CAT | Cosmetic Products
Cosmetic products were once the sole domain of film personalities and stage actors. The use of cosmetics in those eras was restricted to the purpose of creating a dramatic effect.
However, with the passage of time, women started using cosmetics to highlight their facial features as well. In India beetroot was used to redden the cheeks, while in Western countries, certain chemicals were used to darken the hair. Finally, because of the world-wide demand for make-up for the average person, cosmetics finally became available for sale to the common man. Some common cosmetics include lipsticks, blush-on or rouge as it is sometimes known, eyeliners, mascaras, foundations and eye shadows.
Lipsticks are made using color pigments, oils, waxes and often fragrances as well. Different cosmetic companies also add various other substances to create other effects with lipstick. The oldest use of lipstick can be traced back to almost five thousand years ago, when women of the Mesopotamian culture and of the Indus valley civilization are believed to have crushed semi- precious stones and mixed them into a paste to apply to the lips for added color. Through the centuries, lipstick remained popular with women of different cultures and while some ancient lipstick-manufacturing techniques employed the use of potent and toxic chemicals, others used vegetable or animal extracts. Today, a wide range of lipsticks are available in the cosmetic market to cater to the various needs of the consumer. There are organic and natural lipsticks as well as lip-gloss and lip pencils which come in a wide variety of colors to suit a huge spectrum of skin tones. Worldwide, lipsticks are the most popular cosmetic in the cosmetic market today.
Perfume is another popular cosmetic product. It is a fragrant mixture made using various oils and aromatic compounds. Usually every perfume manufacturer keeps the exact combination of ingredients a secret, especially in the case of perfumes that are manufactured by large brand names. Today, the perfume manufacturing business is so huge that many celebrities participate in the industry by endorsing certain perfumes. Celebrities even take advantage of their own popularity by releasing perfumes christened with their own names.
Rouge or blush-on is a cosmetic which is used to redden the cheeks. In ancient times, women resorted to pinching their cheeks, or using the extracts of mulberries, beetroot or other such extracts to color their cheeks and acquire a healthy look. Typically women use this product to highlight cheekbones but newer make-up techniques involve using rouge to add color to the apple of one’s cheeks. Rouge is available as a pressed powder or as a cream-based paste.
Eye liner is used to emphasize the shape of the eyes. Today there are many kinds of eyeliners like liquid eyeliners, or kohl and kajal, all of which can be used to create different effects and looks. Smoky eyes and the gothic look are in vogue nowadays and these looks can be created using kohl over and under the eye with metallic gold or silver eye shadow.
