Hello my Beautiful Darlings!!!
Sorry I haven't posted anything yet :( I didn't want to throw just any old post up; I wanted to catch a minute to sit and really share some cool information and solutions so bear with me and my time management.
I want to start things off by talking a little bit about the history of beauty! This excites me because I'm a vintage soul and live for Vintage Glam essence of women, especially the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, That time period takes my breath away in delight: the visual of it all, the elegance, the spirit, the interaction. The comedy was very subtle as well as the gestures, and the men (if romance only looked like that haha). Not that the relaxation and options of today's maintenance isn't nice to have, to me the spirit is the host, the body is the house so why not have fun with it, it's not that serious, a little dress up and make-up, but when it comes to skin care it's an integral part of our overall wellness.
We only get one life - we should feel good living it and preserve and keep our immunity up, the skin is the first line of defense! There are so many disorders and diseases that can occur in our life span and dreaded aging and the sun is very penetrating with the environment over the years dissolving our protective layers, Do Not disregard this. Skin cancer rates go up consistently! It's so interesting the evolution of beauty and the tried and true beauty approaches that have tested the hands of time, i will be sharing information on both of these aspects as my blog progresses. Beauty is always growing, becoming healthier and more productive and less invasive and addresses things more effectively more and more as time goes on. But let's have a little fun journeying through the eras of beauty first.
Let's start with the Middle Ages. I admit most of this information I read in esthetic school and random books and vintage magazines I've collected. The Middle Ages is around 476-1450 where religion played a promininet role in peoples' lives and healing, particularly with herbs. Beauty culture was also practiced. Artifacts from this period shows the use of cosmetics on the skin and hair. Bathing was not a daily ritual, but fragrant oils were used when cosmetics could not be afforded. Eye make up was discouraged although they did use colored make-up for lips and cheeks.
The Renaissance is the period which Western Civilization made the transition from medieval to modern history. Paintings and written records tell us a great deal about grooming practices of the
times. One practice was shaving eyebrows and the hairline to expose more forehead. A bare brow was thought to give women a look of greater intelligence.....how interesting!
During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) facial masks were in vogue. Formulas for lotions and packs included such ingredients as powdered eggshell, alum, borax. Ground almond and poppy seeds, milk, wine, butter, fruits, and vegetables were also used in masks and cosmetics. Wigs were very popular as well! Again, eye make-up was discouraged although they did use high pigments for lips and cheeks.
The Victorian Age spans the reign of Queen Victoria of England during 1837-1901. Make-up was drastically influenced by the social mores of the Victorian age, one of the most austere and restrictive periods in history. Make-up and showy clothing were discouraged except in the theater. In the United States where people tended to copy European fashions, women used very little facial make-up. However, both men and women placed a great deal of importance on cleanliness and personal care. To preserve the health and beauty of the skin, women used beauty masks and packs from honey, eggs, milk, oatmeal and fruits, vegetables, and other natural ingredients, similar to the holistic approach of today. Victorian women are said to have pinched their cheeks and bit their lips to induce natural color rather then use cosmetics. Very unlike today!
By the 1920's industrialization had brought a new prosperity to the United States. Influenced by the stars of silent films, women bobbed and marceled their hair and used eye make-up, lipstick, and rouge. Fashion trademarks from the period are the brightly colored cupids' bow mouth, eye shadow applied beneath the lower lids. A wide variety of creams and oils and lotions were manufactured for skin, hair, and body care.
During the 1930's Americans were strongly influenced by media. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and motion pictures were important sources of information on fashions in the United States as well as in other countries. A much admired female star is said to have started the popular trend of platinum blonde hair, brightly colored lips and cheeks, and pencil thin, highly arched eyebrows. Sleek hair and a trim neat mustache were popular for men.
The time period of World War II motion pictures served as the inspiration for women's fashion in clothing, hairstyles and make-up. Styles seen on screen were copied by millions of women. In spite of wartime shortages of goods and materials, sales of cosmetics and grooming aids continued to grow.
Postwar prosperity led to a renewed interest in fashion, hairstyling, and make-up. A wider selection of cosmetics and grooming aids were available to Americans. European designers exerted a strong influence. Colored foundations or make-up bases, cleansers, creams, lotions, moisturizers, and an array of lip, cheek and eye color flooded the market. Movie stars continued to influence make-up and hairstyles. Full eyebrows and full lips became fashionable and false eyelashes were used to emphasize the eyes. I have to just say I can end up posting a ridiculous amount of photos in this section :), but i will hold off and create fun spot light blogs of the month and celebrate all things that emanate beauty, people, products, etc....let's have fun with this!
During the 1960's facial contouring with cosmetics became popular and thin eyebrows came back into fashion.
The 1970's-1980's brought exciting changes as manufacturers introduced an even wider range of new products for skin and hair care. The trend was to look ones' individual best rather than emulate any particular hair or make-up look. There was a new surge of interest on the part of both men and women in scientific skin care. More salons became full service, offering a full range of beauty and grooming services.
The last two decades of the Twentieth Century saw an expanded awareness of the importance of physical fitness and nutrition in overall health. This awareness extended to skin care. Baby boomers demanded products and services that produced visible results. Manufacturers and practitioners responded by creating products based on botanicals, antioxidants, and vitamins.
The 1990's saw the rise of so-called "cosmeceuticals" - cosmetics with therapeutic properties. Whereas in the past skin care philosophy has largely focused on treating the surface and covering flaws with make up, scientific and technological advances now made it possible to formulate topical products with demonstrable beneficial effects on the skin.
At the end of the decade, consumers could choose from expanding range of anti-aging treatments including "nutriceuticals" - internal supplements that promoted skin health from inside out, and "techniceuticals" - high tech, noninvasive procedures like microdermabrasion. Combating the effects of age, stress, and the environment was the focus of the skin industry as it entered the Twenty-first Century.
A lot of this was quoted from my text book, but who cares - what interesting stuff! Today was a simple tutorial to see how beauty has expanded its incredible the range of invasive to noninvasive ways in which one can improve themselves. I wanted to take this trip down memory lane, a celebration of the then and now in this blog.
Hope you all enjoyed the info! Until next time my Darling Beauties!!
