Make up. What an interesting term. Turns out, this modern marvel has its roots in ancient Egypt, where women applied colorful concoctions to their eyes, eyelids, cheeks and lips to emulate the look of a post-orgasmic flush. Think about that next time you’re at the store looking for the perfect shade of lip-gloss.

Mother was right. Beauty does have a price. And it’s the price of beauty that led to the passage of the Food and Cosmetic Drug Act. In 1933, a woman named Mrs. Brown was permanently blinded after using a new mascara product called Lash-Lure. The mascara contained a synthetic aniline dye, something, it turns out, that should never ever be put on human skin. In 1938, after The Food and Cosmetic Drug Act was passed, the first product that the new government agency seized was Lash-Lure.

In 1936, writer Ruth deForest Lamb penned a fantastic book titled, American Chamber of Horrors: The Truth About Food and Drugs. In this book, Ms. Lamb explains that Mrs. Brown was one of the lucky ones because she only lost her vision. Another woman was actually killed by Lash-Lure. It’s a great book that proves that beauty has been costing women their health and well-being for many decades.

Oh, and a final note: The average woman consumes (as in eats) 5-6 pounds of lipstick per year. Ick.

The image below came from Ladies’ Home Journal, 1903.

(American Chamber of Horrors: The Truth About Food and Drugs), New York, NY: Farrar And Rinehart, 1936), p. 18.

Beauty has a price!