Blush Has Been Around Since Egyptian Times

 Blush is something I didn't learn to use as a teenager.  When I began using makeup I didn't understand you needed a color that added just a bit to highlight your cheeks.  I thought you chose the color you liked.  I finally got the hang of it.

In case you might be confused, blush was originally referred to as rouge and most of our grandmothers wore it.  I remember my grandmother who would use a bright red rouge on her cheeks.  It was just two spots on her cheeks.  The term blush has become more common over the past few years.

As far as anyone can tell, the Egyptians were the first ones to make and use blush.  They'd take a red ochre ( a red pigment made from earth) mix it with fat and use that on their lips and cheeks so they stood out against the eyes ringed with black kohl.  It conveyed an image of health so even the sick could appear healthy.

The Romans used a red vermillion (made from cinnabar which is a form or mercury and is highly toxic) on their cheeks while the Greeks preferred to use crushed mulberry to obtain the red color.  Unfortunately, the Greeks often wore lead face powder under the crush mulberry stain which could lead to their death.

By the Middle Ages, only the upper class continued using lead and other dangerous substances to keep their pale skins.  They might have slightly pink cheeks from natural juices but they stayed away from red because prostitutes wore heavily rouged cheeks to advertise their profession.

Then when Queen Elizabeth took the throne, she promoted the pale skin though use of lead based foundation but she used rouge to make her cheeks red and women tried to emulate the same look.  This continued through the 1500's all the way to the 1800's.  Women wore blush because they thought it made them look younger, healthier, and it was recognized as actual makeup by the mid 1700's.

Furthermore, They had a choice of colors based on what it was made from.  If the blush used carmine (an insect), the rouge had a bluish undertone while if it used a reddish mineral, the rouge was more orangish where as rouge based on vegetables was more of a transparent reddish.

Then when Queen Victoria took over in 1837, she pushed for the more natural look by ruling that wearing heavy makeup including rouge and lipstick was extremely rude and was only worn by prostitutes.  She allowed a light blush made of red juices from beets, strawberries, etc because it made women look younger and more innocent.

The reputation of makeup changed beginning in the 1900's when industrialization made it possible for cosmetic companies to mass produce blush and other items.  This meant that makeup was made out of safer ingredients. One of the first rouges created during the industrialization was made of grapefruit and butter with alkanet (a plant) for the red coloring.  In addition, blush came into popularity especially by flappers in the 1920's.

Women continued using blush over the decades but in the 1990's or so, blush went from the redder tones to the more natural tones and became known as blush. In addition, rouges could be found in powder, liquid or creme forms  Recently, the use of blush has decreased due to the increased use of bronzer or highlighter.

So. now you know more about blush, it's use, and it's history.  let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.