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Lydia O'Leary - Covermark® Cosmetics Inventor
Lydia O'Leary - Covermark® Cosmetics Inventor
The Work of Lydia O’Leary
Lydia O’Leary was a young artist born with a large, raspberry-colored birthmark –also known as a port-wine stain – that covered half of the left-hand side of her face.
After attending high school she enrolled at the Fitchberg Normal School for Teachers, graduating from there in 1921. She then worked as a teacher for two years before moving to New York to work in retail. Unfortunately, despite her qualifications, stores rejected her from front-counter jobs because of her blemish.
She settled for a job painting small cards in a back room. While painting an iris on a bridge scorecard one day, she painted one petal too dark. So she touched it up with a lighter shade that concealed the dark purple perfectly. She wondered if she could camouflage her birthmark as easily. She grabbed the oil paint, covered her birthmark, and looked in the mirror. No more blemish!
O’Leary bought some ingredients at a drug store and began experimenting with water, zinc powder and glycerine. She used her talent as a painter and the chemistry skills she learned in college to invent a cosmetic foundation that concealed birthmarks and other blemishes. She eventually teamed up with a chemist to explore other possible mixtures. After a few weeks, they tested their new formula. But every time O’Leary smiled, the lotion cracked. So they made the lotion more pliable, but it rubbed off easily. Months later, they finally found the right paste that stayed on and blended in well. Lydia had developed a makeup foundation to ‘cover this mark’ and in doing so introduced the world to new classes of cosmetics and launched the Covermark® line of cosmetics.
O’Leary applied for a patent for her new makeup, but was denied because it wasn’t clear how her invention was different from other makeup foundations already patented. O’Leary appealed the decision, arguing her foundation was more concealing than other cosmetics. After she used Covermark© on her birthmark in front of astonished federal judges, the court agreed and granted O’Leary’s invention a patent in 1932. O’Leary’s foundation earned a patent because of its unique ability to hide blemishes.
Lydia O'Leary's invention is still in production today by Covermark (www.covermark.com).
Historic Perspective
Historic Perspective
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on
August 24, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.
August 24, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.
The 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920. SOURCE LINK
1936 Lydia O’Leary without and with Covermark.
1931 The original Cover Mark Lotion and brush.
1935 Covermark Ad.
Continued improvements and refinements led to other products.
1945 Covermark Spot-Stik.
Covermark was the first cosmetics company to ever receive a U.S. patent for a foundation. As the forerunner of today's cosmeceutical / medical makeup category.
Covermark was the first cosmetics company to ever receive a U.S. patent for a foundation. As the forerunner of today's cosmeceutical / medical makeup category.
CM-Beauty (formerly Covermark) proudly offers a fine line of concealment cosmetics
Patent
Patent
"The object of this invention is to provide a dermal preparation to be used to cover an conceal birthmarks and other skin blemishes and to simulate the adjoining or unblemished portion of the skin in texture, flexibility and other purely physical qualities characteristic of the normal skin, and also in color quality on the application to the preparation of a pigment appropriate to the particular type of complexion of the individual treated, and which shall be harness to the skin, avoid discomfort, and be adapted to withstand the presence of water and at least the casual contact of the hands or a handkerchief without being removed or appreciably disturbed."
(U.S. Patent: 1877952)
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Hers was the only makeup foundation to ever have been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). The Covermark invention was also significant in that it was the first product within what has become to be known as the "cosmeceutical" field.
1956 Lydia O’Leary L.O.L. lotion.
It contained a range of medications including organic sulphur oil, to use as an acne medication and cleanser.
Historical Perspective:$2 in 1956 is equivalent to $18 in 2018
1956 Lydia O’Leary Covermark.
1958 Lydia O’Leary Covermark Cream and Spotstik.
As the forerunner of today's cosmeceutical / medical makeup category. Today, we're still the brand consumers trust to conceal and correct everything from the most minor to more serious skin care imperfections.
As the forerunner of today's cosmeceutical / medical makeup category. Today, we're still the brand consumers trust to conceal and correct everything from the most minor to more serious skin care imperfections.
CM-Beauty (formerly Covermark) proudly offers a fine line of concealment cosmetics
Today, Covermark products are sold for the face, legs, and body that are water-resistant, smudge-proof, easy-to-apply, and have sun protection. People with birthmarks, burns, scars, and other imperfections benefit greatly from O’Leary’s invention. It allows them to lead more confident lives with less self-consciousness and fear of embarrassment.
Timeline
Timeline
1928
O’Leary develops Covermark Lotion.
Lydia O’Leary, Inc. founded in New York.
1931
O’Leary begins commercial sales of Covermark.
Lydia O’Leary incorporates.
1932
Patent for Covermark granted.
1936
Covermark Spot-Stik introduced.
1937
Spot-Stik available in Britain.
