Colegiul Național Ienăchiță Vacărescu

Beautification in time

Coordinating teacher:
Student:Moga Gabriella
Marcu-Popescu Mădălina
CONTENTS
01 Earlier practices .

02 History of products

03
The impact of
make-up in society
Motivation
A common saying is "Beauty stays in the eye of the beholder," which means beauty doesn't exist on its own but is created by observers.
As long as there have been people, there has been makeup and today, cosmetics can be found in almost every society on Earth. I have
always found it interesting how makeup was used along history and this made me want to know more about the origins and evolution of
makeup which is essential to understanding how the perception of beauty has evolved throughout history.

On the other hand, we can see nowadays that from a younger and younger age girls are starting to use makeup, which is because they are
made to believe that they need all these products in order to be considered beautiful by the society. All these companies would do anything
for the sake of making a profit including manipulating little girls through social media and advertisements, taking advantage of their
insecurities in order to make them believe that they are never pretty enough unless they use their products. This is why we have to prevent
the young generation against these tactics since they are easily influenced. Moreover, the girls should be taught that being not like
everyone else is what makes one special and that beauty is something that comes from actions not necessarily from a pretty face.

The structure of this paper revolves around three chapters which will guide the reader through different eras of makeup and beauty
standards starting with the ancient times and ending with the last trends in makeup, but it also includes a quick analysis of how make up
impacts our confidence nowadays since more teenagers say that they don’t feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup, because
they don’t want to be judged.
 01
Earlier practices
Cosmetic makeup was one invention that Egyptians made. They invented eye makeup in 4000 BCE to give them protection from the sun and to
imitate the impressive look of the gods. According to discoveringegypt.com, “They combined soot with a lead called galena to make the
ointment Kohl. Both men and women of all classes would decorate their eyes with coloured kohl, usually in dark green, black or blue. These
kohl circles were supposed to ward off the evil eye.Scientists now believe the lead in this makeup may even have kept wearers healthier, as it
killed off bacteria.

We also know that Egyptians used castor oil as a protective balm and the Romans described those using creams consisting of beeswax, olive oil,
rosewater and more.The world’s first anti-wrinkle serums were also used in ancient Egypt. It was a mixture of aloe, myrrh, and frankincense with
anti-inflammatory properties that kept the skin free from blemishes and acne, as a purifying facial mask made from honey and milk.
In Neolithic China, makeup and other cosmetics were simple and largely plant or mineral-based. Safflower and ochre were used to make rouge, a
reddish pigment that was applied to the cheeks. A ruddy complexion was likely associated with good health.
Another practice was painting fingernails, which began circa 3000 BCE as a way to establish social class. Royals wore gold or silver while the
lower classes were forbidden to wear bright nail colours.

In Japan, beauty has long been associated with a light skin tone. Women used to paint their face with a white powder called oshiroi . This
practice was popular for a long time since white facial color continued to stand as a symbol of beauty. Wearing makeup was considered good
etiquette and form. Women were expected to be made up from early morning until late at night, even while they were in the bath. Putting on
makeup was a private act, one not to be seen by others
A symbol of Ancient Japan were geishas, who are still famous for their striking makeup. They originally used lipstick made from crushed
safflower petals to paint their eyebrows and lips and rice powder to colour the face.For official ceremonies, a black paint called ohaguro was (and
still is) used to colour the teeth.
 02
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTS
Foundation is a liquid, cream, or powder makeup applied to the face and neck to create an even, uniform color to the complexion, cover flaws and,
sometimes, to change the natural skin tone.

Throughout the Middle Ages in Europe, it was considered fashionable for women to have pale skin, due to the association of tanned skin with
outdoors work, and therefore the association of pale skin with affluence. In the 6th century, women would often bleed themselves to achieve a pale
complexion.

Throughout the 17th century and the Elizabethan era, women wore ceruse, a lethal mixture of vinegar and white lead. They also applied egg whites
to their faces to create a shiny complexion. Many men and women died from wearing lead-based make-up.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Victorian women wore little or no makeup. Queen Victoria abhorred make-up and deemed that it was only
appropriate for prostitutes and loose women to wear it. It was only acceptable for actors or actresses to wear make-up. In the late 19th century,
women would apply a whitening mixture made out of zinc oxide, mercury, lead, nitrate of silver, and acids. Some women stayed out of the sun, ate
chalk, and drank iodine to achieve whiteness.

