Ann Oh • Beauty History

Thank you 😊

Basically I’m making this but using my own art instead. This will be pretty big and will take me a while to complete (I’m thinking a week), but I’m excited to see how this turns out.

My latest shironuri project, covering myself in twisted tree branches. The kicker here is that I plan to draw the branches onto cardstock, then put my head thru it.

The left drawing is how I plan on inserting my head through the cardstock & the right is my initial concept sketch.

$12/hr at a law firm?? The way I gasped 😧

It’s amazing how many of the popular YouTube beauty influencers from 2009-2016 are part of the alt right now

??????

I naturally had a unibrow as a kid but plucked it away to avoid being bullied. Strangely, I didn’t feel uncomfortable painting this on. I liked it. I wasn’t expecting to, but I guess this is why you need to constantly challenge Eurocentric beauty standards. 🙂

While doing shironuri today, I tried a traditional Tajik beauty method—painting in a unibrow.

Traditionally, women used woad to dye the eyebrows (and the area in between) a dark color, emphasizing their beauty. It’s the complete opposite of Eurocentric beauty standards which are anti-unibrow.

I needed green embroidery thread, so I popped into the thrift store today (I rarely buy it new these days). Found a ton of vintage American Thread Co floss, probably from the 1960s.

Despite its age, the threads are in great condition. I can’t wait to use it in some upcoming projects!

You’re the best! ❤️

!!!

Would love to see what you do with it!

I was thinking that too, maybe I could email the authors to find out 👀

Photo credit: The book The Tarim Mummies by Victor Nair & JP Mallory

I’m curious why scientists think the pointed stick was used for mascara. Other cultures, most notably Ancient Egypt, also used pointed sticks for cosmetics during this time period for applying kohl *around the eyes.* Hmm…

A photo from a book showing off a collection of cosmetics, including whitener, a pointed stick, and rouge.

I’ve always wondered: Were mummies ever buried with makeup?

Turns out the answer is…yes!

Here are some cosmetics found buried with a mummy from the Subeshi culture (found in modern day Xinjiang), which existed from 1100-100 BCE.

The burial goods include rouge and a stick for applying mascara.

I’ve redownloaded Bsky but still not sure if I’ll completely abandon Threads in favor of it. I def like navigating this app way more, so we’ll see 👀

While obviously having photos of AMAB people engaged in intercourse was the biggest sign, just wearing makeup signaled effeminacy and therefore homosexuality—an arrestable defense at this time.

(Photo is now in the possession of The Kinsey Institute)

While raiding the homes of people suspected to be gay men throughout the late 1930s-1940s, Chicago police plucked any photographs in their possession “proving” their homosexuality.

Here’s one example - a person, AMAB, wearing lip rouge with plucked eyebrows.

Funny you should mention that, because there is actually a men’s beauty brand called War Paint! Nothing unique about it except it has ~*manly*~ packaging and the owner claims it’s supposed to empower men. I’ve honestly heard more women say it though

(Obviously my own personal observation, I can’t speak for everyone here)

I’ve had a few conversations where I called their face paint “makeup,” only for them to quickly correct me. One of them look visibly disgusted.

Weird observation, but men often refer to makeup as paint or face paint instead when wearing it. It’s not simply because it’s more theatrical, but to distance themselves from the word makeup itself, which is perceived as being heavily feminized.

Thanks for the invite! Feel very lost but I’m sure I’ll figure it out 🫣