Cosmetics and perfumes were a familiar feature of everyday life in Roman times. A large variety of beauty products were sold across the Roman world and a significant proportion of the population used these products. The display of self, the expression of identity, of gender, of social belonging, of ethnicity and power, all of which have been interpreted through clothing worn in Roman times, can also be seen in the use of make-up and scent. However, research specifically into cosmetics and perfumes and the nature of their use in antiquity has been sparse to date.

In this pioneering work the author draws on literary, visual and archaeological evidence to show the importance of cosmetics and perfumes for health, ideas of beauty, social status, as a demonstration of wealth and luxury and as an expression of gender. This survey of the perception and reality of the use of cosmetics and perfumes under the Roman Empire covers the 300 years from the writings of Ovid to the Price Edict of Diocletian in AD 301.

The work forms a natural companion volume to A.T. Croom's Roman Clothing and Fashion (Tempus 2000).