THE MAKE UP, THE TRENDS AND MORALITY

 Bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm (In the name of God the Most Gracious ,the Most Merciful)

Written By,
Ben Wanjala
email: benezeri@theclancompany.com

                                                                                 

Makeup means cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance.

Make up dates back at least 7000 years. Ever since people painted caves, they were painting faces. The first form of face painting was as ritual protection against evil spirits. Egyptians would paint their face as a direct defense against the “evil eye”.  Cosmetics body art is argued to have been the earliest form of a ritual in human culture.  After some time, these face masks became more decorative than ritualistic, thus paving way for the first recreational make up.

Fast forward to 2500 BC and the mainstay in every make up bag was a reddish rouge for lips and cheeks. Rouge’s reddening effect was deemed desirable because it supposedly made one look fertile and healthy. Also, red was one of the most available pigments at the time. Red ochre was a key ingredient in this early make up. Later, ancient Egyptians also imported carmine bugs from Mesopotamia to make a vibrant red pigment that is still used to this day in makeup. 

Throughout the antiquity period, lip wear continued to exist. In 200 BC, Chinese women wore red rouge to reshape their lips into circles, hearts and flowers. Roman women, during this same period, wore pink tinted and rose-red lip paint. Queen Cleopatra of Egypt famously made her lipstick out of red ants, beeswax and carmine. The major ingredients of early lipstick included; carmine, annatto (a seed that grows in South America), iron oxide (yellow ochre), mica and an iron oxide blend (natural glitter). 

During the middle ages, lipstick came in and out of fashion, in the west. When religious leaders wielded power, and thought makeup was sinful, it went out of fashion. When influential style icons, especially royalty, decided that they wanted to wear lipstick, lipstick came back in.  Queen Elizabeth I was noted for her interest in makeup. She wore a full face of white lead and a lot of lipstick. The lipstick was a shade of crimson, made out of cochineal, brought over by Spanish traders. She believed that lipsticks had preventative healing powers and health benefits. It is said that by the time of her death, she was wearing a whole inch of lipstick.

Lipstick went out of fashion during the puritan takeover of England in the mid 17th century and came back into fashion after the restoration of King Charles II. It consequently enjoyed a 100 year grace period, boosted by the lavish fashion choices of the French aristocrats. This high time of lipstick came to a screeching halt at the end of the 18th century, when the British government started taxing it heavily. In France, aristocrats that used it were beheaded. This continued for most of the 19th century as Queen Victoria ensured that makeup stayed out of fashion. During this 1000 or so period, lipstick was still worn by actresses, prostitutes and other members of society that were considered to be on the “outskirts” of society. This was true in the east too, where Geishas had bright red lipstick as part of their regimens.

However, at the end of the 19th century Queen Victoria’s influence was waning. Interest in cosmetics grew and some luxury brands began to dabble in the idea of lip salve and rouge pads for their upper class clientele. These changing attitudes opened the doors for the birth of the lipstick industry. In the 19 teens, during the suffrage era, actresses were making the jump to the big screen and they started being perceived as more glamorous than scandalous. Suffragettes wore bright red lipstick as a sign of solidarity and protest. Actresses wore heavy makeup. These new style icons inspired a market of women that wanted to wear lipstick. 

The 1920s were a new age for women in America, defined by new freedoms and rights, as seen with the 19th amendment. The most popular brand at this time was called Tangee, a more subtle, tangerine- orange shade. Marketed as less brash than red lipstick, it was also both affordable- sold at ten cents each- and accessible- being sold in front of the counter for the first time, as opposed to behind it. The 1920s also saw a key lipstick innovation. Swivel up lipstick tubes replaced push up tubes. In addition, more shades of lipstick were introduced. Economically, the cosmetics industry exploded. This is best illustrated by these figures. In 1917, only two people declared and paid income tax. In 1927, there were 18,000 individuals and firms paying income tax. 

