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In Europę, cosmctks were uscd only by dic aristocracy. Itaiy and France bccamc die ccntrcs of cosmetics and fragrances manufacturing. In thosc days pcople paid great anenuon to appcarancc and looks. They uscd cosmcbcs to enhance the beauty while ncglccting hygiene altnost com-pktcly. Water was avoidcd becausc pcople associatcd u with diseascs

Women spent long hours putong on make-up. An Itaban poęt, Lu-dovko Ariosto, compared a woman's bathroom to a hboratory fuli of scissors, combs, ampoules, perfume botdes, Icmons for hand carc and soaps. He wrotc that a typical woman of thosc dmes nccdcd one hour to wash hands and another one to apply creams and powders.

The make-up of the Renaissance woman was intensive and thkk, covcnng the foce like an unnatural mask with lips painted in intenswe red colours.

The hairstyłe was catrcmdy tmponant so women dccorated thcir hair with jewdlery and flowets and worc cxitavagant hats.

Blond and gold tones were fashionable in thosc days. It was actuaUy in Venicc that the first ptoduct to lighten up hair colour was mvemcd.

Odouts were masked by using perfum es. Instead of ckansing the skin pcople uscd a specjał kind of mask prepared with bread, milk, gcla-tine and almonds. Silvet'dissolvcd in winc was uscd to conceal frccklcs. To have whitc and ddicatc hands a woman would rub in them a spccial ointmcnt prepared with lemon juicc, sugar, ap|ilcs and white mustard.

Aitifidal beauty birthmarks madę of vdvct pr taffeta were in fasluon. Women uscd them to hide bJeinishcs and pockmarks aftcr chickenpoi. Such were also the beauty products and fashion brought to Roland by Qucen Bona Sforza and her courtiers.

Baroque

CosmctKSwereinuseby*11cxccpt the vciy poorest dassesof thesoci-cty. The pracuce of sclf-grooming with beauty products, make-up, loosc powder and wcaring wigs was common among both men and women.

The court of Louis XIII (1601-1643) and Louis XIV (163S-1715) callcd Lc Roi Soleil, was an important fashion centrę for the whole Eu-topc To bleach thcir łocks pcople uscd lye, a product wtuch damaged hair, forcing pcople to wear whitc wigs.

Thcre was also a pricc to be paid for a wliitcr shadc of pale compłes-ions. Pcople did not realne che danger of lead poisoning and uscd lead as a whitening agent. That was the epoch of powdered wsgs. In 1715 in France, a shortage of flour caused by its usc by aiistocracy for powder-ing dieir wigs cvcn led to ńots in the Capital.

Women wore heavy make-up, lipstick, rougc and uscd powder madę of hydnwidc, carbonate, and lead oxide. This madc even young giris have wnnklcd, duli and flabby skin. In addiuon bright, imensivc colours of thcir make-up and dothcs madc them look oldet. Thcir wigs wtte an ideał place for lice and odier pest Simultaneously, beauty birthmarks and thcir localization on the skin wete pcrccived as informadon for men about the womans temperament and lovc intenuons.

The barotjuc highly appteoatcd the plump shapc of the woman** body cvcn with cclhilitc marki Mtfomcn undeilincd veins and biood ves-scls on thcir faces. Tlicir make-up was a mask hiding all defccts, wrinklcs and flabby skin the eaistence of which thcir lovcrs would not even suspect.

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