How Cosmetics Shaped Beauty, Status, and Female Identity Through the Ages

 

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Throughout history, humanity has constantly sought ways to advance through science, medicine, economics, and politics. People have always looked for opportunities to improve their social standing and secure a better future. Yet there is another human history that is often overlooked: the role of personal appearance, particularly for women, and how it influenced their place in society.

Research shows that cosmetics have existed since Ancient Egypt. Historians believe their use began with the discovery of scented oils, which were thought to possess healing and protective properties. These oils were used not only for medicinal purposes but also in religious ceremonies. Similarly, herbs served multiple functions; they were consumed in rituals, and transformed into pigments for bodu decoration.

Both women and men applied colored clays and mineral-based pigments to their faces or bodies, depending on the region and culture. Evidence of these practices has been found in Egyptian tombs, while ancient artwork reveals the elaborate colors, shapes, and designs used to enhance personal appearance. 

The fascination with beauty rituals spread throughout many civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, Asians, and Arab cultures, all of whom incorporated cosmetics into both medicinal and aesthetic traditions.

By the 18th century, pale skin had become the ultimate symbol of beauty and social status. The trend was embraced by both women and men. One of the most popular products of the era was Venetian Ceruse, white cosmetic famously associated with Queen Elizabeth I. Members of the upper classes covered their faces, necks, and chests in this powder to achieve a porcelain-like complexion. The mixture made from white lead and vinegar produced a striking effect. While we now recognize lead as a dangerous toxin, it's harmful effects were largely ignored at the time.

During Queen Victoria's reign, attitudes toward cosmetics changed dramatically, the reason? The death of Prince Albert. After his death, Victoria's ideals promoted modesty and restraint. Painted faces were considered vulgar, and a more natural appearance became fashionable. The Industrial Revolution made cosmetics widely available throug mass production, although many women still prepared beauty products at home. Despite their growing popularity, make-up remained controversial throughout the 19th century and was often sold discreetly.

The beauty industry continued to evolve. In 1916, film director D.W. Griffith popularized false eyelashes for the silver screen. Modern nail polish was introduced in 1917, while lip gloss was developed in 1930 and became commercially available two years later. The French manicure, now a classic beauty staple, was created in 1975. 

Between the first and second World Wars, women increasingly embraced beauty products, inspired by glamorous actresses and flawless models featured in fashion magazines. During the 1950s and 1960s, television brought cosmetics advertisements directly into people's homes, transforming beauty products into everyday necessities. 

Mascara became one of the most essential items in a woman's handbag, with brands such as Maybelline leading the market. The 1980's also saw the return of mascara applied to the lower lashes, reviving a trend popular in the 1920s. New beauty tools, including eyelash curlers and eyebrow stencils, helped women recreate the looks of their favorite stars. 

Today, makeup is no longer simply a tool for meeting social expectations. While beauty standards continue to be shaped by trends and the cosmetics industry, makeup has also become a powerful form of self-expression and creativity. Some women prefer a natural look, others embrace vintage styles, and many use cosmetics as an artistic medium to create entirely new aesthetics.

Thousands of years after the first pigment was applied and the debate surrounding makeup continues. Society's beauty standards have changed each decade, but cosmetics remain deeply woven into women's culture and everyday life. As for me, learning about the history of makeup made me wonder how much of what we wear is influenced by society and how much is a reflection of our true selves. 

Tell me about your relationship with makeup, does it make you feel more confident, do you use it to shine or hide? Do you prefer a natural look?  I would love to read your opinion in the comments!

From Canvas to Camera: The Accessibility of Memorial Art

 

Before the advent of photography, the ability to preserve a loved one’s likeness either in life or in death was a privilege reserved for royalty and the wealthy, who could commission expensive oil paintings. When the daguerreotype was first introduced, it remained a significant investment. However, many families who could not otherwise afford a portrait made a rare financial exception upon the passing of a family member.

These memorial images were not always solitary portraits. It was common for the deceased to be included in a "final family reunion" within a garden, around a dining table, or in the family living room, documenting the complete family unit one last time.

The Museum of Mourning Photography & Memorial Practice archive is an investigation into human ritual.

The practice of taking a pecial or one last family reunion became very significant so people or families did it when the sad time was required. During the victoria 

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep : modern remembrance photography ( Part 5)

I recently came across an incredible organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) and wanted to share the beautiful work they do. 

Since 2005, they’ve been providing professional remembrance photography to parents experiencing the loss of a baby. It’s a gift of healing—capturing those fleeting, precious moments and providing families with beautiful, retouched black-and-white portraits at no cost.

With over 80,000 sessions gifted worldwide, their volunteer photographers are truly doing heart-work. If you know a photographer looking to give back or a family in need of support

As you can see, post-mortem photography is still used, but that's a topic for a different post. 

Early infant loss

While stillbirths are the primary focus of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS), their services are not strictly limited to that. They provide " remembrance photography "for a range of situations involving early infant loss. Their photography service is viewed as a " gift of remembrance."

Read: Victorian Mourning and Post-Mortem Photography: A Cultural History Pt. 1

What is Remembrance Photography?

This is considered a compassionate form of photography nowadays that honors and preserves the memory of a loved one who has passed. This is often about infant loss or end-of-life moments. This kind of photography focuses on capturing respectful images that reflect love, peace, and connection. 

I have often explored the profound impact of post-mortem photography (PMP), its historical roots and its vital role in an era when visual keepsakes of loved ones were scared.

