To many, applying makeup in the morning is just part of a daily routine. Wake up, roll around in bed and cry about the future, brush teeth, comb hair, apply makeup, etc. It comes as natural as hygiene to some. But where did this practice come from? How did makeup become an essential in so many people’s lives?
Makeup, much like paper, calendars, and other simple inventions we use on the daily, originated in Om El Donya (Mother of the World) or ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian women and men alike practiced wearing a form of makeup for the same reason many women, and some men, wear makeup today, to look presentable. Rather, back then, the goal was to impress the gods instead of each other. Appearances showed ones hierarchy, and in a society molded around kings and queens, it was important to look as royal as possible at all times. Black kohl was worn around the eyes and on the lashes, green pigment on the lids and, for blush, a mixture of red clay and water was used.
Romans, Europeans, and Italians followed suit with the practices learned from the Egyptians. Each society had a different application process and perceived makeup in a completely different way than the next. The pursuit of beauty was often dangerous and lethal for many, as the methods and ingredients weren’t always safe and definitely wouldn’t be FDA approved today. For example, in the middle ages, pale skin was a sign of wealth in Europe. Many women used white makeup and other measures such as bleeding themselves to become pale, whereas, in Spain pink makeup was the trend. Similarly, while the French prized the use of makeup, the Victorians despised it and didn’t believe in altering ones natural state. In the 17th century, while the spread of epidemics killed many, people often used makeup to create the impression of good health.
Though every society viewed makeup differently, they all had one thing in common. Somewhere down the line it became more common for woman to use makeup to impress not gods, but each other, and more importantly men. Perhaps this has to do with the status men were perceived to have. Women used makeup to enhance their appearance to impress men because they held a higher rank in society, similar to the way Egyptians viewed gods and kings.
Further, I think it’s important to emphasize that I have nothing against women who choose to wear makeup or not. In fact, it’s even more important to emphasize that whether a woman wears makeup or not is nobody's but her own business. For whatever reasons, women wear makeup; because we simply want to, it makes us feel pretty, raises our self-esteem, or just as a statement, the reason is our own, period.
That being said, I can’t help but wonder what the psychological history behind makeup is. Is makeup to women what hair gel is to men or facial hair? Why is it more acceptable for men to have not so perfect complexions with under eye circles and pores visible to the world, where as a makeup-less woman is seen as out of the norm and put on a pedestal for going au naturel?
