Some type of cosmetics have been in use since the dawn of man. Even Cleopatra, one of the most powerful female rulers who ever lived, is better known for her imaginative use of kohl eyeliner than her international diplomatic policies.

Throughout the centuries even men have used some type cosmetics. During the time of Louis XIV, all wealthy men in society wore powdered wigs, rouge on their cheeks, and dried ochre on their lips. Their wives even figured out how mix some fairly good quality foundations and moisturizers using what amounted to household ingredients: animal fats, paint and dried vegetables. These early cosmetics could actually be the first “all natural” products on the market!

Cosmetics weren’t mass marketed until the early 20th century. The first items started appearing quite unobtrusively in local drug stores, marketed to perhaps a segment of the female population that was of “questionable repute”. Advertising for these early products was usually found in the backs of ladies magazines of the time period, never on the front pages like today. But even with limited advertising, these items were flying off the shelves, purchased by lovely respectable housewives, college students, working women, and even teens who could save up enough for their first lipstick.

Makeup didn’t really become a household name until color movies became the norm. When moviegoers could see their favorite stars up close and personal, they were amazed at the colors they saw on their faces. The brows, the eyes, the cheeks and the lips. They were gorgeous! And every woman wanted to look just like these beautiful starlets. The cosmetic companies to the stars – Max Factor and Maybelline – made sure that would be possible.

Companies competed against each other for market share like no other product on the market! Expensive brands began to show up in leading department stores, giving drug store brands a run for their money. No matter where the counters were, makeup was selling.

Of course, as with most products, there comes a point where some of the options simply become so expensive that we need to step and say, “What exactly am I paying for?” When an ordinary foundation can be had for under $10 at the drug store, or a similar product that sells closer to $75 at the local department store, which one is really worth the money?

Although the ingredients in many of the high end expensive lines purport to be better a quality, how much better can something really be? What exactly are you paying for at the major department stores that you aren’t paying for at the local mass retailer? Probably the packaging.

Good skin care can help you avoid skin problems later down the road. Ed Hardy Tattoos Beautiful skin begins on the inside and ends on the outside. A big advantage of natural products is the absence of impurities.

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