Beauty Link - Volume 3, Issue 3 - (Page 20)

Q | feat ure | R It’s a Allison Burke, Freelance Writer Beautiful World Externally Popular Looks from the Stone Age to the Digital Age T he ideal of beauty has changed drastically throughout history and among cultures. Even today, there is no quintessential beauty that resonates across the globe. Still, that has never stopped people in their quest to attain the ideal of the day by artiﬁcial means: namely through cosmetics. Nail polish, hair dye, eye makeup, face powder: all have played a major yet ﬂuctuating role throughout history. Some trends are concentrated in one geographic area, while some very distant and disparate cultures value the same ideal of beauty. LIGHT SKIN TO TANNED In centuries past, people valued the unblemished perfection of a white-skinned face. Traditionally, tanned skin was the result of an agrarian lifestyle, the result of long hours spent sweating under the hot sun. Pale skin meant you had more leisure time to spend indoors; in short, light skin translated to wealth. The Japanese geishas illustrate that prosperity with their iconic, lily-white faces. Across the vast Eurasian continent, Queen Elizabeth I of England likewise set fashion trends with her recognizable white visage, as reﬂected in portraits painted of her during her lifetime. Unfortunately, lead was a common ingredient in the white foundation, which slowly poisoned the wearer, causing damage to internal organs and nervous system, and potentially death. In Japan, rice powder was substituted for lead in these unguents after it was discovered to be lethal. Less toxic ingredients often included bird droppings and egg whites. Coco Chanel is credited with popularizing the sun-kissed look common today, after returning from the French Riviera with an accidental sunburn. With society’s transition from agriculture to technology, those more ﬁnancially able to be at leisure often spent more time in the sun, and so Chanel’s glowing complexion denoted her glamorous lifestyle. Nowadays the $5 billion tanning industry attracts over a million people visiting tanning beds on a daily basis, causing them to be 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. However, history often repeats itself: in the face of risks associated with beautiﬁcation, sunless tanning lotions have risen in popularity, producing a bronzed look without the unhealthy side effects. RED IS FOR ROYALTY Red nail polish is a considered a classic, timeless look. Both Nefertiti and Cleopatra of ancient Egypt sported the rosy hue on their nails with a crimson dye made from a mixture of crushed carmine beetles, henna powder and occasionally blood. The red dye from crushed carmine beetles and ants were also used color the lips. Red was reserved only for royalty; it was believed that the deeper the red coloring, the more power that wearer possessed. Chinese royalty used a lacquer compounded of gelatin, beeswax, gum arabic and egg white, with rose, orchid and impatiens petals for color. The mixture had to sit on the nails for several hours to achieve the desired crimson color. A 15th century manuscript 20 | B EA U TYLIN K | BE A U T IFU L W ORLD | 2 0 1 1 http://www.beautyschools.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Beauty Link - Volume 3, Issue 3

2011 AACS Convention Navigating the New Beauty Landscape
In Memoriam: Leo Passage Pivot Point International Founder and Mentor
It’s a Beautiful World Externally Popular Looks from the Stone Age to the Digital Age
2011 Nicholas F. Cimaglia Educator of the Year Award
Managing Risk in a Litigious Society
A 21st-Century Mindset: Teaching Methods for the Non-Traditional Student
i-Fabulous: Creating the Very Best Version of You
Clearing the Air: Understanding Rights, Responsibilities and Medical Marijuana
Make a Difference in Our Beautiful World: Two Ways to Keep Mannequin Heads Out of Landfills
Styling the Brave: Beauty Careers on Military Bases
Overcoming the Stereotype: Apply Sport Clips Marketing Principles to Attract More Male Students
Making Positive Connections Through Touch
Overcoming Challenges: Stories of Inspiration Part Two of a Two-Part Series
CEA Annual Convention Photo Spread
Index to Advertisers

Beauty Link - Volume 3, Issue 3