The History of Makeup
As far back as 10,000 BC during the ancient Egyptian time, the use of makeup was more than just a practice for vanity as it is today in modern cultures, but to make them more spiritual. With the believing that “cleanliness is next to godliness” Egyptian women would find ways to make themselves look good. Mesdemet was developed during this time. Made of copper and lead ore it was painted onto the eyes and lashes to help ward off evil eyes. Mesdemet also had many other uses such as insect repellant and many of their other creations had multiple uses as well. The ancient Egyptians also created kohl a powder, which was applied in an almond shape around the eye with a small stick. Many of their findings are still used in makeup products today.
Moving up thought the centuries the Greeks used the Egyptian cosmetics but unlike the Egyptian use, they used it to look good for each other as well as further in the future, the Romans use was nothing like as intended initially buy the Egyptians. Romans lived very open-minded lifestyles and this influenced the development of products they used for cosmetics which went to the extreme of using fat from a sheep, mixed with blood, for nail polish.
As the centuries flew by the uses and meaning of makeup changed as much as the cultures themselves. Pale faces where used to define people’s places in society. During those times the working class was depicted as field workers who had tanned and rugged skin. This meant the upper-class would be expected to have a lighter skin to show that they had money and there was no need for them to participate in manual labor. Initially a powder make of hydroxide, carbonate, and lead oxide was used but this caused lead poisoning and in the 19th century it was refined to a powder made of zinc oxide which is what we still use today.
Going into the 20th century a new look was desired and the pale faces were no longer popular as people slowly moved into the new...