Chen Yu

Chen Yu was created 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.

Above: 1941 Chen Yu in original packaging. The glass containers were manufactured by the Carr-Lowrey Glass company of Baltimore which had offices in Chicago and New York.

This provoked a Cease and Desist Order from the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1943. Associated Distributors were ordered to stop claiming that Chen Yu was incapable of chipping or flaking, or that it resisted cracking or peeling. The company also had to stop using Chinese letters or symbols on its products and advertising and cease suggesting that Chen Yu was imported from China or that it was compounded from a Chinese formula.

Above: 1942 Chen Yu, still in original packaging.

Associated Distributors had begun adding ‘Made in U.S.A’ to Chen Yu labels in December, 1940 and they complied to the rest of the FTC order, removing Chinese symbols from their bottles, packaging and advertising by the end of 1943.

Products

When Chen Yu Nail Lacquer debuted it came in 14 shades. Although some of the original colours were dropped, the shade range had been increased to twenty-four by 1942. Other nail cosmetics had been added by then including Polish Remover Pads (1941), and Chen Yu Hand Cream, Nail Lotion, Nail Balm, and Chip Check (1942). The line also included a liquid polish remover, Laqcuerol, which functioned both as a base or top coat, and a number of manicure implements.

Chen Yu Nail Lacquer: “Your fingernails now can have the enchanting charm of gorgeous Chinese lacquer work. They can wear the exotic beauty of rare colors and glow with the breathtaking lustre that lacquer gives. … But, even more astonishing and even more important, is Chen Yu’s amazing resistance to chipping and peeling.” Shades: Moon Mist, Jade Pink, Joss House, Lotus Blossom, Flowering Almond, Blue Moss, Weeping Willow, Mandarin Red, Opium Poppy, Celestial Pink, Wisteria, Flowering Plum, Temple Fire, and Dragon’s Blood, with Fire Cracker Red, Green Dragon, Ming Yellow, Black Lustre, Blue Dragon, Royal Plum, Heavenly Mauve, Mandarin Red, Burma Red, Brown Coral, Coolie, Fuchsia Blossom, and China Doll added by 1942.
Laqcuerol: “[T]o use as a base or as a protective top coat . . . or as both!”
Chip Chek: “[S]peeds drying, adds worlds of luster and many days of beauty.”
Nail Balm: “Cream to keep cuticle pliant and lovely and nails flexible.”
Hand Cream: “[F]or softer, smoother hands. Use it after a mani-cure—it is not sticky or greasy.”
Polish Remover Pads: “[F]ast-acting and non-acid. You can carry them with you or carry one with you and just whisk the old polish off when ever you are in the mood for it.”

Chen Yu Nail Lacquer was very successful in the years leading up to America entering the Second World War. This brought it to the attention of Charles Revson [1906-1975] of Revlon. Tobias (1976) reports that Revson did what he could to cripple the brand.

During the war, Chen-Yu [sic] was the brand to beat. One quirk of wartime rationing was that glass allocations were issued to companies that made the bottles rather than to the companies, like Revlon or Chen-Yu that used them. Charles wanted to know what Chen-Yu’s Chicago-based bottler might require to steer Chen-Yu’s allocation of bottles his way. Jack Price arranged to fly the co-owners of this bottling firm to New York. He says he watched as Charles settled with them for $15,000. Chen-Yu suddenly found itself scrambling for upwards of half a million bottles.

(Tobias, 1976, p. 245)

New owner

In 1940, Javier Serra [1898-1988], the founder and creator of Dana Perfumes had arrived in America after escaping from the German occupation of France. He planned to establish Dana Perfumes in the United States and sell his perfumes there including one called Tabu. Unfortunately, Younghusband had already trademarked Taboo in 1937 and refused to sell it to Serra so a deal was struck between the two men. Serra licensed Younghusband to manufacture and distribute Dana products in the United States for forty years in return for an 11% royalty on net sales and supplied the newly created Dana Perfumes, Inc. of Chicago with perfume extracts at cost plus 10% (Fortune, 1950, p. 84).

The growing business generated by Dana Perfumes may have been behind the reorganisation of Younghusband’s cosmetic interests. 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 reorganise the businesses of the older Associated Distributors. Under the new arrangement, Dana Perfumes would manage the Dana, Tattoo and Savage lines while Chen Yu, DeWans depilatory, 5 Day deodorants and Quickies would go to the new Associated Distributors now owned by Ruskin.

Following the sale, Ruskin began a program to expand Associated Distributors which had its name changed to Associated Products, Inc. in 1945. The expansion program included acquiring additional brands starting with Madame Huntington, an upmarket treatment line, in 1944 and Nelore Preparations, a psoriasis remedy, in 1945.

