Over the past hundred years, make up has become accessible and affordable. Beauty counters are piled with cosmetics like [mascara] and concealer. There are endless rows of nail varnishes and lipsticks in every shade possible. Makeup, on the other hand, is not a modern luxury. It is in fact, thousands of years of experimenting using natural ingredients, chemical compounds and even insects! Many of these cosmetics were found to be unsafe and our forefathers soon found out beauty had an ugly side.

During the Elizabethan era, it was fashionable to acquire a pale complexion like Queen Elizabeth I by using a cosmetic called Venetian ceruse. This white cosmetic was used in a similar way we use foundation. Side effects included mental illnesses and skin ruptures. Even harmful pigments like vermilion were used on Queen Elizabeth I’s lips to create the bright red colour.

Lipstick was worn even further back in time by ancient Egyptians. Cleopatra wore lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles and ants. Blood from the beetles produced a sought-after deep red colour. Red dye from seaweed, bromine and red clay were among other ingredients used to make lipstick. It isn’t surprising how the liberal application of these cosmetics resulted in bad skin.

The Romans were just as vain as the Egyptians. Infatuated with the desire to look good, the Romans overlooked makeup related health problems suffered by the ancient Egyptians and used their cosmetics. They really liked eye makeup like kohl and used it as eyeline. Kohl was made from galena, (a blue coloured mineral) and soot. An ivory stick was used to apply the mixture, which was dipped in oil or water before application. This made it possible for the kohl to stick to the eyes. Fragrances were also created during ancient Rome. Perfume was mainly used to cover the bad odours early day makeup carried. These fragrances were made from honey, fennel and barley as well as oils and herbs.

After thousands of years of trial and error, cosmetics still remain an essential commodity. As technological developments of cosmetic surgery become more advanced, the need to beautify oneself and vanity will remain far into the future.

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