FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Trivia Questions and Answers
photo of Cosmetics

90 Cosmetics Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Cosmetics? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Cosmetics (Entertainment). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
Related Questions & Answers:   Clothes Specific   
1 One of the earliest cosmetics of which we have a record is kohl, worn by Egyptian queens as long ago as the Bronze Age (from 3500 BCE). To what part of the body is kohl usually applied?
Answer: Eyes

Kohl was originally applied to prevent eye disease and to protect the eyes from the sun. A black paste, it is prepared by mixing a number of ingredients, varying in different places and times. Traditionally based on galena, an ore containing lead sulfide, this has been changed to soot or charcoal by modern commercial producers to reduce the product's toxicity. Other ingredients include oils and scents.
    Your options: [ Hair ] [ Fingernails ] [ Lips ] [ Eyes ]
  From Quiz: Yours Truly, Yours Falsely
2 For hundreds of years European women used a white powder called ceruse to lighten their complexions. What was the main component of ceruse?
Answer: White lead

Powdered white lead was used for many years to make facial skin appear artificially white. Paintings of the aristocracy throughout the Renaissance show the women using this product. Occasional use caused lead poisoning, hair loss, and mental deterioration. Long-term use was known to cause death.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
3 If a product is said to be hypoallergenic, what is it least likely to do?
Answer: Cause an allergic reaction

However, this does not mean that the product is 100% guaranteed not to cause you a reaction. Everyone's skin is different after all!
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
4 This tool is essential for maintaining the shape of the eyebrows.
Answer: tweezers

Tweezers are pretty easy to find and they come in prices to suit every budget.
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
5 Many modern cosmetics make use of an unusual organic substance to add shimmer to lipsticks and eyeshadow. Do you know what this shiny material is?
Answer: Fish scales

Ground fish scales have been used for many years in western societies to add shimmer and shine. This substance is often called pearl essence and is used not only in cosmetics, but in paint and glazes! It is harmless, but the idea of ground-up dead fish scales on your lips is somewhat gross.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
6 Humectants are often found in many beauty products. What do they do?
Answer: Attract moisture to the skin from the air

But it is also a good idea to use a moisturiser designed for your skin underneath your general make-up to give your skin a little extra boost. Apply the moisturiser about 5 minutes before you apply your foundation in order to get your skin hydrated. This will also help make your foundation last longer.
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
7 This tool is great for those of us who don't have lashes with a natural curl.
Answer: Eyelash Curler

Don't use this tool every day; rather, save it for special occasions.
    Your options: [ Lipstick Brush ] [ Gloss ] [ Liquid Liner ] [ Eyelash Curler ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
8 As a child, Kevyn, and his cousin Jay, idolized whom?
Answer: Barbra Streisand

According to kevynaucoin.com, in October 1997, he was quoted as saying "Barbra Streisand is the most beautiful woman, outside my mother, that I've ever seen in my life."
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
9 During the 1400s, looking pale and otherworldly was in. To achieve this, women shaved their foreheads, plucked out their eyelashes and eyebrows, and whitened their faces and bosoms with ceruse. What did ceruse consist of?
Answer: Vinegar and powdered lead

Ceruse rapidly ate away the skin, which meant that thicker and thicker layers had to be applied as time wore on. It eventually killed you. Despite its obvious drawbacks, ceruse remained popular for at least 300 years, although later zinc oxide replaced the lead.
  From Quiz: History of Cosmetics and Fashion
10 Around 1000 CE, Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas Al-Zahrawi, also known as Abulcasis, devoted a chapter of his treatise "Kitaf Al-Tasrif" to cosmetics. What was the principal subject of his treatise?
Answer: Medicine

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas Al-Zahrawi (936-1013 CE) was a Spanish Arab physician who is considered the father of modern surgery, whose practices and writings shaped Islamic and European surgical procedure at least until the Renaissance. He wrote a chapter on cosmetics, which he called "Medicine of Beauty", in which he described many useful substances and their chemical preparation. He is credited with developing perfumed sticks that could be used as under-arm deodorants or (different ingredients) lipstick, hair removal sticks, hair dyes (both for lightening and darkening the color), hair straighteners, suntan lotions, breath fresheners, tooth whiteners, hand creams, and more!
  From Quiz: Yours Truly, Yours Falsely
11 During the 17th and 18th centuries women used drops made from a poisonous plant to dilate their pupils, as this was thought attractive. Which toxic plant was used?
Answer: Belladonna

Belladonna was used for this purpose for many years, even though its toxicity was well known. Occasional use damaged vision, while prolonged use lead to permanent blindness!
    Your options: [ Delphinium ] [ Oleander ] [ Poison Ivy ] [ Belladonna ]
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
12 Coenzyme Q10 is found in every cell of our bodies. This nutrient is particularly good at what?
Answer: Getting rid of wrinkles

And if it doesn't work, there's always botox!
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
13 This is usually the biggest make-up brush in your collection.
Answer: Powder Brush

