Who founded 'Max Factor'. See what "Max Factor" is in other dictionaries

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

- (German Faktor from Latin factor making, producing): The reason, the driving force of a process, which determines its character or its individual features. In the right, the sale of a promissory note In finance, an organization, ... ... Wikipedia

Max Factor (August 5, 1877, Lodz August 30, 1938) American businessman of Polish origin, founder of the Max Factor company. He is called the father of modern cosmetics. His first store, which sold ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Form factor. The form factor (from the English form factor) is a standard that specifies the overall dimensions of a technical product, and also describes additional sets of its technical parameters, ... ... Wikipedia

Weber Max- Weber's works Max Weber was born in Erfurt on April 21, 1864. His father was a deputy from the National Liberal Party, and famous lawyers, historians and politicians often visited the house where the future philosopher grew up. He studied at universities ... ... Western philosophy from the beginnings to the present day

Few people know that behind the name of the famous cosmetic brand "Max Factor" there is a very real person named Max Factor, or more precisely, Maximilian Faktorovich. So, it is he who is called "the father of modern cosmetics", and the company he created is considered one of the leading American and world companies in the production of cosmetics. And one more surprising fact - Max Factor was a native of the Russian Empire.


Born Maksymilian Faktorowicz in 1872 in Poland (Zduńska Wola, Poland), in the Jewish family of Abraham Faktorowicz and his wife Cecylia Tandowska. His mother died when Max was only two years old, and his father, who had to work hard, could hardly cope with four children. At the age of 8, Mack was already working - assisting the dentist and helping in the pharmacy. Later, being very passionate about the theater, he worked as an apprentice for a wig maker and also sold sweets in the theater foyer.

At the age of 15, Max already lived and worked in Russia, he was a make-up artist at the Imperial Opera House. At the age of 22, he opened his own shop in Ryazan, where he sold cosmetics - by that time he already knew a lot about cosmetics, if not everything.

The decision to move to America came at the turn of the century. Max had already married by that time, and his wife Esther Rosa decided to follow her brother and go overseas - anti-Semitic sentiments were growing in Europe with might and main. In 1904, the family was already settling in the United States.


By 1908, Max managed to open his own shop in Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California), he sold all the same cosmetics. In those years, the still young cinema was gaining weight, and Max managed to become a pioneer of such innovations as false eyelashes and foundation. He did not forget about the wigs.

Not without misfortune - he buried his wife, and also survived the betrayal of a business partner who simply robbed him. Be that as it may, Max persistently developed his business, and soon young actresses began to look more and more often at Factor's store for advice and goods. The fame of his company grew little by little. Along with sales, he constantly experimented with cosmetics. Max received his official American citizenship in 1912.

In 1914, Max Factor made a fateful discovery - the foundation he invented just perfectly lay on the skin, was not noticeable either in front of the camera or outside, and caused a real delight among women. It was a success. It was then that Max Factor proclaimed his famous rule - make-up cannot be called good if it is noticeable to others.

All subsequent years, he worked a lot on the color scheme of the cosmetics he offered - he had long understood that completely special types and types of cosmetics should be selected for different types and tones of skin.

The fame of wonderful cosmetics went far beyond Los Angeles, the "Max Factor" brand was now the favorite brand of all actresses, as well as ordinary women.

In general, 1909 is considered the year of foundation of Max Factor & Company.

Having established production and sales, Max Factor continued to experiment and improve his products - he traveled a lot around the world, shared his experience and adopted someone else's. It was during one of these trips across Europe, in Paris, where he was with his son, that he received a threatening note demanding money in exchange for life. The police tried to use the bait, but no one showed up for the money in due time. Shocked, Max Factor returned home, after which he immediately fell ill. Soon his heart could not stand it, and Max Factor died. At the time of his death, he was 65 years old, he was buried in the mausoleum of Beth Olem mausoleum in the Hollywood Cemetery. Many years later, his remains were moved to Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City.

The Max Factor & Company cosmetic empire was taken over by the Max family, with his son Frank Factor as CEO. It is known that in total Max had six children, and he was married three times.

Max Factor was called the Hollywood wizard, who laid the foundation for a huge empire, which not only enriched itself, but also made millions of women around the world happy. Max's breakthroughs were continued by his sons - it was "Max Factor" that later stood behind indelible cosmetics, long-lasting lipstick, a blush brush and many, many other inventions, without which the life of modern women is almost impossible today.


