.Ancient Sumerians made it with crushed gemstones, waxes and oils over 5,000 years ago. Since then, it has faded or brightened in popularity over and again. Greek prostitutes had to mark their lips with bright red so men were not confused about which scantily clad women were prostitutes and which were upstanding citizens.
Queen Elizabeth, with her powdered skin and bright red lips, brought lip rouge into popularity again… until men began to accuse women of bewitching them into marriage through deceptive arts– meaning makeup.
The rub?
They wanted women to be beautiful still, but without the assistance of dyes or crocodile droppings.
Victorian women were to be clean, polite, and not stand out. Only actresses and prostitutes were “allowed” to indulge in coloration. But women not wishing their husbands to be wowed by prostitutes and actresses used lip colors, and other makeup, discreetly– so men “could not detect it.” Sold as health aids, these beauty products often contained mercury or arsenic.
Perhaps Snow White’s poison apple was symbolic of this practice…
Soon after, woman began asserting that they had a right to vote, have jobs, and wear what they wanted to make them look powerful or feminine.
Unfortunately, veggie dyes, croc poo, bugs, and lards have given way to heavy metals and poisons. Tests show that in 75% of lipsticks, lead makes up at least 1% of the ingredients. Which means we really are not much safer than the Victorians. :0
This has been your Tuesday Trivia Tidbit.