Understanding the origins and evolution of makeup is essential to understanding how beauty has evolved. Let’s find out together which makeup trends have changed over time.
First documented use of makeup – Egyptians
The first documented use of cosmetics dates back to 3000 BC during the First Dynasty of Egypt. Makeup was used by the elite to “beautify” the eyes and differentiate them from the eyes of the lower classes. During this time, both upper-class men and women wore makeup on a daily basis.
The first widely used colors were black and green, which were made using mined lead and minerals. The Egyptians also used a product called “kohl” to line almond-shaped eyes. Measles was a powder that was applied with a stick.
Makeup in the Victorian era
The Victorian era lasted from 1837 to 1901. During this period, the use of cosmetics was associated with actresses and prostitutes. People liked their natural skin color and did not like any makeup that changed that color.
During this period, women began to pluck their eyebrows and powder themselves with rice powder. They also used beetroot juice or pinched their cheeks to make them pinker.
It wasn’t until the early 1900s that makeup became more socially acceptable and began to gain popularity. This popularity led to the evolution of makeup and the introduction of the first commercial cosmetics, which contributed to the evolution of makeup.
1920s makeup
In the 1920s, society increasingly paid attention to the sexual beauty of women. When women began working, they were encouraged to wear makeup to better compete with men.
Around this time, “natural” lip gloss was invented, using bromic acid to create a red color effect on contact with the skin. Scented lipstick was also popular, with cherry being the most popular scent. Blush also changed significantly in the 1920s, replacing the more erratic blushes of the past with creams and powders.
In the evolution of makeup, this decade is characterized by the emergence of many products. In fact, mascara mixing Vaseline with soot or charcoal also developed during this period. The women then applied it with a thin brush.
As for the eyes, the eyelid was painted dark gray, turquoise or green. Eyebrows were drawn with black or brown eyeliner and were often very thin, dark and sloping downwards.
1950s Makeup Trends
As in previous decades, women found inspiration from the big screen, from movie stars. Thanks to the explosion of color in cinema in the 1950s, women could now fully see the makeup that stars wore. This has led to a new evolution in makeup.
Women in the 1950s began to wear more foundation and eye makeup was more minimalist, with little eye shadow. The colors remained warm, earthy and opaque.
In the mid-1950s, long eyeliner was an important part of makeup. Commercial eyeliner was available in pencil, liquid and gel forms. The possibilities for extending eyeliner were endless: changing the length, thickness or color would dramatically change the appearance of the eyes and the rest of the makeup.
Eyebrows in the 1950s were generally thicker at the inner corner and then thinned out. They preferred to keep the shape of the lips natural, but in Hollywood, movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe began to fill out the upper lip more, outlining it just above the lip line. Shades of red, dark red and bluish red were in fashion.
Makeup in the style of the 60s.
The 1960s saw a significant evolution in makeup.
The feminist movement re-emerged in the 1960s and focused primarily on equality for all. Some feminists viewed makeup as a sexual object and avoided it; others used it as a symbol of honor.
Trends ranged from the natural hippie look to high fashion black and white eye pops and pastel colors that made their mark on the masses. The early ’60s saw a continuation of the ’50s looks: eyeliner, matte eyeshadow in grey, green and blue, and lipsticks ranging from red to coral and pink.
A few years later, dark eye shadow paired with pale lips and pastel colors became the main feature. False eyelashes were also incredibly popular, but the rest of the face was kept soft and natural, pale and subdued.
Modernist style
Art Nouveau style, often called “Maud“, reached its peak between early 1964 and mid-1967. During this period, youth television programs, magazines and films united young people around the world with a love of geometric patterns, white and black.
The hallmark of fashion has become a line of black eye shadow in the crease of the eye with a pale white eyelid, exemplified by the iconic 1960s supermodel Twiggy on the covers of many magazines.
Pastel colors such as coral, pink and peach have been the trendiest blush shades. Color was also often added to the temples, hairline and under the jawline to add color and softness.
70s trends
In the 1970s, the makeup needs of black women began to be recognized, and more black women began to be featured in advertising. The evolution of makeup is now leading to new brands created specifically for women of color, such as Fashion Cosmetics Fair which debuted in 1973.
The 60s crease continued into the 70s for some looks, but was blended to create soft depth and a cat eye or almond shape. Eyeliner was not always used to give a natural look. but mascara was applied to both the upper and lower eyelashes.
Deep fruity colors such as plum, mulberry and blueberry became popular in the early years of the decade.
Red lips have returned to the 1970s, taking a nostalgic trip reminiscent of 1950s glamour.
What about the 80s?
One word to describe ’80s makeup: flamboyant. While they say this is the era of uniqueness and self-expression, we think the 80s started it all. In truth, the bright blush on her cheeks was simply irreplaceable. Skin tone didn’t matter: cheekbones were painted bright pink or purple.
As with the rest of the makeup, the lips had to be as bright as possible, so cherry red, orange, fuchsia and purple shades were in favor. Favorite eye color was blue, and as for the rest of the face, we tried to keep at least some areas natural, such as the forehead; no special attention was paid to the shape and color of the eyebrows. All you need are thick eyebrows with a little gel.
Jump to the 90s
The main trends that determined the evolution of makeup in the 90s are: the use of dark lipsticks, mainly brown, and matte, or the contour of the lips was drawn with darker pencils, and then nude lipsticks were applied to the entire lips; everyone had blue shadows on their eyelids, as well as plenty of gloss on their lips, but the smoky eye remains a major ’90s trend. with very dark shadows, mostly black, that cover the entire eyelid and blend all the way to the outer part of the eye.
Grunge makeup
In the ’90s, grunge makeup included the three components we’ve already talked about: matte foundation, dark lipstick, and smoky eyes. Today it may include a variation of three. In fact, today we don’t do full grunge makeup, but rather focus on several areas of the face, be it lips and eyebrows or eyes and matte foundation.
2000s
Makeup in the 2000s was very distinctive. If you see a photograph of a celebrity, you can easily determine if they belong to that era.
You never left the house without a deep, warm blush on your face mixed with the blush on your cheeks. As in the 90s, the lines on the face were all thin, from the eyebrows to the contour of the lips, preferably dark, with the addition of light nude lipstick in the center of the lips and, to top it all off, rivers of lips. gloss.
Britney Spears was an icy blue eyeshadow icon everywhere in the early 2000s., which always goes well with light pink blush. You can complete the look with long eyeliner and extra long lashes with mascara for extra volume.
As we said, the 2000s were all about blue eyeshadow, but also other colors like hot lilac or hot pink. Pop colors have always been valued, both on the face and in clothes.
The evolution of makeup is a never-ending process, and although very often many trends come back into fashion, the beauty of makeup is that it is always in a constant state of metamorphosis.
Image source: Wikipedia
