Guest Post via Louise at the Princess Prudence Diaries

Louise and Pru

Hello. My name is Louise and I live in the Midlands with my husband and our two dogs Prudence and Alfie. I keep a journal blog over at the Princess Prudence Diaries where I write about everything from fashion to travel, cookery to sewing and everything in between. One of my passions is to collect things, and vintage powder compacts in particular.

There was a time when a lady wouldn’t leave the house without her ornate compact, filled with powder to provide glamorous touch ups whenever the dreaded shine would appear on her face. Over time, those traditional powder compacts seem to have lost favour, and the throwaway society that we live in seemed to lean more towards the plain plastic cased disposable type containers that most modern makeup brands proffer. This has made the classic powder compacts of the early to mid 20th Century more of a collectable, something reminiscent of times gone by. My motto though is, just because it’s old doesn’t mean you can’t use it. The perfect example for a collector

I can trace my fascination with the powder compact back to my mother. I vividly remember the black enamel and brass creation that she first bought at an antiques fair when I was a child. With Stratton embossed in the flap underneath the lid, and lots of shiny brass, it was certainly eyecatching. Rather than put it on a shelf though, she opted to buy some corn silk powder, a new application pad and use it. Once I hit my early 20s, I started to become more and more interested in vintage fashion, and thought what could be nicer to take out of my vintage handbag than a beautiful powder compact. With that in mind I bought my own at a vintage fashion fair, and it was here that the lady I bought it off drew my attention to the British Compact Collectors Society. Browsing through their pages drew my attention to the myriad of designs that were available to the interested person, and from here I started building up my own collection. Of course collecting isn’t for everyone, but I doubt there is a woman around who would not like to pull their own glamorous piece of history out of their handbag every now and again in order to ‘powder their nose’.

The first thing to consider when purchasing a vintage powder compact is; what do you want to use it for?

Daily use to be kept in a handbag:

If this is the purpose, then you need to consider how much wear and tear the compact is going to take. If you buy one that is heavily enamelled then frequent knocks could damage the enamel and leave it looking more than a little tatty over a fairly short period. Also, if you buy one with jewels, the jewels may get knocked out. You may want to consider the charm of something that already has a bit of a worn look, but beware, I’ve seen some pretty horrific messes in my time compact shopping which I personally wouldn’t have in my bag at all. It’s also better to try to get one that hasn’t got any powder in it currently. The Daily Workhorse Compact

Use for evenings out and special occasions only:

Whilst this will still be in a handbag, it will be so less often and probably in a smaller handbag with less in it. As such you may want to consider a more ornate design that’s going to turn more heads when you visit the ladies room. If it comes with a little velvet pouch then that’s all the better, and again you may want to try to get something without any powder in it. Something a little more special

Ornamental use only as part of a collection:

This is the part where you can really go to town and you are only really limited by how much you want to pay. Anything from musical compacts to heavily jewelled examples will all look fabulous on a display shelf and since they are never going to be taken out of it, it doesn’t really matter if they have powder in already.

The second thing to consider is how much you want to spend?

You need to be realistic with this. Whilst a good day to day compact might set you back anything from £10 - £25 you need to consider the amount of use and enjoyment you will get from it. If you have more to spend (lucky you) then you can widen your search a bit more, and obviously the more you pay the less damage or signs of wear you should expect to see. For collectable (display) compacts the sky is the limit and really you are only restricted by your finances. After all, this Faberge example sold at Sothebys for a mere £17,500 in 2009.

With an idea in your head now you can start shopping around; of course you want to know what you are looking for. You are most likely to find examples by Stratton, Kigu and possibly Yardley, but there were a myriad of compact designers which included the big houses like Estee Lauder too (who still make very beautiful powder compacts). Whilst eBay is a good place to buy compacts, it’s far better to seek them out at vintage or antique fairs where you can handle them and examine them properly.

First thing to do is look at the outside; Is it badly scratched? Are there any dents in the casing? Worse, are there any dips in the casing that look like someone has sat on it as this might affect the hinges of the compact? Obvious I know, but do you like the design? There are thousands of designs available that vary in shape, size, materials used and pictures on the front and not everyone is going to like every design. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it because it’s a good price… it won’t grow on you. Second open up the compact and be aware of the movement of the lid, do the hinges seem in order, does it open up easily, or does it fly open a bit too easily indicating loose hinges? Inside, is the mirror in good order? Most of the vintage compacts have an interior lid with a little clasp to fasten, is this scratched? Can you see any trademarks clearly and is the hinge and clasp working properly? Below that, what is the general condition of where the powder will be kept, and is the sifter (a little round mesh contraption) in place as that will keep your loose powder in? Mesh Cover for your loose powder

Once you are happy with all of that, close the compact up carefully and ensure that the exterior clasp fastens correctly. The last thing you want is that coming open in your handbag filled with loose powder. Once you’ve found your perfect compact, then you can decide whether a purchase is in order or not.

Once you get your new compact home, give a once over with a dry soft cloth to remove any surface dust and clean over the interior too. Then toddle along to your local boots and ask them to direct you towards some Corn Silk and a new pad for your compact (or fill with a loose powder of your choice). Don’t overfill your compact up, and then pop the mesh over the top of the powder. Shut the first lid tightly, put your pad in, and shut your compact and away you go.

Happy powdering! Louise