Egyptian Makeup history gives us an idea of how long people have been wearing cosmetics. In Egyptian art, men and women often have big, dramatic eyes. Both men and women in ancient Egypt used cosmetics.
In this post, we take a close look at the Egyptian makeup history from Egyptian women applying makeup to the purpose of makeup in ancient Egypt. Discover how much of our makeup comes from ancient Egyptian beauty…
The History Of Egyptians Applying Makeup
Egyptians from the 1st Dynasty (3100–2907 B.C.) are thought to be the first to leave evidence that they used makeup. Jars of perfumed ointment have been found in tombs from this time in history. Unguent was a material that both men and women wore to keep their skin moist and keep wrinkles from forming. Pomade was another name for unguent.
During this time, women would decorate their eyes by putting a dark green pigment on the lower lid and using kohl, which was made by mixing soot and antimony, to darken their eyelashes and upper lid. This was done to make it look like the eyes were bigger.
The Egyptians thought that cleanliness and beauty were both things that the gods liked, so they used different dyes to color their skin, bodies, and hair.
Waxing With Sugar And Honey
At this point, who hasn’t heard of Cleopatra? Even though she has been dead for thousands of years, her legacy lives on, and there is a good reason for this. She broke the rules by becoming one of the most respected pharaohs of ancient Egypt when women didn’t have much or any say in how society worked.
Cleopatra is known for what she did in politics and for taking care of her beauty in unique and unusual ways. History books talk a lot about her luxurious milk baths and her love of putting toners on her face, so almost everyone knows about these habits.
Few people knew that she liked the latest beauty trend, sugar waxing. Even though it’s hard to say where sugaring came from, many historians agree that this ancient way of getting rid of hair was used in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece as far back as 1900 B.C.
Honey was the main sweetener used to make this waxing paste back then because sugar wasn’t available outside the areas around Persia until 1000 A.D. Sugaring has mostly stayed the same over the years. But now that sugar is easier to get, it has taken the place of honey as the main ingredient in the sugar waxing paste.
Hydrating Face Masks
It is believed that applying facial masks as part of a cosmetic routine first emerged during the reign of Queen Cleopatra in ancient Egypt.
Milk and honey baths were favorites of the Egyptian rulers Cleopatra and Nefertiti. For good reason, the combination of these two ingredients produces an excellent cleanser that leaves the skin feeling smooth and velvety.
In the modern world, however, neither is feasible nor good for the environment. You might make do with a substitute, such as coconut milk diluted with hot water.
Lactic acid, abundant in milk, is an ingredient in various skin care treatments (AHA). It encourages the formation of new skin cells while also assisting in removing dead skin cells.
Face Exfoliates
The ancient Egyptians are believed to have invented the earliest exfoliation techniques. They used pumice stones and scrubs made from sand or plants like aloe vera.
Sodium carbonate (Natron) combined with water was used as a scrub. Baking soda is a gentler alternative to Natron than modern baking soda. Although it is a gentle exfoliant, you should only use it once per week.
Ancient Egyptians made significant strides in the field of skincare, which has continued to impact history. Because they were so preoccupied with their outer looks, the first face masks they created were made of clay. They quickly expanded their repertoire to include milk, honey, and the more dubious option of crocodile dung.
In addition to taking baths in exfoliating donkey’s milk, Cleopatra was known to apply a mask prepared with mud from the Dead Sea twice a week to cleanse her skin and maintain her complexion. She also added egg whites to masks to give her skin a youthful glow.
Makeup Worn In Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians used various materials in their makeup, some of which took a long time to assemble. Minerals, rocks, plants, animal fats, and other naturally occurring things were used to make cosmetics.
However, researchers have found that some parts of cosmetics don’t happen naturally and must have been made on purpose. Here we have highlighted some of the notable makeups worn in ancient Egypt.
Red Lipstick
It is said that carmine beetles and ants were crushed to make the red lipstick that Cleopatra wore. This is what made the lipstick red. The ancient Egyptians thought makeup, like lipstick, had healing powers.
This traditional belief was held for makeup in general. Many Egyptians also used makeup to signal their wealth and status in society. Making red lipstick from carmine beetles was time-consuming, making it one of the more expensive cosmetics of the time.
Black Eyeliner
Cat eyes became popular with the ancient Egyptians, who are thought to have been the first people to wear them. They made their eyeliner by mixing lead salts with other ingredients.
Ancient Egyptians used a mortar and pestle to mix malachite, a bright green mineral, lead, and oil or fat, to make their usual eyeliner. The main ingredient was malachite. The liner was then put away in a pretty container.
The person who wore kohl eyeliner put it on with a thin stick. A line was drawn that went all the way to the ear, following the shape of the upper and lower eyelids.
Many people see eyeliner as a sign of holiness because they are committed to wearing it. This association with religion and the sacred also makes eyeliner a sign of holiness in addition to status and fashion. People used to think that the Egyptian gods Ra and Horus could protect them from sickness if they wore eyeliner made of lead.
Eye Shadow
Ancient Egyptians used black eye makeup for looks and to help them see. The dark paint around the eye protected it from the harsh glare of the midday desert sun, which was reflected off the sandy desert floor. Malachite was ground up to make a thick, bright green paste. This paste was used in ancient Egypt as the oldest eye paint.
