Lipstick

Edna and Elsie (Mum) 1930s

Yesterday’s blog about Auntie Edna elicited this Facebook thread started by my cousin once removed. 

 

FifiD  Absolutely lovely tribute to such a beautiful and missed relation.

I used to spend two weeks with her in the summer during school holidays.  It was always fun.   

I can see her now putting on her lippy … love and miss her xxx

Bentonbag  Did she do what Mum used to? Top lip well defined then roll lips together to smudge the lipstick onto the bottom lip.

FifiD  Exactly that!!! I was mesmerised by the performance!!!!

Bentonbag  I do the same.

Bess Cavalier  My mother used to put her lipstick on like that as well. I wonder if it was a wartime thing to make lipstick go further by only putting it on the top lip and then smudging onto the lower lip?

Bentonbag  Either that or a pre-war Depression thing when they also had to make things go a long way.  Auntie Ed worked as a barmaid in the Victory at South Gosforth and Mum said she washed, and hung up, her stockings every night, before going to bed, for the next day so that the pair she had lasted as long as possible.

Cousin Daisy  I remember that Ben. One of her customers was “in the know”.   

She was in the posh end* and as you can imagine everyone thought a lot about her.    

She worked 7 till 10 and I used to make fudge when she was out plus looking after my little brother.  Waltie’s in his allotment and happy times there.    

She was a great saver unlike her wayward daughter.   

Only got a shilling** a week pocket money then.  The week I was given two bob I didn’t want to spend it but my Dad (Waltie) said “I know the winner on the November handicap give me it” and the horse won £3 twelve shillings and sixpence, I was so so rich.  I bought a bathing costume with the money £3 12 and sixpence exactly.   

That was during the war and I had an old bather.  Thought I was Esther Williams.

*The Lounge as opposed to the Public Bar.

**Pre-decimalisation (1971) there were 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings (240 pennies) in a pound.  When the currency was decimalised a pound became 100 ‘new pence’, and shillings became 5 new pence.   

In old money a ‘bob’ was a shilling, a ‘tanner’ sixpence, a ‘florin’ two shillings and ‘half a crown’ was two shillings and sixpence.