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Visit the 2nd Rome room

Cork

Burnt cork was the lash thickener, back in the day. Roman women liked their lashes long, thick and curly, as a sign of beauty brought from Egypt and India.

Red Lead

Blusher was anything from the expensive imported red ochre, or rose petals, to the poisonous red lead. The budget end of the blusher colour spectrum was made with dregs of wine and mulberry.

Mulberry blackberries

They could obtain a substance called fuco (a red alga) from mulberry, and sought out mineral substances like cinnabar, red plaster and miniate (which is highly toxic) to mix with animal extracts and vegetables, thus turning them all into berry or red-toned lipsticks.

Mortar

Bronze cosmetic-grinder

Crescent shaped with pointed tips and small suspension loop on concave edge. Centre-looped pestle, with strongly-curved twin-tapered rod. The keeled edge shows signs of wear. The small circular loop has a sharply moulded plinth.

Natural elements for production.

Yellow marble tablet for cosmetic or medicinal use

Yellow marble tablet for cosmetic or medicinal use, rectangular in shape with quadrangular section with oval depression in the center.

Cosmetic box

Bronze cosmetic box with five hinged compartments and a sliding lid.

Casket

Caset in ivory and bone.

Pyxis and lid

Cobalt blue glass pyxis and lid, probably cast.

Silver simpulum

Silver simpulum (ladle), from a set of a woman's toilet articles.

Preservation objects.

Cosmetic tool

Silver cosmetic instrument; at one end is a blade shaped like an ivy leaf at the other a small scoop.

Spatula

Silver spatula, possibly used for applying cosmetics

Cosmetic brush

Paint or cosmetic brush made of wool and reed.

Mirrors

Silver mirrors.

Juvenal satire

The sixth satire is a very long catalogue of the characteristics and vices of women, especially of the Roman matrons. They are lovers of luxury, they squander money and exceed in makeup.

Application makeup.