Lecture 13: Makeup Flashcards
Cosmetics
- Society has used cosmetics for thousands of years - 12,000 years ago ancient Sumerians and Egyptians
- Indicate tribe membership or protect against elements
- Used clay, crushed gemstones, annatto, paprika, turmeric, seaweed, cochineal (carmine), etc
- Bronze age → Edwardian era, cosmetic use fluctuated in popularity and social acceptance
- Lead and mercury based products were toxic and replaced with Ti and Zn oxides
- Nowadays, there are better methods than leeches for fashionably pale complexions!
- Cosmetic “powerhouses” in early 20th century → MaxFactor, Elizabeth Arden, L’Oreal, Nivea, etc.
- New and exciting products, sustained growth since → €331 billion global market worth in 2022
Legal definition of cosmetics
Defined as “any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body…with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance and/or correcting body odours and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition”
Cosmetic legislationo
- Changed recently as now we’re not part of the EU
- UK Cosmetics Regulations (EU Cosmetics Regulations) enforced by Trading Standards
- FDA regulates cosmetic production in USA
- Some products may be a drug, not a cosmetic, e.g. anti-dandruff shampoo
- Some can be both, e.g. toothpaste with fluoride
- The UK regulations came into effect in 2021
Sunscreen
- FDA regards sunscreen as a drug, UK/EU does not!
- Sunscreen stops you from burning and your cells from turning into melona so it should be seen as a drug as this is a medical problem.
Decorative cosmetics
- Nail varnishes are nitrocellulose based paint
- Foundations can be mineral (rocks) or traditional (talc based which is also a mineral of hydrated silica)
- Lip and eye liners contain thickeners, film formers and pigment.
- Lipsticks and glosses have different ratios of waxes to oil
- Mascaras contain PVP polymer, iron oxide (black) and waxes. It can be helpful in car accidents as it can print on the airbag, it can help determine who was sitting where at the time of the incident.
- Most likely to be recovered, seen or detected at a scene.
Boron nitride
Boron nitride - is a white power which is replacing talc as an ingredient which currently has a bad rep as someone in US claimed it gave them ovarian cancer.
Cosmetic discrimination powder
High discrimination power due to;
* Manufacturers
* Brands and product lines
* Colours, shades, tones
* Different formulations
* Methods of application
* Mixtures
* Application method will add to the complexity of the trace deposited and its probative value.
* Very rare for people who wear makeup to only waer one item so we have potential unique form of trace evidence once it has all combined together and encountered a range of different factors which could be very discriminative.
What increases the complexity of makeup?
There are some cosmetics that do more than 1 job so they get complicated to categorise them when they’re found at a scene.
Cosmetic trace value
- More people are wearing makeup.
-Independent of age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economics. - Large surface area (body painting)
- Easily transferred, particularly with violent force
- Relatively persistent and difficult to wash out!
- Can allow for reconstruction of the event which provides activity level propositions.
- Uncommon cosmetics or layering combinations increase probative value
- Unlike other cosmetics (perfume, shampoo, moisturiser, etc.) you tend to see makeup deposits!
- Can provide leads when there’s an absence of matches from dna or fingerprints.
Marie Latelle
- In 1912, a French woman, Marie Latelle, was murdered.
- Her boyfriend (Emile Gourbin) was the main suspect but he had a good alibi that he was playing cards with friends.
- Locard was suspicious as their was evidence of strangulation so took fingernail scrapings from Gourbin.
- Locard was looking for skin cells but found discovered a “pink dust” that was identified rice starch, bismuth, magnesium stearate, zinc oxide, red iron oxide = makeup.
- In 1912, makeup was not mass produced
so Locard searched Marie’s room and found pink powder. - Marie was from a wealthy family and had purchased a custom made powder from a chemist in Lyons.
- The chemist confirmed the recipe was customer-specific and he had only produced it for Marie
- When presented with the compelling evidence, Emile confessed to Marie’s murder
- It was premeditated - he had wound the clock back in the room so all his friends would confirm his whereabouts
- First use of cosmetic microtraces and conviction!
Pearlescent
Pearlescent → subtle colour and bright white reflection, “pearl-like” lustre (gives a less intense effect than metallic)
Interference pigments
Irridescent
- Light reflection and refraction, colour changes relative to angle of observation/illumination.
- Thickness and composition of layers determines colour seen.
- The colour you see depends on the angle of incidence and the angle you view the reflective light.
- Flakes much thinner but larger than other pigments.
- Typically synthetically made
- Also known as goniochromism which is a phenomenon where surfaces appear to change
