Self-Assessment: Which Era Are You

Historical Trends in Cosmetology

Self-Assessment: Which Era Are You?

Instructions:For each question, select the answer that best describes your taste and style. Then score your self-assessment using the scoring information at the end.

1. Which of these best describes nail polish you prefer?

____a. I prefer bright red or black.

____b. I prefer a very light, natural look.

____c. I like a Brownish-red.

____d. I donot wear nail polish generally.

2. How do you wear your hair?

____a. I wear my hear in long ponytails or braids.

____b. I spend a lot of time using products and getting my hair just right. I love sparkly barrettes and clips

____c. I wear my hair short, but I will experiment with wigs or other pieces.

____d. I wear my hair relaxed and soft, pulled away from my face.

3. Which skin care ritual is most like yours?

____a. I use a lot of high-SPF creams to make sure my skin stays soft and unaffected by the sun.

____b. I focus on making sure my skin stays free of blemishes, so I use distilled water and other purified products.

____c. I use oil-based products, especially ones that are highly fragrant.

____d. I use soap and water or other natural products to soften and cleanse.

4. What kind of makeup do you prefer?

____a. I like my skin to look as bright as possible, so I use pale powders and foundation.

____b. I love bright lipstick, but I almost never wear eye makeup.

____c. I use thick eyeliner and lots of blush and foundation.

____d. I generally donot wear makeup.

Scoring

If you chose mostly “a” answers, your beauty regimen is most like the ancient Chinese, who focused on light skin, creams, pulled-back hair, and red or black nails.

If you chose mostly “b” answers, your beauty regimen is most like that of the medieval people, who stained their nails; wore extremely fancy hair styles, including jewels, gold, and silver where possible; and used steam distillation to create essential oils and cleanse their faces. Medieval people preferred pale faces and colored lips.

If you chose mostly “c” answers, your beauty regimen is most like the ancient Egyptians, such asqueens Nefertiti and Cleopatra, who painted their nails with henna, wore their hair short, and used fragrant oils, thick eyeliner, and lots of makeup.

If you chose mostly “d” answers, your beauty regimen is most like the Victorians, whose regimen was simple and natural, with soft hairstyles, natural nails and skin, and little to no makeup.