Vatican Museum. Roma/Rome, Italy. End of March, 2023.

In ancient Egypt, both men and women wore makeup. They would line their eyes in black kohl to help protect them from the bright sun. The dark liner would reflect the sun. Though the eyes had the highest importance, ancient Egyptians also painted their lips, especially those of the upper class. Cleopatra wore a unique red lipstick, created from flowers, red ochre, fish scales, crushed ants, carmine and beeswax. Her signature shade made red a popular choice, and as a result, the use of carmine became more widespread. Ingredients were mixed in either brass or wooden bowls, and once the colour had been created, it could be applied directly onto the lips. Once the lipstick was created, it was applied using wet wooden sticks that acted as an applicator brush. Ancient Egyptians also carried pots of lip paints and cosmetics into burial tombs with them for the afterlife. Believing their key ingredient, the scarab beetle, was a symbol of immortality. Want to try making your own lipstick like the ancients did? First you'll want to get the dye from colourful flowers by boiling them. Then straining out the plant material to get the dye. Now mix that with beeswax to complete the process. Thank you for watching. Please don't forget to subscribe.