Краски. История макияжа

by Lisa Eldridge, Лиза Элдридж

Эта потрясающе красивая и безумно интересная книга - шикарный подарок всем, кто интересуется искусством создания макияжа и историей моды. Ее написала легендарная Лиза Элдридж, один из самых уважаемых и опытных визажистов в мире. В настоящий момент она занимает пост глобального креативного директора Lancome.
Книга полна загадочных историй, причудливых жизненных анекдотов о косметике, удивительных результатов исследований. По всей книге разбросаны главки, посвященные личным кумирам Лизы, ее "музам макияжа". Эти музы, законодательницы мод и нарушительницы правил, сделали великое дело - они изменили взгляд общества на то, какой должна быть женщина и как она может выглядеть. Каждый, кто прочтет эту книгу, сможет взглянуть на содержимое своей косметички другими глазами. И, возможно, совершенно по-другому посмотрит и на всю историю женщин.
Лиза Элдридж - один из самых уважаемых и опытных визажистов. Список знаменитостей, с которыми она работала, - практически справочник-путеводитель по миру самых шикарных женщин, включая Кейт Уинслет, Кэти Перри, Киру Найтли и Эмму Уотсон. Активно участвует в масштабных фотосессиях для глянца, сотрудничая с лучшими модными фотографами мира - включая дуэт Mert & Marcus, Сольве Сундсбо, Питера Линдберга и Патрика Демаршелье. Многие из самых престижных модных Домов и косметических марок приглашали ее к участию в съемках для рекламных кампаний и модных показов - в том числе, Chloe, Alberta Ferretti и Prada. В настоящий момент Лиза занимает пост глобального креативного директора Lancome, а в прошлом она разработала линию косметики для японской марки Shiseido.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Art, Fashion, Historical, Feminism, Coffee Table Books

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

With over 20 years of experience, Lisa Eldridge is one of the most highly regarded make-up artists on the international beauty and fashion circuits. Whether she’s called upon to create her signature look, best described as fresh and flawless or to work her magic for the catwalk or on editorial shoots, her understated, modern approach to beauty has made her indispensable to designers, magazine editors, art directors and celebrities alike. Through her online make-up tutorials, and her role as resident on-screen beauty expert for three seasons of Channel 4’s successful series ‘Ten Years Younger, Lisa has become one of the most recognised faces in the beauty industry, both in the UK and internationally.

Having previously lived and worked in Paris, New York and LA, Lisa is now based in London. Throughout her career, she has maintained a high editorial profile working with many of the world's top fashion photographers including Mert and Marcus, Solve Sundsbo, Patrick Demarchelier, Thomas Schenk, Paolo Roversi and Horst Dirkgerdes. Her masterful make-up artistry appeared on the pages of virtually every fashion magazine including British, Italian, Chinese and Japanese Vogue, Allure, Glamour, Love, Numero, Pop and Lula.

In addition, Lisa has collaborated with many of the world's top fashion houses on their advertising campaigns and fashion shows including Chloe, Alberta Ferretti, Prada, Donna Karan, Moschino and PPQ.

The list of celebrities she has made-up reads like a who's who of the world's most glamorous women including Kate Winslet, Katy Perry, Keira Knightley, Emma Watson, Eva Green, Cameron Diaz, Amanda Seyfried, Kate Moss, Helena Christensen, Cate Blanchet, Demi Moore and Salma Hayek.

Continually quoted on the pages of the glossiest magazines, Lisa’s expertise has become highly prized over the years. In 1998, her authority was officially recognised by industry giant, Japanese make-up and skin care company, Shiseido who approached Lisa to work on developing the concept for a new make-up line. Designed and developed with Shiseido, Lisa collaborated on everything from shade and texture formulation, to packaging and new product development. "The experience of working on my own make-up line really completed the circle of my career, and has lead me to fully understand make-up from the inside out having applied it, designed it and learnt how it is made and sold," says Lisa.

This was followed by another coup, when Lisa was head-hunted by established British cosmetics brand, No.7, and appointed as their Creative Director in 2003. Working on the re-design and re-launch of this cult brand, she was responsible for bringing No.7 cosmetics back into the limelight. Using her vast experience in product development, formulation, colour, design, consultant training and P.R., her role has been key in the brand’s reinvention and global expansion into Europe, the US and Far East. Lisa resigned from Boots in 2013 and is now the Global Creative Director of Lancome makeup. What sets Lisa apart from her peers is her innate ability to translate trends and know-how, and communicate this to women all over the world via her website and expert make-up tutorials (created in her own studio) and blog posts. Shortly after Lisa launched her site Chanel approached her to make exclusive content for “www.chanel.com,”. Lisa also writes a monthly column for British ELLE, entitled “The Beauty Guru”, where she shares more of her aspirational and accessible make-up know-how with the readers.

Biography by Karena Callen

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa Eldridge is a famous makeup artist, so this is probably one of the more anticipated women’s interest history books of the year. The book is very beautiful, mixing historic images of painted people with photography of modern models, and all of that is mixed with images of historic cosmetics pots, lipstick tubes, and compacts. Art museums should really do displays of cosmetics designs, cosmetics packaging is always lovely. You can in good conscience get this book just to look at it!

But the overall history is, frankly, a bit sloppy. I was constantly annoyed by generalizing statements, and leads not finished out, such as mentioning such-and-such came from the theater world and moved into everyday cosmetics, but not telling us how it moved, who did the moving, or what the makeup originally looked like in the theater. I was hoping to get a good grasp on makeup of the 18th century, but I’ve read historical blogs with more detail. However it really picks up when she hits the 20th century Western world, which she knows very well. The history after about 1920 is really excellent pop-style history, ranging from Estee Lauder to Mary Quant to the modern “shimmer” effects made possible by microglitter technology.

