History of cosmetics
British women use more foundation than any other country in Europe (with
one-third of women using a foundation at least once a week). The cosmetics
industry is big business today, but where did it all start? In the beginning:
The word 'cosmetics' comes from the Greek 'cosmos' meaning order or arrangement.
The decoration and modification of the body through various means such as
cosmetics, tattooing, piercing, scarification, circumcision, head binding,
and so on dates back many thousands of years. Ancestral man used red ochre
(haematite) to draw in his caves, and quite possibly, on himself. Aztec
courtesans used a pale yellow ochre powder on their faces to make themselves
look beautiful.
The Greek philosopher, Hesiod, wrote a warning to men about the deceitfulness
of women and how they disguise themselves through cosmetics. The story was
that of Pandora who was fashioned from clay and adorned. While she was beautiful
on the outside her interior was that of a thief and a liar. The Roman Emperor
Nero and his wife Poppaea used cosmetics liberally, with white lead and
chalk to whiten the skin, Egyptian kohl for their eyelids and lashes and
fucus (a sort of rouge) for the cheeks. The ancient Egyptians had beauty
parlours nearly 6,000 years ago. Green eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara
were major features of the time. The Egyptians dyed their skin with henna
and fashionable, high-status women wore red nail polish and coated their
nipples with gold. Both men and women used cosmetics and body oils. Why
cosmetics? When make-up was first invented it was to highlight features,
not to cover them up. However today we tend to use them to hide behind.
Where cosmetics used to be used to invite you to see what was underneath,
now they conceal signs of aging, ill health, and blemishes. We have got
to a point where we are so used to the unnatural that some women now feel
they are ugly without make-up. They use cosmetics as a mask to hide their
face, not a tool to enhance their features. In England, cosmetics were not
generally used until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when white skin was
considered to be a reflection of perfect beauty. In the 17th and 18th century
a theatrically, over decorated face was fashionable, with both men and women
of certain classes used the extreme contrast of pale faces and reddened
lips and beauty spots. Patches and beauty spots also served to cover acne
and pox scars. By the Victorian era a more untouched look became desirable
- the preferred look in the 19th century for western women was paleness,
perhaps slight rouge on the cheeks, emphasizing feminine delicacy and fragility.
It wasn't until the 1920s that western women really began using cosmetics
en masse as they began to enter the workforce. The influence of glamorous
Hollywood actresses caused a new demand for cosmetic products to recreate
the romantic round eyes and cheeks and pastel shades of the era. The outbreak
of World War Two in 1939 stopped the production of cosmetics in Britain
almost completely. However, wartime work in factories had given many women
enough money to indulge in luxuries such as cosmetics, and increasing mass
production made prices cheaper. Red on white has always been a favourite
colour combination with which women have adorned their faces throughout
history. In different cultures and time periods around the world women have
used white creams and powders on their faces and then used red to highlight
their lips and cheeks as if to accentuate blushing and the flow of blood
in sexual excitement. Modern day cosmetic and toiletries are big business
with estimates that anywhere from over $45 ... 66 billion a year are being
spent on beauty worldwide and this figure is set to continue to climb.
