This is probably the longest-running crazy fashion trend in history, beginning in at least 200 BC with the ancient Greeks and finally ending in the late 19th century. Lead based makeup was toxic, and killed many people in their pursuit of pale skin. Elizabeth I famously started painting her face white after a bout of smallpox left her with scars. The thick 'mask of youth' that she achieved with combination of vinegar and white lead ironically poisoned her over time and would have made her natural skin look even worse. Other people had similarly dangerous methods of making themselves appear pale. Medieval women sometimes bled the colour out of the skin, while Victorian women drank iodine, ate chalk and applied mercury to their faces. Do not try any of these at home!