The book opens with a “makeup as universal” angle, with three chapters focusing on the “universal” colors, white, red, and black, which I thought was really not a good look. It presents a lot of pop science evo-psych reasoning and stuff like "red light wavelength=good moods" for reasoning why people wear makeup, but all the evidence you are presented is from the Western world with a dash of Asian and Ancient Egypt, used to argue for women self-painting to a universal ideal of “pale face with red and black accents." Because Science Reasons. I can understand the appeal of including this material, because it worked on the book's overall angle of makeup as an ancient, universal, and ultimately natural and valuable human activity, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth, and soured the start of the book.

But, still, a gorgeous book and I learned a lot about recent makeup history. I love makeup and I felt good about wearing it after reading this.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of reviewing it.

[Roya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am one of those horrible people who considers history to be dull. Rarely if ever does it interest me. This was an exception. It's all history and not dull in the slightest. If you're like me and find makeup fascinating, you'll love this. If you love history in general, you'll probably (I say probably because I don't understand what it's like to love history) enjoy this too. So far, this is definitely my favourite book of the year.

Side note: I adore Lisa Eldridge. She's the definition of grace and her videos are everything. This one in particular is totally worth the watch.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE This book. Did I say I loved this book? You may know of Lisa Eldridge for being a famous makeup artist to the stars or from her highly popular Youtube channel. Lisa is a very relatable makeup artist that shares her secrets on youtube without being stuffy. In the past makeup artists and Hollywood never revealed their secrets which were always held close to the vest. Lisa ropes that curtain down and shows us how it is done. Thank you Lisa for sharing your talents and insight with the everyday woman who don't have a makeup artist at their whim. Her love for makeup really comes through to the viewer. Which is just fabulous.

Anytime a book on makeup comes out I have to check it out. Kevyn Aucoin's books have always been my favorite makeup books to look at. Like Kevyn, Lisa gives us much more then how one applies the makeup. I love makeup books that show us how to correctly apply makeup, but how many are out there on the market truthfully? Many. You can only look at so many makeup books and learn so much.

With Lisa's book it is more about the history, culture, and marketing of how makeup came to be. I have been waiting for a book like this for years! Like I mentioned previously, I love 'how to books' on makeup, but I wanted to know how we came to wear our makeup, how it evolved, how we consumed it, why we wore it a certain way one decade and another way years later. Lisa breaks that down and the style icons we looked to that changed how we approached makeup each generation.

Many believe that makeup is frivolous or a means to make our appearances look better, or to attract men, etc. We may use makeup for those very reasons, but for many of us it's because we like putting it on for ourselves. This book emphasizes and encourages that.

This makeup book is now up there with my Kevyn Aucoin books because like Kevyn, Lisa understands that women use makeup to be themselves, not someone else. Both artists take from history and incorporate it into today's world while still letting the clients natural beauty and personality shine through.

I highly recommend this book to any makeup lover and of course any makeup artist. The pictures in this book are gorgeous. Along with fun, extreme makeup looks to exaggerate past and present trends in the cosmetic world, you are also treated to vintage makeup make up ads and posters, cosmetic packaging from a bygone era and so much more.

Well researched and written. A fun read all around.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant read - easily understandable, full of well-researched information with bias consciously kept to a minimum, a pleasant and non-patronising tone and an overwhelming amount of good, old-fashioned passion for something the author both loves and lives. (plus the academic snob in me was more than pleased to find a properly referenced bibliography section.)

[Bloodorange · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is pretty and more than moderately informative, but somehow reading it was not particularly fun; maybe I expected too much.

[Dorotea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so hard to get a hold of this book, I tried to order it five times but it kept selling out.
While for sure its immense popularity is due to Lisa's Youtube, there is no doubt Lisa is talented and amazing.
The book story way set up well, I enjoyed the concept, the visuals were amazing.
What I loved most were the photos of vintage makeup cases and such, I love the historical part of make up.
With that, there is one thing I was incredibly annoyed about and I can't give a five star rating - THE LAYOUT. The inserted parts (such as Make up Muses sections) cut off the text at weird segments and there are few pages with ended sentences. I was much more annoying than I expected. I understand that might be nice visually, to have those inserted parts at those segments, but it was put before readability. This is ultimately a coffee table book, but the material is good and it could be much more.

[Asra Ghouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Eldridge’s first book, ‘Face Paint: The Story of Makeup’ is a reminder of human social obligations; of wanting to belong and feel accepted

This review was first published for The Hans India

The liberatory power of makeup

"Makeup, as we know it, has only been commercially available in the last 100 years, but applying decoration to the face and body may be one of the oldest global social practices.”

London-based makeup artiste, Lisa Eldridge has added another shade to her palette of achievements with her first book, ‘Face Paint: The Story of Makeup’.

In ‘Face Paint’, the red carpet specialist with over 20 years of experience in the industry reveals the history of makeup, from Egyptian ages through the Victorian age and the golden era of Hollywood, and surveys the science of cosmetics for what lies ahead in it. She narrates a story tracing the origins of makeup to its development over centuries citing anthropological, psychological, evolutionary and sexual significances as she uncovers the answer for one question – what drives us to paint ourselves?

The book explores the reasons behind makeup’s use, the ingredients over generations; it is an engaging history of style, it is also a social history of women and the ways in which we can understand the lives of the gender from their reflections of made-up (or not made up) faces in the mirror.

