In 1932, famed Hollywood makeup artist Max Factor Sr. introduced a device that looked more like a torture instrument than a beauty tool. The beauty micrometer—also known as the beauty calibrator—used 325 adjustable screws and metal strips to measure facial features with a precision of one thousandth of an inch.
Hollywood’s Strangest Invention
Designed primarily for use in the film industry, the device aimed to help actors avoid facial “distortions” when projected on large cinema screens. It allowed operators to determine where makeup could enhance or reduce specific features based on fixed beauty ratios.
325 Screws for the Perfect Face
The micrometer evaluated proportions such as forehead-to-nose height and eye spacing. Max Factor Sr. believed this would improve his understanding of facial structure and enable more precise cosmetic application.
Forgotten on the Auction Block
Only one beauty micrometer is believed to exist. It was displayed at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum and offered at auction in 2009, but it did not meet its $10,000–$20,000 estimate. Despite its ambition, the device never saw widespread use.
In 1932, Max Factor Sr. introduced a strange invention: the beauty micrometer.
With 325 screws and metal strips, it claimed to measure facial features to the thousandth of an inch, revealing where makeup should be applied to correct “imperfections.”🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/m95og3q2I9
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 9, 2025