One might wonder: why do families in the 2020’s still seek PMP particularly for stillborn infants? While the era has changed, the underlying motivation remains the same. PMP reached its peak between 1860 and 1910. During this time, death typically occurred at home, and funerals were held in the parlor, It was natural for families to commission a final portrait in the comfort of their own home.

As the 20^th century progressed, death shifted to hospitals and funeral homes. Society moved away from the Victorian obsession with mourning rituals, and the practice faded.

However, in the modern world, grief still seeks a tangible connection. While parents may keep a lock of hair or a tiny garment, professional photography offers something unique: a gentle, permanent visual memory of how their baby looked. These photographs are capture with immense care, providing parents a way to honor their child and carry their image forward with love. 

Read: Post-Mortem Photography: A Historical and Cultural Ritual of Grief ( Pt 4 )

Post Mortem photography has also been recently named as modern remembrance photography , I imagine some reasons are that this kind of photography is dedicated to infant, so the name is less mournful and more soft, and because this service is offered people wanted to rebrand it as part of the mourning process, which is understandable.

Victorian post-mortem photographs were more about documenting the death and getting an image of the person, more than creating a thoughtful memory that represented the (modern) love and something beautiful that didn’t make us think about death or coffins.

Stillbirth rates in the USA 

According to the latest provisional data released by the CDC and the United Nations (UN IGME/UNICEF) as of early 2026, here are the current numbers for stillbirth rates:

United States Stillbirth Rates

The most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in late 2025/early 2026, shows a slight improvement in U.S. rates.

• Rate: 5.41 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths (provisional 2024 data).
• Total Number: Approximately 19,756 stillbirths (fetal deaths at 20 weeks of gestation or more).
• Trend: This represents a 2% decline from the previous year.
• Significant Disparity: The rate remains significantly higher for Black (9.96) and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (10.21) mothers compared to White (4.54) or Hispanic (4.76) mothers.
• Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).

Here you can reach out to them: 

https://www.facebook.com/nilmdts/about

https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

I pledge my allegiance to The Moon.

Credit : Matt Cardy/Getty

I just can't deny the power the moon has on me.

From the first time I looked up to the night sky, I fell in love with her, and every time I do, it happens over and over again.  She is the brightest thing in the sky, the one guiding light. She is more than the planet Earth's natural satellite; she has become a symbol, a constant enigma for human beings.

If you watch the Moon for too long, you will begin to feel that you are getting lost in her shine and you probably will never come back. It feels like your body is floating, and the universe is ready to take you.

People in some cultures have often feared the Moon because of the many myths surrounding it. The most popular one: the werewolves and the vampires, free during the night to kill everything they want, but slaves of the sun. We cannot deny that -She- is the silent witness of everything that happens in the realm of darkness. Another quiet witness of mankind's history. The Moon appears to be the only constant thing in our lives, in the lives of those who walk at night and through time, unchanging, loyal and reliable, the only ones that will keep our secrets safe forever, the one that will let us stare at her.

There is such a fascination with the moon that we can find movies, books and art with the moon as a main character. 

-Myths about the queen of the night

Werewolves are one of the creatures that we often see depicted in films who carry myths and legends from century to century. These creatures are, of course, affiliated with the full moon. Typically, it is believed that these are creatures that have human form but morph into wolf-like (typically violent) creatures when the full moon is in the sky. 

Various methods for becoming a werewolf have been reported, one of the simplest being the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of Wolfskin, probably as a substitute for the assumption of an entire animal skin (which is also frequently described). In other cases, the body is rubbed with a magic salve. To drink rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or to drink from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis. The 16th-century Swedish writer Olaus Magnus says that the Livonian werewolves were initiated by draining a cup of specially prepared beer and repeating a set formula. Ralston in his Songs of the Russian People, gives the form of incantation still familiar in Russia.

In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man or woman could turn into a werewolf if he or she, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his/her face.

This is only one example of some of the powerful stories that people across time and across the world associate with the moon.

Vampiric Connection (Wikipedia)

In Medieval Europe, the corpses of some people executed as werewolves were cremated rather than buried to prevent them from being resurrected as vampires. Before the end of the 19th century, the Greeks believed that the corpses of werewolves, if not destroyed, would return to life as vampires in the form of wolves or hyenas, which prowled battlefields, drinking the blood of dying soldiers. In some rural areas of Germany, Poland and Northern France, it was once believed that people who died in mortal sin came back to life as blood-drinking wolves. This differs from conventional werewolfery, where the creature is a living being rather than an undead apparition. These vampiric werewolves would return to their human corpse form at daylight.

Mayan Moon Goddesses. 

The Mayan people have several stories about different moon goddesses. One goddess frequently associated with the moon is Ixchel who is associated with the moon because she is a fertility goddess. However, it is believed that she may actually be the “grandmother of the moon” and represent aging and the drying up of fertility in old age so she is most commonly linked with the waxing of the moon and not the moon at all times.

Selene / Luna. 

These are the names of the Moon Goddess in Greek and Roman mythology respectively. In the myths associated with these goddesses, the goddess is paired with the god of the sun. He travels throughout the day and she takes over the journey at night. She is typically considered to be a passionate goddess who takes many lovers and who represents the desire associated with the moon.

Using many different forms of symbolism, the moon itself has become a symbol for love, desire, change, passion, fertility, and violence.