Interlaced in the book are Eldridge’s makeup muses that include names beginning from Marie Antoinette and traversing through history with Queen Alexandra, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Amy Winehouse, Brigitte Bardot, Madonna, our very own Meena Kumari and more; Lisa breaks down the distinctive style of these iconic women who have inspired her work for all these years.

We all know that Lisa loves the technology behind makeup. Her observations about the acceleration of cosmetology and textures in formulations of foundations, the magical weaves of a mascara wand and the power of a long lasting lipstick, gives you an idea of where things are going.

Eldridge has carried her “classic white background” style of her videos to the book giving it a fresh “come read me” feel. The imagery is a visual treat; a rich feast of seminal photography by renowned photographers, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn and a few photos taken straight from the Condé Nast archives; famous illustrations including some of the first beauty adverts – it’s a reflection of trends and transitions of beauty through the ages.

From the invention of the world’s first mascara to the story behind the Helena Rubenstein genius, to the rivalry of “Revlon-man” and Elizabeth Arden, here is what makes the Lisa book an absolute must-have.

History repeats itself
‘Facepaint’ explores the history of makeup, but not in a chronological fashion. Think themes, not timelines. It reveals how ideologies recur through time. Certain traits deemed beautiful appear consistently throughout history, as illustrated by the styles of Egyptian queen, Nefertiti (1370 BC – 1330 BC) and renowned Italian actress, Sophia Loren – the images taken millennia apart show both women with heavily defined, almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and a long neck.

On status and approval
Up until Queen Alexandra (19th Century) openly wore powder and rouge and gave makeup the “royal stamp of approval”, cosmetic enhancement of features was unacceptable to the patriarchal society, meaning men didn’t want women to wear it. Although, the norm was to have nice “red” lips, “dark eyes” (black) and spotless “white” skin, wearing makeup was a hushed affair. It always went in extremes – either the high class would wear it in an elaborate parlour show for everyone to watch or it was shunned and seen as “cheap”, which only courtesans could indulge in.

“Interestingly, courtesans, professional mistresses and prostitutes being afforded more freedom and power than other women (in addition to wearing more makeup) is a pattern that has repeated throughout history,” writes Lisa.

Representation of women in advertising
The onset of print media brought in a great change in the status of makeup. However, the major boost to it came with the emergence of the silent movies industry. Cosmetic companies began to advertise makeup looks from the movies using photos of the lead actresses giving makeup a respectable status in the society. On the other hand, actresses themselves came forward to feature in the ads; they took to the medium as a brazen gesture of their rights and it clicked! More women started emulating their favourite stars and slowly, “cosmetics for the few became makeup for the masses”.

Women featuring in ads started as a revolutionary act; of liberating them and their right to wear makeup. However, much as it happens in patriarchal societies, the act soon became a business to objectify women so much so that now it is downright misogynistic.

Backstories of our favourite brands
Who identified skin types and sold skincare to suit? Did anyone actually like the man behind Revlon? Rivalry, revelations and rule breakers; they’re all in here.

For instance - in Ancient Greece, around 800 BC, Athenian women mixed burned cork, antimony and soot to concoct a simple brow powder, used to thicken their arches and create the appearance of a unibrow. Centuries later, around 1917, TL Williams purportedly caught his sister Mabel mixing burned cork with petroleum jelly to darken her lashes, which inspired him to launch ‘Lash-Brow-Ine’—one of the first mascaras—and his iconic beauty company, Maybelline.

Women’s rights and makeup

Lisa reveals, “If you explore the use of makeup through ancient times, it soon becomes clear that the freedom and rights accorded to women during a given period are very closely linked to the freedom with which they painted their faces”

In ancient Egypt, women and men wore makeup freely, and women enjoyed relative parity in terms of legal and economic rights. Egyptian history is rich with kohl, its abundant usage coupled with formulations for lip strainers, and the general open use of makeup. However, in ancient Greece women were excluded from political life and were under the ownership of men, who deemed wearing of rouge “deceiving” and didn’t allow it.

Ironically, the two Wars had a liberating effect on lives of women. While WWI rendered on them an “obligatory” encouragement to “look good” using makeup - it was a patriotic act all of a sudden - the WWII gave women financial independence at large.

‘Facepaint’ delves into the paradoxes in every woman’s makeup bag and whether our choices, even now, are feminist statements or conforming to a standard.

Of wanting to belong
Why is it that a touch of blush makes you feel fresh? What is the power of red lipstick or the allure in the swish of blackest of the black mascara? Concepts such as these are taken for granted now, but there is a deep underlying reason to their development through the centuries. It is not just a psychological thing, but a struggle of women through ages, battling political ideologies that hindered their right to the freedom of expression; makeup after all is an expression of individuality.

Lisa concludes that the tribal mentality of wanting to belong is nothing new and face painting is beyond superficial beautification – adornment in this way is about sexual attraction and communicating the message of a group identity. “Whether we want to look like our favourite screen idol, we are communicating something about ourselves (through makeup) to the outside world,” she writes.

Most of us may not think why we do our makeup in a certain way. Sure, it is about expressing individuality and creativity, but most importantly, it’s about waking up in the morning and putting on a face that is acceptable to the one looking back at you in the mirror and as an extension, a face that is acceptable to the world. To make it empowering or not, is a choice we need to make for ourselves.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never worn a lot of makeup. However, my interest was renewed coinciding with the end of my summer spray tans and the recent opening of an Ulta Beauty store near my house. Also, since I'm a child at heart, the brand Too Faced called to me with it's cute packaging for lines such as Clover collection (based on pets and the owner's animals), and kitschy packaging of the Tutti Frutti scented line. As with bookish videos on YouTube, there is quite the beauty community. Endless YouTubers- from stay at home moms who have grown their channels in their bedrooms, to famed beauty gurus with followers in the millions- can be found providing their thoughts on the best bronzers for pale faces, contouring techniques, blending eyeshadows, unhauls, tutorials, dupes for high end products, tutorials, you name it.

