93: Death by Lipstick: Secrecy, Sorcery & Satanic Rituals Behind Makeup | Dark History with Bailey Sarian
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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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- What do Hitler, Queen Elizabeth, and satanic rituals have in common? Lipstick. And listen to this. Throughout history, wearing makeup has been illegal, associated with Satan, and at one point, wearing it was a great way to give a middle finger to the man. Yeah, baby. So let's tap into the magic of makeup and learn how something we don't even think twice about today started as something so sacred and even frowned upon.

It could even get you killed. Plot twist! Hi friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. This is the chance to tell a story like it is and to share the history of stuff we would never think about. So all you need to do is sit back, relax, and let's talk about that hot, juicy history gauze. Hi.

My name is Bailey Sarian and I love makeup. Hello, if you know me, you probably are aware of this. If you don't know me, hi, I'm Bailey and I love makeup. Ugh, I love it. I bathe in it. I wear it. I buy it. I kiss it. I am it.

Thank you so much. Joan, who are you dressed up as today? Oh, me? Oh my God, bitch. I don't look like that. Oh my God. I look way better than that. My contour is always better, okay? Don't cover me.

Now I love makeup for many reasons, but mainly because it's truly an opportunity for me to like sit down, be alone in my own little world, in my own little head, and just let my creativity run free. I get to be whoever I want to be, and the makeup can help me achieve whatever look I'm going for. Like today, I'm going for slutty.

but approachable. Anyways, what I'm getting at is it's a ritual that I will most likely never give up. So like me going from one look to the next, makeup has also gone through so many different identities. Now, there are tons of theories about why we wear makeup in the first place, but a few common themes tend to show up from time to time. Throughout history, some version of redder lips, smooth skin, and like pink

cheeks consistently pop up over and over again. And most of them boil down to some idea about health and fertility. Scientists think that people prefer red cheeks and lips because somewhere deep in our caveman brains, we think that it, you'd be a good mate, you know? Hey, you're healthy. You're horny. We should bang.

What more could you ask for, you know? Whatever the reason, throughout all of history, we see people looking to accentuate their lips, cheeks, and eyes in all sorts of ways. So let's go back to ancient Sumeria, where makeup seems to have her origins.

According to historians, the story of makeup started way back in 3500 BC with a queen named Puabi who ruled over Sumeria, an ancient civilization in what is now southern Iraq. See, in ancient Sumeria, red was associated with both fire and blood, which represented vitality and energy. So Queen Puabi had figured out a way to paint her lips using a mixture of white lead and crushed up red rosewood.

So we know she was a crafty lady. And this little mixture becomes known as lip paint. Yeah. The Sumerian people there are all talking amongst each other like, oh my god, have you seen the queen's lips? Oh my gosh, beautiful, gorgeous. I want that. What is it? Naturally, you know, rumors start going around and the ladies are like, here's what she's using, guys. I figured it out. It's lip paint.

So then they too all started using it. And pretty soon, all the Sumerian people were wearing lip paint. Men, women, girls, boys, you name it. I mean, I get it. Like if the queen is using lip paint,

I'm gonna use lip paint. Like, I want what she has. She's a queen. Lip paint became so important to the queen that she even had a special container for her product that she was eventually buried with because she loved it so much. And like, girl, same.

Like, I'm gonna need two coffins, okay? Because I've got some faves. I've got a lot of faves. And if my attorney is listening, hi, it's me, Bailey. Please make sure I'm buried with my MAC Lady Danger lipstick. Thank you so much. It's on the record.

Eventually, you could tell someone's social status just by looking at their makeup. I mean, it really signaled how high up they were in the social pecking order. Kind of like a designer bag, but for your face, you know? I mean, it wasn't limited to just lip paint anymore. Oh nay nay.

Because, look, we've seen these pictures. I know you're familiar. If you've seen any pictures of pharaohs, especially Cleopatra, you've probably noticed that these ancient Egyptians had a signature look. We love them. They've got the straight across bangs, the white garments, sphinx cats just being cats, you know? Maybe a gold headpiece and that signature charcoal black winged liner.

