From the black kohl that lined Cleopatra's eyes to the arsenic that whitened Elizabethan cheeks to the rouge that pinked the cheeks of pin-up girls, make-up has been a part of culture and fashion since recorded history began.
Sometimes used to mask beauty, sometimes to enhance it and even sometimes to downplay it, applying color to flesh is an art form that began in antiquity and has survived to modern day.
Archaeological evidence shows that Egyptians used cosmetics as far back as 3500 BC, and the usage quickly became in vogue for Ancient Greeks and Romans. It was also commonplace in the kingdom of Israel where the Old Testament described Jezebel accenting her eyes with cosmetics (roughly around 840 BC).
Throughout the medieval era, cosmetic usage was a privilege for the rich and the nobility. This trend reversed itself in the Victorian Era when cosmetics were associated with prostitution and vulgarity.
In the 20th century, with the epoch of Hollywood starlets, bee-stung lips and Marilyn Monroe-esq beauty marks, cosmetic usage became part of the feminine cultural norm as well as a rite of passage for teenage girls.
The Age of Antiquity
Cosmetic concoctions were very secretive in Ancient Egypt. They had a recipe for a powder matte to smooth complexions and hide blemishes, the recipe of which, to this day, remains a mystery. Daily cosmetics included black powder that was applied liberally to the eyes, as well as a whitewash mixture, so women could lighten their skin.
Around this same time, Romans blackened eyebrows with soot, while also using vegetable oils and animal fats to create colored ointments.
Overall History
Archaeological evidence shows that Egyptians used cosmetics as far back as 3500 BC, and the usage quickly became in vogue for Ancient Greeks and Romans. It was also commonplace in the kingdom of Israel where the Old Testament described Jezebel accenting her eyes with cosmetics (roughly around 840 BC).
Throughout the medieval era, cosmetic usage was a privilege for the rich and the nobility. This trend reversed itself in the Victorian Era when cosmetics were associated with prostitution and vulgarity.
In the 20th century, with the epoch of Hollywood starlets, bee-stung lips and Marilyn Monroe-esq beauty marks, cosmetic usage became part of the feminine cultural norm as well as a rite of passage for teenage girls.
