Painted Faces

Overview

A journey through the bewildering, fascinating, and complex story of cosmetics, from the ancient world to the present day

Throughout history, women (and men) have applied make-up to enhance, alter, conceal, and even to disguise their appearance. Also, to a greater or lesser degree over time, cosmetics have been used as a visible marker of social status, gender, wealth, and well-being. A closer look at the world of make-up gives us not only a mirror reflecting day-to-day life in the past, but also an indicator of the culture and politics of earlier periods in history. Susan Stewart guides the reader through the bewildering, fascinating and complex story of cosmetics, from the ancient world to the present day. Anyone who has ever wondered how the Romans used algae to color their faces and urine to whiten their teeth, how Radium came to be a popular 1930s beauty trend, or how make-up survived the war, will enjoy this colorful journey through the human obsession with improving how we look.

Author Biography

Susan Stewart is a librarian. Her first published work was based on her PhD thesis awarded in 2003. Since then she has explored her interest in cosmetics further, contributing to various publications and taking part in conferences and events including The Edinburgh Book Festival.