1948
Lydia O’Leary announces that she plans to introduce a cosmetic line.
1953
L.O.L. lotion released.
1960
Japan O’Leary Corporation established in Japan.
n.d.
Lydia O’Leary, Inc. acquired by Roberts Proprietaries, Inc. and becomes a division within that organisation.
1992
Japanese firm becomes independent as the Covermark Corporation and begins to produce its own make-up products.
1994
Farmeco S.A. Dermocosmetics acquires the International distribution of Covermark (does not include the United States, Japan and few other Asian markets owned by Covermark Japan).
Sources
Sources
The American perfumer & essential oil review. (1906-1955). New York: Robbins Perfumer Co. [etc.].
Lee, M. (1931). The truth about cosmetics. Screenland. May, 102, 118.
O’Leary, L. (1936). The modern miracle. U.S.A.
White, P. (1936). Modern miracle. Readers Digest. 28(170), 8-11.
http://cosmeticsandskin.com/companies/covermark.php
- Discuss how Lydia O’Leary followed the problem solving steps to invent a product that solved a need. Stress the following points from O’Leary story:
- What is a patent?
- Why was it important for Lydia to get a patent for her coverup?
- What process did Lydia follow to create her invention?
Marvelous Mattie, How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor
Marvelous Mattie, How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor
In the story, Mattie charges 4 kids $0.25 each to build them a sled. The dollar she earned and gave her mother would technically be equivalent to $32.01 in 2018. See below for more information.
U.S. Inflation Rate, $1 in 1848 to 2018
U.S. Inflation Rate, $1 in 1848 to 2018
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2018 are 3,101.08% higher than prices in 1848. The dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 2.52% per year during this period.
In other words, $1 in 1848 is equivalent in purchasing power to $32.01 in 2018, a difference of $31.01 over 170 years.
The 1848 inflation rate was -3.66%. The current inflation rate (2017 to 2018) is now 2.52%1. If this number holds, $1 today will be equivalent to $1.03 next year. The current inflation rate page gives more detail on the latest official inflation rates.
Flying Shuttle
A Jumping Jack is an old toy that has been a part of many cultures throughout the world since the seventeenth century.
A Jumping Jack is an old toy that has been a part of many cultures throughout the world since the seventeenth century.
Traditionally these puppets were characters from the Italian Commedia dell’arte which was a genre of improvisational theatre from the Renaissance and Baroque period in Italy.
Traditionally these puppets were characters from the Italian Commedia dell’arte which was a genre of improvisational theatre from the Renaissance and Baroque period in Italy.
How to Make Your Jumping Jack
How to Make Your Jumping Jack
We have played with the name of the toy and invented our own Jumping character – A Jumping Jack!
Instructions:
Use the image below or draw your own version of a Jumper and print onto A4 card or stiff paper.
What you need:
- Sharp scissors
- Heavy thread or string
- A large needle
- Small brass paper fasteners
Step 1) Cut out all of Jack’s body parts (his head and body is one piece!) as neatly as you can.
Step 2) Pierce holes using your needle through all of the crosses at the tops of Jack’s arms and legs and one at the top for his hanging string: You might need to wiggle the needle a little to create a bigger hole for the string to pass through.
Step 3) Look at the letters in order to match up each dot and push your paper fastener through to join Jack’s body together! (Again you might want to use your needle first to make a hole). Use your spacer between the two parts so that there is enough room for Jack’s arms and legs to move when you are finished!
Stringing Jack:
Stringing Jack:
To string Jack (this is the hardest part!) follow these steps;
Step 1) Make sure Jack’s arms are down by his side behind his body. Push a threaded needle into the hole at the top of one of Jack’s arms and tie securely and bring it across to the arm on the other side in order to do the same. This string should be taut when the arms are hanging down. Then you can cut off any excess string.
Step 2) String Jack’s legs in the same way as you have done his arms, making sure that the string is taut.
Step 3) With the arms and legs hanging straight down and the strings taut, attach a new piece of string from the centre of the string between Jack’s arms to the centre of the string between Jack’s legs, leaving a longer dangly piece of string to pull on: This will be the control string.
Step 4) Pull on the string and see Jack’s arms and legs move! When the string is let go Jack’s arms and legs should fall back down easily.
Hint: If you find that your control string doesn’t work, simply try stringing him again. It’s a difficult thing to do but after you have had some practice you should find it much easier!
Step 5) Once you are happy with your Jumping Jack attach another piece of string through the hole you made earlier at the top of his head so that you might hang him up on your wall. You might also want to add a bead or something similar to the bottom of your control string to make it easier to grasp.
M.KnightPoster.docxL4 Marvelous Mattie.docxNUMBERING_MECHANISM.pdfWindowSash.pdfRoastingSpit.pdfPage updated
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