The History of Makeup

The History of Makeup

I'm curious how we got to the point where we spend billions of dollars a year on beauty products and the wearing of makeup every day is now considered the societal standard for women. Females haven't just woken up one day and decided to put on eyelash extensions and lipstick, line their eyes, and apply foundation and blush all at once. No, like with many things, it was the conclusion of a series of events that occurred in the past.

Cosmetics were initially used by the Egyptians. Four thousand years ago, such was the case, Egyptians took their appearance and personal hygiene very seriously. They believed that the look was directly linked to a person's soul's constitution. They made a concerted effort to keep themselves clean and odor-free at all times. With a culture that places a high value on one's looks, you might expect people to want to stand out. Rather than only striving to appear good, the Egyptians, being the innovative people they were, employed cosmetics for purposes that were much more profound.

The Mesdemet, a copper-and-lead-ore-based eye make-up, was the most innovative. They used dark colors in the hope that it would keep off their own prying eyes. It worked well as an insect repellent and cleanser. Kohl was a black pigment applied in an oval form around the eyes. Burnt almonds and lead were mixed together to make the pigment known as Kohl. Egyptian women used a water-and-red-clay concoction on their cheeks to further enhance their beauty. A substance called henna was also used to dye their nails bright orange and yellow.

The Egyptian art of cosmetics was passed down to the Greeks as more and more individuals from other cultures interacted. They would paint their skin a light tint using a lead-based base. Several times, this proved fatal. As the Romans started to use cosmetics, the desire for beauty became less about practicalities and more about pursuing it in exotic ways. Sheep's blood and fried body fat were used as nail polish by the Romans. An old Roman citizen reportedly stated, "A lady without paint is like bread without salt."

Post-Egyptian imperial era fashion called for a paler complexion. Women with dark, sun-damaged complexions could only be seen among the lower classes, who worked in the fields with their husbands all day. Because they didn't have to deal with the rigors of hard work, the women in the upper classes were able to maintain their fair complexions by staying inside.

The whiteness of a person's skin tone was often used as a yardstick for success. If you had enough money, you didn't have to work. As a result, certain people in society saw having a white complexion as particularly significant. Ladies (and men) painted their faces and bodies with a powdered mixture of hydroxide, lead oxide, and carbonate to get this look. Lead poisoning, an often-fatal side effect, was the result. In the eighteenth century, researchers finally discovered a zinc oxide mixture that allowed the skin to breathe and prevented lead poisoning. It worked so well that cosmetics companies still use it today.

Women in London's major centers with discretionary income hosted extravagant parties throughout the Edwardian period. It was critical that they seem as youthful as possible since their role as party hosts necessitated that they be the most gorgeous women in attendance. The smoggy air created by the cities at the time, poor diets, and little or no exercise accelerated the aging process of women in cities and exotic locales. Women would need products like anti-aging treatments and face creams to cover up their blemishes. Visiting the salon on a regular basis was also a common occurrence. It used to be a little different than it is now. In order to avoid detection, women would enter salons via the back door and hide their faces with their coats. The House of Cyclax, which sold creams and blushes to females, was one of the most well-known of these hidden beauty salons. It was Mrs. Henning, the store's owner, who promoted and introduced a slew of goods to placate her anxious clients' fears about appearing elderly in front of others.

Fortunately for today's lady, decades of beauty product development have resulted in an almost unlimited number of options for her to choose from. This billion-dollar-a-year sector has hundreds of cosmetics manufacturers. Beauty items are always in demand, especially during economic downturns. Because of their concern for their own appearance, your foremothers and grandmothers deserve the good fortune you have now, women. There were undoubtedly mornings when they got up and didn't really want to put on their faces either.

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