Expensive Cosmetics – Worth The Money?
Humans have been using some sort of cosmetics and facial decorations for eons. Ancient man not only painted his face to signify his status in a tribe, he would add permanent scarring to add to the effect. Amazon Indians still use various forms of face painting for the same reason.
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!
In the early part of the 20th century, cosmetics became popular purchases at the corner drug store. Up till then, cosmetics had never been mass produced. It took the new movie industry to make that possible. Rich, poor, beautiful, and plain all ran to the new make up counters to see and to buy. Suddenly even the average housewife had a supply of lipsticks and eyebrow pencils and eye shadows.
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.
“Make overs” were advertised every week, and even drug stores were competing with special sales and cosmetic consultants who were trained to help make you look beautiful.
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.
They are just as safe as organic alternatives, but they are much safer than manufactured options. Panty First, stock your nursery with products for the care of your baby’s skin before you bring your newborn home. Many doctors recommend that mothers of young children with eczema moisturize them three or four times a day.