Hello Pomponnette,

This is the story (of lifeeee) of makeup - even though makeup is kind of life itself! -.

Makeup is blowing out its 500,000th candle! - Oh wow - Yes, paleontologists have found small containers holding ochre that prehistoric humans must have used to protect their skin from the sun and insects. These red body paints also allowed them to differentiate themselves from one another and create a form of hierarchy within their tribe - a kind of social status, you could say -.

Our oldest Pomponnette is over 500,000 years old!!! - Yes, because we're talking about prehistoric men, but there were women too! -

- Sorry Yetta, you're not our oldest! -

We wanted to tell you the story of makeup across different civilizations here, because from one country to another, the language changes, even when it comes to makeup!

Cleopatra, the beauty influencer for Egyptian women

We first land in Ancient Egypt, where, to be considered a beauty standard, one had to be slim, have well-defined hips - but not too wide either -, small, round breasts - for the Egyptians too: the smaller, the cuter - and of course... wear makeup!

In terms of makeup, the focus was on the eyes - and even for men -.

The kohl line stretched into a teardrop shape was THE basis of Cleopatra's makeup! The black color of kohl had symbolic meaning: it recalled the black, fertile sediment left by the Nile.

It was "homemade" - and yes, no Sephora back then! - using ingredients not great for the skin like lead sulfide, antimony, or soot - there were quite a few cases of lead poisoning with certain kohls... -.

Besides its aesthetic aspect, kohl was also seen as a "medicine": it was used as an eye drop to prevent and relieve eye infections, or as an eyeliner to protect from wind and sand.

It also had a spiritual dimension: the kohl line was believed to ward off the evil eye...

As for eyeshadows, the Egyptians' color was mainly malachite green: a color representing youth, rebirth, but above all, nature. Green was THE color of Osiris - of course, he's the God of Earth and vegetation -. We can already see you showing off your knowledge in front of a papyrus depicting Osiris and explaining why he's always represented in green - no, no, no relation to Cetelem -.

For the lips, they needed pink, pink, and more pink, as it was a symbol of good health.

And for their "homemade" lipstick recipe - hold on to your hats - : a red dye mixed with beeswax - not very vegan, those Egyptian women -. This mixture was then chewed by slaves until the right consistency was achieved... - gross, we warned you! -.

They didn't just wear lipstick to look pretty, but also because, according to their belief, it prevented the devil from entering the body through the mouth - no less! -.

For manicures - and even pedicures! - they applied henna to their nails.

And finally, regarding hair, the trend was to shave their heads... - it's Britney b****h! - to wear a beautiful bluish wig made from silk, horsehair, or sometimes even real hair.

Over at Nikos' place in Ancient Greece

This time, we're heading to Ancient Greece. Unlike the Egyptians, makeup was very - but really very - frowned upon.

To give you an idea of the mindset of the time: for Plato, makeup was deceptive, "unworthy of a free man" because it produced an "alien beauty".

Makeup was even forbidden in many cities: women were only allowed to powder their faces with white lead to have a pale complexion! - what's white lead? A highly toxic lead-based white pigment that was essential for over 3,000 years; rest assured, it's forbidden nowadays -.

Fortunately, the perception of makeup evolved, and women gradually gained more freedom. They began to:

• Color their cheeks with "rizion" red - it came from a root macerated in vinegar, mixed with madder and white lead -
• Darken their eyelids with incense
• Enlarge their eyes with a kohl line - there it is again! -
• Fill in their eyebrows with black. There's even talk of "Greek eyebrows": the two connected by a single line, the epitome of the unibrow - we didn't know Emmanuel Chain was Greek?* -

Greek women would remove their makeup in the morning, at public baths, before reapplying it. - We hope you don't do the same! -

Unfortunately, in classical Greece: - one step forward, two steps back - women were deprived of all civil rights and their place in society was reduced to their role as a mother. They had to regain their white complexion, a sign of high social status, and were only allowed to apply makeup at home - just for their husbands and guests -. Because at that time, the only women who went out wearing makeup were courtesans. - So we save the makeup for our herbal tea! -

In Italy, beautiful like Bellucci...

Ciao Bella, we're unpacking our bags in Italy! There, makeup is like food: between pasta and pizza, their hearts waver. And it's the same for makeup: they don't know whether to accept it or criticize it.

The era of Ancient Rome maintained this ambiguous relationship with makeup. Here again, a pale complexion was in vogue... at least for women. In contrast, men sported colored skin, a sign of an outdoor life.

To highlight the paleness of their complexion and teeth, they colored their cheeks and lips with red (if you want to know more about red, it's here). They used "homemade" products again, from sulfur, mercury, lead, shells, or cochineal. Compositions that are scary, once again... Thankfully, times have changed! - But the flowers haven't faded! -

In the 13th century, Italians had 30 beauty criteria grouped by 3:

• 3 things white: skin, teeth, hands
• 3 things red: lips, cheeks, nails
• 3 things black: eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes
• 3 things long: body, hair, hands
• 3 things short: teeth, ears, feet
• 3 things wide: breasts, forehead, area between eyebrows - sorry Emmanuel -
• 3 things narrow: mouth, waist, ankles
• 3 things thick: arms, thighs, calves
• 3 things thin: fingers, hair, lips
• 3 things small: head, chin, nose

How demanding these Italians are - oh mamma mia -! We don't know if you know a Greco-Italian or Egypto-Italian couple, but apparently they're not on the same page when it comes to beauty standards...

In Asia, a complexion like Hello Kitty - sorry for the reference, we don't know any other Asian star that rhymes with "Kitty" -

And yes, for a long time, paleness has been the norm in Asia, as it represents social status. - No, no, nothing has changed... -

To make a long story short, here's the Asian equation:

golden skin = working in the fields = poverty

VS

white skin = person who takes care of themselves and uses cosmetics = wealth

In China, during the Tang Dynasty, women applied makeup generously - like us when serving food...-. Their cheeks were bright pink, their lips were colored with strong red, and some even went as far as shaving their eyebrows to redraw them in the middle of their forehead - OMG! -.

And France in all this? We're preparing an overview of the evolution of makeup in our country for you!

There you go, Pomponnette, you know everything - everything we know! -.

It's crazy what we've inflicted on ourselves, from the dawn of time and across borders... So, which civilization do you feel most connected to in terms of beauty standards? Do you need to pack your bags?

Anyway, don't forget that the best beauty standard is to love yourself as you are and that a simple smile makes you beautiful - beautiful, beautiful, like the day! -.

If you have other anecdotes to share to enrich this article, we're eager to hear them in the comments!

Let's spread the Smile Power,

Agathe & Charline

*It's a joke

Source: Histoire du maquillage des Egyptiens à nos jours - book by Martine Tardy