This chapter provides a general overview of makeup across multiple cultures from antiquity through the present day, defining makeup as pigment applied in a temporary fashion to the face and/or body for any number of purposes. As makeup’s history is as broad and sweeping as other art forms, inevitably some areas and practices (theatrical and editorial makeup, various subcultures, nail painting, henna, and tooth blackening) are excluded. Also, the lack of accessible information on cosmetics in ancient civilizations outside of Greece, Rome, and Egypt, along with that of Indigenous peoples across the globe, means that makeup history for some regions or groups with rich cosmetic traditions is not as complete as for others.