Face Paint: Lisa Eldridge's Bestseller on Makeup History
"I know that many expected to see a collection of my tips, but I always wanted to write exactly about make-up history, ”says Lancôme international makeup artist Lisa Eldridge in a presentation of her first book, Face Paint, with a slightly apologetic tone. Lisa is modest, but rather wisely sees makeup more widely than she used to do: no more or a less harmonious jumble of colors on the face, but a craft, art, and a marker of social thought.
A month ago, "Face Paint" covers a large piece of observable history: from Ancient Egypt to today. The plot of the book is not linear: according to Lisa, she initially thought of building all the events in chronological order, but then she realized that it would be more interesting and easier for the reader to put together the facts thematically. So in the first part of the book, the makeup artist explores the history of applying the three main colors in make-up: red, white and black. This fragment is saturated with historical references and can tire a little with the monotony of the story, but you should overpower yourself and concentrate on reading: Lisa digs deeply and analyzes not only the few images left over from past cultures, but the works of physicians and public figures like Ovid and Leonardo da Vinci. The bibliography takes up exactly 20% of the volume, and it seems that nowhere else can I find another such scrupulous and in every sense accessible research topic.
The second chapter is mainly devoted to the most important period for the modern cosmetics industry - the last century. Most of the companies, thanks to which the visitor of any cosmetics store has their eyes on the choice, were created over the past century. The biographies of their founders, fortunately, can be drawn quite clearly, there would be a desire. Eldridge obviously had it: it was due to the saturation of the text with small, but humane details that the history of the 20th century appears in a multidimensional and exciting book. It fits photos of the collection of vintage lipsticks and powder, personal and business differences rivals Elena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden and the emergence of those marketing mechanisms, hook on which we continue to cling to in 2015. However, the author is not too distracted by gossip half a century ago and does not shift the focus of attention from the development of the cosmetics industry. In other words, it does not tinker.
Even Lisa manages to classify all modern cosmetics by the brand's origin, to trace the evolution of the usual means to us, such as kayal and mascara, and to tell a little about the ingredients, the discovery of which allowed producing more convenient and beautiful cosmetics. About the ingredients Eldridge tells almost criminally a little, but not too sleeves - we hope, because the make-up artist sees in this topic the potential for a new book (that "Face Paint" will not be her only literary work, she hinted more than once).
Particular attention is paid to Lisa "make-up muses". The tie-ins of their biographies are dispersed throughout the book, so the reader will learn about the XIX century dancer Lola Montes, the first woman who compiled the harmless recommendations for self-care, and Amy Winehouse, whose famous arrows Lisa calls the same recognizable element of style. like wide brows Audrey Hepburn and painted eyelashes Twiggy. The appearance of celebrities Eldridge pays special attention not only because they asked the trends. Many stars of the last century were technically savvy no less than the then make-up artists and sculpted their image on their own. Liza was not too lazy to look for specific life hacks, so if you ever wondered why Marlene Dietrich or Betty Davis painted that way, then now it’s clear where to read about it.
It is impossible not to notice that Liza often makes feminist curtsies and notes that throughout the entire history she studied, it was men who dictated the standards of beauty to which women had to adjust. And if today such forced bends under public opinion are fraught with perhaps self-doubt or psychological trauma, then women of the past also sacrificed physical health: everyone seems to know about white lead, and this is not the only gadget to which they had to resort. However, Liza does not fit into an armored car, speculating on a sensitive topic, and with a cool head analyzes the historical background of today's standards and allows the reader to draw conclusions himself - such an approach deserves reciprocal respect.
"People who want to get into the beauty industry because of money or a bohemian life are always visible a mile away: they are discharged to smithereens and do nothing. The thing is that a real makeup artist does not dress up, but works, forgetting about his appearance and literally kneeling, because the process really fascinates him, "Eldridge once said in an interview with Business of Fashion. In her first book, you can say the same: it’s not that Liza’s competence or diligence had to be doubted, but “Face Paint” once again demonstrates how difficult and useful work can be in the field of beauty, which skeptics like to scold for frivolity and almost harm.
Photo: Amazon
