Featured I wasn't sure where to put this but what is this little mystery box thing?

It came in a lot of jewelry but it is certainly not jewelry. It is brass I think, currently not cleaned and measures 2 1/4" long closed and 3/4" wide. By pressing the little coral button, a 1/2" mechanism pops out. It has a mirror, obviously broken. Looks like it is missing parts? Any clue as to what it is or some avenue I can search? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Lipstick holder! Those are usually Italian, you may discover after cleaning/polishing it is silver!
https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/546...0pMVtFJqFzajxZzSPmkxnJyhDVpsfc3RoC5ZAQAvD_BwE

 

Thanks Kyra. I wondered if that's what it was. I will have to see if i can pull it all the way out.

 

I got it out! There's still bits of lipstick! Thank you, thank you.

 

That's a very nice one, too.

 

That's what I thought when I heard the dimensions. Back when, I guess lipstick came without a tube. Or something. The holders turn up occasionally.

 

There's actually quite a few on Ebay. I cleaned it up and it shines beautifully. Found an 800 mark on the tube. It's shame the mirror is broken.

 

Back then... Women had a pretty decorative lipstick case they kept in their handbag and they bought inexpensive refills to fill it. It wasn't until lipstick cases went from plastic to metal (1960s) that beauty companies stopped manufacturing refills.

Debora

 

You could also still buy here in the seventies and a bit later nice cases to put your ordinary lippy in, regardless of whether it was a refill.

 

True. Especially in dime stores where they lingered on.

Debora

 

Thanks for the interesting tidbits on the history of lipstick! I remember my grandmother never left the house without putting her lipstick on.

 

And a generation before lipstick + stockings + hat + gloves.

Debora

 

My grandmother said "Never leave the house without lipstick!"
My sister added: "Never leave the house without lipstick and earrings!"
All these years later, I still live by this rule!

 

A friend's mom in Jamaica still won't leave the house without her lipstick and earrings. When said mom was in (the) hospital, I wore at least the lipstick for her. Hard to wear screwback earrings with a mask.

 

I only wore lipstick for a very short period after I quit smoking. I found it to be nothing but a PITA.

 

There's a reason why men don't wear lipstick.

Debora