It's beautiful, it's iconic. And they were showing up. Oh my God, no one asked them to look that bomb, but they did, you know? Good for them. But there was an important reason why so much attention was paid to their eyes. The ancient Egyptians believed that the eyes were the most important organ of the body.

which is why eyeliner wasn't just to make your eyes stand out. It was used for also spiritual protection. In ancient Egypt, men and women would paint their eyes with coal liner to create something called the Eye of Horus. And it was believed if you wore the liner just like Horus, it would protect you from any evil around. Turns out they would take these beautiful alabaster pots

really pretty. They would crush up some coal and then they would put some like oils in along with it, some animal fat. They would mix it all up until it was in like a paste. Then they would use a feather or a small stick or even like a good old finger, you know, to just smudge and wing that liner out.

And there's reason to believe that they actually had the right idea. Studies show that ancient eyeliner recipes contain ingredients now known to be helpful in preventing sunburns, infections, and actually, it even improved eyesight.

Okay, ancient Egypt, just killing the game. So makeup, makeup was arriving, right? But as time goes on, ancient Egypt begins to fall and the next major empire pops up in Greece. And the Greeks, they have a very complicated love-hate relationship with makeup.

Yeah, to say the least. In the early days of the Greek Empire, beauty standards were all about fair skin, dark eyes, and red cheeks. But there was a big pushback against makeup from some people. Not everyone over there was a fan. Many saw it as deceptive and honestly believed that women who wore lip paint, for example, were trying to trick men into sleeping with them.

I know. I mean, hello. Spot on. Sign me up. Thank you so much. But you know, sometimes you hear those dumb people saying like, oh, take a girl swimming on the first date. It's like, shut the fuck up, Brad. Okay? I don't want to bone you. I want to bone your brother, Stavros. He can take me swimming anytime.

Okay, look, I'm getting off track. Back to the Greeks. Anyways, in ancient Greece, makeup was mostly worn by sex workers. Oh yeah. So the sex workers, they leaned into it, okay? They're like, "Yeah, we are trying to sleep with the men and make money." You know, and that's exactly what they are going for. So they're like, "Yeah,

Great, you know? And to them, I mean, they didn't give a rat's ass that society thought makeup was just for seducing men. That's exactly what they were going for. For them, looking made up literally translated to making money. And once it became obvious that sex workers were like wearing makeup,

You know, those distinguished ladies were even more determined to avoid it almost completely. They didn't want to be mistaken for a sex worker. I've got class. I'm Greek. That's how they talk. I'm Greek.

So with all this in mind, we can see how makeup becomes extremely taboo in ancient Greece. Pretty soon there's this huge divide between Greek women, the sex workers, and then like the prudes. Yeah. And painting your face pretty much became a sign that says like, "I'm open for business."

- Hmm, yeah, yeah. The connection between sex workers and makeup is actually so strong throughout so many different cultures that in Latin, the word prostitute and the word makeup became the same word, lenocinium. Makeup was seen as such a threat to society that under Greek law, sex workers who went out without their makeup, you know, to identify themselves, could be punished for quote, "posing as ladies."

The Greeks kind of sucked, huh? They're so boring. Boo. So if you were a sex worker back then, you had to wear makeup by law because not wearing it meant that you're like disguising yourself as a respectable lady. I mean, that kind of sucks because it's fun to put on makeup, you know, when you're feeling good, whatever. But imagine if like the government started telling you that you actually couldn't leave the house without it.

That would kind of get old real quick, I'm sure. Either way, around 700 BC, there's a huge shift in ancient Greek attitudes towards makeup. That's because trade routes were opening up worldwide, which gave the Greeks specifically access to different ingredients from across the globe. So like with these different ingredients, they could create better,

and more like makeup products. So Greece started doing more business with other cultures. The economy was on the rise and there was a cultural explosion. Lipstick went from being only for sex workers and foreigners to now an elite product

Fashion choice. Lower class Greek women continued to avoid it. I mean, nothing changed for them. But for the one percenters, you know, the wealthy, makeup, especially lipstick, was suddenly cool again. So then the year 150 BC comes around, and I guess like ancient Greece, 1350?

They're like done so, fallen or whatever. And now it's all about the Roman Empire. And this is when makeup takes on a whole new- You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the-

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion,

washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

As the Roman Empire begins to expand, they take over more and more territory, and they establish their own new trade routes. All this trade makes the Romans wealthy, and suddenly they have some money just kind of laying around, I guess. As usual, the wealthy were looking for ways to distinguish themselves from the poor.

