Cosmetics span at least 6000 years and were present in almost every society on earth. Some are still arguing on the fact that cosmetic body art was the earliest form of ritual in human culture from the African Middle Stone Age, dating over 100,000 years ago. There are even archaeological evidence of cosmetics dating back from ancient Egypt and Greece. Cosmetics were present in various other countries across the globe such as in China, Japan and Europe.
Though it was famous in the very early years, makeup was not excessively popular in the early 1990s. In fact, women barely wore makeup. Applying real paint to the face, known as face enamelling became well-known among the rich at this time in an attempt to look paler. Pale skin was connected with wealth as it meant that you were not out working in the sun and have enough money to stay inside all day. Women went for burnt matchsticks to darken eyelashes, and geranium and poppy petals to stain the lips. There was a high demand of Vaseline during that period as it was used on chapped lips, as a base for hair tonic and soap. Make-up became trendy around 1910 in the United States and Europe. During that same period, coloured makeup was introduced in Paris, where crimsons and orchers were the most typical shades. Cosmetic tattooing also became famous during that time, where George Burchett – the world famous tattoo artist was capable of tattooing on pink blushes, red lips and dark eyebrows.
The movie industry in Hollywood had the most influential impact on cosmetics in the 1920s. This was the era in which many makeup manufacturers established, for example Max Factor, Sr and Elizabeth Arden. The most popular type of makeup was lipstick, more so than rouge and powder, because they were colourful and cheap. The cosmetics was also influenced by the Flapper Style, which embraced dark eyes, red nail polish, red lipstick and the suntan. This fashion statement was invented by the famous Coco Channel. Eyebrow pencils, synthetic hair dye and sunscreen also appeared during that period.
It is in the 1950s that the age of makeup entered the golden age. This was the period in time where skin enhancement cosmetics were sold as fast as the old traditional face paint. The dominant shades were pastels in the 1950s and pink lipstick swapped with the reds. A really glamourous decade for women’s makeup, the 1950s look is still sported by many. The light shades that were used by the 1950s people has been used to adorn the online bingo site Bingo Extra. The site layout has adopted the glamourous 1950s look with pastel colours, keeping alive this exceptional period in time. Which is your favourite? Is it Grace Kelly’s classic look, Marilyn Monroe makeup or the Cat eye-line?
Some of the top makeup brands of all time are Olay, Avon, L’Oréal, Neutrogena, Nivea, Lancôme, Dove, Estee Lauder, Bioré and Shiseido. Other famous brands are Christian Dior, Chanel, Maybelline, Johnson’s and more!