Humans have been using some sort of cosmetics and facial decorations for eons. Ancient man not only painted his face to signify his status in a tribe, he would add permanent scarring to add to the effect. Amazon Indians still use various forms of face painting for the same reason.
During the Middle Ages, wealthy society men and women used cosmetics – heavily! The most popular was white powder which was put on wigs, faces, and any area that was exposed. Add some red rouge on the cheeks and lips, and the effect, nowadays, seems quite comical.
Cosmetics weren’t mass marketed until the early 20th century. The first items started appearing quite unobtrusively in local drug stores, marketed to perhaps a segment of the female population that was of “questionable repute”. Advertising for these early products was usually found in the backs of ladies magazines of the time period, never on the front pages like today. But even with limited advertising, these items were flying off the shelves, purchased by lovely respectable housewives, college students, working women, and even teens who could save up enough for their first lipstick.
It wasn’t until the 1940s, however, that the cosmetics industry really took off. What happened? Movies were just coming out in Technicolor! Women could now truly admire their favorite movie stars and see exactly what made them so gorgeous – the black mascaras, the blue eye shadows, red lipsticks, and pink rouge – and they ran out to buy the same things.
Suddenly, cosmetic companies were popping up all over. Major department stores rearranged their floor displays to make room – lots of room – for beautiful displays with fancy containers and lovely packaging and gorgeous sales clerks. These large companies competed heavily between each other, and even more so with the already well established drug store brands of Max Factor and Maybelline – the companies that had the original contracts with Hollywood movie studios. Everyone wanted a piece of the action, and they would fight heavily to get it.
With the newly established likes of Estee Lauder and Lancome, women quickly started to think: Is this worth the money? Should I spend $10 on a lipstick when I can go to the drugstore and buy one for $1. 50? Although the large names still were able to keep some market share, many women would reserve this type of spending for special occasions.
Although the ingredients in many of the high end expensive lines purport to be better a quality, how much better can something really be? What exactly are you paying for at the major department stores that you aren’t paying for at the local mass retailer? Probably the packaging.
Learning how to take care of your skin can be very beneficial to you. Skin Care Creams Immediately after bathing, use a sensible amount of moisturizer. Take good care of your skin and it will take good care of you.
