6 Beauty Basics & Their Surprising Origins

Makeup is not a new invention. Cleopatra was known to line her lids with kohl, while the Greeks would fill in their brows with burnt coal and soot, setting the standard for fierce brows everywhere. Plenty of the old-school makeup looked nothing like what we use today — for good reason. Deadly mercury sulfide acted as rouge in the 16th century; lead-based products were used to smooth out skin; mercury was considered a zit-zapper. This got us thinking... When did the beauty basics we know today come into use? When did lipstick go from being crushed strawberries to a lush, color-packed tube? How long ago did we start curling our lashes with torturous-looking devices? So, we pulled together a quiz to provide a mini history lesson that might just blow your mind. Guess the right answer to each question, and find out the oldest modern-day beauty invention at the very end.