Accessibility Statement

For Christmas delivery, use OVERNIGHT SHIPPING by Thursday, December 21, Noon ET
View Shipping Options
FREE STANDARD SHIPPING  Orders of $75.00 or More – Promo Code 464325

Shop Vintage Tangee Makeup, Known for Their Color Changing Lipstick

Are you familiar with Tangee? This brand of well-known cosmetics, still on the market today and exclusively sold at The Vermont Country Store, can be traced back to the 1920s. Tangee was founded by a man named George William Luft, who decided to capitalize on the prospering cosmetics market in America at the time.

Luft received his higher education from The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and from there traveled out West to work at a drugstore in a remote town in Utah. Through his experience, he saw firsthand how competition from larger drug store chains was hurting the mom-and-pop owned pharmacies in rural locations. Nevertheless, independently-owned businesses always seemed to be a part of who Luft was. After some time, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish his own company that would produce pharmaceuticals as well as cosmetics. Eventually, he would be best known for the popular cosmetic brand, Tangee.

How The Name Came to Be

Tangee is definitely a unique brand name, and you may be wondering how Luft created it. The name Tangee was derived from tangerine, the color of the brand’s first and most iconic product, Tangee Natural Lipstick. This product was (and is still) such a hit because of its color-changing ability. It perfectly compliments the wearer’s skin tone, transforming from a tangerine color in its lipstick tube to a unique shade of rosy pink.

Marketability of the Makeup

Much of Tangee's marketability came from the fact that the formula was such a natural looking alternative to other heavy lipsticks on the market. These other lipsticks created a "painted on" look that was deemed unappealing and excessive. Much of this is referenced in advertisements of the past. Women won men over with their natural look, courtesy of makeup from Tangee.The iconic lipstick was also marketed during World War II as being the perfect shade to compliment a uniform.

Tangee was featured in Vogue spreads during the 1940s, becoming a popular cosmetic line for both adults and teens. While best known for the natural lipstick, they eventually began creating other shades such as the popular Tangee Theatrical Red. Luft rounded out the cosmetics line by introducing blush, foundation, mascara and more.

Shopping for Tangee Cosmetics Today

Following a lull, Tangee Cosmetics experienced a revival when the brand was purchased by The Vermont Country Store. Today, you can shop everything Tangee, from a moisturizing facial cream that delivers a boost of vitamin C to a cream-to-powder foundation. There’s even blush that changes to match your skin tone - following in the footsteps of the signature lipstick that catapulted Tangee to success. These are just a few of the cosmetic products available at The Vermont Country Store. And, of course, you can always purchase the classic Tangee Natural Lipstick and see the results of this fan favorite for yourself.