| General info : | | Chen Yu was a brand name of nail polish used by Chen Yu, Inc., a cosmetics company founded by James Leslie Younghusband, a Canadian who had already developed a number of cosmetic lines including Delicabrow mascara (1920) as well as Kissproof (1923), Tattoo (1933), and Savage (1934) lipsticks.
In 1938, he began developing a nail polish range for the British market but the project was terminated by war in Europe (Advertising Age, 1945) so he released the line in the United States instead.
The new nail polish was named Chen Yu. It was marketed through Associated Distributors, Inc. of 30 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, a firm established by Younghusband. It handled a range of cosmetics including 5 Day Deodorant, DeWan hair remover, and Tattoo Lipsticks.
Chen Yu was marketed as ‘chip-proof’ and strong associations were made in its packaging and advertising with 5000 year-old Chinese lacquers to suggest it was just as long lasting. It was packaged in bottles shaped like Chinese vases, Chinese characters were used on bottles, packaging and in advertisements, and it was referred to as a lacquer rather than a polish or enamel.
When Chen Yu Nail Lacquer debuted it came in 14 shades. Although some of the original colors were dropped, the shade range had been increased to twenty-four by 1942.
In 1943, Chen Yu introduced a lipstick in six shades matched to Chen Yu nail polishes, packaged in a plastic case. Metal was in short supply during the war and many manufacturers were switching to cardboard, wood or plastic. This worked in Chen Yu’s favor. Using plastic enabled the company to create a lipstick case that looked like Chinese carved ivory.
In 1944, Chen Yu was sold to Lewis Judah Ruskin [1903-1981], the founder of a Chicago drug and pharmaceutical chain. The sale was part of a complex deal, estimated at over US$2,000,000, which involved the creation of a new Associated Distributors, Inc. to take over and reorganize the businesses of the older Associated Distributors.
In 1944, Ruskin created Chen Yu, Inc. as a separate entity.
In 1946, Chen Yu added Cloud Silk Lipstick, followed by Cloud Silk Lip Brush both in case colors that matched the original red and black Cloud Silk compact.
Unfortunately, Ruskin got into financial difficulties when the American cosmetic market went through a depression in 1947. In 1947, when Ruskin was unable to pay back a loan, ownership of Associated Products passed to Nathan Cummings [1896-1985], of Consolidated Foods.
In late December, 1948, Chen Yu was purchased by William R. Warner, the owners of Richard Hudnut.
Now a part of William R. Warner, Chen Yu was placed into a separate division in the company, headquartered at 113 West 18th Street, New York. One of the first acts of the new owners was to reformulate the Chen Yu polish and redesign its bottles and packaging.
In 1950, Chen Yu added Fluid Cloudsilk in six shades, Cloudsilk Compressed Powder, and a long-form lipstick called Style Stick, also in six shades. The three cosmetics could be bought together in a Chen Yu Flatter Box.
In 1949, Chen Yu Ltd. (capital £500) was founded in Britain, based at Power Road, London. In Europe, Chen Yu was distributed by Laboratoires Substantia S.A., a company Warner had established licensing agreements with in 1932. Attempts were also made to establish the brand elsewhere. For example, it was available in Australia by the early 1950s.
Like Gemey, Chen Yu did best in France where the brand was used to cover a range of Richard Hudnut Du Barry lines.
At some stage the European rights to Chen Yu were sold. The brand is still in production, currently owned by Eugene Perma España S.A. based in Barcelona, Spain. | |
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| Source : | | https://cosmeticsandskin.com/companies/chen-yu.php# (cosmeticsandskin.com/companies/chen-yu.php#) | |
| Relations : | | Founded by : James Leslie Younghusband | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Chen Yu, Inc. | |
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| Copied Wikipedia parts under license : | | | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Associated Distributors, Inc. | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Chen Yu Ltd. | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Eugene Perma España SA | |