Life, 1920-05-20 · page 48 of 48
Life — May 20, 1920 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page shows three illustrated male faces demonstrating the "evolution" of a satisfied expression—the "Comfort Smile"—as men progress through Colgate's shaving routine. The left shows initial satisfaction, center shows deepening contentment, and right shows a face obscured by lather. The accompanying text provides detailed instructions for using Colgate's three shaving product formats: stick, powder, or cream. It emphasizes comfort, smoothness, and the pleasant fragrance of the lather. The bottom displays bottles of the actual products being advertised. A trial size could be ordered for 4 cents in stamps. This represents early 20th-century advertising aimed at male consumers, promoting shaving comfort as a desirable luxury. The "smile" concept humorously suggests that proper grooming products literally make men happier—a common advertising strategy of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Evolution of the “Comfort Smile” ... It invariably starts with Colgate’s! From first stroke of the brush to last stroke of the razor, the Colgate shave is comfortable, no matter which you use—Stick, Powder or Cream. No wonder the Colgate Smile is a Comfort Smile, for a Colgate shave is a cool one. No matter how tough the beard, the face is left soothed and refreshed. Nor is there any need to rub the lather in with the fingers— rubbing-in only adds “mussiness” to what might be a genuine pleasure. Lather with Colgate’s—then Shave with Comfort With the Stick. After wetting the face pass the stick over the cheeks from ear to ear and back again, then under the chin; once across the upper lip. This gives soap enough for any but the heaviest beard. Work up the softening lather on the face with the wet brush—using hot or cold water. With the Powder. First, wet the face with the brush. Separate the bristles slightly with the thumb and sprinkle about one-third of a thimble- ful of powder on the brush; you soon learn the exact amount you need. The lather is quickly worked up with hot or cold water—on the face. With the Cream. If you prefer to apply the cream to the face always wet the face first. If you squeeze the cream on the wet brush, wet the face first. The plentiful fragrant lather is then worked up on the face with the brush—using hot or cold water according to preference. A trial size of Colgate’s—Stick, Powder or Cream— sent for 4¢ in stamps. COLGATE & CO., Dept. 23, 199 Fulton St., NEW YORK The name “Colgate” on Soaps, Powders and Perfumes corresponds to “Sterling” on Silver comicbooks.com