According to the book, A History of Makeup, quote, Okay, so there was this one Roman emperor. His name was Nero, okay? And he was known for being crazy.

You know? Okay, great. And apparently his wife was just as crazy too. She had over 100 servants working around the clock to keep her makeup looking good 24-7. I guess it was pretty common amongst Romans to have enslaved people applying their makeup. But...

This woman, it was said that she was never seen without a painted face. But it's not just Roman women who were wearing makeup to look great. Men took it in a more literal direction and wore lipstick to indicate where they ranked politically. I know, I was like, can you imagine if Brutus was wearing a bold red lip while murdering Caesar? Fierce, okay. I mean, we don't know. Okay, I could be right. Were you there?

At this point, everyone was wearing lipstick. But the bad news, because there's always bad news, is that the main ingredient of that lipstick was literal poison.

Ah, yes. Wealthy Romans were getting that spicy red for their lips using something called vermilion, which they made from a bright red volcanic mineral called cinnabar. I know it sounds like really beautiful, right? I was like, "Cinnabar? I love Cinnabon." But it's not the same. The problem was that vermilion

She's toxic. Super toxic. And I guess they were just smearing this toxin directly onto their lips. And not just that, they were using it along with another plant-based chemical called fucus, which has mercury in it.

Mercury, love that planet. Unfortunately, no one figured out it was poisonous until the 1920s. So, you know, that was a long time for them to be poisoning themselves. And actually, now that I think about it, the Romans were, yeah, they were long gone by that point, right? Great. And little did they know that vermilion could lead to kidney damage and even death. Meanwhile, they're all walking around like, oh my God, why does my lip hurt? What is causing this?

to just peel off. Hand me my lip paint, Brutus. Like they had no idea their lips are peeling off and shit. They couldn't figure it out. They thought it was just chapped lips.

Well, eventually the Roman Empire collapsed, yeah. I guess this was around the year 476. And when that happened, trade routes became real dangerous because there were no Roman soldiers to protect them. So all businesses took a major hit and ingredients for makeup stopped flowing into and out of Rome. Simply put, no safe trade routes equals no makeup.

But where there's a will, there's a way, baby. And makeup finds her way back into the picture in the Middle Ages. Ooh, fun.

Until the middle ages, makeup has a pulse. People are dabbling, you know, playing with colors and pigments all over the world. But it was still pretty, it was pretty low key. But meanwhile, in Europe, Christianity is growing and spreading. And with it, so is the virtue of purity and chasteness.

So, as Christianity gains popularity, Europe engages in a series of wars called the Crusades, which reopens trade routes in contact with the Middle East, where makeup was still very much a thing. So merchants would travel up these trade routes and they would, you know, start selling their makeup at fairs and at markets, and they would lean in on the idea that makeup was magical, you know, as a way to push their product.

You know, marketing. They're like, "Hey, yeah, this magic, it's gonna do shit for you. Good luck." By the 1300s, wealthy Europeans were hiring people known as alchemists to make their own makeup, which, shout out to Giulia Tofana. Aqua Tofana. You know what's up. She was an alchemist. And I guess we can call her a makeup artist as well.

Anywho, but the rich would hire these alchemists to create their lip color and then once they were done, they would apply it while doing incantations. In other words, they were saying magic spells while applying the lipstick. Soon, people believed makeup could make you live longer and ward off death.

And yeah, I mean, they started taking their glam seriously. I don't want to die. Paint that shit on, Barb. You know? Now, surprise, surprise. The church was not a fan of any of this. I mean, living longer, magically looking hotter? Sounds like witchcraft to me. And if there's one thing the church hated back then, it was a witch or just women having fun.

Church leaders said that, quote, a woman who wore makeup was seen as an incarnation of Satan, end quote. I feel like that was a little drastic, but okay. The church believed that a woman altering her face in any way was a challenge to the Lord and his craftsmanship.

You know, so just like the Greeks, they thought women were deceiving people by altering their appearances. And just like that, makeup becomes public enemy number one. The church, they start telling people that makeup is demonic and they start putting out propaganda like there were pictures of demons putting on lipstick to disguise themselves.

I fucking roll, but okay. You know, obviously people are believing it. It's scary. But not everyone had to play by the church's rules, especially if you were the one making the rules. This next person, who was a powerful English royal, was actually rumored to be a witch herself. Oh, I'm

I'm talking about Queen Elizabeth I. Yes, she was crowned in 1559. And her death would be a mystery for hundreds.

