THE colour white is making a big comeback on the runways this Spring/Summer; no matter what the garment, if it's white it's in. But it seems that white make up, which was once the staple colour for many women, has died out.

One of the earliest uses of white make up can be found dating back as early as 794 AD, where Japanese women in the Heian Era (794-1185 AD) would wear the white face powder. The actual origin of the make up is disputed; some believe that a Japanese traveller came back from Europe with reports of 'pale-faced beauties', whilst others believe that it originated from China and was then used by ladies of the Japanese court. This may be more accurate, as this was a time where Chinese influences were at their height in Japan.

Think of the Geisha. A Geisha's job was to look beautiful and to offer entertainment through music, dance and conversation. The make up application could be painstakingly long; eyebrows would have to be plucked out so that the white face powder, either a rice-flour or lead based powder, could be applied properly. Black eyebrows would then be painted back on, and the lips would be painted red. Raven black hair was often pulled up into intricate weaves and designs, but the appearance would depend on the rank of the Geisha.

As we may know, the Tudors adored a pale complexion too. The ideal 'English Rose' would be as pale as snow with light hair to match. Women would go to often frightening lengths to obtain this; some would be bled to induce a deathly pallor, others would sit in the sun for hours to bleach their hair, although avoiding getting a tan. It's a well-known fact that Queen Elizabeth I died from blood poisoning often attributed to the lead based powder she so often used to reduce the signs of ageing. To the Tudors, a pale complexion represented a virginal purity and beauty that even men sought after.

Further along the time-line, the Victorians were also partial to the pallor, often starving themselves of fresh air to achieve it, and even painting on blue veins to exaggerate the 'translucent' appearance. Also, think of the white painted faces of the mime artists. Pantomime stretches way back to Ancient Greece, but it was in France in the early nineteenth Century that Jean-Gaspard Deburau made solid many of the attributes associated with mimes, including the white face and black painted eyes.

White make up has played a large part in a variety of cultures throughout the world's history, but nowadays it is not regularly seen on the High Street. Sure, you can still buy white face powder, but this usually stays hidden until Halloween. We tend to use foundations much closer to our natural skin tone, which is probably for the best. White eyeliner can look good if worn right, and white eyeshadow comes out occasionally, but that's about it as far as I can see. Beats being bled, I suppose.