Egyptian Make Up
Egyptian Make Up
and Cosmetics
The Ancient Egyptians, both men and women, wore distinct eye make up,
rouge and perfumed oils that softened the skin and prevented burning in
the sun and damage from the sandy winds. Not only did the men and women
of Egypt wear make up but also the statues of their gods and goddesses
were adorned with all these different types of cosmetics.
The higher the status of the person the more
clothes and make-up they wore.
Egyptian Eye Make Up
The Ancient Egyptian eye make up was extremely elaborate and created the
almond eye look which has become synonymous with the Ancient Egyptians.
Eye make up had a long history in Ancient Egypt and both men and women
were using eye make as early as 4000BC. The eye make they used
concentrated in providing color to their eye lashes, eye lids and eye
brows. The favorite eye make up colors were black and green. The powders
used to create the eye make up were ground on a palette then mixed with
water to form a paste.
Egyptian Black Eye Make Up
- Kohl
The black coloring of Ancient Egyptian eye make up, favored in the
Period of the New Kingdom, was
achieved by the use of Kohl.
-
The eye make up
Kohl was obtained from galena
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Galena is a
blue-grey natural mineral form of lead sulfide
-
Galena deposits
were found and mined in the eastern dessert at Gebel el-Zeit
-
One of the
earliest uses of galena was as kohl
-
Kohl is a
mixture of soot and galena.
The Egyptian eye make kohl was stored in richly decorated
containers called kohl pots.
Egyptian
Green Eye Make Up
The green coloring of Ancient Egyptian eye make up was
achieved by the use green
pigment called malachite.
-
Malachite is a
copper ore, a carbonate mineral, copper carbonate hydroxide,
which has a vibrant green color
-
Malachite was
used as a mineral pigment in green paints dating from
antiquity
-
Malachite was
imported from the Sinai Desert
-
The malchite
stone was crushed and then mixed as the green eye make up
Egyptian
Face Make Up - Rouge
Ancient Egyptians used a type of rouge to stain their
lips and cheeks. The red coloring used by Ancient Egyptian
in make up was
achieved by the use of ochre.
-
Red ochre is a
pigment made from naturally tinted clay - hydrated iron
oxide
-
Ochre has been
used since prehistoric times
-
To make the
ochre used for make up the clay was first mined from the
ground, washed to separate sand from ochre and then dried in
the sun and sometimes burned to enhance the natural color
Egyptian Make Up -
Nail Polish and Hair Color
Ancient Egyptians used a form of henna to paint their nails and color
their hair. The color and condition
of nails have long been an indication of social status.
The coloring used by Ancient Egyptian in this type
make up was achieved by the use of
henna.
-
Henna is a dye
obtained from the leaves and shoots of the henna shrub which
is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa
-
Dried, ground,
sifted henna leaves are easily worked into a paste
-
To create the
make up and cosmetics using henna the leaves or shoots were
ground on a palette then mixed with water to form a paste.
-
Henna was also
used as a healing plant and for cleansing and cooling the
skin
-
Henna was used
in ancient Egypt to stain the fingers and toes of Pharaohs
and nobles prior to mummification
Reasons for using
Ancient Egyptian Eye Make Up
The Ancient Egyptian eye make up had several purposes, uses and reasons
for their application:
-
Cosmetic reasons
- Ancient Egyptian Eye make up was used to define the eye
for purely cosmetic reasons
-
Medical reasons
- Ancient Egyptian Eye make up was used for medical purposes
-
Ancient Egyptian
Physicians prescribed the use of kohl against eye diseases
-
Galena, which
made the kohl, had disinfectant qualities
-
Kohl shielded
the eye against the sun
-
Kohl also acted
as a deterrent to flies!
-
Religious &
Magical reasons - The green eye make up used by the Ancient
Egyptians Eye was believed to induce or evoke the the eye of
Horus, the God of the Sky & Sun
-
Traditional
reasons - Egyptian mothers would apply kohl to the eyes of
infants soon after they were born believing its application
would strengthen the child's eyes and preventing the child
from being cursed by an "evil eye"
Egyptian Make Up -
Perfumes and Oils
The Ancient Egyptians used numerous perfumes obtained from the
fragrances derived from flowers, plants, seeds. They were blended into a
cream made from animal fats and oils such as the expensive oil called
balanos or the more common castor oil. The Ancient Egyptians also used
myrrh, frankincense, cardamom and cinnamon to mix their perfumes.
Egyptian Make Up
Each section of this Egyptian website addresses all topics and
provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of
Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details
of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of Egypt, the Ancient Egyptians and of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, King Tut.
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