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Now Elizabeth had a nickname while she was on the throne. She was known as the Virgin Queen. I know, hot. I guess she got this nickname because she didn't want to share authority with a man. Like she never had kids and she refused to get married.

So, you know, yeah. But she was also called this because her skin was just perfect, like a perfect baby virgin angel. Precious. Her flawless look wasn't just because she was born with perfect skin. Elizabeth was a huge fan of makeup.

Now in the mid 1500s, Queen Elizabeth was the it girl, okay? She was known for so many things, including her glamor and elaborate outfits. People, they really looked up to her. You know, she set trends. Now, by the time she took power, England had relaxed its strictness about lipstick and everyday people were using it all of the time. But Elizabeth took it to the next level. Let me tell you something not good happened to Miss Elizabeth.

On October 10th, 1562, Queen Elizabeth, she wasn't feeling too great. At first, you know, she thought she had like a cold, right? I'm sick. But then it turned into like a horrible fever and people around her were like, something's not right, shit. So a doctor was brought in. He did some observations, ran some tests, and said three words to Queen Elizabeth. Tis the pox, right?

Meaning she had contracted smallpox. Oh, shit. The queen got so sick she could barely even talk. And after seven days just laying in bed battling the pox, everyone thought that, like, low-key she was gonna die. They were like, look, that bitch is a goner. I didn't say it. You didn't hear it from me.

The royal has even started talking about who was going to replace her and like take over the crown. It's like, you guys, she's not dead yet. Chill.

Miraculously, Queen Elizabeth, she survived. Maybe lipstick is magic, I don't know. But what we do know is that all this created a new problem for the queen. The smallpox that she had left Elizabeth with scars and pockmarks all over her face. And this just destroyed her self-esteem. I mean, her perfect, pure skin, the skin that she was famous for,

was completely ruined. It was devastating to her. So she started trying to find new ways to like cover up her scarred skin. Now the fashion at the time was all about pale white faces because to the people it meant you never had to lift a finger or work outside or, you know, have the sun touch your skin. Ew. So she used something called Venetian ceruse as her foundation, which was made with white lead and

and vinegar. Girl, that must have stunk. Well, she would slather this all over her face and neck, making her skin appear bright, smooth, and white. I mean, you're probably thinking like, she probably looks so flawless. But in reality, that shit was cake.

And of course she wanted to add a little color to the lips, a little red. So she turned to that classic pigment we've been talking about, vermilion, which still had mercury in it. Thank you so much. So she had two dangerous toxic chemicals on her face, lead and mercury. And to preserve her beauty, Queen Elizabeth was accidentally poisoning herself.

Now when Queen Elizabeth applied her makeup, she would leave it on her face for like a whole ass week. She wouldn't wash it off. Okay, she's allowing the chemicals to just soak in and get all up in there. And even when she washed it off, her cleanser was made of rose water, honey, eggshells, and mercury.

Yeah, I know, it started off pretty good. I was like, "Ooh, that sounds like a nice cleanser. Rosewater, honey, eggshells, ooh." And then mercury, ah, fuck. You can't have it all, I guess. But as Queen Elizabeth got older, her health started getting worse and worse. I mean, lead poisoning leads to intense symptoms like stomach pain, headaches,

sudden paralysis, confusion, and even crazy nausea. I mean, all this was from the toxic poison she was putting on her face, but you know, she didn't know that yet. And her health, it was getting worse and worse. And on top of that, her skin, it was getting real bad. You see, the lead makeup was making her skin peel and bleed. It was peeling off. It was burning off, slothing off, slothing? Slugging off.

It was coming off, bitch. And it was bleeding, okay? So it's just raw skin. So what does she do?

I know what you're thinking because I'm thinking it too and she did just that. She uses more makeup to cover up the peeling and bleeding. So she's just slapping on more and more and more and sleeping in it and then more. She had layers. Okay. And then on top of that, she's got that red lipstick on to cover up all the sores on her lips. And she's taking that on too. And you know, look.

She was just in a vicious cycle that she couldn't get out of. She was depressed, her memory was failing, and her hair was falling out. I mean, these were all symptoms of lead and mercury poisoning. Eventually, Queen Elizabeth died on March 24th of 1603. Now, it's said that on the day she passed away, the lipstick she had on was half an inch thick.

