Beauty through the ages

Oct. 10, 2007

5,000 years ago in Babylon, the inauspicious first lipstick arrived in the ancient city of Ur. Was that the start of humans truly making a conscious effort to beautify themselves? Or was that turning point considered to be the Egyptians’ use of kohl as an eyeliner? Only history knows for sure. What we do know is that in each era throughout the many years of civilization, beauty has been applied, depicted, and perceived in many, many different ways.


IN ANCIENT TIMES
Discoveries about the pursuit of beauty throughout the ages are many and varied. And you wouldn’t believe some of the substances that have been used as “beauty products.” Also in Babylon, semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli (blue) and malachite (green) were ground up and used as eye shadows. Ancient Greek women coated their faces and necks with a white, lead-containing powder before applying herbal “blush” pastes made from crushed berries and seeds; little did they know that, over time, that lead would destroy their complexion and, in some cases, kill them.
In ancient Rome, hairdressing was the focus, with the wealthier Romans attended to in public barber shops. Romans used hairpieces to make their hair longer, and Roman women dressed their hair up in detailed, carefully-arranged styles with jeweled hairpins or curled in ringlets.
The Egyptians, in particular, were known for the attention to beauty, using combs and pins for hairstyling since about the 4th century B.C. Egyptian women preferred thick hair, and also used hair extensions and colored wigs, which they enhanced with ivory hairpins and gold ornaments; rich Egyptians even had their own barbers. On the other hand (er, head) any men and even some women kept their heads bald for comfort in the heat; men’s faces were usually kept free of facial hair, although false beards were sometimes applied. The Egyptians were also fond of unguents - fragrant ointments or pastes similar to today’s solid perfumes - and perfumed oils. Special cones were set into Egyptian women’s wigs to hold perfumes, and even the common working man received a daily allotment of oil.
When it came to Egyptian makeup, however, it was all about the eyes, which they decorated with several different products; ground up stones were also used here, as were ground up ants’ eggs, which made a dark, staining juice (how appealing). Kohl - which is perhaps the most recognizable Egyptian makeup to the modern day observer - was a black-colored damp powder that they used to outline the eyes, and could be made from frankincense, antimony, a mixture of - again - lead and other substances, or powdered burnt almonds, probably the safest option. Kohl vessels were perhaps the most favored item in the Egyptian women’s makeup boxes.
Greek women, meanwhile, were wearing their hair long and in corkscrew curls; later, Greek hairstyling would devolve to what was called the “Greek knot,” which was basically a bun at the nape of the neck. Greek ladies weren’t such fans of wigs and hairpieces, though; instead, they like to highlight their hair, which they did with saffron.

15TH - 18TH CENTURY
Blond hair was considered a sign of class and beauty in the 15th century; which made both men and women use, again, saffron, or even bleach, to lighten their hair. Crownless hats were fashionable at this time, too, in pursuit of that blondness. With a high forehead being another coveted attribute, upper-class ladies often plucked their hairline, or painfully pulled their hair back under headdresses. In the 16th century - thanks to France’s Francis I, who accidentally burned his hair with a torch - men began to wear shorter hair and grew short beards, as well. Queen Elizabeth was the trendsetter now, with society women longing to copy her white complexion and red hair; many red wigs were used during this time, as was, again (you’d think they’d learn) that lovely poisonous white lead powder. Lead-based rogue was also used as a cheek blush, and the eyebrows and lips were colored in with alabaster pencils, with a thin glaze of egg-white applied on top to “fix” (ew) the whole thing.
By the 18th century, right alongside elaborately ruffled, pastel-colored gowns and bow-adorned shoes, things were getting a little hair-raising - literally - with hairstyles built over wire cages and adorned with all manner of ribbons, figurines, jewels, and other gadgets (think Kirsten Dunst in “Marie Antoinette”). Sure, these hairstyles were relatively low maintenance - requiring several hours of work, but only every couple of weeks - but in between styling sessions, the coiffure attracted vermin, who liked to set up housekeeping until the hairdresser returned (can we say “ew” again?). Late in the century, extravagance became unfashionable, and the herisson style - which basically translated to a loose mass of curls - was born.

