Bizarre History of Beauty

For thousands of years, people have wanted to keep their skin soft and free of blemishes. Bathing and pale, clean skin were signs of wealth and privilege, though skin tanning is popular these days. What substances people have used, however, will surprise and disgust you: whipped ostrich eggs, donkey milk, crocodile excrement, gem stone poultices, crocodile glands, wolf's blood, mud, and even a lotion made from boar's brains. From homemade remedies to manufactured goods, this book is filled with strange science and history that readers are sure to enjoy. Full-color photographs share every detail, making for a real page-turner.

Did you know that Louis XIV, the Sun King, had 48 wigmakers to help him hide his premature baldness? Hair has always been a part of what makes a person look both attractive and powerful, but it's also frequently been the subject of regulation and public opinion. From afros to wigs, modest bonnets to beehives, side burns to shaved looks, and so much more, the history of hair is decidedly weird and complicated. Samson and Delilah, the Beatles, Farrah Fawcett, Princess Diana, Clara Bow, they're all brought into sharp focus through this fascinating book that readers are sure to love.

Since ancient times, people have constructed elaborate rituals to keep their bodies clean. There have also been periods when bathing was rare. Baths have even served as social centers and therapy solutions. Whether it's perfume or Palmolive, scrubbing in or sea bathing, body odor or bathing in milk, people have always had opinions about cleanliness. This book illuminates the strange history of the customs and products used through accessible, fun text and vivid full-color artwork sure to draw in even the most reluctant reader.

Piercings and tattoos, scarification and cosmetic surgery, foot binding and body building, corsets, and crinolines. People have long altered the shape of their body parts using physical modifications or specially designed clothing in order to fulfill a beauty standard. Then, they learned that other culture's ideas were different. For instance, exploration and trade brought Europeans into contact with peoples who had far different ideals of physical beauty from their own. This exciting tome covers world and cultural history in an enticing, easy-to-read way that is sure to keep it in high demand.

Did you know that an 18th century Swedish king ate himself to death at a feast? Or that Maria Callas swallowed a tapeworm to try to control her weight? People throughout the ages have turned to bizarre dietary regimes to shape their bodies. This book covers so many interesting moments in food history, from cannibals to fasting, moral diets to extreme weight loss, fad diets to war rationing, and the diagnosis of eating disorders to Elvis. At the same time, readers learn history, science, nutrition, and social studies. Sidebars bring extra fun to the chapters, and incredible full-color art makes each fact pop.

Did you know that a Roman woman was executed in the 1600s for selling a poisonous lipstick that women kissed their husbands to death with? Or that women painted their teeth and nails with radium for a special glow? From Cleopatra to Carole Lombard, Madam C.J. Walker to Madame de Pompadour, Elizabeth I to Elizabeth Taylor, and geishas to flappers, the history of makeup has many exciting, and some deadly moments. This fascinating book is sure to attract fans of history and science. The history of entrepreneurship, commerce, and beauty standards give context to some of the most bizarre stories of beauty around.