[Elentari]

I do not know how I never came up with this before.

We all make a real big fuss out of the techniches for healing in ME, specially third-age related. But I was thinking to myself and realised I have never asked the forum about what would ME women use as makeup.

They had one hell of a jewellery thing, both for males and females, so I guess body paint is not so much of a jump. Anyone happens to know natural concotions for bodypaint?

Anyone knows how khol is made? (We even had the men from harad using it in the movie... defence against the sun and all that).

I seem to remember there is the sum of a plant that can be used to make your nails pinker, one rubs the (small) branckagainst the nails. Dunno the name of it though.

Any ideas on what might have posed as rouge, lip dye?

[SpaceWeavil]

According to my sources, kohl was made from powdered Antimony sulphide, (or in Ancient Egypt, it was made with something called galena, which is lead sulphide) Originally in Egypt at least, these were made by mixing the powdered minerals into a paste using water, and applied with fingers at first, until the kohl pencil was invented in the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. They also used ground malachite to produce green eyeshadow. They used ochre to make rouge and also maybe they used that as lipstick, and had hair dye made out of henna. (That's all taken from the British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, which I had to hand for writing Bodysnatcher and I knew that had some stuff in it). Somewhere around here, I have some books on courtesans and ladies in waiting from Norman to Victorian times, which I'm sure have some info in them. Shall go have a rummage.

[Elentari]

Thanks ever SO much. I needed makeup for the elf-ladies sleepover night in Imedhuir

[Maram68]

As far as I know, Kohl (originally) comes as a powder that you apply with a rounded applier. It is an antimonic compound, could be probably made out of natural ingredients.

As to the rouge thing, I'd go for some natural red dye with some kind of balm ...

[Thuriniel]

We still use kohl and henna in Spain (after 7 centuries of muslim occupation, some things stick ).

Kohl comes in a powder inside a small long-necked bottle (I've seen from wood to ceramic ones) with a cork. You have a long wooden stick with a rounded tip that you dip in the powder and you use to outline your eyes. You do achieve a very dramatic effect, it's very black and it sort of "smokes" the outline of your eyes. In movies you usually see that effect around the eyes of middle-eastern men . I LOVE it!

As for henna we mostly use it for our hair. It's a reddish die, but the powder is green and it has a grassy smell. You mix it with conditioner (I'm guessing it would've been simply water in the olden days), and leave it on for a while. It has amazing results. Depending on how long you leave it, you achieve more or less intensity in color. The best part is that your hair really shines and looks wonderful and incredible after a henna treatment. The dye lasts for a few weeks, since it gradually washes off. You must be very careful because if it gets in your hands, it turns your fingernails and skin reddish.

You know ... I have some henna powder laying around ... maybe I'll be experimenting this weekend !

If you want to try this at home, I would recommend that you buy the powder in an herb store, usually when henna has been commercialized doesn't work as well.

[Maram68]

[Thuriniel]

That's the effect exactly! It's a bit weird to use at first (you have to be careful with how much powder you use), but once you get the gist of it, it's not harder than using eye liner.

[SpaceWeavil]

[Eruanna]

I know carmine was used as a reddener for the lips and bister for the eyes. (Mary Renault reference here.) I think carmine is from an insect? Correct me if I am wrong.

Lead was a common ingredient in face whitener. Still used as an art pigment in paints.) Very toxic.

Crushed pearl, naturally, makes a great eye shadow--only for nobility.

Pomegranate stain makes a good lip reddener. I love it when guys have some colour to their full, luscious lips...(natural colour, not lip stick...)

--Eruanna

[NobleBone]

Henna in india is actually used to make temporary tattoos - just a thought. Also, I have heard of using berry juice to stain the lips and/or cheeks, and there are hundreds of plant dyes that might have worked on hair. An herbal guide would be available at a library, they're really helpful. red ochre hematite was ground into a powder and used as a dye as well, but I don't know if they used it as makeup.