"This unique book traces the way in which we have adorned, perfumed and presented ourselves from the earliest prehistoric evidence through to the dawn of the multi-million-dollar cosmetics industry of the twentieth century. We discover what the perfumes found in Tutankhamun's tomb would have smelt like, what made the medieval woman synonymous with 'the lily and the rose', and where the most fashionable places to buy perfume in the eighteenth century were situated." "Richly illustrated throughout, The Artifice of Beauty draws on archaeological and documentary evidence to show how trends in even such fleeting luxuries as perfume and cosmetics have changed throughout time. It provides both a fascinating insight into a largely unexplored aspect of history and an invaluable practical sourcebook for recreating historic cosmetics and perfumes today."--book jacket.