In the Edwardian era, women wore a base and did not bleach their skin as much as they did in previous centuries.
Then came Carl Baudin’s invention that’s closest to modern day foundation. To conceal the joint between his wig and forehead, he created flesh-
colored ‘Greasepaint’, made of fats and pigment. Its popularity gained momentum among actors and he began selling it commercially, and ruled the
roost until 1914. Albeit, his formula would crack at the lift of an eyebrow.
2.Face powder
Face powder is a cosmetic product applied to the face to serve different functions, typically to beautify the face. Originating from ancient Egypt,
face powder has had different social uses across cultures and in modern times, it is typically used to set makeup, brighten the skin and contour the
face.
At a time of prevalent disease, beauty in the Middle Ages was characterised by having clear, bright skin that signalledfertility and good health.Lead
based powders were continually used

throughout the 16th century by the noble class as Queen Elizabeth I was known to use face powder to conceal her smallpox scars.The leading cause
of her death was blood poisoning, primarily due to her cosmetic practices of using makeup containing toxic materials, including the lead-based face
powder. During the Victorian era, noticeable make-up became less popular as

women desired to look naturally beautiful and hence, powders derived from zinc oxides were used to maintain ivory coloured skin. With the
outbreak of smallpox in 1760, less women used face powder due to how it aggravated the skin and revealed facial scarring. Works of art from the
Renaissance reinforced the idealised image of beauty and influenced the use of face powder. The social uses of face powder to maintain whitened,
•2.Face powder
Face powder is a cosmetic product applied to the face to serve different functions, typically to beautify the face. Originating from ancient Egypt, face powder has had different social uses across cultures and in modern times, it is typically used to set makeup, brighten the skin and contour the face.
At a time of prevalent disease, beauty in the Middle Ages was characterised by having clear, bright skin that signalledfertility and good health.Lead based powders were continually used

throughout the 16th century by the noble class as Queen Elizabeth I was known to use face powder to conceal her smallpox scars.The leading cause of her death was blood poisoning, primarily due to her cosmetic practices of using makeup containing toxic materials, including the lead-based face powder. During the Victorian
era, noticeable make-up became less popular as

women desired to look naturally beautiful and hence, powders derived from zinc oxides were used to maintain ivory coloured skin. With the outbreak of smallpox in 1760, less women used face powder due to how it aggravated the skin and revealed facial scarring. Works of art from the Renaissance reinforced the idealised
image of beauty and influenced the use of face powder. The social uses of face powder to maintain whitened, unblemished skin is visible in Renaissance art pieces including The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.
Shakespeare's works comment on femininity and the culture of cosmetic use at the time, specifically with his references to silver, indicative of the desired glistening complexion achieved with the use of pearl face powder.
During the Edwardian era, makeup for women was used to enhance natural beauty and many young women applied light face powder on a daily basis. Influenced by traditional beauty standards, women preferred pale, whitened and powdered skin throughout the early 1900s. However, in the 1920s, Hollywood became the
main inspiration for beauty in America and powdering the face shifted from an upper-class practice to that of the social-class as the powdered face look became associated with prostitutes and movie stars.
Max Factor was Hollywood makeup entrepreneur and legend who coined the term Make-up in 1920. It was he who noticed that actors’ faces appeared brick red and blue ever since the development of Technicolor film. That was the catalyst behind his master stroke ‘Pan-Cake’. The first foundation-and-powder-in-one was
made of talc, not the regular oil or wax that could be applied directly on to skin with a wet sponge. It covered blemishes with a natural finish that was lightweight and could be worn publicly. In 1940, despite the economic turmoil, it was the most successful cosmetic launch if the time, and soared through the Golden Age of
cinema. One in three women owned it and is still sold today, earning it a cult status.

•3.Lipstick
•Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture.
•Ancient Sumerian and Indus Valley men and women were possibly the first to invent and wear lipstick, about 5,000 years ago. Sumerians crushed gemstones and used them to decorate their faces, mainly on the lips and around the eyes. Egyptians like Cleopatra crushed bugs (carmine) to create a color of red on their lips.
•United Kingdom
•Lip colouring started to gain some popularity in 16th-century England. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I bright red lips becam popular,because she believed – as did many others during the Tudor and Elizabethan periods – that lipstick was magic.Many people believed not only that lipstick was magic, but also that it could
ward off death. And so, Elizabeth applied more and more lipstick whenever she was sick. Elizabeth made her own bright red lipstick with a recipe of cochineal, gum Arabic, egg whites, and fig milk. Elizabeth also invented lip liner. Many of Elizabeth’s ladies followed her lead, and wore their own lip coloring. But there was a
risk. Those magical powers? They attracted the attention of the church. Early Renaissance paintings sometimes even depicted the devil putting lipstick on women. One of the most frequent sins confessed by women to their priests was their use of lipstick.
•Throughout most of the 19th century, the obvious use of cosmetics was not considered acceptable in Britain for respectable women, and it was associated with marginalised groups such as actors and prostitutes. It was considered brazen and uncouth to wear makeup.Complete acceptance of the undisguised use of cosmetics in
England appears to have arrived for the fashionable Londoner at least by 1921.
•Lipstick trends
•Throughout the early 20th century, lipstick came in a limited number of shades. Dark red lipstick was one of the most popular shades throughout the 19th and 20th century, especially in the 1920s. Flappers wore lipstick to symbolize their independence. Lipstick was worn around the lips to form a "Cupid's bow," inspired by
actress Clara Bow.At that time, it was acceptable to apply lipstick in public and during lunch, but never at dinner.
•In the early 1930s, Elizabeth Arden began to introduce different lipstick colors. She inspired other companies to create a variety of lipstick shades. In the 1930s, lipstick was seen as a symbol of adult sexuality. Teenage girls believed that lipstick was a symbol of womanhood, yet adults saw it as an act of rebellion. Many
Americans, especially immigrants, did not accept teenage girls wearing lipstick.
•In the mid-1940s, several teen books and magazines stressed that men prefer a natural look over a made-up look. Books and magazines also warned girls that wearing cosmetics could ruin their chances of popularity and a career. The implication of these articles was that lipstick and rouge were for teen girls who acted very
provocatively with men. Despite the increased use of cosmetics, it was still associated with prostitution. Because of this,teen girls were discouraged from wearing cosmetics for fear that they would be mistaken for "loose" girls or prostitutes.
•By the 1950s, movie actresses Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor helped bring back dark red lips.
 03
THE IMPACT OF
MAKE UP IN
SOCIETY
Women have worn makeup for hundreds of years.It is used to make women appear more attractive and “more feminine” by enhancing their
features. Wearing makeup has become an essential tool in society to manage social expectations. By using makeup people are able to cover
insecurities, blemishes or features on their face they may not necessarily want to be seen. Make up is a semi-permanent mask for people to enhance
or change their features. It is used in movies, on stage and explored all over social media.

