A history of beauty trends — and the politics that shaped them

From an ancient Roman anti-wrinkle cream recipe to the 12th-century “Trotula,” a set of medieval manuscripts with formulas for skin care, hair dye and perfume, the desire to make ourselves more presentable — and even attractive — stretches back through history. And rather than embracing the subjectivity of beauty, societies have instead categorized and quantified these elusive qualities into prescriptive beauty “standards.”From an ancient Roman anti-wrinkle cream recipe to the 12th-century “Trotula,” a set of medieval manuscripts with formulas for skin care, hair dye and perfume, the desire to make ourselves more presentable — and even attractive — stretches back through history. And rather than embracing the subjectivity of beauty, societies have instead categorized and quantified these elusive qualities into prescriptive beauty “standards.”