Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup

by Gabriela Hernandez

The definition of a beautiful face has never been constant. See how political and social climates have molded accepted beauty rituals and the evolution of cosmetics from ancient times through today. This colorful reference book chronicles historic trends for the eyes, lips, and face, and offers in-depth aesthetic reviews of each decade from the 1920s to today. Follow the rich history of facial trends through fascinating and bizarre vintage ads; detailed makeup application guides; and profiles of famous makeup innovators, connoisseurs, and iconic faces. Over 430 images, timelines, and detailed vintage color palettes show the changing definitions of beauty and document makeup innovations (the first mascara, lipstick, eye shadow, etc.) that have evolved throughout the history of cosmetics. This is an ideal reference for the professional makeup artist, cosmetologist, educator, student, and general makeup enthusiasts.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Fashion

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2011

Reviews

[Katie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine casual read but I have to be honest and say that it wasn't in the same league as Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge. We were presented with many of the same historical references and timelines, but where Eldridge was engaging and thought provoking, Hernandez was dry and vague. I miss the social elements discussed in Eldridge's book and their ties to the state of women's life and level of liberty. Hernandez gives us the facts but in a dry toast kind of way which left me feeling disappointed. I did enjoy the examples of the trending looks/techniques and popular color palettes of each given decade. But I felt the book could have been laid out better and I did notice several typos throughout. The illustrations were lackluster and mainly consisted of cosmetic campaign ads which I found monotonous towards the end of the book. I found this to be a swift read but not an engrossing one.

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed description of makeup trends throughout history. I really enjoyed seeing how makeup changed with each generation, but still borrowed from previous generations. The pictures also helped showcase the ideas being presented.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Had great illustrations and interesting facts.

[Maureen Barnes]

I have this book somewhere

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all over the place. It reads like an early high school research project. It’s repetitive and inconsistent and disorganized. A lot of the information was interesting, it just wasn’t presented well.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful and fascinating coffee table book.
I particularly like the way the author has laid out a colour palette for each decade of the 20th century. I have found a few small errors and have also noted that it is very Ameri-centric; the chapter on the 60's had no picture of the iconic Twiggy who single handedly invented many of the make-up trends. She was instead relegated to the very last page of the whole book with no real context. I had to knock a star off for this lack of worldliness.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great capsule book with some really interesting tidbits. I was hoping for a bit more detail in the end, especially chemically, since this spans history. The photos from Gabriela’s personal collection are a real treat!