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Early Views on Makeup
Introduction
To understand our perceptions of makeup today, it helps to understand our perceptions in the past.
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The historical ideologies on where our ideas of beauty and perception came from are great contributing factors behind what we think and what we create in digital and visual formats. Many of our accounts come from old pictures, paintings, and authors descriptive works on women. The way in which some men and society view cosmetics would make it hard to believe that early male warlords used it makeup to impress fear into their enemies during battle.” (Corson) One must consider that, “such information may be colored and biased by those same masculine attitudes. This especially true of cosmetics, which were long suspected in traditional morality as being aesthetically deceptive, repellent, and indicative of sexual immorality.” (Cambridge 2003)
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Kelly Olson of The John Hopkins University provides some insightful excerpts and opinions in Cosmetics in roman Antiquity: Substance, Remedy, Poison by examining authors’ portrayal of women in literature. Kelly’s’ article shows that men believed makeup to be deceptive and dangerous to women’s health. These tales whether fictional, exaggerated, or true, all led to giving women or anyone who embraced the idea of “covering” their natural face a stigma. Men wrote most of the literature produced thousands of years ago, and many writers have a hard time writing from any other perspective but their own. While outside views may influence them to change their narrative a little, their voice is always a big part of telling the story from their point of view. “The ‘anti-cosmetic tradition’ seems to provide us with information on many substances used by women as cosmetics, but we must be aware that most of this information comes from satirical or moralistic works, sometimes savagely so, and that such texts may not provide us with unmediated access to women’s lives” (Olson 293) Most of the literary works could have been used as propaganda to get women not to use makeup because of the obvious and not so obvious poisonous dangers. Many early cosmetics did prove to be very harmful and dangerous to the women’s health and appearance because of the harsh alterations these chemicals made to their bodies. The substances that made up foundation, blush, eyeliner, and eyeshadow contained several deadly and toxic ingredients. Most people were ignorant to the potential ill effects that these toxins could have on the human body with excessive use or use in general. “The ancients were aware that at least two [of the many] cosmetic substances were poisonous: red and white lead and mercury sublimate.” (Olson 308) Also, in the early Roman culture a lot of the society believed personal adornment was viewed as being obnoxious or offensive. It was “un-Roman” to spend or waste “time and energy on clothing and makeup was labeled dishonest, sexually licentious, and a locus of social disorder.” (Olson 303)
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In the seventeenth century, not much had changed about the negative association with makeup or cosmetics and women in relation to their representation in literature. There is a story about a Greek Prostitute called Phryne who sits down for dinner with a few friends. While they waited to eat, they began to play follow the leader. “Phryne asked for a bowl of water to wash her hands and face, and instructed the other women to follow her lead. It was said that Phryne still looked the same without her makeup on because she was young and beautiful but her friends or followers who were ‘heavily painted’ all appeared ugly and deformed without their makeup leaving them disgraced.” (Drew-Bear 31) This specific story illustrates an association between ‘heavy makeup’ use, promiscuity, and deceitfulness, and ladies of the night. Certain authors like Ben Jonson and Thomas Tuke of the seventeenth century made it their duty to expose the ugliness, distaste, and dangers of women, cosmetics, and evilness. Their works consisted of either plays, poems, or books that made their villainous or antagonistic characters wear excessive makeup and disguise themselves as other people. Their characters were often known as beauty advisors or fake doctors to represent their view of women and cosmetics.
Conclusion
Women wear makeup to hide or cover unwanted features, express themselves, or to play with different styles or looks. Research has shown that people favor either no makeup or light makeup that looks natural when it comes to choosing trustworthiness. “Etcoff and others have shown that makeup can improve judgments made by observers when applied modestly but when placed dramatically or glamorously individuals may project a less likeable or trustworthy impression if observers are given unlimited time to evaluate. Excessively overt facial alterations may negatively influence the impression projected.” (Etcoff) Think about your favorite Disney Heroines and Villains and compare their makeup. There is a deliberate over the top night and day difference between the two so that you make no mistake, despite a character’s actions, who is evil and who is good. Regardless of yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows views on makeup, it will always be a subjective matter based on how people are raised, taught, and their experiences with different faces.
CARLY FLORES
Artist, Makeup Addict, Wonderer by nature, "Ambiguous" by Makeup Analysis
WHO WE ARE
Interdisciplinary Studies
Makeup Addict
Hero by Makeup Analysis
The average human makes hundreds of snap judgments about people a day, be it a new coworker, an unfamiliar bus driver, the cashier at a grocery store, a potential significant other, or a possible new friend. These decisions manifest in split seconds and likely shape the course of the relationship with that person, no matter how long the interaction lasts. The tendency to judge comes from to a natural evolutionary habit going back thousands of years, and behavior learned as recently as that day. The perceptions of other people often occur unconsciously, sometimes consciously, but they instill a “feeling” about a person, or a “gut reaction,” be it negative or positive. Another wildly influential construct in the world takes the form of animated cartoons and movies geared towards children and adults alike. The wide population grew up with various animated cartoons and movies that kept them company after school and on Saturday mornings. The characters’ designs in these shows, believe it or not, spark an early conversation for cosmetics and their effect thereof on one’s perceptions of people. The harsh contour of a Disney villain vs the wide doe eyes of the protagonist paints a picture that filters and effects the way one sees people, all the way to adulthood, when more mature cartoons touch upon the idea of makeup in a different (but still impactful) light.
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We can go back and forth forever on the merits of nature vs nurture, good vs evil, biological or sociological, science vs religion, and augmented vs natural “beauty,” and while the later may seem less important, or profound- out of place, even- the question still stands as one of the most commonly dealt with on the day to day basis for almost anyone in the world. The Industry of Cosmetics and Makeup dominates the market as one of the top grossing industries, with the Cosmetics Industry in America alone finishing 2016 worth 62.46 billion dollars. Before one can begin to take a side on whether they support cosmetic use or not, one must consider the history of makeup and appearance, as well as the context one grows up with.