Egyptian Beauty

Cleopatra was the last queen of Egypt. Such was her beautythat she held the affection of not one but two political players on the world stage, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Even though she was queen, she was a woman who wanted to be beautiful. Like the women of her day and ours, Cleopatra used the latest beauty treatments and makeup. History has judged her a success as she has become known as one of the most beautiful women of all time.

Milk Baths

1. History has recorded some of the beauty treatment used by the mysterious Cleopatra and the women of her time. One beauty treatment she was well known for was her milk bath. This was a practice neighboring Roman women found shocking. Truthfully, milk was just one ingredient of this luxurious bath. A pool or tub was filled with warm fresh water and warm milk was added to the pool. Aromatic flowers and whatever oils she preferred that day were added to the bath. The actual recipe for the milk bath has been lost, but it has been suggested the milk she used was donkeys' milk. Milk is loaded with vitamins A and E which are wonderful for the complexion, especially the facial skin. Some of the enzymes in milk may help your skin regenerate fresh skin cells.

Eye Makeup

2. Egyptians believed that the beautiful were blessed by their gods. It was important for those that could afford it to be beautiful. Eye shadows of the day came from a variety of sources. Minerals were ground with burnt almonds to create brown eye shadows. Green copper ore was beaten and sifted for green colors. The fragrant spice saffron doubled as a yellow eye color. Cleopatra's eye shadow was applied over the entire eye lid from eyebrow to lid rim. Eyeliner made from lead-based kohl was applied with warm enamel sticks. The kohl liner was used to line the entire circumference of the eye. This too gave the wearer some protection from the brutal glare of the Egyptian sun.

Face Makeup

3. Cleopatra would have used a foundation makeup with a wax base. This base was formed from animal fats and a white lead called ceruse. She would have applied this foundation to her face and neck, giving her the look of a majestic statue. More whitening was applied to her face with a cloth pad dabbed in some ground white chalk. Cheeks were blushed with a red powder which could have come from many sources, such as crushed beetles and a local red clay. Lips were stained red with a mixture of red clay, a sticky wine residue and some smashed berries

         In tombs in egypt royal woman were burried with vessels of oils and lime apparently it  was skin cream. So woman have taken care of their skin before the time of Christ. I love natural skin recipes.