Since I am dedicated to Veganism, I promptly looked into the cruelty free brands and immediately focused entirely on those. Unfortunately, any products sold in Mainland China require animal testing, so larger brands such as Maybelline, Revlon, Nars, etc. can't be classified as cruelty free. No matter! There are plenty of drugstore brands (E.L.F and Wet N' Wild) and prestige brands that have kept the commitment and provide awesome products.

The time spent watching these videos ate into my reading. Eek! What better way to rectify a slight slump than finding books that match your current interests? I interlibrary loaned this because it is a bit pricey, and am so glad I did! This gorgeous book is beautifully illustrated (as one would expect) with old fashioned and contemporary ads and models, with interspersed Makeup Muse sections detailing how iconic figures transformed the definition of beauty. There is nerdy chemist talk of formulas, and Eldridge's opinion on the future of makeup.

There is plenty of scandal and intrigue- particularly among the cosmetic pioneers like Helena Rubenstein, Estee Lauder, and Charles Revson. The cutthroat competition and pettiness was certainly offputting, but not surprising when you consider the strong personalities involved- and consumer dollars at stake. I felt nostalgic looking at compacts I had seen on my Grandma and Mom's vanities- particularly the Coty Airbrushed Face Powder in the yellow and brown floral container. I still remember the feel of the included powder puff and exactly how it smelled.


While I appreciated Eldridge's obvious expertise as a makeup artist and global consultant, I loved that she focused the ending on fun and empowerment: "Ultimately, nothing empowers a woman more than the right to a good education, and the freedom to choose whether to wear a red lip and smoky eye...or not."

This would make a great gift for any beauty buff, or anyone who enjoys social history:-)

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun, curated look at the history of makeup and the cosmetics. You can really see Eldridge’s love of makeup throughout the text and all the anecdotes she shares (and I’m sure there are many, many more she couldn’t fit in).

While I loved the first section focusing on the history of red, white, and black pigments until the 20th century, it’s the second half of the text I found the most fascinating. She focuses on the history and development of key pioneer brands, the mainstay makeup categories (eyeshadow, lipstick, blush etc), brief histories of famous companies and brands, and some of the technology developed over the last 20 years. The photographs interspersed throughout the book were also absolutely stunning.

Overall, if you’re a fan of makeup and/or social history and want a more curated and introductory look to these topics I definitely recommend it. Or if you’re a fan of Lisa Eldridge’s work/YouTube channel.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides an interesting history of the founders of 20th century make up: Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Max Factor, Revlon etc...

Eldridge also provides photos and short bios of the different muses during the ages: Clara Bow and others for the silent films, also Greta Garbo, Marlene Deitrich, Madonna and some others.

There are a lot of colorful photos as well.

I took a couple of stars off because of the seemingly obligatory feminist slant declaring women were oppressed by men and make up liberated them to be themselves. It seems the opposite argument would hold just as true: make oppresses women by forcing them to live to someone else's standards of beauty.

Or how about...women have never been made to do something they don't want any more than men have?

If you're really into make up, you'll enjoy this book. I'm really into history and origins and that's what I enjoyed about the book.

[Littlebookterror · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book years ago in a youtube video and it staid on my tbr for years before I relaized my library actually owned a copy.
I really enjoyed the Make-Up Icon series throughout the book to highlight the most prominent and influental people.

But I can't really say it's a great book.
I did not retain very much of the information. I felt like the historical aspects (Red, White, Black) were okay but they did not connect well to the later chapters. While she tried to cover the entire world, it also means she leaves out much of the more interesting part to give a vague overview. Eldridge makes a lot of all-encompassing statements that only hold true for America. In general, the book focuses heavingly on America and England, with a little European focus in there. You can tell most of her knowledge starts in the 20th century where the businesses really picked up and the market grew. But she glosses over the interesting parts, how exactly makeup was (mass) produced, etc. to talk about the most famous founders of the makeup companies today. If anything, I'd wish for an overview of when they were founded and by whom they were owned now.

Many of the pictures seem to be chosen randomly, I had wished for more explanation and reasoning behind them. She showed very few of the early packaging (I would have loved more), general looks (mostly Vogue) with zero background info or nothing it all (e.g. when a famous lipstick was mentioned).

I had also hoped for a discussion on the gender bias makeup obviously has, while mostly men were on the business side of things. She mentions theatre for example as influence but talks little about what exatcly or how it changed the market.

Overall, I think the book is not very well structured, the pictures beautiful if not always meaningful and her wish to include everything (history, culture, icons, companies) means she also lost much information in general when the book is only 250 pages.

[Adrianna (Erato Czyta) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Co większość kobiet na całym świecie lubi najbardziej prócz ubrań?
Oczywiście kosmetyki.
Osobiście nie znam ani jednej kobiety, która nie korzystałaby chociaż z jednego rodzaju tych produktów – czy to z tuszu do rzęs, podkładu albo chociażby błyszczyku do ust.
Chociaż korzystamy z nich na co dzień raczej nie zastanawiamy się nad ich historią powstania, ani nad historią firm kosmetycznych, które je produkują, a szkoda, bo czasami warto zagłębić się w temat.
Udowadnia to książka Lisy Eldridge „Face Paint. Historia makijażu”.
Autorka jest jedną z najbardziej znanych, utalentowanych i rozchwytywanych wizażystek na świecie. Pracowała przy wielu okładkach, z prestiżowymi domami mody i najsławniejszymi ludźmi. Prowadzi kanał na YouTube, na którym umieszcza tutoriale makijażowe, a ogląda je około 2 milionów ludzi. Obecnie jest dyrektorką kreatywną w firmie Lancome. Warto dodać, że wizażem zajmuje się od ponad 20 lat.

