Fantasía iridescent eye shadow (sombra en polvo iridiscente), shade Azul (blue)

Object/Artifact

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

"Fantasía" iridescent eye shadow (sombra en polvo iridiscente), shade "Azul" (blue)

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.365

Description

Pressed-powder iridescent blue eye shadow in a small round translucent-blue molded-plastic compact with a hinged, tabbed lid; the lid bears the silver Fantasía rose emblem above "FANTASIA," and the compact base carries a circular paper label. The compact is housed in its original square cardboard box: one side is printed with the geometric Fantasía rose (a stylized rose in black, red, and gold with stem and leaf) and the diagonal legend "SOMBRA PARA LOS OJOS / FANTASIA / IRIDISCENTE"; the reverse carries promotional copy, a die-cut circular window revealing the inside, and "HECHO EN CUBA" beneath the maker's monogram. The box is toned, soiled, and stained with blue and red/pink (product migration; the red is inconsistent with a blue shadow and may derive from a co-stored cosmetic), with bumped edges.

Use

Belonged to Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez

Context

"Sombra para los ojos" is eye shadow. This is the pressed-powder ("polvo compacto") format of the sombra para los ojos iridiscente Fantasía, which Cuba Material's catalog lists in 9 powder shades (plus a 10-shade metal-cased version). "Azul" is the blue shade — the very one Cuba Material readers recall (one commenter calling the blue shadow dreadful yet admitting to wearing it). The Fantasía rose appears here in both its forms — a colorful geometric rose on the box and a silver line-drawn rose on the compact — confirming the rose as the Fantasía emblem seen on the metal eye-shadow cap and lipstick cap elsewhere in this series. Manufacture is marked "Hecho en Cuba" with the recurring interlocked monogram (the Suchel/state-enterprise maker's device).

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez collecition

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Manufacturer

MINIL

Time Period

20th Century

Place

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Edition

Fantasía

Notes

Manufacturer: Suchel — Empresa de Perfumería y Jabonería Suchel, Cuba — tentative as to the specific enterprise but well supported; "Hecho en Cuba" and the Fantasía brand are confirmed on the object, and the monogram matches the Suchel-line maker's mark. Designer of the rose graphic not identified. Date: circa 1970s–1980s; tentative.

Box lid: "SOMBRA PARA LOS OJOS / FANTASIA / IRIDISCENTE" with the geometric Fantasía rose. Box reverse: "Adorne su mirada, realzando la expresión de sus ojos con un toque de sombra, sutilmente difuminada sobre sus párpados," with a product window and "HECHO EN CUBA" beneath the interlocked monogram. Compact lid: silver Fantasía rose + "FANTASIA." Compact base label: "SOMBRA EN POLVO IRIDISCENTE / FANTASIA / AZUL / HECHO EN CUBA," with the interlocked monogram.

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Eyeshadow container - Diameter: 4.7 Height: 1.3; Box - Length: 5 Width: 5 Height: 1.6

Height

1.3 cm

Diameter

4.7 cm

Parts

Outer cardboard box; round translucent-blue plastic compact (hinged tabbed lid with silver rose) + base paper label; pressed eye-shadow cake (blue).

Materials

Material

Cardboard, Plastic

Material Notes

Cardboard with lithographed paper (box); translucent blue molded plastic (compact); printed paper (base label); pressed eye-shadow powder (talc/binder/iridescent pigment).

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Update Date

July 17, 2026