The Persians gave us henna to dye our hair. The Egyptians gave us precious emollients to soothe. The Nobles of the High Courts of France and
England gave us wigs to hide the lice and chalk to produce a pure white pallor that ravaged and pocked the skin. The House of Beauty tested their products on lab animals to make sure that they did not poison us or cause cancer.  

Back to NatureAs we have come through the centuries, makeup has been in a downward health spiral until Anita Roddick opened the first Body Shop in 1976 protesting the use of animal products and declaring the need to return to nature and pure products. 

The Challenge: Look fresh and naturally you – subtly enhanced for day and dynamically for night? or like a matron from the 40’s covered in pancake make-up, or an emaciated and dissipated heroin user from the cover of some fashion magazine with gothic shadows and vampire lips.

The Look
Goth and matron have their place in the pageantry of life along with Broadway and the movie screen, but I think for the normal person, including those same actors and actresses, a normal, healthy and radiant you is the look you are going for. 

f you really want to know the most stunning new trend and technique you can apply for the new you, look in your own mirror. That’s right! What was the single most gorgeous aspect of one of the most celebrated beauties of all time? the fact that all her features were stunningly irregular and sharply contrasting.

Nature Rules
The dazzling splendor of the Italian Super Star Sophia Loren eclipses all the pretty woman who selected their noses from a catalogue and fashioned their rib cages to look like emaciated wraiths. Her power is herself.

Have you ever wondered, as you sit in the cushioned chair, under the lights, eyes fixed on the clear container sporting a blueish liquid and a myriad of combs, brushes, scissors or other beautifying tools who sat their last and what their cleanliness practices might be? I am sure that you , just like me, wondered whose face was last lightly dusted with that heavenly smelling pale, lustrous powder that I so love, but cannot quite lose myself into this delicious sensation because, did she have oily skin, aids, vd, acne,….?

Every artist knows that the care of their tools is essential for creating the master piece. And that is what we are. We are our life’s master work so let’s treat ourselves with the utmost nurturing and care possible.

Care of Brushes
Brushes are the most versatile and commonly used tool of the make up artist, whether you are a professional or simply the artist creating yourself. When your brushes start to look like fans and the tips become colored it is time to clean them with brush cleaner or alcohol. Use alcohol with a strength of 90% for sterilizing the brushes and applicators. You can also use soap and water but soap and water has a tendency to dry out brush bristles and reduce the longevity of your brushes.

Here are a couple of lip products that I highly recommend for all you Venuses and Mars! Just because cosmetics are heavily marketed to women does not mean that our brothers and loved ones cannot benefit from the skin care products and tools.

One of my favorites is M.A.C.’s Prep+Prime Microfine Lip Refinisher. This is just a god send and so practical. It is both a lip-conditioning and an exfoliating stick used before applying color. First use the botanically-derived natural exfoliator, to create a seamless surface. Then use the lip conditioner that moisturizes, nourishes, and soothes the lips. Lick your lips first before the color so that you can delight in M•A•C’s signature vanilla flavour.

The little clutch purse with the tiny compact and tube of lipstick has now been replaced with the SUV and leather tote bag. Our laptops have gotten smaller so that we can carry all the primers, conditioners, and preservers for our eyes, faces, mouths, hands, nails, hair, knees, and every other body part to which we like to pay particular attention.

Top cosmetic lines have beautiful suitcases that are designed to carry their entire line of cosmetics. Just for the mouth itself, you need a satchel. You can still carry a tube of lipstick, perhaps two different shades for daytime, depending on the seriousness of your activities and the color of your outfit. And then, the two for the evening, one with a pearlized luster and the other with a metallic sci-fi glitter for greater drama.

When I look at M.A.C.’s 10 types of lip gloss with 40 colors to choose from just the Tinted Lip Glass line and another 40 or so for lip pencils, not to mention the lipsticks, I am overwhelmed. And how do I know whether to choose a lip balm or a conditioner which sounds great with Almond Oil, Shea butter, Avocado Extract, wheat Germ Oil, and Vitamins A and E? 
We used to go to the counter and consult with the clerk, our friends, our mother even. Now, we go online to the web site and ask on live chat! These people cannot even see what you like but they are considered experts. These are the kind of questions we are prompted to ask via the email form:

Some women like Live Tyler, Nicole Kidman, and Angelina Jolie use make up sparingly because they have gorgeous skin. I decided I would investigate how the average woman could achieve the same results. Never fear, your skin can have the same opalescence and shimmering radiance by applying similar techniques and products, and a healthy dose of self-appreciation.
Concealer, foundation, and professional techniques achieve miracles and instill confidence which is the greatest beauty miracle of all.
First, prepare, freshen, and prime your skin. Stimulating the blood vessels and shrinking your pores returns your skin to it’s baby-like soft purity. Various products are available from ozonated water to rosemary water, and witch hazel on the natural herb side of the counter to Laura Mercier Foundation Primer or Clarins Beauty Flash Balm on the commercial cosmetic side.
Eating lots of fresh unrefined food low on sugars and fats accomplishes half the miracle. My Grandmother’s Grandmother had the soft, firm and radiant complexion of a twenty-year old when she was ninety. She only used cold water and corn meal and completed her ablutions with a splash of her rosemary water.
Makeup always looks better when starting with fresh, firm, and radiant skin.  

We girls think we have it bad, having to wade through the plethora of modern beauty choices. All you have to do is delve into the past beauty aids to be eternally grateful for today’s fabulous choices.

For instance Cleopatra the Queen of Egyptian glamour had to grind crushed carmine with smashed base of ants eggs’ Yuk’ to color those famous lips, and grind lapis if she had a yen for blue eye shadow. Ditto with malachite if she was feeling inclined towards green eyes on any given day. Even though she had 10 million slaves to do her bidding, imagine the bother.
 
Greek beauties had to make a paste of ground seeds and berries to brighten their fair cheeks. They first coated their bodies with a white powder so their skin was very white, it was later discovered that the white powder contained arsenic and actually destroyed the skin and was often quite deadly.