„Face Paint” nie jest kolejnym poradnikiem „Jak się malować” czy „Jak dobrać odpowiedni podkład” – całe szczęście Lisa podeszła do makijażu w całkowicie inny sposób. Autorka cofa się w czasie i analizuje z nami historię makijażu oraz jego ewolucję.
Jak się okazuje makijaż istniał już w starożytności, jednak z początku miał mieć całkowicie inne zastosowanie niż teraz. Dziś stosujemy go dla urody, mody i jako wyraz artystyczny, dawniej służył jako barwy wojenne, ochronne lub plemienne.

W pierwszej części książki zostaje przybliżona nam historia trzech najważniejszych i używanych od tysięcy lat kolorów w makijażu: czerwieni, bieli i czerni.
Autorka przybliża nam etapy wkraczania makijażu oraz produktów kosmetycznych do mediów, a także do życia codziennego kobiet.
Poznajemy również aktorki, które były pionierkami jeśli chodzi o makijaż, i które wyznaczyły w jakimś stopniu trend.
Jeśli zastanawialiście się co wspólnego ma makijaż i kosmetyki z rolą kobiet na świecie, jej prawami i feminizmem to odpowiedź znajdziecie również w tej pozycji.
Z drugiej części lektury dowiemy się kim byli pionierzy w przemyśle kosmetycznym i czy ich marki przetrwały do dziś. Westmore’owie, Max Factor, Elizabeth Arden, Charles Revson oraz wielu innych – to właśnie ich i ich marek historię poznamy.
Wizażystka opisuje też odrębną historię kilku podstawowych produktów do makijażu m.in. lakieru do paznokci, szminki czy podkładu i pudru.

Jeśli ku mojemu zaskoczeniu, jeszcze nie jesteście pewni czy warto zainteresować się tą pozycją to dodam, że jest to jedna z najpiękniej i najsolidniej wydanych książkę, które znalazły się kiedykolwiek w moich rękach.
Ta książka/album to wartościowa treść i wiele ciekawostek w temacie makijażu i to na przestrzeni historycznej, ale także cudowne fotografie i rysunki, które cieszą oko, a także pozwalają na zobrazowanie przekazywanej treści.

Myślę, że ta pozycja zainteresuje każdą kobietę, jeśli nie samą treścią, wydaniem, oprawą graficzną to chociażby jako forma prezentu dla kogoś bliskiego – nie jedna z nas chciałaby otrzymać takie cudo.

[Hannah Markmann]

DNF

I'm officially conceding defeat. I've been 'reading' this book almost all year and I think the fact that I'm only about halfway through is evidence enough that I'm just not that interested. Eldridge has clearly done a lot of research and I did enjoy the parts that I read, but I just don't see myself ever finishing this book.

[Ângela Maresch]

A truly compelling book about human nature, History and aesthetics. With sensibility and wit, he book introduces the reader to the historical context of the main make-up tools, and ends up letting one feeling very fortunate to be able to express oneself through face painting. Very entertaining is also the chapter on the first make-up brands, including both passionate people and smooth talking, extremely clever vendors. Amongst the fun stories presented, I was particularly pleased by the accidental creation of glitter! This book is an extraordinary collection of knowledge, and also a beautiful compilation of inspiring photos alluding to make-up and the author's muses.

[Dmitry · Rating 3 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

И всё-таки нужно смотреть, кто является автором книги т.к. даже на тему женской косметики желательно, чтобы автор был профессионалом, к примеру, историком. Я хочу сказать, что недостаточно быть креативным директором или fashion-бло��ером чтобы написать хорошую, качественную и всеобъемлющую книгу на тему женской косметики. Как не странно это не прозвучит, но даже для такой темы нужно обладать огромными познаниями в истории, в противном случаи получится что-то обычного блога или видеоролика на YouTube или вот такая книга, которая очень сильно похожа на блог или видео с YouTube. Главная проблема этой книги – поверхностность и большое количество тем, некоторые из которых здесь лишние. Всё-таки я ожидал, что вся книга будет посвящена истории женской косметики, а получилось, что в лучшем случаи лишь половина книги посвящена истории, ибо оставшаяся часть является врезками различных биографий знаменитых актрис и моделей, таких как Мэрилин Монро, Твигги, Элизабет Тейлор, Орди Хепберн, Грета Гарбо, и пр., а также истории коммерческого производства современной косметики, историей появления таких известных брендов и компаний как Revlon, Maybelline и пр. Интересно ли это читать? Мне было не очень интересно и думаю, многим другим читателям намного интересней было бы узнать больше об использовании косметики в прошлом. Но возможно на эту тему просто нечего сказать в связи с отсутствием сохранившихся сведений? Я так не думаю. Автор рассматривает применение женской косметики в Азии, Средневековой Европе и древнем Египте, но ведь есть множество других стран, включая использование красок у североамериканских индейцев, к примеру. Как мне кажется, на тему истории косметики можно написать целую книгу, а не ограничиваться лишь несколькими главами. Плюс к этому эти главы получились очень короткими, поверхностными и незапоминающимися, прям как типичный видеоролик с YouTube. Я не хочу сказать, что если бы книгу писал бы профессиональный историк, получилось бы лучше, просто я не увидел полного и комплексного раскрытия всей темы. Да, я могу ошибаться, но мне именно так это показалось.

