Perfume
Perfumes and cosmetics in the Roman world were readily available and were used by members of all social classes. However, there was a difference between taking care of your appearance and the unnatural embellishment of looks or the masking of particular bodily smells. Extant Roman authors, not unsurprisingly, tell us more about practices that they considered immoral and worthy of censure than they do about common products or daily routines.
Men and women who engaged in immoral practices such as the excessive consumption of wine or exotic foods, or in illicit or illegal acts of sex, were often accused of masking tell-tale smells with perfumes; Martial’s poetic cliché about Postumus, ‘I am suspicious, because you always smell good’ (Ep. 2.12) suggests that anyone who smells good all the time must be guilty of concealing some form of inappropriate behaviour.
For women, the maintenance of a pale, blemish-free complexion was an indicator of upper class status. It is clear from archaeological evidence that make up sets were symbols of wealth and virtuous domesticity. However, a woman who spent excessive time and money on cosmetics or perfumes, particularly those products considered items of luxuria, were viewed as dishonest, sexually licentious, and were accused of promoting social disorder.
“Perfume is a luxury item of the most superfluous type: for pearls and jewels nevertheless are passed on to an heir, and clothes last for some time, but perfumes lose their scent immediately and decay within the same hour they are applied.”
Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 13.20
Roman perfumes came in many forms and varieties. Some were simple to make and therefore cheap, while others were based on exotic formulas and were extremely expensive. For example, a cinnamon-leaf perfume sold for prices between 35 to 300 denarii. Perfumes were stored in glass containers of many different shapes, sizes and colours.
“You know how to achieve a dazzling radiance by applying powder; if it does not come naturally you create a blushing complexion... with your ‘art’ you fill in the stretchy outline of your eyebrow... nor are you ashamed to highlight your eyes with glowing ash, or with saffron.”
Ovid, The Art of Love, 3.199-204
The four cosmetic jars here give an idea of the many types of containers used to store ancient cosmetics, which included foundations, rouge, eye-shadow and eye-liner. A woman’s make up was supposed to accentuate her natural beauty, not empower her by attracting attention. Men probably also used some forms of cosmetics such as face creams; the emperor Otho is noted for using a face pack made from bread to improve his complexion.