I sat with this and I really thought about it. I really did. I was like, okay, show me what does half an inch look like? If you're seeing me on YouTube, like this thick was on her lips. If you're listening on the podcast, half an inch thick. She was just layering it. I mean, I've just got questions. I've got questions. And honestly, I would just want to like scrape it off. It'd be so satisfying. But I think her lip would probably come off with it. So...

That's probably why it was so thick. Anyways, her exact cause of death is actually unknown, but many historians point to her deadly makeup regimen as her killer. Maybe. To this day, she is one of the most recognizable monarchs in British history, thanks in part to her, for better or worse, iconic makeup. And when you look at the picture of her, it kind of low-key, it's giving me like Pennywise.

but royal. But even after all this, makeup stayed popular and people all over England still believed in its magical powers. But here's the thing, Queen Elizabeth, well she was a Protestant and the Protestants were in a struggle for power with the Catholics. So after the Protestant queen dies, the Roman Catholic Church sees like there's an opening

to come and maybe, uh, seize some power. And with that, the Catholic Church said using makeup was a mortal sin. So women would go to confession to tell the priests that they had used lipstick. Like, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." Look, I popped into a Sephora really quick because I got a free birthday gift. I mean, it was free, Father.

I'm so sorry, forgive me. You know, you had to like confess for trying to look cute? Okay. Some historians report that around this same time, English lawmakers got caught up in the makeup hysteria and they too ended up passing a law. It said that if a woman used makeup to seduce a man into marrying her, it could be punished as witchcraft.

So let's just say for shits and giggles, a guy was like getting sick of his wife. He could be like, "Yeah, Martha was wearing lipstick when we dated and she totally seduced me. I remember." And just like that baby, you're a witch. Bye Martha. Burned at the stake. So round and round we go on the makeup is good, makeup is bad, merry-go-round. But over in America,

The Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s made it possible to mass produce beauty products. Now, this is a huge deal because it meant that makeup is now becoming like big business. And some historians refer to this time as the most important development in the history of cosmetics. Wow.

An icon, a legend. She's arrived. So now that it's widely available, the stage is set for makeup to really make her mark on the hearts and minds of America. COVID-19 viruses like me change to fool your immune system and make you sick. But updated vaccines help protect you. Stay up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. Sponsored by Champions for Vaccine Education, Equity and Progress.

Early 1900s. In the early 1900s, women, look, they had it pretty rough, okay? Women couldn't do anything. Couldn't smile, couldn't smoke, you couldn't wear pants, you couldn't use vibrators, you know?

And also, they didn't have the right to vote. Yeah, laundry list of things we couldn't do. And that whole no voting part created something called the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement between 1910 to 1920 was all about women fighting for the right to vote.

So these women were known for some pretty hardcore like protest methods to get their point across. I mean, everything from hunger strikes to chaining themselves to railings to smashing windows. I mean, all in the name of equality for women. So the suffragettes decided in the name of feminism to take makeup back and claim it as their own.

Yeah! I feel passionate about lipstick. They started wearing red lipstick as a symbol of their resistance. Now, when women wore red lipstick, it was seen as a form of protest. So the next time you put on a red lipstick, remember, you're doing it for the rights of women. Or maybe you're just trying to get laid. Either way, good for you. After that, 50 million women across America started wearing red lipstick.

I mean, it wasn't just about women's votes either. I think they just liked it. By the 1920s, red lipstick had become a big part of the flapper fashion. You know flapper fashion, those cute headbands, unlike they had the frills, the eyebrows, ugh.

Love the eyebrows. So women, they wanted to shock older people who didn't believe in wearing makeup. Now to them, it wasn't about beauty. It was about rebellion and reclaiming something that was kind of considered forbidden. And honestly, I love that. It's like kind of punk rock. Hell yeah, girls. So at the time, there were also just a lot of technological advances and there were factories going up.

So I guess there was like a lot of pollution happening in the cities, like high volume areas. So the stupidest thing happens. One of the marketing tactics to get women to buy lipstick was to convince them that it would stop germs from entering their body when they breathe through their mouths. The lipstick would prevent germs from the pollution from entering the mouth.