Второй момент, который запомнят почти все читатели этой книги, это повторяемый тезис автора – косметика в прошлом в большинстве случаем была очень токсичной и опасной для здоровья женины. И вот, несмотря на этот факт, о котором женщины знали и в те времена, они продолжали наносить на свою кожу такую вот токсичную косметику. Почему? Или я не так понял автора, и женщины не знали о токсичности тогдашней косметики? Возможно, дело обстояло точно так же, как сегодня дело обстоит с косметическими операциями, которые часто могут привести не к улучшению внешнего вида, а, наоборот, к его ухудшению, к катастрофическим результатам, но ведь всё равно многие женщины продолжают идти на риск. Или другой пример – излишнее увлечение диетами, что иногда приводит к анорексии. В общем, женщины и тогда и сегодня готовы рисковать своим здоровье лишь бы следовать моде. Да, именно мода и есть тот виновник, из-за которого многие женщины рисковали, и рискую своим здоровьем. Сюда же можно отнести влияние общества, которое так же зачастую отрицательно влияло на женские практики связанные с женской привлекательностью и как тут не вспомнить, к примеру, про корсет, который в некотором смысле играл ту же роль что и косметика и зачастую тоже мог влиять на женское здоровье отрицательно, т.е. вредить женскому здоровью (хотя как показывает книга The Corset: A Cultural History by Valerie Steele, зачастую мнение о корсете и то, как его использовали женщины в 18-19 вв., представало сильно искажённым). В любом случаи, что мы точно запомним из книги, это что в прошлом косметика часто бывала токсичной.

Итак, что мы в итоге имеем? Историческая часть, связанная с историей трёх цветов в сфере женского украшения тела – красный, белый, чёрный и большая часть книги, в которой речь идёт о возникновении косметической промышленности и как она собственно возникла, кто сыграл ключевую роль в этом. И всё-таки и всё-таки…очень поверхностно получилось. Да и читать про историю появления первых помад, туши для ресниц и пр., мне было довольно скучно. В итоге как правильно заметил один англоязычный читатель, книга больше походит на a coffee table book, нежели на серьёзное историческое исследование.

And still, you should look at who is the author of the book because even on the topic of women's cosmetics the author should be a professional, for example, a historian. I want to say that it is not enough to be a creative director or fashion blogger to write a good and comprehensive book on the topic of women's cosmetics. As strange as it may sound, even for such a topic you need to have a great knowledge of history, otherwise you will get something like an ordinary blog or YouTube video or this book, which is very much like a blog or YouTube video. The main problem with this book is the superficiality and the large number of topics, some of which are unnecessary here. I expected that the whole book would be devoted to the history of women's cosmetics but, it turned out that, at best, only half of the book is devoted to the history, because the rest of the book is inserts of various biographies of famous actresses and models, such as Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, etc., as well as the history of commercial production of modern cosmetics, the history of the emergence of famous brands and companies such as Revlon, Maybelline, etc. Is it interesting to read? I wasn't very interested and I think many other readers would be much more interested in learning more about the use of cosmetics in the past. Perhaps there is simply nothing to say on this topic due to the lack of extant information. I don't think so. The author discusses the use of women's cosmetics in Asia, Medieval Europe, and ancient Egypt but there are many other countries, including the use of dye by North American Indians, for example. It seems to me that a whole book could be written on the history of cosmetics, not just a few chapters. Plus these chapters are very short, superficial, and unmemorable just like a typical YouTube video. I don't mean to say that if the book was written by a professional historian it would have been better, I just didn't see a full and comprehensive disclosure of the whole topic. I could be wrong, but that's how it seemed to me.

The second point, which almost all readers of this book will remember, is the author's repeated thesis - cosmetics in the past, in most cases, were very toxic and dangerous to the health of women. And despite this fact, which women knew about in those times, they continued to apply such toxic cosmetics to their skin. Why? Or did I misunderstand the author, and women didn't know about the toxicity of cosmetics back then? Perhaps it was just like cosmetic surgeries today, which can often lead not to a better appearance, but on the contrary, to its deterioration, to disastrous results, but, still, many women continue to take the risk. Another example is excessive dieting, which sometimes leads to anorexia. In general, women both then and today are willing to risk their health just to follow fashion. Yes, fashion is the culprit that has caused many women to risk their health. This also includes the influence of society, which also often had a negative impact on women's practices related to female attractiveness and how can we not think of the corset, for example, which in a sense played the same role as cosmetics and could often have a negative impact on women's health (although as the book "The Corset: A Cultural History" by Valerie Steele shows, the view of the corset and how it was used by women in the 18th and 19th centuries was often misrepresented). In any case, what we will remember from the book is that in the past, cosmetics were often toxic.

So, what do we have in the end? The historical part deals with the history of the three colors in the realm of female body beautification - red, white, and black, and the bulk of the book deals with the emergence of the cosmetics industry and how it came about, who played a key role in it. And yet and yet...very superficially done. Plus, reading about the history of the first lipsticks, mascaras, etc., was pretty boring to me. As a result, as one English-speaking reader correctly noted, the book is more like a coffee table book than a serious historical study.

