1984: Computer-generated makeovers made easy thanks to ‘Elizabeth’
INDIANAPOLIS — Once upon a time, the beauty counter of a department store was the go-to spot for women searching for a makeover. But that started to change in the 1980s with the creation of “Elizabeth” the beauty makeover computer from Elizabeth Arden.
“[Women] in the past had to sit out in an aisle in front of everyone, or maybe in a room somewhere with a lot of other women, and have their face stripped,” Susie Proffit told WRTV reporter Linda Lupear.
Proffit, a beauty consultant for Elizabeth Arden, demonstrated everything “Elizabeth” had to offer in 1984. Women could see what a potential makeover might look like without having to remove any of their own makeup.
The computer would take a freeze frame of a client’s face, and with a few taps of a stylus, a makeup artist could select a variety of options and colors for individual makeovers based on an individual’s own skin type.
Lupear was presented with several options including Joan Collins’ drop-dead glamorous eye makeup.
The “Elizabeth” computer was available at Ayres Glendale by appointment only.