Yeah. And I was like, just close your mouth. There you go. Use your nose. You're welcome, America. I'd do it for you. Right.

We don't know which tactic worked, but we do know that thanks to the suffragettes, makeup got a huge boost in sales. In fact, for years, cosmetics was the biggest industry in the United States, right after cars, movies, and bootleg liquor. Honestly, those are all the things you need in life. Cars, movies, bootleg liquor, and makeup.

I love it. And by this point, makeup's popularity as a mass-produced product was officially here to stay. Even after the stock market crashed in 1929, triggering the Great Depression and leaving millions of people struggling to find work, over 58% of women had at least one tube of lipstick. Now there are reports that women applied lipstick more regularly than they were brushing their own teeth.

I can see that. But the Great Depression was so bad that America stopped production on over 50% of its products simply because people didn't have disposable income anymore. But the cosmetic business, woo, she only got bigger. It's been reported that cosmetics was one of the few industries that actually grew during the Great Depression. In fact,

Right in the middle of all this, makeup icons Revlon and Almay opened up for business. Now it proves something sociologists call the lipstick theory. This theory says that people are willing to sacrifice big expenses for small luxuries. Like, you know, you may not be able to afford a new car, but at least you can feel better about yourself because you got this new lipstick.

The lipstick trend continued into World War II in the 1940s, especially after the world found out that Adolf Hitler hated red lipstick, which is like the most random fact, but he did. I guess Hitler believed that the ideal Aryan woman had a pure, unscrubbed face and shouldn't wear excessive cosmetics, especially red lipstick.

So, women all around the world proudly wore red lipstick as an act of defiance against the war and fascism. And honestly, I guess they wanted to feel patriotic as well. Like they're wearing a red lip and they're like, hey, Hittie, don't you want me, Hittie? You know, just pissing him off. He hated it. I think Hitler was probably just jealous because he wanted to wear it. It's usually the case.

So yeah, all this makeup used during the war was seen as a great way to boost morale. Oh, and it boosted morale all right. So much so that the American government even asked a famous cosmetic maker, Elizabeth Arden, to create a lip and nail color for the women serving in the military. I'll give you one guess what that color was.

No yeses? All right. It was red. Come on, it was red. But side note, Elizabeth Arden is such an iconic makeup line, you guys have no idea. Oh my God, I should do a whole video on her. She deserves it. Anyway, makeup brands encouraged the patriotic use of makeup because it was ultimately just good for business. They even released lipstick colors with strong names like Victory Red. And get this, red lipstick was even mandatory to wear for women who joined the US Army.

And when the 1950s rolled around, makeup for women was basically not optional, especially for young women who had money. Makeup, once again, was a symbol of, like, your place in the world, you know? You had your shit together. You were the picture-perfect representation of feminine ideals.

a lot of pressure. And in the 50s, some surveys reported that almost all American women wore lipstick. And since there was an economic boom at this time, people had, you know, a little bit of extra cash to play with. So women weren't just buying one tube of red lipstick or like an eyeshadow either. They were buying different shades, different colors. They were coordinating with their outfits.

Blue eyeshadow, blue shirt. Bitch, come for me. Yeah, it was no more like one size fits all. It was about having a little bit of fun. Lots of mixing and matching and just doing your thing. And for some jobs, like if you were a flight attendant or even a secretary, you would be required to wear makeup, you know.

It was just enforcing gender roles within the workplace. Like women wore lipstick and did the typing and men wore suits and cheated on their wives. In the 1970s, makeup took on a whole new identity, okay? It still had that same defiant vibe, but in the 70s, American culture was shifting and people were taking a stand for tons of social issues and makeup was right there.

along for the ride. Makeup became a hot button social issue. It was no longer a thing just for the proper lady. And it was no longer just like red lipstick. Now there were different colors available, like purple and black, and people were wearing it, you know? During this time, the rise of rock and roll and punk rock

kind of came to the scene and singers were now wearing makeup to show that they were rebelling against social norms. Now this made people a little comfortable. They don't like that. Purple lipstick? Why God, why? What about the children? And then,

A bunch of famous men decided, hey, that whole... You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time. But maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

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Now let's get back to the story, huh? So America in the 70s, you know, makeup was, it was a very gendered ladies only thing at this point. And that when men did it, people...

fucking flipped their tables, lost their shit, pulled off their wigs, raging with forks, what are those called? Pitchforks, murdering people, you know, just freaking out. Because there were celebrities like David Bowie who like came onto the scene and started using makeup. It was like a way to express himself and stand out really. And many men were doing just this. But America didn't get that. She's so annoying, America.

