What Reese's Water For Elephants Character Likely Carried in Her Beauty Kit

Water For Elephants, the much-anticipated film starring Reese Witherspoon (as Marlena) andRobert Pattinson (as Jacob), opens in theaters today, so to celebrate, let's explore how travel then might be different than what it is today. Since much of the story is set on a train in the 1930s, here's a peek at what beauty items Marlena might have carried in her train case during this decade of style.

The Perfect Red Lip Color

While red lipstick was a classic, perhaps Marlena took advantage of one of the decade's newest inventions: lip gloss. In fact, an overall sheen was quite popular during this time, with a glow base often used for the complexion, cream rouge on the cheeks, and Vaseline on the eyes (and even brows) used to give a luminescent effect

Polishes For Her Moon Manicure

By the 1930s, the nail polish business was booming, with popular polishes made by the likes of Cutex and Revlon. Perhaps one of these brands was favored by Marlena when creating this then-popular moon manicure — a nail art look that's experiencing a revival today

An Intense Moisturizer

Coming into contact with tough elephant skin and performing circus acts all day can be tough. That's why Marlena likely used Elizabeth Arden's famous Eight Hour Cream (which was invented in 1930) to help hydrate and protect the entire body.

Setting Lotion

To get her sophisticated, highly sculpted waves, Marlena almost certainly would have applied a setting lotion to set her pin curls or finger waves. It was a process that was less harsh than the scary-at-the-time permanent wave. Plus, since it didn't need heat, she could get gorgeous curls on a circus trai

A Stylish Hair Accessory

Everyone needs a little break from nights of perfect coiffures and full-on makeup. For those more casual times, Marlena packed a cute and casual scarf, like this colorfully striped one pictured here. Snoods and hairnets were also widely used during the era.

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xoxo
Carrie