First apply powder with a puff, then dust off the excess with the powder brush.
    Your options: [ Blusher Brush ] [ Lipstick Brush ] [ Fan Brush ] [ Powder Brush ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
14 Aucoin was born and raised in which state?
Answer: LA

Kevyn Aucoin was born February 14, 1962 in Shreveport, Louisiana, and adopted a month later by Thelma and Isidore Aucoin of Lafayette, Louisiana.
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
15 During the 1400s women sometimes resorted to a more drastic method of achieving that "pale look". What did they do?
Answer: They bled themselves

Bleeding required the use of leeches, or sometimes the more extreme 'cupping' was employed. A vein was slashed and the blood drained into a cup, or bowl.
  From Quiz: History of Cosmetics and Fashion
16 In the 1930s a cosmetic came out that claimed to be a permanent mascara. Sold in the USA, it blinded more than a dozen women and killed one. What was the name of this dangerous beauty product?
Answer: Lash Lure

Before there were any regulations concerning product safety, Lash Lure was sold as a permanent answer to mascara. It contained a compound phenylenediamine that had never been tested for use on humans. The outcome was tragic.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
17 Essential oils are commonly used in aromatherapy and are plant oils that are used as ingredients for products as well as to scent them. Lavender is an essential oil and is commonly used in skin creams. Why?
Answer: Because it soothes irritation

You can also spray lavender mist on your pillow before going to bed as it is said to help you sleep.
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
18 This is used to provide colour to the cheeks and to define the cheekbones.
Answer: Blusher Brush

Try to find a brush which has graduated hairs to make sure that the colour is evenly spread.
    Your options: [ Concealer Brush ] [ Eyelash Comb ] [ Liquid Eyeliner Brush ] [ Blusher Brush ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
19 Which magazine gave Aucoin his big break?
Answer: Vogue

One day the assistant to the beauty editor at "Vogue" called him. She had been looking for him after seeing his work months before, and he was assigned to work with Steven Meisel and Meg Tilly.
    Your options: [ Glamour ] [ Cosmopolitan ] [ Redbook ] [ Vogue ]
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
20 In what country did nail polish originate?
Answer: China

Although the ancient Egyptians stained their nails with henna, it was the Chinese who developed actual nail lacquers made from gum arabic, beeswax, eggwhite and coloured powders. The earliest traces of nail lacquer are dated to 3000 BC.
  From Quiz: History of Cosmetics and Fashion
21 White lead has been popular over the centuries as a means of producing whiter skin. Which English queen used it in her official portraits to create a look sometimes referred to as 'the mask of youth'?
Answer: Elizabeth I

In Elizabethan times (as well as before and after that era), pale skin was a sign of status - only members of the aristocracy could avoid working in the sun and were able to retain pale skin. Those whose skin was not naturally pale often either bleached their skin or applied white makeup in powder or paste form. White lead was a common, and toxic, ingredient of these products, and arsenic was also often added. The painting from life of Queen Elizabeth I by an unknown artist in 1575 which is commonly referred to as the 'Darnley Portrait' is the source for the face pattern which art historians call 'the mask of youth'. It was used in authorized portraits of the queen for the rest of her reign.
    Your options: [ Anne ] [ Mary II ] [ Mary I ] [ Elizabeth I ]
  From Quiz: Yours Truly, Yours Falsely
22 Cochineal was used by the Aztec and Incan societies to dye their lips and nails red. Do you know where cochineal comes from?
Answer: Beetles

Cochineal dye is made from dried cochineal beetles. Unlike a lot of the modern dyes this coloring agent is not toxic nor does it contain any carcinogens. Production is costly and labor intensive. Today, breeding of this insect is done just for tradition, as opposed to meeting any economic demand.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
23 Aqua is usually the number one ingredient in most products. It has a more common, everyday name and is vital for healthy skin. What is it?
Answer: Water

Drink 6 to 8 pints a day to keep your skin glowing and flush your body of all impurities.
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
24 This brush is used to apply colour and to enhance the "Windows of the Soul".
Answer: Eye-shadow Brush

Try to get a couple of these, as you really shouldn't use the same brush to apply different colours.
    Your options: [ Concealer Brush ] [ Blusher Brush ] [ Powder Brush ] [ Eye-shadow Brush ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
25 The day after Aucoin left Lousiana, who did he start looking for?
Answer: his birth mother

After hanging up several times, he finally held on the line long enough to talk to Nelda Mae Williams in 1992.
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
26 Helena Rubinstein began her career creating stage and film makeup. When Theda Bara appeared on the screen wearing a lot of one of Rubinstein's innovations, it became instantly popular with the general public. What was it?
Answer: Mascara

Rubinstein also introduced tinted face powder in the early 1920s.
  From Quiz: History of Cosmetics and Fashion
27 In the 21st century a new substance was recognised for its effects on facial skin. What is the product that is used in a "geisha facial"?
Answer: Nightingale feces

