Leave it to Lisa Eldridge to upstage every single makeup-history video, ever. The professional makeup artist and YouTuber extraordinaire posted a six-and-a-half-minute video detailing popular makeup trends from the past 5,000 years — akin to an extended Blu-ray edition of the 100-year makeup video that blew our minds a few months ago.
She begins with ancient Egypt and ends with the 21st century, showing the viewer how makeup (and the perception of it) has changed. Not only does she carefully paint her face according to historic beauty trends, but she also gives a mini history lesson with each look.
If you regularly watch Eldridge's videos, this one should come as no surprise. Just this month, Eldridge launched her first book Face Paint: The Story of Makeup. And her passion for makeup history is obvious in the videos from her vintage-look series.
"Today, in many parts of the world, we have the power to choose without censorship any makeup look we want to wear each day," she says in the video. "You might want to wear a nude lip, or a vibrant pink lip, purple eyeshadow, or no makeup at all!" Eldridge shows that going back in time offers telling glimpses at societies of different eras, and that makeup is a vehicle for self-expression that can empower its wearer. Plus, it's pretty impressive Halloween inspo.
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