Why was makeup invented - & for whom

                                   All Art work by Kevin "Wak" Williams

It seems like the use of makeup have been a part of the human female routine ever since the beginning of the earth’s history. As far back as we can go, we have seen ancient tribes using some form or facial decoration as a part of some ceremony or ritual. I must say however most facial decoration was use as a part of some religious ritual and or ceremony. This is so for the aborigines of most country around the world. From the American Original People in the USA the Aborigines in Australia, and New Zealand and the Garifuna and the Kalinagos of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

However, formal makeup that is used today and was pioneered by the west is a fairly new invention. But how did this billion dollars industry came into existence, what was the catalyst that was responsible for the invention of this sophisticated vanity. The bible speaks of Jezebel and most people tend to portray Jezebel as a lady who was consumed with all of the things that are associated with the world today, such as makeup etc. Unfortunately for this theory, although Jezebel was a heathen from another culture, who refused to practice the values and the morals of the people of the culture that she was married into and became a part of, and although she also refused to accept the God of her husband as the one true God and to acknowledge and accept him as her God, she was not a woman who were taken in makeup as we know it today. 

I will say here, in that era, the glamour and adorning of a woman was not as superficial as the application of facial rubs and colors, however; it was the adorning of jewelry. In this era, beauty was associated with wealth; the female person parent’s or husband’s had the ability to get and give them; such as expensive jewels the finest cloth and other material and the best tailored clothes. In that era women wear jewels everywhere on their body, on their head (head dresses) on their forehead, on their cheek, in their lips, noses, ears, tongue, necks upper arm, forearm, upper arm, wrist, fingers, thighs, ankles and toes. 

At special occasions a wealthy woman will be decked out from head to toe with Jewels, this represents status, class, importance, wealth and beauty. However, formal make up as we know it in the west came about during the period of the Trans-Atlantic slavery and is a tool of jealousy. 

Although the slaves were an oppressed people, that was murdered at will and who were often viciously abuse by their white en-

slavers, they had much to be thankful for. They had a God who valued them, and who used their enslavement as a tool to bring them back to him, they were able to withstand the heat of the hot tropical sun in which they were forced to labor for long hours in inhumane conditions. Although they suffered such bad treatment they were envied by their en-slavers. The men grow old but maintained beautiful healthy skin, in most cases apart from their graying hair and the decrease in strength and agility their age refused to show on their skin. And so did the black women.

In their youth and in their prime the slaves skin were as smooth as velvet, as pretty as gold. The white oppressive slaves’ owners were particularly attracted to the beautiful skin of the black women, and therefore choose to spend much of his sexual encounter with his wife for procreation child rearing; however; for the pleasure of romance they often turn to the black women in an exploitative fashion. On the other hand the white women were jealous of the beautiful black unblemished skin tone of the black women; and more importantly the fact that their husbands and their sons were extremely attracted to the slaves and not to the free white women the women of their race. 

As a result of this the white women have been on a quest to mimic the beautiful skin tone of the black women. They will ask their slaves skin treatment advice in an effort to achieve for themselves, what they considered the perfect skin tone that their slaves have naturally. Many efforts, research and money were spent so that the white women can achieve what they considered perfect skin tone, the skin tone of the black women. 

As a result; of this, the white women have been on a quest to mimic the beautiful skin tone of the black women. They often ask and take the advise of their slaves as it related to skin care and skin treatment; all in an effort to achieve for themselves, what they considered the perfect skin tone that their slaves have naturally. Many efforts, research and money were spent by the white women to try to achieve what they considered perfect skin tone, something that can imitate the skin tone of the black women. As a result we have make-up of today. Even with all of the experiment, investment and the thousand of beauty produce and treatment that is on the market; it is still impossible for the white woman to achieve what the black woman have naturally: perfect skin tone.

Question for black women: have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for you (black women) to find make up in a shade to match your complexion? That is because make up were not designed and neither were it intended for you but for your white look alike. Each time I see a black woman in make-up, I laugh because of the ignorance of their actions. They (black women in makeup) are spending thousands of dollars trying to look like the people (white women) who have given everything they had and are willing to give even life itself to look like them (the black woman).