Please Welcome Guest Poster Leanne Gagnon!

I'm back from Writergirl camp... better known as Moonlight & Magnolias. It was so much fun -

and there are pictures posted everywhere of everybody having a great time.

I met so many new writers and authors, Pitch Workshop went fabulously (as I knew it would, thanks to all my wonderful Author Coaches & Writers), and I had some good conversations with Eloisa James, Leigh Michaels, and Karen White (who offered up some excellent memory tips I must share with you all).

Yes, it was all work AND play -- especially with the Wine & Moonshine Party (I have a recipe to post for you all) and the Maggie Awards! More of that to come....

But today, an extra special treat from a lovely friend - Leeanne Gagnon!

Leanne's blog, Books Read n'Makeup Done, is great for reading new author interviews & discovering new reads. But Leeanne has a Passion for makeup -- check out her newest Facebook page Reading Makeup for some great Halloween makeup ideas here) .

So.... while I gather my wits and write a report of what I learned at Moonlight & Magnolias, please read Leeanne's post today and leave a comment to say hello!

Makeup History Comes Full Circle

Makeup has been part of civilization for decades, though it was widely used 

throughout the world it was often frowned upon.  Before the 1920’s it was actually
dangerous to wear makeup due to the chemicals that were used.  For the most part the women would make their own makeup.  The most historic and popular look that people remember is the very white faces, red cheeks and little red lips the Europeans use to sport up until the 1920’s.

They made their white face powder by using egg whites and a deadly combination of  carbonate hydroxide and lead oxide.  These could also be found in their eyeshadow and lipstick.  

Imagine how many of them must have suffered for beauty.  I am sure the statement “It hurts to be be beautiful" came from this makeup era. LOL

Then came the era of the makeup we know today.  

The soldiers went off to war and unfortunately many men died for their countries.  Due to so many men passing away there was a time where there were more women then men.  So women had to really turn on their charms and put their best foot forward to catch a man.

This is why makeup became a common use among women in the 1920’s.  A very innovative man called Maximilian Faktorowicz founded the first cosmetic company in 1909 called Max Factor. In 1920 Max Factor gave in to Frank Factor’s suggestion and officially began referring to his products as "make-up" based on the verb phrase "to make up" (one's face). Up until then the term ‘"cosmetics’’ had been used as the term ‘"make-up" was considered to be used only by people in the theatre or of dubious reputation and not something to be used in polite society.With makeup being distributed around the world a new style was born the “Flapper look.”I decided to show you how it looked then and how even today (but in a more modern way )the looks still relates in this time era.                                                                                                                     In the 1920’s eye makeup was worn very dark. Eyeliner, an arcane mixture of soot, lead and goose grease called kohl, was applied all the way around the eye then smudged outward. The lids covered with gray shadow, though turquoise and green were also popular.   Bright red was the only color and smudge-proof lipstick was in. Cherry-flavored lipstick was also popular.Applied to the upper lip, lipstick rose above the actual lip line in a "cupid's bow." The bottom lip was slightly overstated. The width was minimized by stopping short of the natural crease in the lips.Rouge was applied to the apple of the cheek in a circular motion, much as it is today. However, it was not swept upward toward the hairline; instead, it left a visible circle.As you can see the color was easily seen in the black and white movies and pictures of that time.Now in 2011 you can still see how our makeup is directly related to the looks of the past and how we just translate it in a more muted way.

                                               By Leanne Gagnon