Beauty for sale
Cosmetics have been used by both men and women for thousands of years. Roman slaves whose function it was to bathe men and women in perfume were called "cosmetae". From face painting mentioned in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 23:40) to the use of eye shadow and kohl in Ancient Egypt for ritual purposes, the use of cosmetics dates back as far as 10,000 BCE. As trade expanded throughout the world the assortment of cosmetics increased and people had many more choices available to them. Although the use of cosmetics was frowned upon by some, they continued to be very popular with women. They helped improve their looks in poor lighting conditions, made them look younger and hid imperfections.
With the establishment of beauty salons around 1900, the cosmetics industry expanded by leaps and bounds and has never looked back. Today the cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with Canadian sales alone totalling $730 million (MarketLine industry profiles available online at the North York Central Library and Toronto Reference Library only). Companies such as L'Oreal, Maybelline, Avon and Elizabeth Arden compete with each other by bombarding us daily with advertising.
Are cosmetics your thing? Do you want to know more about your favourite brand? If so, then read one of these great titles available at the Toronto Public Library:
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