There has been scientific evidence that makeup makes women look more attractive by increasing sexual dimorphic factors facial contrast this is
defined by the luminance and colour between facial features such as eye, mouth, nose and eyebrows (Russel,2009). This is done by contouring and
deepening the depth of cheek bones and other surface areas. However, with todays society and social experiments continuously growing the use of
editing of pictures and filters on images that have been seen on celebrities have become more popular and are used daily in photos also known as
selfies. Social media app snapchat are known for their hundreds of filters that can completely change ones features, skin tone and at most hair
colour, the app which has over 293 million daily active users with four billion snapchats taken and shared every day.

But what “If tomorrow women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business,” Dr.
Gail Dines once said. There are fans who want to look like those influencers or celebrities and instead of loving their bare face, they are spending
their money to look like someone they’re not. Starters might have the impulse to buy the first cheapest or goodlooking thing they find without
knowing much about the product.

People who want to try out new makeup should stop buying products just because the company is famous. Rather, they should look up reviews or
comments on what experts/testers have to say about the product you’re interested with. Most of the cosmetic products sold to women these days
are not regulated by the FDA and can cause hazards in the long run for lots of women. For example, Asbestos ends up in makeup because of poor
regulations involving cosmetic-grade talc, which is also known as talcum powder. Talc and asbestos are minerals that form together. That means
talc mined for commercial uses can be contaminated with asbestos — a known cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Makeup also can result in worsening people’s mental health issues. People expect too much of themselves, imagining themselves with features that
are not part of their genetics. Now makeup seems to be the key of “confidence” in our society. A 2012 study done in University of New Hampshire
showed that women feel more attractive with makeup than without.

Many people feel that it’s a necessity to wear makeup at work as if their face is informal and unattractive. It’s as if every day we’re expected to
have perfect red lips and colorful eyes. As if work isn’t stressing enough people have to worry about what they look like or what to put on their
faces in order to “fit in” or “look attractive” to society. Work should make you feel confident, even if you’re a model, you shouldn’t feel down by
what people say and rush to the store to buy new makeup products, makeup doesn’t define who you are, and it’s just a temporary mirage of
yourself.
Conclusion
All in all make up takes a big part of our history and it helps us understand different cultures and views around the world. Cosmetics may help us change our appearance
or look better but we have to be aware that beauty doesn’t come from the external appearance but from the inside. If you have a pimple you can cover it with a bit of
foundation, but no amount of make up can cover up an ugly personality. Also, we gathered make up has both advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, make up can make
you look better which can help you in different aspects of life , but it is also a very good way to express yourself . This could mean using extreme makeup and other
fashion items or it could also just mean experimenting with colours which can become a serious profession sometimes. In fact, some people are even able to make a
living out of wearing different makeup and sharing their experiences over social media, often talking about different makeup and why makeup A would be much better
than makeup B.
Looking on the other side, makeup has clearly some downsides. For instance, one problem with wearing makeup is that it can simply be quite costly. Also, make up can
make your skin age faster. While wearing makeup may make you look younger in the short run, it can let your skin age faster due to the ingredients that are used in many
makeup products that often cause irritation. This is because the skin is simply no longer able to get enough air since it is covered by makeup, but also because many
substances that are contained in makeup products are actually quite bad for us. Moreover, the long-term effects of some makeup ingredients are still rather unclear and
therefore, it could make sense to avoid using makeup and relying on your natural beauty instead.
To conclude, in general, it is far better to own your imperfections instead of covering them in any form. Only if you own your imperfections, you can really grow in
character and develop. Moreover beauty will go away sooner or later anyway so, relying on your beauty to make you feel better is generally a bad idea. Instead, you
should be proud of what you are doing instead of how you are looking since you can do good for others long after your looks have faded.
Bibliography

https://www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/blogs/post/teen-volunteer-joods-brief-history-of-makeup/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cosmetics

https://medusasmakeup.com/pages/history-of-makeup

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-did-we-start-wearing-makeup

https://www.historicalindex.org/what-is-the-history-of-makeup-wearing.html
THANK YOU