One hundred is no small milestone. If you're L'Oreal Corporation and celebrating one hundred years of being in the beauty business, it's an absolutely gigantic milestone. And so, "100,000 Years of Beauty" was commissioned to commemorate L'Oreal's achievement. "100, 000 Years of Beauty" feels more like a gift to all fashion and beauty lovers, though, so thank you, L'Oreal.
I was fortunate enough to receive this five-book compendium on beauty as a gift a few months ago. I was so excited to receive such a beautiful gift that I sat down and read (or skimmed) each book from cover to cover with a giant cup of tea. The collection is overwhelming, not only in sheer size and weight, but in scope as well. This was a dramatic undertaking, and I'd love to know how long the contributors spent on this book. The glossy, colorful pages are filled with artwork, pictures of sculptures, ceramic tiles, beauty ads, photography, products, and more. It begins in prehistory and moves on to antiquity, the classical age (my favorite of the books!), modernity, and ends by speculating what the future of fashion and beauty will bring. The articles range from brief to a few pages and were contributed by scholars on the subjects of beauty, art, fashion, literature, and costume from all over the world- universities, research institutes, and, of course, L'Oreal.
The presentation, like the books themselves, is spectacular. The five books are housed in a pyramid-like structure that is a shiny black case. Ideal for the coffee table, but these enlightening books are truly meant to be read and studied. All of this beauty comes at a price, as beauty usually does. "100,000 Years of Beauty" can be purchased on Amazon.com for $300, though, at last check, it was either sold out or temporary unavailable. Had I not received the books as a special gift, I'd be off to the library.
If you do happen to get your hands on this beautiful commemorative book, please let me know what you think!
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