Cosmetics and perfumes - we use them every day, and do not think about those who created all these opportunities, to make our skin, eyes, lips, hair, hands more beautiful and attractive? How few names have remained not only in our memory, but in history in general. It's a pity…


When did cosmetics and? What a question? Both can be found in excavations of the most ancient times. But the names of those who created them, made the greatest discoveries for the whole world of beauty, remained in oblivion. Maybe everything to reconsider in your mind, and at least those who remained in the memory of a few, do not forget, do not erase from the history of mankind….


For many, history remains history, and cosmetics are cosmetics. But still…
Let's take a look at the last century, or rather, in the 20s. What was the appearance of a woman of these years? A short haircut "like a boy" was complemented by a blush that looked like a round blot on the cheeks, eyebrows plucked out to the point that it was easy to draw them, a brightly painted mouth and eyes outlined with a black line with green or blue eyeshadow for blondes and black or brown from brunettes. Not many items can be found in the beauty bag of the beauties of that era.



But the 20s have passed, and the makeup mask on the faces of beauties is a thing of the past. In the 30s, women tried to emphasize their beauty as natural, so they did not apply blush with spots, but applied it slightly and shaded it so that the skin was transparent and flawless. It was very difficult. How did Hollywood stars do it? Everything turned out to be simple - the compact powder from Max Factor made the skin natural. In 1938, powder became available to many women in Europe and of course America. But our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did not use this perfection for a long time. Although ..., of course, such a powder was available for women - as they were then called - the wives of party workers.


Max Factor - it was his cosmetics that became a symbol of beauty and perfection. The images of Hollywood stars Vivien Leigh, Greta Garbo, Clara Bow, Jean Harlow and many others were created by the beauty maestro.



Max Factor (Maximilian Abramovich Faktorovich) was born on August 5, 1877 in Poland, in the city of Lodz, which at that time was on the territory of the Russian Empire. The family of the poor Polish Jew was numerous - 10 children.



And still very little Maximilian had to earn money, because his parents needed help. Education was out of the question. He was seven years old. Where could you work at this age? He sold sweets in the lobby of the theater, and here for the first time he met the world that had become dear to him throughout his life. A year later, Max became an assistant pharmacist, where he often stopped his curious gaze on jars and bowls, in which something was mixed, frayed. A naturally inquisitive and conscientious boy himself soon began to try to combine different substances, observing what would come of it. He wasted no time and diligently studied what was entrusted to him, using his observations. In this way, he received his initial knowledge in the field of chemistry, which allowed him, at the age of nine, to get a job as an assistant with a leading cosmetologist and specialist in wigs. And then Max began to make his own creams, blush, and he liked this occupation more and more. His cosmetics and ability to apply it were appreciated, at the age of 14 he moved to Russia and became a make-up artist. When he turned 22, Max Factor opens his own cosmetics store in Ryazan, where he sells creams, lipsticks, perfumes, and wigs of his own making, which he learned to make back in Lodz. Soon, the products of the little Polish Jew were known to many. Max Factor was appointed chief makeup specialist at the Russian Imperial Opera House, and not only. The royal family became interested in his skill. Max becomes a court beautician. He made cosmetic products to order, consulted all the nobility of the court and. But political events, taking place one after another, haunt him not only for himself, but more for his family. And in 1904 he decides to emigrate with his family to America. Max Factor was talented, and he was very dear, and therefore, in order to simply leave Russia, this was out of the question. Then he developed a plan of escape - pretending to be ill, (the complexion of a sick person, it was not difficult for him to make up every day), he achieves a trip to Carlsbad for treatment. Here Max Factor secretly meets with his family and with great difficulty he manages to move to America, where some of his relatives have already been.




And here the fame of him quickly began to spread, regular customers appeared, including Hollywood actors. And this, as you know, is the best advertisement for any creator, be it clothes, shoes or beauty. The fact that Max Factor ended up in America, and besides in Los Angeles, is more likely not an accident, but long-planned plans. After all, it is not difficult to guess where and who will need his skills and knowledge. Certainly not in Russia, where a revolution and civil war were brewing, which killed many like Max Factor. Yes, his work was needed primarily by the actors, and it was the actors of Hollywood. Therefore, already in 1908, Max Factor opened a new store using the funds received in a short time. He is engaged in the manufacture of cosmetics and wigs that were indistinguishable from real hair. Each wig had about 100 - 150 thousand hand-sewn hairs. Could a person with perseverance and patience in work not achieve that popularity, those heights that Max Factor reached. He became so popular with the stars of Hollywood, this citadel of cinema, that before filming, the beautiful actresses, nascent stars, resorted to him with a request to put on makeup.