[Catarina Pedrão · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was putting myself off buying this book because it is quite expensive here in Portugal and I always had other priorities, so it was a very exciting day when it finally arrived. Maybe because I had such high expectations… I was also very disappointed. The photography is absolutely gorgeous and I would buy a book with the photographs alone, but reading it was challenging, to say the least. The only word I have for Lisa’s writing style is exhausting, as sentences go on and on and on. It could have been written in a much more dynamic way, and also talked extensively over some subjects but then lacked details in the history of some characters such as brand founders and models. Also, something that really bothered me was the way the book was structured: most of the times, sentences are cut in the middle for several pages of photos, which makes me have to go back and forth because I lose my train of thought. Overall, a very underwhelming experience

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start with saying that I'm glad this isn't an instructional book. There are interesting historical parts here, but it seems a bit repetitive and pro Helena Rubenstein, Elizabeth Arden, and Estee Lauder vs. Charles Revson. She mentions them several times in the book. The short biographies aren't very interesting. I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know about the celebrities and brand founders. It's more like a makeup text book that isn't in order and feels chaotic. I expected to breeze through this because I like Lisa and the subject, but it was tedious. There is a ton of unnecessary writing, so just be aware of that before buying it. I can't believe she didn't have a ghostwriter or an editor that picked up on these points.

[Liselotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute favourite book ever to do with makeup. I own quite a lot of beauty and makeup books, and history is my thing, so having this combination is such a precious thing! The book is highly informative (duh, its written by Lisa Eldridge), the photos gorgeous, and it's a lot of FUN, not dry at all! I honestly recommend this book with all my heart, more so than any other book I've ever read. If you are into makeup and beauty AND history, I totally recommend it!
I reread this book at least once a year, so it HAS to be good right! ;)

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been interested in history and makeup, so it was only a matter of time for me to start becoming interested in the history of makeup. I was excited when I came across this book, which covers the history of makeup and is written by a well-known makeup artist. Of course, there is only so much history can tell us about makeup depending on the era since it’s based on what was recorded and by who. I do like that Eldridge did talk about this as well as pointed out who was documenting cosmetic use in throughout various eras. It’s an important thing to take into consideration regarding history in general.

What I enjoyed most about this book is that it’s split up into different parts. There’s a bit of a color study, cosmetics through the ages, popular products, brands, idols, and science. Pictures are included every step of the way to give a visual for what she’s talking about. It was pretty neat seeing old ads and how makeup packaging has changed in the last century through visuals.

I found this book both interesting and informative. It’s truly a fun read. I also like that Eldridge dips a little into the history of nail polish and fragrance and how they’re linked to makeup. I thought nail polish was a somewhat recent item, so it was pretty cool to discover it’s been around in different forms for much longer.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was an lovely read. It was incredibly interesting to read about the origins of make up, and the journey it's taken to get to where it is today. It definitely made me pause during my own make up routine, and appreciate the growth the industry has taken.

I also love the tone of the book - it gives us the facts on the ancient face paints, the journey through the centuries, how the war affected productions, how it became more accepted, touching upon how it's almost expected nowadays (and pointing out that make up should be fun, about personal expression, and up to the individual if they even want to wear any) to looking towards the future. There's no bias - it's simply well researched, and presented in a lovely non-condescending manner.

This book is so beautifully laid out. Gorgeous photographs of old make up products, vintage adverts, and make up icons fill up these pages, alongside the text, and I adored looking at each one. A visual, and factual, feast for any make up lover.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

This is a fascinating look into the changing cultural identity of beauty and how some ideals of beauty last through the ages. It explores items such as a comparison between X-rays of Nefertiti’s mummy to her iconic portrait in what might be the first documented case of image retouching, to Marie Antoinette’s makeup application as an assertion of power and elitism. Explore norms of beauty through the study of makeup throughout the years. – Wendy M.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on makeup history & to an extent, costume history. Eldridge did a great job researching & including examples of various forms & styles of makeup through the ages.

I suggest it to makeup fans & historians alike!

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książka "Face Paint" w fascynujący sposób opowiada o historii makijażu, jak zmieniało się wszystko z biegiem lat w naszej historii.
Można podzielić ją na dwie części - historia kosmetyków samych w sobie i historia najbardziej znanych i kluczowych marek kosmetycznych, które zrewolucjonizowały obecny rynek makijażowy.
Kosmetyki towarzyszyły ludziom od najwcześniejszych czasów - oprócz szczegółowej wiedzy, jaką przekazuje autorka w książce możemy je zobaczyć dzięki fotografiom samych produktów czy ich reklamom. Opisuje również ludzi znanych z popkultury, których makijaż był trendem przy wykorzystaniu opisanych wcześniej produktów.
W drugiej części możemy poznać początki takich marek jak Max Factor, Revlon czy Estee Lauder i jakie wpływ miały na obecne trendy.
Tytuł sam w sobie jest pięknie wydany - osobiście traktowałabym go bardziej jako album.
Dla entuzjastów make-up'u bardzo polecam

[Sonelina Pal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book. It is a visual feast. Written for makeup lovers, it is a book with so much make up story crammed into its pages, it is sure to delight those who want to learn a little bit more about this fascinating art and industry.

It is pleasing that the focus remained on story telling, independent of any kind of brand focus, or subtle advertising. Lisa Eldridge has enough clout in the the makeup world that if she recommends one product, it will fly off the shelves. She has made no such recommendations, she has not stated a preference for one style of makeup over another. She has also not made any kind of reference to any kind of body image issues except as a historical commentary. No judgement. Whatsoever.

Instead we see a charming discussion of colour utilisation through the ages, the trends, the socio-political ramifications, the anecdotes. Who would have thought that the use of makeup through ages seemed to coincide with women's rights, and freedom, even if only certain tiers in certain ages? Apparently courtesans and prostitutes not only wore obvious makeup through the ages, but also got accorded more rights than the genteel women. Mo' makeup, did equate to mo' fun!

