Beauty has always been appreciated throughout history and it took a lot of time, effort and creativity in the past for a woman to look exquisite for any occasion. Now we live in magical times of great beauty inventions that make our lives a lot easier, but have you ever wondered who was behind their existence?
Curling iron
Even though it was patented by Hiram Maxim in 1866 it gained its popularity in 1872 when Marcele Grateau created ’’Marcele curl’’, he also designed his own iron in 1890. It was very difficult to control the temperature of the iron so hairdressers would usually test the iron on the piece of paper before actually using it on someone’s hair.
Liquid foundation
Women firstly started using foundation in Ancient Egypt in a form of a white powder or paste, but the inventor of modern foundation is Carl Baudin of the ’’Leipziger Stadt’’ theatre in Germany. He wanted to conceal the joint between his wig and forehead, so he created a skin-colored paste made of zinc, ochre, and lard. This paint became so popular with other actors that he started selling it commercially until the Max Factor developed ’’ Flexible Greasepaint’’ in 1914.
Thongs
Believe it or not, but people started wearing thongs long before 21st century. Historians believe that they originate from African tribes in warmer climates. However the modern designer of this piece of clothing is Rudi Gernreich and he did it as response to a ban on nude sunbathing by the Los Angeles City Council.
Bobby pins
This is something that you always need and borrow, but eventually end up losing. Bobby pins are also invented by a man, called Luis Marcus. First bobby pins were handmade and they became popular in the 1950s when ’’bobbed hair’’ took a hold, thus the name bobby pins.
Sanitary napkins (pads)
Well, for the idea of sanitary pads is responsible none other than famous Benjamin Franklin. His invention is created to stop wounded soldiers from bleeding, but it was also used as an inspiration for the first commercial disposable napkins created by Johnson & Johnson in 1888. Thank you Mr. Franklin!
Bikini
The first bikini in the world was created by automobile engineer and clothing designer Louis Réard in 1946. He noticed that women often roll up the edges of their swimsuits in order to get a better tan and that inspired him to come up with two-piece design that exposes the midriff.
Mascara
For centuries women applied different homemade products on their eyelashes to make them thicket and darker. The first commercialized mascara was made in 19th century by Eugène Rimmel. It was made from petroleum jelly.