His name became known not only in Hollywood, everyone already knew about him - from the credits of the films, where he made up the actors. In the 20s, makeup, as mentioned above, looked very unnatural. On the screens of films, the actors were also far from perfect. Max Factor worked through the entire makeup technique (it was he who first used this word from the phrase - to make up, which literally means to draw a face), and became in the first row of the best cosmetologists of the 20s and 30s. His makeup was flawless. He created the image for such stars as Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Gloria Swenson. Max Factor created a make-up with which the actors, even when shot in close-up, looked natural. He used false eyelashes, an eyebrow pencil, mascara brush and a tube-shaped case, and invented many creams and lipsticks. But the most amazing thing about all cosmetics was the compact powder, which was applied in a thin layer with a brush, and it was completely impossible to determine what makeup was on the face. The factor also invented a cream, which is now called tonal, which makes the skin look fresh, well-groomed and natural. “A make-up cannot be considered successful if it is noticeable; he is only good if an outsider cannot guess that you are wearing make-up. " Make-up was Max Factor's passion. To prevent the actors from sweating under the makeup, he came up with breathable makeup. Max Factor created his new cosmetics, always taking into account the lighting on the set, the quality of the film, the needs of the actors and the requirements of the director.



Back in 1918, Max Factor studied and used in practice the color palette of makeup. And when, in the 30s, he allowed himself to open his own studio or, as we now say, a beauty salon, he decided to use everything he had planned earlier to improve his makeup. Taking into account the peculiarities of the color of hair, skin, eyes of women, that is, the color type, Max Factor created 4 rooms: blue -, green - for redheads, pink - for brunettes, peach - for dark-blond. Then it was all the more important, since color films appeared.


In 1938, Max Factor passed away, he was 61 years old. He was at the pinnacle of fame, and it seemed that there was no limit to his imagination in the field of cosmetology ...


But he did have children. The eldest son Frank took the name Max Factor Jr., headed the Empire of Cosmetology and honorably became the successor of his father's work.



For his general contribution to the development of cinematography, Max Factor received an Oscar.
Max Factor has become the best of the best, his cosmetics are being improved and continue to live among us. “For the stars - and for you” - these words are the basis for the whole principle of the Max Factor company.



Name: Max Factor Sr

Age: 65 years

Place of Birth: Zdunskaya-Volya, Russia

A place of death: Beverly Hills, USA

Activity: American businessman

Family status: was married

Max Factor - biography

If not for him, perhaps women would still consider makeup something shameful. Fortunately, Max Factor was born - a man of incredible talent and skill.

Had Maximilian Faktorovich been born into a wealthy family, the history of makeup would have been different. But he had many brothers and sisters to feed. The family lived in the then tsarist Russia, in the town of Zdunska Wola, where it was not easy to find a job. However, this did not bother the boy: at the age of seven he earned his first money.

Maximilian did not disdain any work. At first he worked in the theater - before the performance he sold sweets in the foyer. The most striking impression of that time was the beautiful, painted actresses who let the boy look behind the scenes. At eight years old, he became an assistant pharmacist. He introduced him to chemistry, which the boy was very interested in. And a year later he worked for a famous beautician. Then - at the stylist, where he was taught how to handle wigs.

The young man opened his first shop in Ryazan in 1895. They sold creams, wigs, perfumes - everything was made by him with his own hand. Once a famous theater troupe came to the town. While the tour was going on, the actors now and then ran into Faktorovich's store, not only for shopping, but also for advice. The news of the talented beautician quickly spread, and he was invited to St. Petersburg. Work in the opera house - what else can you dream of? But ahead of Maximilian a much higher step was waiting. Nicholas II liked the actors who performed in makeup and wigs Faktorovich so much that he invited him to work at court.

Faktorovich quickly realized: he was caught, albeit in a golden cage. They did not take their eyes off the talented beautician - they were afraid that he would run away. He even had to marry secretly, and he saw the children who soon appeared only occasionally - when they were released. In addition, anti-Semitic sentiments reigned in Russia, and relatives who settled in America called for them. It was decided to act by cunning.

