History of Make-Up

Most of us present ourselves with some form of cosmetic, so it’s strange that historically there’s been so much judgement around the use of it.

It’s something that’s been there from the Ancient world to the present day, and speaks to so much of the human experience.

Today we’re joined by Susan Stewart, author of Painted Faces - A Colourful History of Make-Up, to answer questions such as, how did religion shape beauty trends? What does make-up tell us about different social standings through time? And what were the effects of Queen Elizabeth’s lead-based face powders? Spoiler: it wasn’t the most beautiful result.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. 

If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here. It would mean the world to us!

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.