The Eldridge Technique is known to be Lisa's technique of making complexion appear flawless through makeup, while allowing the inner glow to shine through. I have just discovered another inimitable Eldridge Technique. The book is written in the same soft, often amused, always kind, voice that Lisa uses in her youtube instructional videos. A classic book from a classy lady.

Since this is such a vast subject, and this book had to be sketchy in its coverage by necessity, I look forward to more books from Lisa.

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This was a very thorough look through the cosmetics empire, throughout several empires and ages! I feel that there was only one element missing in this story: cosmetics testing. It's an ugly business, and I feel that there should've been a mention on the cruelty free/animal testing furor that dominates that industry.

Apart from what I felt it lacked, this had a great level of technical and scientific detail all whilst written in a very enjoyable way. This never felt like a textbook at any time, as sometimes these types of historical view books can lend a dry feel and become more like a book of statistics, but the photography in this book and the min-biographies within really gave each chapter personality and kept it vibrant.

I purchased this myself as I am a fan of Lisa's youtube channel, and I have a mammoth interest in the cosmetics and beauty industry. I didn't find this to be such an eye opener as there were some things I had already learned from my readings of other histories, but it was the chapters about the faces behind the brands and how the shift towards "painting ones face" changed so dramatically in the past 100 years that gave me new appreciation.

A great gift to give to the person in your life who works in the industry, makeup enthusiast or for yourself (as the case was with me :P ).

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Face Paint" is an overview of the use of makeup throughout history. The author mainly focused on the last 120 years, but she included a brief survey of the use of makeup throughout history in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.

The first section focused on makeup in ancient to recent history and included what types of ingredients were used as pigments, what tools were used to apply makeup, and trends in what part of the face was painted. But she didn't include details like actual historical recipes with directions. The rest of the book focused on the rise of mass-produced makeup. She described the origins of the first makeup brands, how trends were made, and changes that were made to improve products. She covered the history of commercial mascara, eye shadow, nail polish, lip stick, blush, powder & foundation, and bronzer.

The book contained many full-color photographs, including pictures of different products and historical ads. She also included many pictures of trend-setting women throughout history paired with short biographies. I'd recommend this book to people interested in trends in wearing makeup throughout history and how its use became so common in the last 120 years.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[B A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I am interested in the rivalry between H. Rubinstein and E. Arden. I am curious about the development of cosmetics as a giant industry which is least effected by global economic crisis. I watched Eldridge's interview with a historian about make-up and really liked it. Her newly released book, Face Paint, was the only one available to me so I went for it.

I liked the glossy photos of vintage make-up (not the modern make-up looks which I find redundant). I liked her style of writing. I liked the theme. However I am unsatisfied with the 1,5 chapters out of 2. I do not think that makes a good ratio.

First chapter was about history of make up constructed around themes of red, white and black. This is a clever idea but execution was west-centric, superficial and repetitive. Second chapter was about modern affair of cosmetic industry which is more informative, strong and interesting. However in the second half of the chapter author revisits the history of make-up this time organized according to make-up items. Once again narrative becomes vague and repetitive. This also happens with some make-up muses.

[Jenifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book with some key history of makeup and the beauty industry, but not a lot of new information (for someone who has already learned a bit of fashion & beauty history).

Also, I felt the author made a huge error in not calling out racism by name in the section on why white as a cosmetics color and skin whitening specifically was in vogue for so long (and in some places continues to be). Instead she offers pseudo-scientific reasons for why (white) humans might have preferred pale skin on women.

For my money The Power of Glamour by Virginia Postrel was a far more fascinating, well written, and well researched read. Though it covers a much broader swath of topics than Face Paint, it also includes a great deal of the key points and history of beauty that this book does.

[Payal Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Very informative book learned a lot of things I didn't know before. The problem with this book is that it's very west-centric. Makeup in ancient Egypt is described and we get a bit of info about makeup practices in Asia, east-Asia to be more specific but we don't get a complete overall picture of makeup and beauty perceptions in the overall world.

Nevertheless, Lisa Eldrige's knowledge of western makeup ideas and history shines through in this book. even if you are not a makeup person, you should try to read it. The journey of makeup, beauty and it's commercialisation is fascinating. The writing styles and the pictures made it an easy read and kept it from getting dull like so many other history-related books

[Alkhawaji · Rating 4 out of 5]

للوهلة الأولى وبمعرفة أن ليزا الديريدج أحد أهم فنانات الماكياج في العالم كنت أخشى أن يكون الكتاب يعبق بالنفس التسويقي والدعائي، لكن الكتاب كان دراسة واسعة عن جماليات فن الماكياج واستقراؤه تاريخياً ومعرفياً وبحث في أبعاده الانثروبولوجية في عمومها ولو بشكل طفيف.
ينطلق الكتب في بحث دقيق في المجال من خلال الألوان الأساسية في فن الماكياج (الأحمر، الأبيض، والأسود).
في قسمه الثاني يتوجه الكتاب إلى الجانب الذي توجست منه مبدئياً وبالكامل، الجانب الإعلامي وارتباط الماكياج بعالم الصناعة الفنية والجانب التجاري، لكنه تبدى مغايراً وبشكل مثير للاهتمام بأسلوب عميق في نقاشات تدور في فلك براغماتي منفعي متعدد حول الطب والعلم والاقتصاد.
الكتاب يستحق القراءة في عمومه، لكنه يقرأ كمرجع في اعتقادي.