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Beauty Historian Erin Parsons Debuts Makeup Archive Online
Beauty historian Erin Parsons has launched The Makeup Archive, an online museum featuring more than 1,500 rare and vintage beauty products, including Marilyn Monroe's Max Factor lipstick.
A Max Factor lipstick that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe, purchased at auction for more than $15,000, is now on view at The Makeup Archive, a digital museum created by beauty historian Erin Parsons.
The site, accessible at makeuparchive.org, catalogues more than 1,500 products Parsons has collected over the past decade, with items dating from the 17th century through the 2000s. She collaborated with archivist Holly McGraw for more than three years to photograph and document each piece in detail.
Parsons, who previously worked as Gigi Hadid's makeup artist, assembled the collection to showcase the evolution of beauty products and their cultural significance. Featured items include vintage Richard Hudnut cosmetics from the 1920s, Revlon Couturine Lipstick Dolls from the 1960s, and discontinued MAC Cosmetics products spanning several decades.
The online format makes the archive accessible to a broad audience, transforming a personal collection into a public resource for beauty enthusiasts and historians alike.