The globe. So annoying. Everyone's so judgmental. Remember Prince? Hope you remember Prince. But he had some fierce eyeshadow, okay? I mean, he was a sex symbol.

Okay? Okay? Yes, okay? I mean, everything became about being bold and different and breaking free from what society expected of you. And at the same time, when the feminist movement was happening, there was actually a push to swing the complete other way by not wearing makeup. Again,

Makeup, no makeup, makeup, no makeup, makeup. Like, aren't we tired? Just let the people live. Jeez. There were protests about how the beauty industry was actually degrading to women because of this anti-makeup movement. The cosmetic industry was scrambling and like losing money fast.

So they poured tons of money into creating products that gave you the quote-unquote natural makeup look, labeling it as the makeup of liberated women. The problem of making this natural look makeup for liberated women is that these companies didn't mean...

Look, they didn't mean all women, okay? They meant only white or light-skinned women. For decades, women of color were left out of the cosmetics industry. I mean, the darkest shade at the time was for all of skin tones, and that wasn't even widely available in most stores. Long before the 70s and the late 1800s, there was an entrepreneur named Madame C.J. Walker.

And she was a trailblazer. I mean, seriously, like ahead of her time, a complete icon. In the years after the Civil War, she created a cosmetic and hair care line specifically for Black women. Her products were so successful that Miss C.J. Walker became the first female millionaire in America.

That's some boss ass shit right there. And after CJ died in 1919, her company continued, but the only way women of color could get makeup in darker shades was to order it from a catalog. Which if you know anything about color matching a foundation, you know, picking a shade out of a catalog, that ain't it. That's not gonna work. I mean, what was their return policy? You know, it's not realistic.

But all that changed when one day, a woman named Eunice Johnson decided to do something about it. You see, Eunice went to a charity fashion show. And while she was there, she went backstage to like check out, you know, just what was going on behind the scenes. While she's back there, that's where she noticed the models with darker complexion were doing something different.

different than the lighter complexion models. They were taking all the makeup that was available to them and just mixing it in hopes to match their skin tone. And a light bulb went off in Eunice's head. Look, there's an opportunity here to get women of color products that they can actually use, right? Jeez Louise. In 1973, Eunice launched Fashion Fair Cosmetics. Fashion Fair had these face powders that had

warmer, golden undertones to it so it wouldn't leave darker complexions looking powdery, you know? The lipsticks came in these deep undertones that actually complemented darker skin. And the best part was no one had to DIY their makeup.

It already complimented lots of different skin tones and for once, not just the white skin. Ebony Magazine, which a very popular magazine written by and for mostly Black Americans, started working with Fashion Fair. And this endorsement made Fashion Fair the go-to place to get makeup for Black women and other women of color.

The company made it their mission to not just sell makeup, but to really give back to the community as well. Fashion Fair supplied makeup for Ebony Magazine fashion shows. The day before each show, makeup artists and models would host live tutorials at local department stores so people would know like what to buy and how to use it, which is like the most important part. You could sell me products all day, but how do I use this shit, Martha?

Now, because of this, it was really a very inviting, educational and judgment-free zone. So women just flocked to these events. This interactive, immersive strategy really paid off big time. And according to Vogue, by the late 1980s, fashion fair products were being carried in over 1,500 department stores across America.

And their sales were going through the roof. And not only that, but over 50 years, Fashion Fair was able to donate more than $60 million to African-American charities and college scholarships. Today's a different story. The makeup industry is worth over $100 billion.

Now I think that really says something about how much makeup like means to us. We've come a long way from vermillion and lead, right? Now we got fragrance and other crap that's killing us. Love that. America. Hey, do you remember 2008?

No? Okay. There was a horrible recession. Yeah, it sucked. It was kind of like our own little mini Great Depression. The cosmetic industry, once again though, in 2008, they thrived. And we have to think, like, why? If times are tough and budgets are getting tighter, why do we always keep going back to makeup? Well, of course I came with an answer. Don't be silly. It's because we want to trick men into marrying us.

