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  • Robin Bank

Ancient Roman Beauty

Today, one might see their friend apply a new lipstick they bought from the store or apply a fresh coat of mascara to boost their look. Unsurprisingly, Ancient Roman women also had beauty practices of their own to feel and look their best. While these practices may seem rather unsavory, it was considered normal and of the utmost luxury to perform these rituals.


Disclaimer: NONE of these practices are recommended for the use of beautification. This article is meant to only describe the practices of Roman women. Do not try at home.


It is widely known that the Romans took bathing very seriously, as they had many bath houses and different types of baths. However, a lesser known practice was the prominent use of perfume. In fact, the word “perfume” is derived from the Latin expression, per fumum, which means “through smell.” There were many different scents that women used. Different concoctions were made from ingredients such as cinnamon, herbs, and flowers. Women from all social classes were known to douse themselves in a type of potion, and the smells were sometimes so pungent that Cicero once wrote that “the right scent for a woman is none at all."


In addition to applying a type of perfume, Roman women were also known to use cosmetics. The options included foundation, blush, eyeliner, and lip color. As widely available as these products were, beauty came at a price. Many products for the face contained toxic ingredients such as led and tin oxide. Moreover, Roman women used different types of eye makeup such as eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. These products were definitely less hazardous, since they usually contained ingredients such as soot, ground stones, and ground minerals. Much like today, crushed minerals were the most common of ingredients, which allowed for a variety of colors such as blue and green.


Although today’s beauty products are much safer and sanitary, their predecessors were of much humbler origins. Fortunately, most people today, now men and women, can open a new product without worrying about their safety or where the ingredients came from. It can be argued, however, that some beauty trends may never fade after all.


Roman woman with eyebrows filled in, mascara, and a lip rouge
 

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