Which Compact Mirrors Fit Max Factor Creme Puff, Rimmel Stay Matte, Constance Carroll And Miss Beauty Foundation?
This is a guide to help you find a beautiful vintage powder compact to hold your favourite face powder, whether it is Max Factor, Rimmel, Constance Carroll, Miss Beauty or Estee Lauder Lucidity.
We stock compacts that will hold all of these brands of pressed foundation at The Vintage Compact Shop.
All the Rimmel lines - Stay Matte, Kind & Free and Natural Bronzer are suitable for many of the compacts we have in stock.
All the above brands have pans of foundation powder that measure 67 mm in diameter, which is the size of the powder wells in many of the powder compacts which were made in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and also more recent models.
Which models of compacts are suitable?
To understand which compacts are suitable for pressed foundation powder you only have to look at the construction of the compact mirror and to know the diameter of the powder well.
Once you have this information it is easy to see which vintage compact mirrors are suitable.
These are compact mirrors which do not have full inner lids.
Just in case you do not understand what this means the image below shows a vintage powder compact with a full inner lid. The inner lid is raised at a 90 degree angle to show the powder well containing the colourful puff.
All compact mirrors with full inner lids were made only for loose face powder or as handbag mirrors.
STRATTON LOOSE POWDER COMPACT WITH FULL INNER LID
During the early 1950s most of the major specialist manufacturers of powder compacts began to understand that the new formulations of compressed face powders were gaining popularity.
Pressed foundation had become more natural looking.
It is easy to use and does not spill.
The compact makers set about producing compact mirrors that could hold compressed face powder, as well as loose face powder.
These are named convertible compacts.
In terms of vanities, convertible means that they could hold both loose and compressed face powder.
The makers of Stratton branded vanities named their ranges and included the affix of convertible to the names to show customers which models were suitable for both types of foundation.
Other makers followed suit.
Kigu, Mascot, Mappin & Webb, Melissa, Regent of London, Turner & Simpson, Margaret Rose, Yardley, Henry Clifford Davis and other makers also made convertible compacts.
The Stratton models listed below are suitable for pressed foundation 67 mm diameter refills.
1. Convertible.*
2. Slim Convertible.*
3. Queen Convertible.*
4. Mini-Convertible.
5. 10-Sided Convertible.*
6. Fob Convertible.*
7. Shell Convertible.
8. Cushion Convertible.
All the above Stratton compacts can be used with standard pans of face powder which have a diameter of 67 mm.
Refillable compact mirrors for 59 - 67 mm diameter pressed foundation.
Those compacts listed above which are marked with an asterisk are fitted with an inner annular ring which means that they can hold pans of face powder measuring between 59 - 67 mm in diameter.
If the compact mirrors listed from 1 - 8 still have the original sifter (gauze) they can also be used with loose face powder as well.
GOLD PLATED STRATTON QUEEN CONVERTIBLE COMPACT SET
This Stratton Queen Convertible is unused with all the original accessories.
This model can be used with pressed foundation.
As the original sifter is present it can also be used with loose foundation.
STRATTON CACHETTE COMPACT & LIPSTICK SET
Other Stratton brand models were made only for compressed powder.
These are the Glamorizer models and the Cachette.
VIEW STRATTON GLAMORIZER EARLY
VIEW STRATTON GLAMORIZER LATER
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR OF THE STRATTON CACHETTE
The interior of the Stratton Cachette is easy to identify, as it has vertical slots in the powder well wall and a slot in the base, so that an empty powder pan can be pushed out of the compact easily.
As we are specialists and collectors every one of our listings will state what type of face powder can be used in each compact.
If you need any advice regarding our items, please feel free to contact Danielle
Email: antiqueandcollect@gmail.com
Call: 0789 6616374
International callers: +44 789 6616374
Free personal shopper service:
If you do not have the time to browse or find the process a little confusing we are happy to send selections based on your requirements to your inbox and guide you through the process.
How to fill your vintage compact with pressed face powder
If your compact has a powder well which is 67 mm in diameter it will hold Max Factor Creme Puff and the other face powders listed in this blog.
When you buy this product you will find that the metal powder pan is glued into the outer plastic case.
Remove the metal pan containing the powder from the plastic outer case.
View our illustrated guide on installing foundation refills.
If your compact still retains the sifter gauze please remove this before inserting the pan of pressed powder into your compact.
PAN OF FOUNDATION READY TO INSTALL IN A POWDER COMPACT
What to read next:
How to care or store your vintage compact.
We compile histories of our favourite brands.
Click the link below to see our histories of well known makers.
https://thevintagecompactshop.com/blogs/antique-and-collectible-history
Would you like to know if your vintage Stratton powder compact is rare?
If the answer is 'yes' this article will help you.
