The Getty: A Passion for Fashion. Hair and Make Up

A Passion for Fashion, Part 4: Hair and Make up through the Ages

Bet you didn't know that make up is over 6,000 years old. We have the good old Egyptians to thank for much of it. Recently, archeologists discovered a 4,000 year old tube of lipstick in Iran. Some things never go out of style! Cosmetics were made of much stranger stuff than we are used to: donkey, milk, crocodile dung, white wine, stewed pigeons and more delectable items. But what about our crowning glory? In Medieval times, a woman's hair was linked to sin and temptation. So usually only young, unmarried women wore their hair uncovered and loose. In ancient Rome, male pattern baldness was considered an ideal characteristic of an upstanding Roman citizen. 

Docent Lee Rubinstein holds dual degrees in English and History with a minor in Art History. She has been leading students through the galleries at the Getty since the program's inception in 2012. Additionally, in 2007, Lee created the curriculum for, and now runs, a volunteer art program in underserved schools in Los Angeles.