Thursday 17 November 2016

How has makeup changed over the years?

Makeup has changed drastically over the years in both the way people wear it and how the cosmetics itself are made. People wore different kinds of makeup over the years and also, similar to clothing trends, had makeup trends for different eras eg. ancient Greece or Egyptian times.


Ancient Egypt (c. 3150 - 31 BC)

In ancient Egypt they used makeup that they made themselves such as eye kohl and eye shadows.
They made kohl with soot, fat and metal. It was supposed to prevent the eyes from blindness as well as making a person look more awake. This is why doctors carried kohl with them when working.
The Egyptians braided their hair to frame their face and men and women of the upper class wore lipsticks in colours such as orange, blue/black, red or magenta. They wore bright colours on their eyes like blue or green.


India’s Gupta Age (c. 320 - 550 A.D.)

Like the Egyptians, Indian women wore kohl on their eyes since ancient times. Indian women usually wore their hair in a low bun which was decorated with fresh flowers or they had their hair in a long braid going down their back. The bindi was especially popular for married Hindu women during this time as well- worn between the eyebrows.


Japanese Geishas (c. mid-1700s)

Japanese geishas are entertainers who sang, wrote poetry, danced and played musical instruments.
Geishas have a tradition in the way they look. They used thick white foundation to make them appear pale. They lined their eyes with charcoal and red pigment. First year Geishas only wore lipstick on their bottom lip but fully trained Geishas wore red lipstick all over their lips in the shape of a flower.


Ancient Greece (c. 800 - 500 BC)

Ancient Greek cosmetics were supposed to provide natural beauty. Greek women had unibrows, and those who couldn't grow one stuck animal fur between their eyebrows or drew one on with kohl.
They also used led based face cream to lighten their skin.



This is a video I found made by Buzzfeed, which shows how makeup and makeup trends have changed throughout the years. It also includes some of the eras I have talked about.





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