The 30's and 40's brought the Great Depression and World War II, but none of them could stop lipstick. During the 30's lipstick sales rose even as people fell upon hard economic times. This became known as the Lipstick Effect. This is the theory that when facing an economic crisis, consumers will be more willing to buy less costly economic goods. In the 40's, as factories were halted for many goods, lipstick stayed strong. A special shade called Victory Red, it was considered patriotic to wear it.

The 50's brought a golden era of lipstick. Fashion magazines were more popular than ever, and models from these magazines were crossing over to Hollywood to become uber style icons including Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe. As women scrambled to emulate their look, lipstick sales boomed. This sparked fierce competition with companies aggressively competing to improve their formulas and marketing techniques, in order to one up each other. The first indelible (long drying) lipstick product came out during this time. Also, the first lipstick TV advert (marketing Revlon) came out during this era. 

In the 60's and 70's, lipstick trends changed along with fashion trends and social movements. Bold reds, pinks and plums gave way to lighter pinks, frosty pastels and lip gloss. Makeup companies also began to come up with specialized products for African- American women and cheaper, trendier products for teenagers. 

In the 80's, women were entering the market more than ever before. Bold red and bold pink lipstick came back in vogue, to match the bold eye shadow and big hair. This bold lipstick trend was reflected in the celebrity icons of the time, like Janet Jackson, Cindy Lauper and Madonna. The craziness of the 80's was replaced by the minimalism of the 1990's. Clothes got darker and lipstick styles got nudier. Some of the most popular shades included browns, rosy colors, nudes and raisins. 

In the 2000's, as clothes got brighter,

lipsticks got glossy. The 2000's also came with easier access to the internet. Some of the makeup trends of this decade so far, include color changing lipsticks, nude colors and metallic lipsticks. This decade has also seen the rise of YouTube tutorials and small, independent online makeup companies.

Make up is a multi billion dollar industry. According to a recent Zion Market Research report, the global cosmetics product was valued at around USD 532 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach approximately USD 863 billion in 2024, growing at slightly above 7% between 2018 and 2024. 

Many ladies can’t leave home without applying some makeup. The reasons vary. However, they can be summed up in one. Makeup adds a layer of confidence to ladies because it conceals facial “flaws” like zits and acne. Also, research has shown that men are attracted to ladies with some (not too much) makeup. In addition, at the workplace, ladies that apply makeup rightly are likely to be taken more seriously. Makeup is so en-grained in our culture now that the absence of it is perceived as bizarre and newsworthy. A great way this is illustrated is in headlines like these “Jennifer Lopez, 46, boldly steps out with no makeup”. Lines such as Kylie Jenner, who recently became one of the Billionaires through her make up - cosmetics Line Kylie,

Huda Beauty owned by Iraq - American business woman Huda Kattan, a multi millon cosmetics products franchise,.... Artists such as Rihanna,  Celine Dion etc all running their own cosmetics products franchises. It is a growing  market that continues to search for marketing vehicles....You would be surprised how many videos are out their on snaptube, you tube,facebook and other social media platforms about how to apply products.. beginning from the foundation to finish .... It is, a profitable trend of its own.

 It is remarkable how much cosmetics change the complete life of some individuals when they get to a certain age, it is as if they sign to a life time clinic or choose hospitalization... Ooh, I can not get in the sun today, its not good for my skin,,, Ohh, I cannot eat this,, I can not wear cotton,  Oooh, I drank this, and my skin is....., a  Life time patient of cosmetics... and the family has to bear with all that disruption and cost, close to living with an alcoholic in some extreme cases...Incredible... Simple is always better...Just  my opinion.  Thankfully a no make up trend, is also picking up... to allow for natural diversity to flourish.

Africa has not been left out. In Uganda, companies like Movit and Samona are reaping big. TPPL, a Tanzanian company that makes and distributes cosmetics like Skala in upcountry towns of Uganda is booming too. Livara is a Ugandan founded cosmetics company that caters to a more middle class market, it’s doing well too. 

