History of Beauty

In he ancient period both men and women used to wear ornaments and paint their faces with natural colors to become beautiful. Beautiful persons generate admiration as well as envy for their look. If we look at the history of beauty we will be able to understand how people tried to attain the perfection of beauty in the bygone ages. Some of them may seem strange to modern generations but during their times, these beauty enhancement techniques were revered by men and women.

Renaissance beauty (15th century)

During this period, upper-class ladies used to pluck their hairlines. This naturally made their foreheads much broader. Excessive use of headdress was a common norm. Hats draped with jewels were fashionable items. Renaissance people used to color their hair as a mark of beauty.

Elizabethan beauty (16th century)

The beauty as well as fashion trend of this era revolved around Queen Elizabeth. Many high-born ladies tried to ape her look by applying too much powder on the face and putting on red wigs. Lead based colored pencils to paint cheeks and alabaster pencils were used in abundance to paint blue veins.

18th Century beauty:

In this period, white wigs for men and trimmed, curly hair among women were common fashion trends. garlands used to decorate the heads of upper class ladies. Towards the end of this century, fashionable hair, decorated with feathers, ribbons, jewelery and ornamental items were a rage among aristocrat women.

Victorian beauty:

The madness over beauty diminished during this age, due to Puritan wave as well as growing conscious about health. Hair oil became popular during this period. Men began to prefer short hair. Artificial makeups like mustache, or beard became popular among men.

20th century beauty:

With the advent of cinema, beauty and fashion got a new dimension as people started to ape their favorite actors and actresses. They plucked eyebrows with pencils, used extravagant lipsticks. They sported different types of hair style and applying scented hair oil became the custom.

From 1960's girls started to prefer simple short hair. During the last couple of decades, symbols of beauty are changing rapidly. Tattooing has become a popular trend. People have shunned gorgeous superfluous clothes. Both men and women have inclined towards comfortable garments as more and more people are entering into the job sector. The role of accessories is undeniable in today's world.

Promotion of beauty:

The history of beauty remains incomplete with the fashion shows, which showcase the beauty of garments. They in turn enhance the appearance of men and women. More and more beauty shows are happening round the corner. So, beauty has become commodity also. Media play a big role in generating awareness and interest about beauty. Both print and electronics media have special discussion forums on beauty. Beauty business has become a strong industry. Beauty is no more the property of high societies. It has come within the reach of general public.

The appeal of beauty is simply undeniable. But too emphasis on this is unsolicited. Some mainstream newspapers pay attention to it than important news. Sometimes, people decorate their bodies in grotesque fashionable items like tattoos all over the body. Young girls want to attain 'size-zero' figure. This is harmful trend. Beauty is a gift of heaven. Toying with it means revolting against the laws of benevolent nature.