We like to believe there is a science or psychology behind just about everything, and frankly, we’re right. Today we’re looking at the cold hard scientific facts behind makeup. Whether you wear makeup or not, we have a hunch you’ll find these tidbits interesting.
Why do women wear makeup? Well, there are two reasons. One, to camouflage. As humans, sometimes we’re anxious, sometimes we’re insecure, and sometimes we just want to blend in. And two, to be seductive.
Ancient Egyptians had to get pretty creative when it came to a lot of things, and one of those things was lipstick. In fact, they used a mixture of ant eggs and crushed beetles to make it. Oh, and that same chemical those beetles produced is still used in modern lipstick today.
(image via: istock)
Contouring is the dark art of contorting your face just by using a few products. We say ‘dark art’ because there is no convincing us you can simply ~learn~ this black magic. But why is contouring so appealing? Our brains love symmetry and by contouring our faces, we can make our faces the, uh, well, face of symmetry and perfection.
Before people were using frozen cucumbers to reduce any redness or puffiness, they used leeches. That’s right, leeches. And they do reduce redness. Because they suck the blood out of your face.
Let’s switch gears for a hot second because research tells us a couple of interesting things when it comes to women observing other women wearing makeup, so let’s talk about them. First, women perceive other women wearing makeup as more dominant. And research also tells us that women tend to perceive other women wearing makeup as more promiscuous. So if dominant and promiscuous is what you’re going for, just slap some makeup on, we guess.
(image via: istock)
A lot of practices have been around for thousands and thousands of years, but researchers can trace the use of cosmetics back over 100,000 years.
Quick, look at your best friend! Do you apply a similar face of makeup? It makes sense if you do because research suggests that women who wear similar makeup tend to bond with one another.
If you’re a person that wears makeup, do you find yourself playing up your eyes? Or maybe your cheekbones? Lips, perhaps? Well scientists say that we tend to enhance certain features that natural selection has already deemed attractive.