Jennifer MacFarlane MUA: History Of Makeup

HISTORY OF MAKEUP

Japan

Geisha's wore lipstick made of crushed safflower petals to paint the eyebrows and edges of the eyes as well as the lips, and sticks of bintsuke wax, a softer version of the sumo wrestlers' hair wax, were used by geisha as a makeup base.Rice powder colors the face and back; rouge contours the eye socket and defines the nose.Ohaguro (black paint) colours the teeth for the ceremony, called Erikae, when maiko (apprentice geisha) graduate and become independent.The geisha would also sometimes use bird droppings to compile a lighter color.

Egypt

Around 10,000 BCE, the Ancient Egyptians were developing almost every kind of cosmetic that we would use today. They had creams for stretch marks and to fight aging. They used oils to moisturize their skin and they had an array of perfumes. To them, looking attractive was the best way to get close to the gods.

England

In England in the Middle Ages, it was popular for women to dye their hair red or to wear egg whites on their face to whiten it. During the Renaissance, around the 1400s, only the Aristocracy used cosmetics. They began using arsenic instead of lead in some powders. Around 1500 AD, European women used a variety of products, some quite dangerous to their health, to lighten their skin. Blonde hair became more popular due to its angelic appearance.
Around 1800 AD, it is found that zinc oxide, which is commonly used in today’s cosmetics, is much safer than lead for use on the skin. Queen Victoria denounced makeup as vulgar. It lost some popularity and was only acceptable for use by actors.

Africa

The use of cosmetics in Ancient Egypt is well documented. Kohl and henna have their roots in north Africa. Remedies to treat wrinkles were recorded at the time of Thutmosis III, containing ingredients such as gum of frankincense and fresh moringa. For scars and burns, a special ointment was made of red ochre, kohl, and sycamore juice. An alternative treatment was a poultice of carob grounds and honey, or an ointment made of frankincense and honey.