VICTORIAN, MEET EDWARDIAN
That more modest approach continued into the Victorian era, when most women kept their boots laced up to the knee and kept themselves makeup-free, finally figuring out that lead isn’t the best thing to be putting on your face. Other than face powder or a very pale lipstick, colored makeup was considered something that was taboo for the most part, and was reserved for prostitutes and actresses (who wore it only on stage, of course). Women’s hair stayed demure, smoothed down over the crown of the head, with either long, controlled sausage curls at the side, or a knot of curls or braids in the back. Men’s hair was also a lot more restrained – dressed with macassar oil; by contrast, most men of the time wore some sort of facial hair, whether a mustache, beard, or sideburns.
During the Edwardian society days, women - who didn’t tend to exercise, ate plenty of bon-bons, and had to deal with heavy air pollution for the time - were on a mission to “preserve their youth” and began relying on face creams and anti-aging products. No one wanted it to be known that they were getting a little “help” to look beautiful, though - so women would sneak in to the back door of salons, wearing a veil to hide their faces, and would sneak out again. Cosmetics stayed subdued, though, with women using the charcoal on the burned end of matches for mascara, and flower petals for a subtle lipstick. Faces were kept pale, as that was what defined your place in society; those who worked in the fields had tanned skin, while the upper, refined class had enough money that they didn’t need to work.

ROARING TWENTIES, HIPSTER ‘50S
Of course, after all of these strict guidelines, there had to be a backlash, and it was during the 1920s that women began to rail against the Victorian beauty rules. Film stars such as Clara Bow and Louise Brooks inspired women to paint their lips very red in a cupid’s-bow style, apply rouge to both their cheeks and knees, and pluck their eyebrows, to replace them with very thin, drawn-on arches. Hair was cut very short - “bobbed” - and waved in a rebellious move for women. Men parted their hair in the center and slicked it back with brilliantine in imitation of their screen idol, Rudolph Valentino, while African-American males copied Cab Calloway’s straightened and relaxed hairdo.
The ’30s and ’40s continued the trend of copying Hollywood for fashion and hairstyles. World War II dictated much of fashion in the ’40s, as fabric rations forced the fashionable to get creative; and forced them to go without nylons. Longer hair for women returned to fashion, with women copying Veronica Lake’s long style and Rita Hayworth’s waves. Tanned skin came back into vogue, in large part due to Coco Chanel, who became tan (whether on purpose or not) on a boat trip from Cannes; as early as 1929, ads began running for “tanning liquid” and “tanning powder” to approximate that beachy look. Men’s hair stayed short, well-tailored suits were embraced, and skinny mustaches were copies from such screen stars as Errol Flynn.
After World War II, conservative values were re-embraced, with women suddenly finding themselves having to live up to the ideal of the happy homemaker, the perfectly-groomed woman at home taking care of all the chores of the household. A pale complexion was coupled with red lips, and precisely outlined and colored eyes became the norm, as did the waved-and-bouffanted hairdo, a virtual helmet of hair to top those shirtdresses, side-tied neck scarves, and A-line circle skirts. Men wore their hair in a D.A. (short for duck’s... well, you know) that was made by combing the hair back on each side of the head to meet in a low flip in the back, held together with hair grease (think Elvis and James Dean). The D.A. - which could also be brushed straight up on top to make a men’s pompadour - was matched up with long sideburns, white t-shirts, Levis, and leather jackets, collar-up, of course.

