Women have used makeup for over three thousand years. Why do you think? Because it has always been our human nature to strive for perfection. It gives us a jolt of confidence. Makeup offers us ways to perfect ourselves, by making us beautiful. Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt knew this over three thousand years ago. She used makeup to empower her looks. She made her eyebrows black, used kohl to line her eyes, and darkened her skin with mineral powder. A spa from Cleopatra’s reign, discovered in the dead sea area, revealed urns holding the skin care products used at the time. Ancient Greek and Roman women wore makeup to feel extravagant. Ancient Greek women darkened their eyebrows, wore expensive lead powder on their faces, and used olive oil to make their skin glow and feel dewy. Ancient Roman women used lead based white paint to transform their faces, making them fashionably pale. These ancient ancestors of ours applied red dye to their lips and cheeks, and colored their eyelids dark and sooty. Makeup had such an allure that there was a time Roman women were not looked upon as beautiful without makeup. They were also known for their fragrant oils and perfumes. In Victorian times, women wanted to appear fragile and beautiful. They applied their makeup to define their facial features. Eye shadows, lipsticks and nail polish were popular. During the Great Depression, when women faced economic ruin, lipstick was the one luxury they would not live without! And makeup sales miraculously rose during that time! Today the technology has made major advancements. Makeup makes our growing older gracefully much easier because we can look good while doing it!
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