By Mary N. DiZazzo

Cosmetic Curiousities

Ciao bella,

Curious and interestingly strange are the descriptions for some cosmetology trivia. I thought you should know.

American women are not on a budget when it's been a known and calculated fact that they spend over $5 billion a year on cosmetics and the beauty shop.

Application of make-up dates back 8,000 years. The fav eye shadow in ancient Egypt was green. Lipstick was blue-black. Even Cleopatra painted her lower lids green and her upper one blue-black. In was en vogue to dye your fingers and feet with the orange-red hues of henna.

Egyptians also popularized eye glitter by mixing their eye shadow with crushed iridescent beetle shells.

In ancient China (c. 3000 B.C.) nail polish colors ranked your class. Royalty sported red and black. Lower status could only wear pale colors.

The average woman applies six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime.

Nipple-piercing was a hot fad among women in the 1800s.

In India today, red teeth are popular with many traditional Hindu women.

During fifth century China, women would polish their teeth black with the skin of the eggplant. -- I'll be serving my eggplant parm' tonight and I'm sure it's best to mangia.

(Taken from The Ladies Room Reader, Alicia Alvarez.)

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

Have you missed any of Mary's columns in the Post-Gazette? Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns on her website www.mary4nails.com. She is a third-generation cosmetologist and owner of Mary for Nails, etc. natural nailcare salon in Andover, and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183. She also sees select clients by appointment in Boston at (617) 742-6881.