Products

In 1944, Ruskin created Chen Yu, Inc. as a separate entity. In 1945, he then introduced Chen Yu Cloud Silk, a cake make-up in nine shades, similar to the highly successful Pan-Cake introduced by Max Factor in 1938.

Cloud Silk Make-up: “Like a gossamer veil, this remarkable new make-up covers skin imperfections to give the illusion of flawless beauty . . . of youthful freshness. Chen Yu Cloud Silk also helps guard your complexion against the harsh effects of sun, wind and soil.” Shades: Light Lotus No. 1, 2, and 3, Peach Petal No. 1, 2, and 3, and Tea Tan No. 1, 2, and 3.

Like Pan-Cake, Cloud Silk was applied wet.

Use a wet sponge, or cotton, and apply cloud silk to the face and neck, smoothing out the film lightly and evenly as it dries. Notice how soft and silky it feels.
When completely dry, smooth with a dry puff, pad of cotton or fingertips.
NOTE: Never leave your wet sponge or cotton in your cloud silk compact.

(Cloud Silk instruction booklet, c.1945)

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. The new bottles had a broader base that made them less likely to tip over and came with a built-in finger rest which could be used to steady the fingers while the polish was being applied.

Above: 1949 New Chen Yu bottle with finger rests.

Products

Some new Chen Yu shades were added in America including: Double Peony (1950); and Bright Flight, Enchanted Lilac, and Singing Copper (1951).

Above: 1949 Chen Yu Manicure Set.

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.

Above: c.1950 Chen Yu Flatter Box window display, New York.

Fluid Cloudsilk: “Think of pearls, think of precious Chinese porcelain . . . think of Fluid Cloudsilk! Not a cream, a cake . . . but something utterly new; a dreamy-drift of opalescent color, a fluid, flattering gossamer veil to give your skin o smoothness unlike any make-up you’ve ever used.” Shades: Peach Petal #1, #2, and #3, and Tea Tan #1, #2, and #3.
Cloudsilk Compressed Powder: “A powder pat that dusts on light as a butterfly’s wing, caresses your skin to a petal bloom. In shades that exactly match your Cloudsilk complexion.”
Style Stick: “The wonderful, new, longer—but not too long-lipstick with a ‘taper-lip’ that makes it so easy to apply!”

Now tied to William R. Warner, Chen Yu’s fate was determined by changes in the operation of its parent, renamed Warner-Hudnut in 1950 by its new president Elmer Holmes Bobst [1884-1978]. Warner-Hudnut was losing interest in cosmetics and the Chen Yu brand was abandoned in the United States by the time Warner-Hudnut merged with Lambert Pharmacal to form Warner-Lambert in 1955.

Warner-Lambert made use of some of Chen Yu’s assets in the United States. For example, Chen Yu Cloud Silk reemerged as Du Barry Cloudsilk Pearled Face Powder. Also, like Gemey – another Richard Hudnut range – Warner-Lambert continued the brand overseas.

Overseas operations

William R. Warner was already established around the world and it began selling Chen Yu overseas after it acquired the brand. 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.

Above: 1950 Actress Linda Christian a.k.a. Blanca Rosa Welter [1923-2011] (left) possibly posing as Miss Chen Yu at a Chen Yu event in London. Dressed in Chinese costume she is holding a fan marked with Chen Yu.

Like Gemey, Chen Yu did best in France where the brand was used to cover a range of Richard Hudnut Du Barry lines. An attempt had been made to introduce Du Barry into France before the Second World War but it was not revived after hostilities ended. Rather than reviving Du Barry, Hudnut sold Du Barry cosmetics under its Gemey and Chen Yu labels in France. For example, lipsticks very similar to Du Barry Glissando were sold there as Chen Yu Double Eclat and Gemey Lumirama.

Above: 1965 Chen Yu Double Eclat (France) known as Du Barry Glissando in the United States.

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.

Timeline


1939	New Products: Chen Yu Nail Lacquer.
1941	New Products: Nail Polish Remover Pads.
1942	Associated Distributors open a New York office. New Products: Chip Chek; Hand Cream; Nail Lotion; and Nail Balm.
1943	New Products: Chen Yu Lipstick.
1944	Associated Distributors, Inc. founded to take over the business of Associated Distributors. Chen Yu, Inc. established in Chicago.
1945	Associated Distributors, Inc. name changed to Associated Products, Inc. New Products: Prefix; and Cloud Silk Cake Make-up.
1946	New Products: Chen Yu Jade Stick; Cloud Silk Lipstick; and Cloud Silk Lip Brush.
1948	Chen Yu bought by William R. Warner (Richard Hudnut). Headquarters moved to 113 West 18th Street, New York.
1949	Chen Yu Ltd. founded in Britain. Chen Yu packaging restyled.
1950	New Products: Fluid Cloudsilk; Cloudsilk Compressed Powder; and Style Stick.