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Past Cosmetics' Time Machine Experience
Welcome to the timeline of our cosmetics history.
10,000 BCE
Cosmetics are an integral part of Egyptian hygiene and health. Men and women in Egypt use scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask body odor. Oils and creams are used for protection against the hot Egyptian sun and dry winds. Myrrh, thyme, marjoram, chamomile, lavender, lily, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, rose, aloe, olive oil, sesame oil, and almond oil provide the basic ingredients of most perfumes Egyptians use in religious rituals.
4000 BCE
Egyptian women apply galena mesdemet (made of copper and lead ore) and malachite (bright green paste of copper minerals) to their faces for color and definition. They use kohl (a combination of burnt almonds, oxidized copper, different colored coppers ores, lead, ash, and ochre) to adorn the eyes in an almond shape. Women carry cosmetics to parties in makeup boxes and keep them under their chairs.
3000 BCE
The Chinese stain their fingernails with gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax, and egg. The colors are used as a representation of social class: Chou dynasty royals wear gold and silver, with subsequent royals wearing black or red. Lower classes are forbidden to wear bright colors on their nails. Grecian women paint their faces with white lead and apply crushed mulberries as rouge. The application of fake eyebrows, often made of oxen hair, is also fashionable.
1500 BCE
Chinese and Japanese citizens commonly use rice powder to make their faces white. Eyebrows are shaved off, teeth are painted gold or black, and henna dyes are applied to stain hair and faces.
1000 BCE
Grecians whiten their complexion with chalk or lead face powder and fashion crude lipstick out of ochre clays laced with red iron.
100
In Rome, people put barley flour and butter on their pimples and sheep fat and blood on their fingernails for polish. In addition, mud baths come into vogue, and some Roman men dye their hair blonde.
300-400
Henna is used in India both as a hair dye and in mehndi, an art form in which complex designs are painted on the hands and feet using a paste made from the henna plant, especially before a Hindu wedding. Henna is also used in some North African cultures.
1200
Perfumes are first imported to Europe from the Middle East as a result of the Crusades.
1300
In Elizabethan England, dyed red hair comes into fashion. Society women wear egg whites over their faces to create the appearance of a paler complexion. Some people believe, however, that cosmetics blocked proper circulation and therefore pose a health threat.
1400-1500
Italy and France emerge as the main centers of cosmetics manufacturing in Europe, and only the aristocracy has access. Arsenic is sometimes used in face powder instead of lead. The modern notion of complex scent-making evolves in France. Early fragrances are amalgams of naturally occurring ingredients. Later, chemical processes for combining and testing scents surpass their arduous and labor-intensive predecessors.
1500-1600
European women often attempt to lighten their skin using a variety of products, including white lead paint. Queen Elizabeth I of England is one well-known user of white lead, with which she creates a look known as “the Mask of Youth.” Blonde hair rises in popularity as it is considered angelic. Mixtures of black sulfur, alum, and honey are painted onto the hair and lighten with sun exposure.
1700s
1700s
The key aspects of the 18th century cosmetic look were a complexion somewhere between white and pale, red cheeks in a large circular shape (particularly for French court wear) or upside down triangle, and red lips. There were two main cosmetics worn by most women and men: blanc and rouge.
1800s
1800s
Zinc oxide becomes widely used as a facial powder, replacing the previously used deadly mixtures of lead and copper. One such mixture, Ceruse, which is made from white lead, is later discovered to be toxic and blamed for health problems including facial tremors, muscle paralysis, and even death. Queen Victoria publicly declares makeup improper. It is viewed as vulgar and acceptable only for use by actors.
1900s - 1910s
1900s - 1910s
American women begin to fashion their own form of mascara by applying beads of wax to their eyelashes. In Edwardian Society, pressure increases on middle-aged women to appear youthful while acting as hostesses. As a result, cosmetics use increases, but is not yet completely popularized. Beauty salons rise in popularity, though patronage of such salons is not widely accepted. Because many women do not wish to publicly admit they have assistance achieving their youthful appearances, they often enter salons through the back door.
1920s - 1930s
1920s - 1930s
The flapper look comes into fashion for the first time and, with it, increased cosmetics use: dark eyes, red lipstick, red nail polish, and the suntan, which is first noted as a fashion statement by Coco Chanel. Cosmetics and fragrances are manufactured and mass marketed in America for the first time. Max Factor, a Polish-American cosmetician and former cosmetics expert for the Russian royal family, invents the word “makeup” and introduces Society Makeup to the general public, enabling women to emulate the looks of their favorite movie stars.
1940s
1940s
The general premise of 1940s makeup looks was to look natural with a little bit of glamour added for good measure – so, that meant red lips, nails, etc. Foundation was always a 'natural' affair where a rosy and subtle glow to the cheeks was preferred.
1950s
1950s
The iconic '50s look included a matte complexion with a velvety finish. Women often used foundation, powder, and concealer to create a smooth base, giving them an immaculate appearance. This dedication to a flawless complexion laid the foundation for the timeless elegance associated with 1950s beauty.
1960s
1960s
Face makeup in the 60s was minimal – no highlighter, no bronzer, and no contour. Women from the 60s would typically apply matte foundations and brightening concealers and set their makeup with a setting powder to make the base even more matte.
1970s
1970s
70s makeup embraced beautiful, bronzed skin and irresistible glossy lips while keeping brows bushy and full. Bronzer was swept generously onto the cheeks and forehead to give the complexion a sun-dipped appearance and then complemented by a sumptuous slick of nude lipstick.
1980s
1980s
Vibrant eyeliners, neon eyeshadows, and coloured mascaras were used to create dramatic, larger-than-life 80s eye makeup and lipstick colours like fuchsia, plum and bubblegum pink were lacquered onto the lips to create vivid 80s pouts. Everything looked lifted and dynamic in the 80s, especially when it came to blush.
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