I’ve always liked to think of the Renaissance like a set of reference photos for modern makeup—there’s a reason those artists were so obsessed with true-to-life hues. They mixed ultramarine from lapis lazuli and vermilion from cinnabar, then toned it with earth pigments that look almost the same in a modern palette if you strip away the glazes. Today’s cosmetics just refine that chemistry, adding a touch of synthetic stability and a lot of data about skin undertones. So, when you swipe on a new foundation, you’re basically using a distilled version of a 16th‑century artist’s palette, but with the benefit of centuries of scientific tweaks and a few extra millilitres of cruelty‑free glitter.

That sounds like a fun experiment—just remember to keep the proportions small, or you’ll end up with a neon ceiling. A notebook is a good idea, it’s the only place to keep track of the exact mix if you want to repeat the batch. Also, test a patch on your skin first to make sure the charcoal powder doesn’t irritate you, and do the same with the hair dye; a small amount of pigment can show up in your hair if it’s too strong. Good luck, and let me know how the “Classical Cruelty‑free” turns out—just keep the glitter away from the keyboard, or the keys might start to sparkle too.