Hello, hi, I mean we are nothing without our male counterpart. Who are we? Just women. We're so dumb. Or maybe it's because we just feel like getting dolled up and like, I don't know. I don't know you guys, don't come for me for answers. Even though I told you I had one. You're welcome. So if I'm being serious, okay, I personally think it's actually really simple. For those of us who like to wear makeup, it has a noticeable effect on our moods.

Have you noticed? Like when you put on the look, you kind of, you feel good. You carry yourself a little bit differently. I mean, makeup gives some of us a little more confidence in our lives. I mean, it's there for us. Shitty boyfriend? Well, guess who's there for you? Lipstick. Awful kids? Well, guess what? Fuck them. Lipstick. No car? Lipstick. Just ride that to work.

Plus, now there's a lot more inclusivity in makeup lines than ever before. I mean, even compared to just 15 years ago. But it's safe to say there's still a lot of work to do. According to consulting firm McKinsey, black brands make up only 2.5% of revenue in the beauty industry today. But in our lives today, when it comes to applying the makeup itself,

Thankfully, there are so many more resources to figure out how to use it. I mean, I remember buying like my very first eyeshadow palette from Rite Aid and just really hoping for the best with that little sponge.

I'm like, I don't know, that looks good. And then put eyeliner, black eyeliner down here for some reason. Not sure, but I owned it. But now there are hundreds of thousands of tutorials available to you. I mean, seriously, we got like 12 year olds out here teaching people how to cut creases and do some fluffy soap brows. I'm like, wow, I'm learning so much from you, kid. Love it. I mean, I guess those 14th century alchemists were indeed correct when they said makeup was magic.

I mean, it brings us together. It really does. It makes us feel good. It helps balance the chaos of our daily lives.

Does it? I think it does. Blush balances the chaos, I say. Honestly, for me, makeup is kind of like therapy, which actually makes sense because the amount of money I spend on makeup keeps me in therapy. For me, what got me really into makeup was when I realized that it was very similar to painting. You see, in college, I was in a bunch of art classes and I loved oil painting and I would learn about underpainting.

And then once I realized that the same techniques were used in makeup,

It was like the stars all aligned and everything made sense to me. I was like, oh my God, I love this. Oh, it's so fun. You can change or enhance or cover up or look natural or wear nothing at all. Take care of your skin with skincare treatments. I mean, I don't know what it is, but it's therapeutic. It's fun. And honestly, you guys, it's just makeup. It washes off. So it's like...

Play a little bit. When do you ever get to play? I usually set some time to myself where I literally will just play with makeup with no pressure for some great end result. I'll just start blending and trying the eyeshadow colors that I never use. I don't know, I find it fun and I suggest just take five minutes to play a little bit. Why not? Okay, not five. I think you need about 15.

Maybe 30. Highly recommend. Playing with makeup. I mean, I guess it really is magic. You can create whatever it is you envision. Just like art. Bitch. I'm writing a book. Okay. That was deep. I'm proud to be an American. I don't know the words. Makeup in the economy goes to shed. We love lipstick.

Don't we? Okay, I'll stop. Well, everyone, what did we learn today? Mm-hmm. Oh, really? That's what you learned? Wow. Well, I learned that even when the economy goes to shit, for some reason, we still have just enough money, just enough money set aside for a new lipstick.

Well, thank you for learning with me today. Remember, don't be afraid to ask questions to get the whole story because you deserve that. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's episode, so make sure to use the hashtag darkhistory over on social media so I can follow along.

Also, join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also catch my murder, mystery, and makeup. Ain't that funny? I hope you have a good rest of your day. You make good choices. And I'll be talking to you next week. Good-goodbye!

Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian High, Junia McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network. A big thank you to our writers, Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, Allison Filobos, and me, Bailey Sarian. Writer's assistant, Casey Colton.

Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by the Dark History Researcher team. Special thanks to our expert, Emily Takayama. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. Now go play with some makeup. It washes off. Live a little.

I'm Stanzi Potenza. And I'm Brad Padre. Launching June 13th is our new podcast, Late to the Party. In this post-ironic chat show, we'll show you a window into our world of crazy post-ironic thoughts. An unlikely friendship founded on a shared love for riffs, ranting, and getting absolutely wrecked.

Consider this an invitation to our inside jokes. You're late to the party, but no one cool ever shows up on time. Follow Late to the Party on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to this kind of stuff.