William Shakespeare - Joan Collins - Charles Revson - Naomi Wolf - Gloria Swanson - The Truth About Cosmetics TV - Make Up: A Glamorous History TV -
God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another. (Deceit William Shakespeare, Hamlet III i 142
We live in a quick-fix society where we need instant gratification for everything. Too fat? Get lipo-sucked. Stringy hair? Glue on extensions. Wrinkles and lines? Head to the beauty shop for a pot of the latest miracle skin stuff. It’s all a beautiful £1 billion con foisted upon insecure women by canny cosmetic conglomerates. Joan Collins
In the factory we make cosmetics; in the store we sell hope. Charles Revson
Young women today feel vulnerable to judgment; if a harsh sentence is passed (or even suspected or projected), it is not her reputation that suffers so much as the stability of her moral universe. They did not have long to explore the sexual revolution and make it their own. Before the old chains had grown cold, while young women were still rubbing the circulation back into their ankles and taking tentative steps forward, the beauty industries levied a heavy toll on further investigations, and beauty pornography offered them designer bondage. Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth
I entered the cosmetics industry because I wanted more women to use cosmetics made with safe, healthful ingredients. Gloria Swanson
I spend a lot of time and money on my appearance … In the UK we spend over £9 billion a year on cosmetics that promise to improve and transform us. But how much of what beauty products promise is simply marketing manipulation, and how much is based on science and evidence. Cherry Healey, The Truth About Looking Good, BBC 2018
Three-quarters of women and half of all men moisturise. ibid.
The most expensive cream turned out to be the least hydrating by far … None of the creams improved the health of the skin at all … We saw no change in the health or appearance of the skin over our three-week study. ibid.
‘Sun exposure is the key cause of wrinkles.’ ibid.
Do any anti-wrinkle creams out there actually work? … ‘Retinol products … do work … They can still cause irritation … Suncream and retinol: that’s it.’ ibid.
90% of women have cellulite … In our small study, dry brushing was by far the most effective treatment for cellulite. ibid.
Make-up can be seen as a frivolous subject but I think it’s hugely important. What we believe to be beautiful is a window on the world we’re living in. Make-Up: A Glamorous History: Georgian Britain, Lisa Eldridge reporting, BBC 2021
The high Georgians: The colour palate is so delicious. ibid.
These wealthy Georgians used their look to show off just how rich they were ... A period of massive ostentation matched by staggering inequality. ibid.
Traditionally, wash-balls were made at home. Family recipes were passed down from generation to generation. But in the eighteenth century making cosmetics became more commercialised. New exotic spices and scents found their way in thanks to the expansion in global trade. ibid.
The beauty look in the 1860s is a million miles away from this: there’s something incredibly understated about Victorian beauties. Their clothes may be big and silky but their faces don’t match. Make-Up: A Glamorous History II: Victorian Britain
Innovations in marketing and advertising turned brands like Gosnell’s, Rimmel’s and Pears’ into household names. ibid.
The biggest revolution in make-up happened in the roaring 20s when we cast off the puritanical reserve of the Victorians and the era of modern make-up was born. Make-Up: A Glamorous History III: Britain in the Roaring Twenties
After the horrors of the First World War there was a generation of young people determined to enjoy themselves and their freedom. This was the birth of modern Britain, and the ultimate symbol of modernity was the 1920s beauty. ibid.