Women throughout history have strive to meet to their culture’s standard for beauty and the women of ancient Rome were no exception. Though the use of too much make-up was considered the mark of the prostitute, most Roman women used elaborate cosmetics that were designed to accentuate natural beauty or hide blemishes. Wealthy women could afford the imported cosmetics that came in containers made of gold or perfumed woods, but even poor women were able to buy inferior products at the local markets. The ingredients of Roman cosmetics were often a blend of plants, minerals, animal products, and the occasional toxic metal.
The Romans were as obsessive about cleanliness as they were vain. A woman’s beauty regime would begin with a bath. She would remove all her body hair by plucking, shaving, or scraping with a pumice stone. A layer of cold cream or a fatty oil was applied to the face as a moisturizer. Romans liked a white face lacking in freckles, wrinkles, or blemishes. A foundation layer was applied to give the skin a white glow. Creations using toxic lead were often used for this, but chalk was also a good option. In 2003, a small container of foundation was analyzed and found to contain fat, starch, and tin oxide.
Pink cheeks were created with the help of red ochre. It’s unclear how often lipsticks or lip colorings were actually used, but red ochre and alknet root were occasionally added to a lip-salve to rouge the lips. Round eyes were favored and a kohl pencil was used to line the eyes with dramatic effect. Eye-shadows were made from saffron, poisonous malachite, and azurite. The Romans believed that dark eyebrows were beautiful and used charcoal and ash to darken them. A kohl pencil would also be used to draw them closer together.
Given that their cosmetics were made from some pungent material, it isn’t surprising that Roman women favored scented perfumes and oils to cover the smell of them. Even with the odors and potential toxicity of some of their beauty treatments, the ancient Roman women showed a willingness to go to great lengths for their beauty ideal.
For additional resources on the cosmetic treatments of ancient Rome or ideas on how to do a Roman Goddess makeover, please refer to these sites:
- Ancient Face Painting
- The Art of Beauty from Ovid
- A Brief History of Cosmetics in Ancient Roman Times
- Ancient Cosmetics Brought to Life
- Roman Cosmetic Secrets Revealed
- The Roman Makeover
- Ancient Beauty Tools
- Cosmetics in Ancient Rome
Written by Michael S. Atwood