In our modern times here, it seems as though blush gets pushed aside as the step sister of lip and eye coloring. It’s as though we have some sort of irrational fear of redness blushing the cheeks of our faces so much, that adding a little bit of flush upon the cheeks of our faces has so lost favor. In reality, complexion and cheek tinting is historical, and has mile deep roots connected to all that is historical, fascinating and often times quite fanatical. Ancient groups and empires relied heavily on those naturally occurring vegetable and mineral dyes coloring the cheeks. The ancient Egyptians found use in ground ochre and were known to rub that ancient makeup onto their cheeks and onto their lips.
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Plenty of strong evidence exists of early Greeks putting to use some of the juices of smashed mulberries to blush their cheeks. They were also known for subtly applying Alkanet to serve as a basic simple type of stick rouge. Wealthy Roman elites incorporated whitening lead powders into their grooming designs, and often covered it with vermilion in search of glowing cheek colors. The problem with lead and vermilion, is that both have know levels of toxicity, and were not at all practical for any type of regular use.
At the time of the 15th century, Caterina Sforza penned a book of beauty secrets. It was named Experimenti. Her secrets included the application of the water strained from boiled nettles to ones neck and facial regions. Then to add a rouge liquid made from mixing red sandalwood with ethanol. This application ws said last for a full eight days once applied to the cheeks.
Then there was lady Giulia Tofana. She was active during the 17th century at Palermo was the broker of a complexion aid known an aqua tofana. This creation was marketed specifically to women who happened to be languishing in terribly uncomfortable arranged marriages. This particular mixture was a vicious poison disguised as a beauty aid. Impossible to verify estimates claim over 600 men had been murdered with the fake makeup, and Lady Tofana was found out. She of course was then put to death.
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Elizabeth the 1st, Queen of England did plenty to further the acceptance of facial makeup during her reign. The illnesses such as smallpox in the 17th and 18th century created a reliance on the use of cosmetics. The horrible scars and deep blemishes caused by said infections, were covered over up thanks to available cosmetics.
For a period of time cosmetics were declared to be indecent via decree in the 19th century. Queen Victoria felt that heavy makeup was a wicked tool of prostitutes and actors. However there was no life to be had for such feelings because by the 20th century, French companies such as Bourjois and Guerlain, were laying down the ground work for a beauty market that no level of power could ever put a stop to. Blush and other makeups make a true comeback, and of course, are here to stay.