For about $150 (US dollars) some upscale spas provide a "geisha facial". Moistened nightingale feces is applied and allowed to dry. It is said to diminish wrinkles and ex-foliate skin! I think I'll pass.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
28 Antioxidants such as Vitamin A, C and E help the skin by neutralizing molecules called free radicals, which do what?
Answer: Destroy skin cells

These particular vitamins can be found in rich fruits such as kiwi or oranges or can be taken in tablet form.
    Your options: [ Destroy skin cells ] [ Cause wrinkles ] [ Cause acne ] [ Destroy healthy skin genes ]
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
29 This is the slimmest brush in your collection, and tapers to a sharp point.
Answer: Liquid Eyeliner Brush

It's a good idea to spend a bit more money on a sable-hair brush, as these last longer and are much softer on this delicate area.
    Your options: [ Fan Brush ] [ Eyebrow Brush ] [ Blusher Brush ] [ Liquid Eyeliner Brush ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
30 Aucoin's favorite music talent was also mother to his godchild. Who is she?
Answer: Tori Amos

In his book "Face Forward" he says liking her music is a prerequisite to starting new friendships.
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
31 In 1916 movie director D. W. Griffith wanted to enhance the appearance of an actress in his film "Intolerance". What beauty product is he credited with inventing?
Answer: False eyelashes

Griffith wanted Seena Owen to have more dramatic eyelashes, swooping across her cheeks when she shut her eyes and looked down, so he had a wig maker weave strands of human hair through pieces of gauze. The hairs were trimmed to shape, and the gauze glued to her eyelids. Griffiths did not formally register his invention, and the subsequent commercial success of related products gained him no financial reward.
  From Quiz: Yours Truly, Yours Falsely
32 During the Elizabethan era, coal tar was used for cosmetic purposes. What was it commonly used for?
Answer: Eye liner

Coal tar was used for many years as eye liner, mascara and eyebrow pencil. Aside from smelling very badly, coal tar causes blindness and is flammable.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
33 How would you use an Eye-Brow Brush?
Answer: To brush eye-brows up and outwards into a perfect shape

Sometimes you can find a neat little brush that combines an Eye-Brow Brush and a Eyelash comb back to back. Very handy!
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
34 In his second book, who does he turn into Marilyn Monroe using cosmetics?
Answer: Lisa Marie Presley

And its a dead ringer!
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
35 Using scents to mask the smell of sweat has always been very common. In what century, however, was the first real deodorant produced?
Answer: 19th century

Mum deodorant in creme form was developed in Philadelphia in 1889. The active ingredient was aluminum chlorhydrate. In 1952, inspired by the workings of the ballpoint pen, Ban Roll-On was introduced.
  From Quiz: History of Cosmetics and Fashion
36 In the 1920s, suntanned skin stopped being associated with workers, and became a trendy fashion statement. Which fashion designer returned from her holiday with a suntan, and started this new trend?
Answer: Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel was a style leader as well as a designer, and her suntan suddenly became a must-have fashion statement, symbolic of changing social patterns. For centuries, a suntan had been associated with agricultural labor forcing one to spend time in the sun; now it became associated with having leisure time to spend in the sun rather than indoors engaged in clerical or industrial labor. Et voila! In the 1940s suntan (not sunscreen) lotion became popular, as a tool to increase both actual tanning and the appearance of a tan. Contemporary awareness of the skin cancer risks associated with suntans has not yet completely removed the popular idea that suntans are 'a good look' - solarium's offer shortcuts for those who cannot afford the time to actually bake themselves naturally.
    Your options: [ Pierre Cardin ] [ Yves Saint Laurent ] [ Christian Dior ] [ Coco Chanel ]
  From Quiz: Yours Truly, Yours Falsely
37 The substance thiomersal can be found in vaccinations, antiseptics and anti-fungals. It is also found in some mascaras. What is thiomersal made from?
Answer: Mercury

Thiomersal has been used throughout the 20th century in spite of its inherent danger. It is very toxic if ingested orally, applied to the skin or inhaled. The use of this substance is being phased out and replaced by more benign substances. It has been known to cause mercury poisoning when used in mascara.
  From Quiz: The Unusual History of Cosmetics
38 What useful job do lipsomes do?
Answer: Deliver vitamins deep into your skin

This is ideal as not everyone has the time to take care of their skin as well as they should.
  From Quiz: "Make Me Beautiful" Part 1
39 This brush is used to apply a sticky substance to the most expressive feature of your face.
Answer: Lipstick Brush

Another brush which is best to buy in sable, it's hard on the budget but soft on the lips.
    Your options: [ Blusher Brush ] [ Fan Brush ] [ Powder Brush ] [ Lipstick Brush ]
  From Quiz: The Tools Used for Applying Make-Up
40 In his third book, who does he change into Clark Gable and Carole Lombard?
Answer: Amber Valetta

And he photographed the picture. It is absolutely spellbinding.
  From Quiz: Kevyn Aucoin
The rest of the questions and answers can be found in our quizzes here:
Cosmetics Quizzes