It's All In The Face

Makeup has has always been part of the human culture for as long as anyone can remember. The earliest record of makeup was found during the 1st Dynasty of Egypt. Unguent jars were discovered, being the popular used substance that kept the skin hydrated and supple and also helped to avoid wrinkles from the dry heat. Using Kohl (which was made from antimony [a metallic element] or soot), copper and lead early Egyptian woman were the first in a long line of cosmetic users. And what a long way the cosmetics user has come.

Women for decades have tried numerous ways to 'enhance' the beauty they had or create the illusion of beauty with a wide variety of products. Within some cultures women used mercury, lead, arsenic to give them a 'pale' appearance which was considered 'attractive' for their time. From using burnt matches to darken or line eyes to berries to change the color of their lips or cheeks, humans have always thought of new ways to change and brighten their faces. In Roman times women used chalk to lighten their complexions and used pumice to clean their teeth.

Cosmetic use was frowned upon at some points in Western history. For example, in the 1800s, make-up was used primarily by prostitutes, and Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup improper, vulgar, and acceptable only for use by actors. Adolf Hitler told women that face painting was for clowns and not for the women of the Master Race. By the middle of the 20th century, cosmetics were in widespread use in nearly all societies around the world.

Cosmetics have been in use for thousands of years. They also attached silk or leather with adhesive to cover a blemish. The absence of regulation of the manufacture and use of cosmetics has led to negative side effects, deformities, blindness, and even death through the ages. Examples of this were the prevalent use of ceruse (white lead), to cover the face during the Renaissance, and blindness caused by the mascara Lash Lure during the early 1900s.