Makeup is here to stay. All this in spite of the fact that, in rural communities for example, left to their own, the ladies look striking even without it and the skins of young ones born and fed on local food is good better than most of the adverts you get to see.

Myths about the disgusting and outright senseless methods and processes behind some products, have been shared. Note worthy are the dangerous trends such as the vampire makeup, where users have to manufacture beauty products using their own blood or the blood of other people, edging close to cannibalism in reality...Now human milk is being bottled and sold in some parts of the world, apparently it is a skin care miracle for women, plus beer, mixed with vaginal yeast,  Menstrual blood portions apparently rich in iron. In order for some celebrities to regain their body shape and retain their facial luster consumption or eating of their babies' placenta and all the messy blood that comes along with it after delivery is being openly practiced, and many celebrities have taken on the new trend.;- An act  known as Placentophagy an act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth. . We are told it is quite women empowering.....from a feminists point of view, Rationally I wonder, How? Only some animals such as the buffalo practice this act to prevent the smell of blood from spreading that could inadvertently attract predators towards them right after birth.. therefore they consume their bloody placenta and baby sack immediately after birth,,Other animals do cover the blood with soil, Human brain... and animal brain mixed in milk products as told by some hospital workers in the habit of stealing human body parts... We are told they are good for the skin as well, Human fecal material a constant dose injected into meals for both men and women... some go as far as to select fecal material from some particular groups of people.,We have heard talk in the corridors,,, of people complaining... No,, no Africa.(nuclear). or it is full of worms,.... oohh,, Arabii, Arabii, European, America  good, good..., ooh Hindi....Bangali.... Not allowed ....No...No., Oohh Me, am white fecal Material (check out my white pants) ohh me am Black fecal material, (Check out my black pants)..Ooh, check me out:- am Nuclear Beautiful Fecal Material,, and Am Ugly fecal Material and so on, and So on. .... This is a whole paragraph and conversation about the current trend of human beings consuming and associating with human fecal material and how it is being sold in our daily media (It is embarrassing).... apparently it is good for the skin

.Of course,  as many countries have now legalized Homosexuality.. it turns out getting to learn  fecal language is part of being part of the current world order.. Am yet to learn whether or not gay people feel well placed and suited to be associated with fecal material but as for now it seems to be their marketing gimmick.

In reality, according to social moral order and picking from many of the  World religions these extreme practices are abominations and should not be encouraged , Many of them edge towards cannibalism and devilish practices in the name of Beauty and skin care, It is also true that extreme anti social groups opposed to these practices will over time grow hence an underworld conflict that shall brew.   I have been told and learned of a man who  bought sausages from the roadside small time business man well positioned near a busy pub, Only to discover later that the sausages were made of human flesh. This happens in broad day light....,, While you gauge your sausages with either a bottle of beer or soda, While watching your favorite sport, perhaps, watch Sir Alex Ferguson retire from the sport, it will be going down with human flesh unknowingly sold to you .... clapping and cheering will accompany your misfortune. 

It turns out as people try to find ways to look more attractive, these unpalatable acts and abominations are becoming part of our societies and psych.  A  cafe in Spain opened recently and it sells sausages (Vegan Morcilla) to buyers that is made of human own Blood for breakfast.. How is that Vegan?? ..It is legal therefore not wrong according to current wisdom.  

Acts that were used as a basis to send people to the guillotine in the 1800's and early 1900's, and some burnt to death as witches and wizards by religious practitioners, while other  communities colonized due to such uncivilized practices. Are now, becoming acceptable  and being forced down the throats of people that dim them inhuman. How the world has changed. and how easy it is to loose sight of what is good, and what is bad. 

That not with standing, it turns out, just like reggae music, it seems makeup can’t be stopped.. It is part of the human en devour, expression, beauty and creativity. We have to be compelled to prevent extreme human behavior that is practiced in the name of Beauty. 


Edited by Walter Edgar Byaruhanga
Also Known as Abdul Lateef.