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Women, and in some cases men, have been wearing cosmetics for thousands of years. Archaeologists have evidence of men and women using cosmetics in Egypt over 6000 years ago!

Wealthy Egyptian women and men would paint their nails, massage their faces with creams and oils, apply lipstick and eyeliner, and even color their hair. No self respecting Pharaoh would be seen in public without being properly made up/ Obviously, things haven’t changed that much over the last few millennia!

Cosmetic Basics

While the basics of where you wear cosmetics haven’t changed that much since the decline of the Egyptian empires, what cosmetics are made of certainly has. The ancient Egyptians mainly made their cosmetics from clay and oils (with the occasional dash of mercury). Modern cosmetics are a chemical concoction with some bizarre ingredients added in for good measure. Think about these ingredients next time you’re putting your makeup on: lipstick often contains fish by-products and blush can contain mica, a translucent mineral! While the Food and Drug Administration controls what can be used in cosmetics, it’s hard to know exactly what’s in them because they are often protected as trade secrets.

Buying organic cosmetics made from simple, natural materials is a good way to be sure you know what you are putting on your face. This can also be a useful strategy if you are concerned about avoiding cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

Applying Cosmetics

The first step when applying makeup is to make sure that you start with a clean face. A clean face will give you a perfect palate for applying the rest of your cosmetics. Cosmetics will not make a dirty face look good. A clean face will also contribute towards your skin’s health and keep it free from blemishes.

After thoroughly cleaning your face, apply foundation everywhere. When applied correctly, it should not look like you’re wearing foundation. The purpose of foundation is to smooth out your skin colors to hide blemishes and pimples. It also allows you to do a better job when you apply your cosmetics. After applying the foundation, your face should feel light and natural. If it is obvious that you’re wearing foundation, or if your face feels like it’s covered with guck, then you’ve put too much on. If it just doesn’t look right, you should check that you’ve chosen the right kind of foundation. The foundation has to match your skin tone as closely as possible if it is going to work. If you are having trouble picking the right color of foundation, go to cosmetics cosmetics counters at your local department store and talk to one of the consultants. (Even better, book an appointment to have the consultant put your makeup on for you!) If you’ve only put a bit too much foundation on, you can blot at your skin with some toilet paper to remove the excess foundation without having to start from scratch.

If required, you can then apply some concealer to your face with your fingers. Concealer can be particularly helpful in covering up dark circles under your eyes. The key to successful concealer application is to always make sure it is thoroughly blended in to the rest of your face. If the concealer is not blended into the rest of your face, it will only draw attention to the spots you are attempting to cover up.

After you’ve washed your face and applied foundation and concealer, you’re ready to move on to the more noticeable cosmetics such as eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, blush and lipstick.

What are Cosmetics Made of?

The ancient Egyptians mainly made their cosmetics from clay and oils (with the occasional dash of mercury). Modern cosmetics are made from an unbelievable array of products. Lipstick often contains fish by-products and blush can contain mica, a translucent mineral! While the Food and Drug Administration controls what can be used in cosmetics, the precise ingredients are often protected as trade secrets.

If you really want to know what’s going on your face, you can chose to buy organic cosmetics that will make their makeup from simple, natural materials. This can also be a useful strategy if you are concerns about animal testing. If you only want to buy cosmetics that have not been tested on animals, make sure to inquire whether the cosmetics you are purchasing were tested on animals or not.