Make Up–A History

Ever wonder why we use make up? People, men and women alike,
have been applying and wearing make-up to enhance their
features for thousands of years. The world renowned
sarcophagus of Tutankhamun, which bears the Egyptian
pharaoh's likeness, shows a handsome young man wearing some
serious eyeliner, the application of which is the envy of
every Goth in existence.

Recently, National Geographic commissioned the creation of a
computer generated `photograph' of what he's believed to have
looked like (before he became the world's most famous mummy).
Based on that `photo' you have to acknowledge that his
eyeliner was either applied by someone very talented or who
had a great lot at stake… "One smudge, slave, and its
straight off to the embalming chamber for you!" Cleopatra
(at least in the guise of Elizabeth Taylor), another famous
extreme eyeliner devotee, probably couldn't have asked for
that Asp soon enough, as far as her personal make-up artist
was concerned.

At Mum's Knee - There are likely a great many women who can
recall watching their own mother, auntie or sister `fixing
their face' by painting on eyebrows, applying eyeliner and
lipstick, and who couldn't wait for the day when it would be
their turn. Do you remember the glee you felt when you found
their cosmetic bag unattended, or your unfettered excitement
as you sat in front of the vanity mirror and created a
masterpiece?

No doubt your family had a good laugh (at your expense) when
you were finally discovered, only to be hastily rushed to the
wash basin for a very vigorous scrubbing. You thought you
looked beautiful, though, didn't you? From the very first,
you were entranced by the potential that make-up could
provide… who knew that there was such a beauty under there?
You were a diamond in the rough, just needing a little
polishing.

And that's just what makeup does – enhances what we've got.
As a teenager, you probably woke up a little earlier every
day just to apply your make-up (at home, if your parents
approved of it, or in the school washroom, if they didn't).

Makeup has been used as part of everything ranging from
religious ceremonies to cinema. The impact of make up in
our lives is enormous. It is in many different forms,
culturally diverse and used to create different looks.

Often in our lives, it's something we use in our own
personal day to day beautification ritual, and is by no
means less relevant than any other society.

For those of us who want to look beautiful all the time
without the hassle, permanent make up is now a real option
for us.

About the Author:

Sue Woodall is the Patient Advisor at Dundrum Medical
Cosmetic Clinic in Dundrum, Dublin in Ireland. If you want
to know more about permanent makeup, download a free copy of
a comprehensive report called 'The Facts About Permanent
Makeup and What You Need to Know' from
http://PermanentMakeUpFacts.ie