THREE MORE BEAUTY REVOLUTIONS
Enough of that domestic diva situation - women of the ‘60s were moving back out into the workplace and back into college, and reacted to these new time-consuming efforts by paring down the dense hairstyles of the ‘50s. Short styles - often much like the ‘20s bob - were back in, as was long, straight hair. The defining makeup look of the ‘60s was dark-lined eyes paired up with pale lips; and, by the time The Beatles arrived in the U.S. in 1964, men were influenced into wearing their own version of the mop-top, making long hair on men fashionable for the first time since the 18th century. Many African-Americans went back to the Afro style of hair as a mark of pride, and, later in the ‘60s, the hippie movement inspired a wild, natural look for both men and women, and a rejection of the majority of cosmetics altogether.
For most of the ‘70s, men and women both wore their hair long, natural, un-styled, and “free.” In the mid-’70s, Charlie’s Angels showcased long, feathered curls - even men often feathered their hair in the style of The Bee Gees. Speaking of which, disco fashion - namely, spandex, lycra, and all things sequined - was huge in the ‘70s, often coupled with rollerskates and colored suspenders. Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill’s short wedge cut was another huge trend, as was the badly-orange-toned self-tanner of the day. The punk movement crashed in towards the end of the decade, which ushered in spiked, glued hairdos, tattooed scalps, pierced ears, dark eyeliner, and both clothes and hair in bright, often fluorescent colors.
In the ‘80s, it was all about those neon colors, plus big everything - long spandex leggings, huge shoulder pads in jackets and tops, high, brightly-dyed mohawks, giant patterns on tops and skirts, vintage clothes dug up from past eras, overloads of bracelets, and huge earrings. As a result, heavy makeup, again in bright colors, dominated, both on women (who favored frighteningly bright hot pink and neon green) and sometimes on men, especially those involved in, or were fans of, the heavy metal “hair bands” of the era. Hair on women was worn elaborately frizzed and fused together with a popular hairspray called Aqua Net (which also arrived in a neon-pink metal bottle), and hair on men was often of the short-in-front, long-in-back style called the mullet; men sometimes often cut their hair short and spiked, except for one long strand in the back, which was called a “rattail.” Strangely, a completely opposite trend was happening simultaneously with all this zaniness - namely, the preppy trend, which was almost ’50s-like in its aesthetic, strictly adhering to polo shirts, button-up cardigans, country-club-polished hairstyles, plaid shorts, knee-length skirts, and extremely conservative makeup and jewelry.

MOVING INTO A NEW DECADE
The ‘90s began with a strangely undefined standard of beauty. The grunge movement in rock music created a small subculture of fashion that mostly revolved around unkempt hair, flannel shirts and ripped jeans, and piercings became more popular. Basketball player Michael Jordan’s bald head caught on with many men as far as hairstyles were concerned; and, for women, it was Jennifer Aniston’s long shag “Rachel” haircut that caught on and became all the rage. “Heroin chic” was another short-lived trend, as extremely thin fashion models were termed; but other than those few blips on the radar, the ’90s were a fairly bland time for fashion. Gianni Versace and Dolce & Gabbana were a couple of the only breakouts, with their unique and extreme body-conscious styles and monochromatic adornments. But the only notable fashion creation of the ‘90s that carries on through today, really, is minimalism, a simple, sleek approach that minimized accessories and kept things very plain and fitted.
Today, with so many elements around as we look towards the fashion future, designers seem to be reaching back to the past for fashion inspiration. Vintage clothing is still fairly popular, as thrift-shopping is akin to recycling in the fashion world; each season seems to highlight a different era, whether it’s Roman-inspired wrap dresses or the bubble skirts partially inspired by the 18th-century extravagance. Jeans are a constant, whether they’re dark-wash or regular, skinny-leg or wide - and the minimalist look continues, with sleek leggings (cotton and dark-colored, not spandex and neon) back in fashion for women, topped with long tank tops, tunics, or sweaters and anchored with ballet flats or tall boots. Rap music has had an effect on today’s fashion, with many “bling” elements - large pendants, shiny jackets, overly baggy pants - moving into the mainstream. And the emo music trend is another influence, with shaggy bangs and longer hairstyles on men being prevalent; women’s hairstyles today seem to waver from season to season, as well, with stick-straight being in one year, and waves returning the next. But the makeup is back to natural, for the most part - with the general consensus being that you don’t want to look like you’re wearing any at all, unless you’re emulating one of the other eras in an attempt to be fashion-forward before the rest of the masses.