A odd and lovely thing, makeup. Although not actually “essential,” it does aid in many people’s ability to express themselves and feel more self-assured. You might believe that makeup is a relatively recent invention, something that we now have time for, yet people in the past couldn’t have have cared less about this gimmicky crap. But in reality, makeup has a very long history that goes back to the beginning of time. For instance, cosmetics played such a significant role in Ancient Egypt that makeup pots have been discovered in even the most simple graves, indicating that the Egyptians felt they would require it in the afterlife. Let’s examine some of the earliest makeup items ever utilized by people.
1. Fragrance
Although perfume is a fancy item nowadays, women in ancient Egypt used scented oils and creams for cleanliness, to keep their skin smooth, and to shield it from the sun’s rays and dry air. The oils of lilies, peppermint, lavender, rose, and myrrh were also widely used in religious ceremonies. It appears that the use of perfume was a major component of Egyptian culture in the past.
2. Eyeliner
What was life like before Too Faced and Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes? It was, in fact, quite colorful. Egyptians have employed malachite powder on their eyelids since ancient times. They used oils or animal fat to apply this green mineral, which they had powdered up, to their eye area. In a sense, it was the original form of eyeshadow. The first eyeshadow wasn’t just for looks; according to certain research, malachite powder was also an effective technique to protect eyes from a variety of illnesses.
(3) Eyeliner
In the past, they frequently utilized galena powder, now more frequently known as eyeliner, around their eyes. Burnt almonds were frequently used to create that well-known Egyptian eyeliner. Again, it wasn’t just for show; galena powder provided effective UV protection for the delicate skin around the eyes.
4. The brow
Nowadays, eyebrows play a significant role, and we all work hard to maintain them at all times. But keep in mind how severely we tweezed them in the 1990s. It turns out that this isn’t quite new. Men and women alike employed dark powder to draw on unibrows in ancient Greece, where women applied false eyebrows with ox hair. However, it was more typical to totally shave off a woman’s eyebrows in China and Japan.
5. The basis
People who weren’t born into a life of wealth and had to work out in the sun used white lead (which was incredibly hazardous and undoubtedly affected their lifespan) to make their faces look white because in ancient Greece having pale white skin was a sign of prestige and beauty. Chalk was utilized if they were unable to obtain led, but it typically didn’t last as long as led. People began manufacturing face powder out of rice in China and Japan, where having fair skin was also seen as a symbol of affluence.
6. Blush
Additionally, women in ancient Greece used crushed mulberries as rouge. To give their faces a young flush, they placed it on top of the lead paint on their faces. Mulberries were preferred by women because they produce the most “natural” blush hue; other berries were also used to attain the same effect.
7. Cosmetics
Red iron and ochre clay were used to make the original lipsticks. They weren’t exactly excellent for the lips and were fairly coarse, but they undoubtedly produced the red lip. Olive oil and beeswax were later used by individuals as the foundation for their lipstick.
8. Hair Blonde
hair was preferred to black hair in ancient Greece because it was seen as more attractive and divine. Women try to lighten their hair for a very long time. They let their hair soak up vinegar and lemon juice before setting it out in the sun to naturally lighten it. Applying a mixture of black sulphur, alum, and honey to hair and letting it sit in the sun to bleach it was another method. Women wore wide-brimmed hats with a hole in the middle to prevent sunburn because pale complexion was in fashion at the time. In this manner, the hat brims shielded their skin from the sun while allowing their hair to lighten by being pulled through the top hole.
9. Nailing Polish
The first people to begin painting their fingernails were Chinese. Beeswax, gum arabic, and egg white were used. The wealthy typically painted their nails crimson, gold, or silver, whereas those from lower social levels were forbidden from doing so. People in ancient Rome utilized sheep blood and fat as nail paint.
10. Henna
In the past, henna was also very fashionable. It was used for many things, including mehndi art, nail polish, and hair colour. Henna paste was the most widely used method of painting decorations on the skin, it was used to dye hair dark or bright red, it kept hair and nails in good condition, and it was also thought to bring good fortune.
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