A history of beauty trends -- and the politics that shaped them

From an ancient Roman anti-wrinkle cream recipe to the 12th-century "Trotula," a set of medieval manuscripts with formulas for skin care, hair dye and perfume, the desire to make ourselves more presentable -- and even attractive -- stretches back through history. And rather than embracing the subjectivity of beauty, societies have instead categorized and quantified these elusive qualities into prescriptive beauty "standards."