Richardine Bartee
Today, Makeup Museum, in partnership with L’Oréal USA, announces the publication of its first book, “Beauty Stories from Around the World” to expand beauty history to include diverse, new perspectives, narratives and images. Despite enduring traditions across all cultures, most beauty history books have glossed over thousands of years of history between Ancient Egypt and the Renaissance with limited attention paid to the important beauty rituals of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
“Beauty Stories” is the first book published by the Makeup Museum, the world’s leading institution dedicated to beauty history preservation and study. Each chapter will explore a cultural beauty ritual or theme. The writing team includes a diverse group of academics, anthropologists and researchers hailing from all around the world.
Since its founding, the Makeup Museum has focused on centering BIPOC voices, and our initiative to expand beauty stories to be more inclusive than ever before is critical for beauty education, said Doreen Bloch, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Makeup Museum. “Our first book spotlights how beauty traverses color, gender, ability and more. The way that people use pigments and tools to create beauty is a universal practice.
To support “Beauty Stories”, Makeup Museum and L’Oréal USA will kick-off a year-long digital series on the Makeup Museum’s Instagram with the hashtag #BeautyStories. L’Oréal USA, the largest subsidiary of the L’Oréal Group, is an ideal partner for this initiative due to its industry leadership, reach, and commitment to telling the history of beauty; in 2009, the L’Oréal Foundation published the five-book collection, “100,000 Years of Beauty,” on the occasion of the company’s 100th anniversary.
At L’Oréal, we believe that beauty moves the world, and we are proud to team up with the Makeup Museum to bring a more inclusive view of the history of this powerful and positive universal quest”, said Stéphane Rinderknech, President & CEO of L’Oréal USA. I am inspired by this education initiative because it lifts up diverse voices to tell stories about beauty that deserve a larger stage and wider audience.
In addition to historical and anthropological research, the book will feature images sourced globally in partnership with Getty Images. The Makeup Museum is also inviting beauty lovers from around the world to contribute their own beauty images, videos and stories for the #BeautyStories campaign by emailing.
Visuals have a profound impact on our understanding of the world, so there’s immense power rewriting the visual narratives for what’s perceived as ‘beautiful,’ said Tristen Norman, Head of Creative Insights for Getty Images. We are proud to partner with the Makeup Museum for this important work and excited to see what new futures can be realized when more voices are at the center of beauty stories.
The Makeup Museum has made its book available for pre-order (Retail Price: $25) on the Makeup Museum website. Once published in early 2021, the book will be available across multiple book retailers and at the Makeup Museum’s on-site gift shop.