Ancient Egyptians always did this, but Cleopatra used a bright green malachite paste on her lower eyelids. She used powdered lapis lazuli stone to make a dark blue eye shadow with gold-colored pyrite particles and put it on the top of both eyelids.
She made black kohl by mixing powdered lead sulfide and pig fat. She used this to make her eyebrows thicker and eyelashes longer.
The Purpose Of Makeup In Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians cared greatly about their appearance and safety, so they used cosmetics. Many different kinds of makeup were used for different purposes, depending on the social class of the person wearing it. Here are some of the purposes of makeup in ancient Egypt.
Dark Kohl Eyeliner Helped With The Glare Of The Sun
Egyptian women wear kohl on their eyes daily as part of their makeup. This makes their eyes stand out and look more beautiful.
It was also used for its medicinal properties, like protecting the eyes from sand and the sun and keeping infections away. They wore bold designs made of both green malachite and black galena. Kohl made their eyes look bigger and more beautiful.
Protective Function Against Evil
In ancient Egypt, cosmetics and the paraphernalia associated with them were used not merely for aesthetic purposes but also bore significant spiritual and ritual importance.
Animal pigments were frequently crushed into cosmetics, believing that doing so would bestow upon the user the same physical and spiritual qualities attributed to the respective animal.
Several cosmetic palettes and containers were adorned with images and motifs connected with youth restoration.
Even the makeup application process was thought to have some preventive effect against possible harmful impacts.
The significant role of cosmetics and beauty during life was also carried over into the afterlife.
The burial sites dating back to the Predynastic period clearly show that the ancient Egyptians were well-prepared for their voyage to the afterlife by possessing a variety of beauty aids.
Various personal items such as combs, jewelry, fragrant ointments, and cosmetics have been discovered in the graves of men, women, and children.
The depictions of ancient Egyptian beauty on mummies and death masks offer further insight into the country’s past. The idealized images of the departed display striking appearances frequently accomplished with makeup. Instead of accurately portraying the subject’s actual characteristics, the artist gives them glowing, youthful skin and eyes heavily lined with kohl.
In addition, mummification followed several traditional beautification practices that the Egyptians practiced while living. When used to anoint the deceased’s body, for example, ointments commonly employed for soothing the skin took on a religious connotation.
Fish Shaped Palettes Were Popular
Palettes in the shape of fish were very popular in ancient makeup history because fish have long been seen as a sign of good luck. A palette in the shape of a tilapia fish could be a symbol in and of itself since tilapia has been linked to fertility, rebirth, and new starts.
Archaeologists have figured out what pigments and compounds were used in ancient Egypt by looking at the residue on these vessels.
All Classes Wore Makeup
Everyone in ancient Egyptian society thought wearing makeup was essential to their overall look. People from many different races, classes, and social groups wore makeup. The only thing that set men’s makeup apart from women’s was its complexity.
Men’s makeup was usually light and easy to put on, while women’s makeup was often heavier and took more time.
Ancient Egyptian women paid more attention and care to how they took care of their skin and what they chose to put on their bodies as makeup.
Even the dead had some makeup on. It is common to put makeup on a dead person’s body before mummifying them so their appearance will still look good in the afterlife.
The most recent archeological evidence shows that cosmetics were often used on statues of gods and other mythical figures. However, the things a person uses in their makeup routine reveal a lot about their social status.
For example, members of the nobility and the royal family could buy expensive cosmetics like lead, bronze brushes, and kohl. Still, the peasants used materials that were cheaper and easier to find. Red clay was one of these things.
Kohl Eyeliner Was More Expensive, And Usually, Only The Wealthy Could Afford It
In ancient Egypt, men and women applied kohl to their upper lips. Even though it defined and complemented their eyes, they used kohl to highlight several features. Historians think some cultural reasons for wearing kohl included respecting deities, lessening the sun’s glare, and even keeping one’s cleanliness in check.
Although Egyptians of all socioeconomic statuses wore kohl, many lower-class people were forced to use lead or other minerals instead of fire soot as eyeliner. This was because kohl eyeliner was more expensive and typically could only be afforded by the wealthy.
Most Houses Had Jars And Pots To Make Makeup
Ancient Egyptians used a wide range of pigments and chemicals. Most of what we know about how their makeup changed over time comes from the many artifacts linked to these pigments and chemicals.
Ancient Egyptian cosmetics would have included, among other things, jars for kohl, stones for grinding minerals like azurite into powder, thin tools for applying makeup, jars made of alabaster for ointments, and a makeup spoon.
Cosmetic containers were among the first things found in ancient Egypt. They were also used in art as early as the First Dynasty. Jars made of granite, basalt, alabaster, and even ivory have been found in places like Saqqara.
Henna Was Very Popular
When henna was first made, Cleopatra and other ancient Egyptians used it as nail polish. Henna was put on their fingernails, and it not only gave them color but also kept them healthy and safe.
In Conclusion
Ancient Egyptians thought that applying makeup was religiously important. They used cosmetics often because they thought it would protect them from the bad energy of bad gods and evil spirits.
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