Around the same time, cosmetics were developing across parts of Asia. The people of Japan were known to use certain red pigments, which remained the case for millennia until new cosmetics were imported from China and Korea, sparking new developments. It is believed that a Buddhist priest named Kanjo was the first to make lead-based face powder in Japan. This aligned with the country's favor for extremely pale skin as a marker of beauty and prestige. By 1185 AD, Japan began isolating itself more, refining its cosmetic practices and creating the ghostly white face and rosy cheeks so often depicted in traditional Japanese art.

It can't be ignored that many of the customs and perceptions surrounding makeup in modern times are impacted by religious and philosophical movements. As just one example, though many ancient Romans enjoyed the regular use of cosmetics, the spread of both Stoicism (the Greek philosophy that believed knowledge to be the greatest good and eschewed mundane pleasures) and Christianity saw the use of cosmetics decrease dramatically in the empire. This aesthetic camp of thinking believed it was an affront to God to disguise natural features, and was generally, at the very least, frivolous.

Contrary to what recent headlines might suggest, men wearing makeup is not a recent trend (nor solely an ancient one) and was actually a sartorial staple for much of Western history. It was often an expectation that men wear makeup in certain settings, particularly for those men with means. Queen Elizabeth's rule saw the popularity of men wearing makeup boom and the extravagance of French courts through the 18th century encouraged the practice as well. This is evident in portraits from throughout the period, which depict men with rouged and powdered faces. But cosmetics again fell out of favor, particularly when Queen Victoria deemed the practice vulgar.

THE POLITICS, MEANING & RELEVANCE OF COSMETICS

A BRIEF HISTORY:

THE POLITICS, MEANING & RELEVANCE OF COSMETICS