Beauty Standars Over the Decades

Foundation is a modern standard of beauty that females are held to. It has been around since the Greeks and Romans, who were the first to use it. The problem with their versions were that the main component was white lead. This often lead to fatalities due to lead poisoning. The white lead powder was to give the skin a fairer complexion. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, pale skin was seen as privilege, so the women of that time turned to lead paint to whiten their faces (once again with fatal consequences). During the reign of Charles II in seventeenth-century England, women began to use darker makeup to cover up the paleness of the skin due to the bubonic plague. However, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, pale skin came back into fashion. In 1914, a company named Max Factor (founded by Max Factor) created what was called pancake makeup. That makeup became the standard in Hollywood, as many movie stars were eager to try this new product. Actresses such as Judy Garland were regulars at his shop near Hollywood Boulevard. In 1918, Factor finished development on what he called his “Color Harmony” range of face powder, which allowed people to choose different shades of powder to put on their skin. In 1926 for the film Mare Nostrum Max and Frank Factor developed the first theatrical waterproof makeup. Today, there are many types of foundations to choose from. People can choose different tones to fit their skin, and it is still a standard of beauty. Unfortunately, in the misogynistic world that we live in, women are judged for putting not enough, too much, or even putting makeup on at all. It is still an ongoing struggle for women in a world where standards are forced upon them, and in many cases they have no choice but to accept and conform.