A Face for the Camera

"We have only one face and we might as well do something with it." The speaker, Polish-born Mala Rubinstein, niece and operations chief to Cosmetician Helena Rubinstein, last week gave Manhattan's WPIX televiewers the lowdown on how to make up for TV.

The advice came not a minute too soon. The Republican Convention had proved that most people's unretouched faces look terrible on the TV screen (TIME, July 5). Helena Rubinstein leaped into the breach with television preparations suitable for statesman or starlet.*

The camera showed Mlle. Mala, a pretty actress named Irene Champlin and a Rubinstein operator named Nicky. "I am ready for the new look in make-up," Irene announced. But before going to work on the skin Mlle. Mala gave Irene a "person-alysis" (standard Rubinstein treatment). "If you want to be a good actress," she said, "concentrate on it. Without hard work we just achieve nothing." Delivered of this thought, Mlle. Mala told Nicky to "oval out [Irene's] jaws . . . utilize the cheekbones . . . bring more personality to the eyes . . . give the lips a little bit more luscious look."

In ten minutes the treatment was over. Irene still looked pretty but somewhat different. "Oh! There is an improvement," she said. "I am quite thrilled . . ."

After the program, Mlle. Mala stated a few general rules for television makeup. Men should first shave, then apply a foundation cream tinted to suit the complexion. Eye shadow and eyelash cream are also important. Mlle. Mala thinks it is too bad that most men shy away from makeup. Women need a dark foundation to disguise "blotches and blemishes," plenty of shadow for double chins, two different shades of brown powder on the cheekbones, non-running mascara on the eyelids, a touch of eyebrow pencil. Lipstick depends on lighting: Mlle. Mala wore blue on her first TV appearance, last week had switched to brown.

*Thus far, Rubinstein has scooped her longtime rival Elizabeth Arden, who does not plan to push cosmetics for television until TV lights are standardized. NBC's experts use regular theatrical make-up (Stein's and Max Factor's).

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.