Maximilian turned to a doctor he knew to help him simulate the disease. With the help of yellowish makeup, they achieved the result. The doctor assured everyone that the beautician needs rest and suggested that they send him to Karlovy Vary. Faktorovich was released, but with guards. Then he managed to escape from her and - long live freedom!

The long Hebrew name was immediately shortened in the American manner - Max Factor. And relatives helped to open their own store in 1904 already in America, in the city of St. Louis.

in 1908 Factor moved with his family to Los Angeles. The new store is located on Hollywood Boulevard. Once, while walking, Max noticed a flock of girls hurrying somewhere. His attention was drawn to how badly they were made up. Following them, Factor found himself on the set.

The makeup of those times was far from perfect. A wild mixture of flour, lard, petroleum jelly and starch dried up on the face, and cracked with any movement of the muscles. It looked disgusting on the screen. But Max knew he could do otherwise.


The makeup artist came up with makeup in the form of a liquid cream. It not only lay perfectly on the skin, but also had 12 shades. On the set, the innovation was accepted with a bang. Following the make-up, in 1914, the prototype of modern mascara appeared, which Factor called "cosmetics for creating drops on the eyes." He melted black wax and applied it to the models' eyelashes.

In 1918, a make-up artist proposed a sensational approach: he said that when choosing cosmetics, one should focus on the color of the hair and eyes, on the proportions of the face. We didn't even think about it before!

Until the 1920s, walking with makeup on your face was considered bad form. It was used only by ladies of easy virtue and actresses. But Factor understood that cosmetics make a woman more beautiful and expressive, and he really wanted the fair sex to understand this.

In 1916, its products went to retail. The ladies grew bolder and began to buy it with pleasure.

Meanwhile, there was no end of buyers. They learned about cosmetic novelties from the movies, having seen the makeup of a particular star, and immediately ran for blush or lipstick to the Factor. In the meantime, he continued to work for the benefit of cinema. So, in 1926, Max invented a special waterproof makeup, and two years later he created a line for black and white cinema. In 1929, when sound appeared in films, filming requirements changed. We needed a make-up resistant to heat - Max Factor created that too.

He was a great experimenter. For example, I once decided to test how long-lasting a new lipstick is. Initially, it was tested by female employees, but soon the girls got tired. And then Max came up with a "kissing machine." She represented male and female lips that merged in a kiss. The ladies were wearing lipstick. The result was determined by the number of prints after which the lipstick was erased.


Factor was friends with many stars who were happy to appear in advertising for his products for a symbolic fee of $ 1. They did not disappoint in 1935, when Factor invited them to the opening of his "Makeup Studio". It was interesting because the space inside was divided into four rooms. Blondes were invited to blue, red-haired young ladies were expected in green, brunettes in pink, and dark blond in peach. It was impossible to pass by the amazing design called the "Beauty Calibrator". They put it on the girls' heads and measured the parameters of the face. So it was possible to most accurately choose the makeup that will mask the imperfections in appearance.


The last high-profile invention of Max Factor was the famous "pancake", which appeared in 1937. It was makeup for color cinema, presented in a pressed form in a jar. Max worked on its creation together with his sons. The finest hour of "pancake" came during the filming of the film Vogues of 1938 ("Wok of 1938"). In the credits for the film, it was first stated: "Makeup from Max Factor."


How many more discoveries awaited us, if not for a stupid accident that cut short the life of a great makeup artist and businessman ... In 1938, Factor traveled with his son across Europe. In Paris, Max received an anonymous letter demanding that he pay $ 200. Otherwise, death. The amount was scanty for him, moreover, this story had no continuation - the extortionist no longer reminded of himself. But the 65-year-old Factor was so scared that he soon fell seriously ill. The disease ended in death.

After the death of his father, his son Frank took a pseudonym and became Max Factor Jr. He did not want the famous name to fade into oblivion.

In 1973, Max Factor Jr. sold the company to the pharmaceutical giant Procter and Gannble. The reason is simple - there was no one to transfer the business to. Alas, not all the descendants of the "Hollywood wizard" turned out to be worthy successors of the family. And his great-grandson was even sentenced to a huge prison term for drug use and a series of rapes.

However, the brand is still thriving as women all over the world want to be beautiful.