starlets including Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo.

Products expected to appear include Max Factor’s Creme Puff foundation and skin care by Erno Laszlo.

Rachel Goodwin, Makeup Artist, and Makeup Museum co-founder, added: "A great example of a 1950s era beauty retailer is the one recently depicted in the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which illustrates perfectly how much at the heart of the retail experience the beauty counter was for the women of that time.

"Women flocked to these modern temples not only to discover new products and trends, but also to take part in a cultural and social experience as well.

“Our hope at the Makeup Museum is to provide our visitors with a small window into what that type of retail environment would have felt like for the consumer of that era by offering a current range of hero products through a unique historical lens."


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