Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt,ruling from 51 BC-30 BC. She was born in Alexandria,Egypt somewhere between 69 BC and 68 BC(the exact year is unclear) and ascended to power in 51 BC as a co-ruler of Egypt along with her brother Ptolemy XIII when their father Ptolemy XII died. She was a highly intelligent personable woman with a seductive voice and was politically astute but was she as beautiful and alluring as history has sometimes thought of her as and more specifically Hollywood has portrayed her as? By all accounts she wasn't and a Coin dating from the period when Cleopatra ruled over Egypt seems to re-enforce that opinion. The coin was discovered in Newcastle,England by Melanie Reed from Newcastle University, whose archaeology museum found the 5p-sized coin while researching a forgotten 18th century hoard left for years in a local bank. The two sided coin was in remarkable condition considering its age and depicts two figures one being Cleopatra's love interest Marc Antony and the other Cleopatra. The image of Cleopatra depicts a woman with a sharp elongated nose,thin lips and a sloping forehead (hardly the seductive beauty depicted by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film Cleopatra)
Cleopatra Coin.
 |
| Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 film. |
All these things not withstanding about Cleopatra she still knew how to seduce a man as was the case with both Julius Cesar and Marc Antony and make-up and perfume more than likely played a major role. In this post I'm going to delve into her beauty routine and present to you how this plain looking woman could have turned herself into a beautiful seductress capable of getting exactly what she wanted....POWER.
The Eyes - It's been said that the eyes "Are The Window's To The Soul" they are the first thing that most people notice when they meet someone for the first time. Cleopatra used a combination of Celery and Hemp to keep the area around her eyes looking bright and healthy. She also used the Egyptian Cat Eye make-up technique(which dates back to Cleopatra's time) to draw attention to her eyes and using the mineral Kohl as an eyeliner and then drawing a line slightly off the eyelashes/corner of the eye back towards the temples. This mineral also served to protect the eyes from the sun but unbeknownst to the Egyptians it also contained Galena which is a toxic form of lead. The eye shadow she used on her lower eyelids was bright green and made from a Malachite paste while her upper eyelids were deep blue and infused with ground Lapis Lazuli stone which produced gold colored pyrite flecks.
 |
| Egyptian Cat Eyes. |
The Cheeks - The ancient Egyptians used a natural earth clay pigment called Red Ochre to stain their cheeks,they also used it on their lips. Cleopatra also used oatmeal to clean and exfoliate her skin as well as cream and honey to hydrate it. She would also use a white clay mask to help tone and tighten her face.
The Hair - Cleopatra used Henna mixed with Juniper berries and other plants to dye her hair reddish/brown which was the color she preferred. She would also combine Castor oil with honey and let it soak in. This treatment kept her hair soft,shiny and healthy looking.
The Fingernails - The Henna plant strikes again! as this was the color she used on her nails. She would also use Henna to create elaborate designs on the palms of her hands.
Lips - Bright Red was the color Cleopatra preferred on her lips and it was derived from crushed Carmine beetles. Yep she used crushed insects to give her lips that hooker red look.
 |
| Carmine Beetle. |
Body - Cleopatra was famous for using milk and honey in her bathwater which softens and exfoliate the skin and leaves it smelling sweet and fresh. She also used Aloe Vera as a skin serum and would combine it with honey to make a very effective facial mask. She was also known to use Rose water as a facial toner as well as Apple Cider vinegar(which is still popular today).
Perfume - Cleopatra used essential oils for her perfumes. These included Frankincense,Myrrh,Cypress and Neroil,all of which are considered Aphrodisiacs.
As you can see her beauty regime was quite extensive and involved. So it's not to surprising how she could have transformed herself into a very tempting woman that looked nothing like the image on the coin. I researched the content of this post extensively using several different sources. I only published the information that I felt they could all unanimously agree upon.
Comments are welcomed so please leave a reply and share your thoughts.
This Blog Is Written and Managed by FragranceForce.com
Comments
Post a Comment