Out of the trends you explored, do you think any still have a place in today’s society?

“I think blush, particular in the Georgian era, is really interesting because they thought about it the way we do now. The French court was extremely showy because of Marie Antoinette and she wore her blush in huge circles as a sign of status. That definitely came to England, but it was a much more subdued version. Throughout the Victorian era, and ever since, blush comes with connotations of looking fresh, young, pretty. Even the textures are quite similar to what I would use today, like liquid blush, and even powder blushers.

“And they had all these ideas about to find your perfect blush, like: ‘Put a hot flannel on your cheek, hold it for 30 seconds, remove it and then you’ll have the colour.’ There was lots of different beliefs around around blush and how it would enliven you and make you look fresher and younger and feel better – very similar to the marketing that you see today.”

Lisa Eldridge’s documentary ‘Make-Up: A Glamorous History’ airs on Tuesday 20 April at 9pm via BBC Two. The first episode of the three-part series focuses on the Georgian era.

Why you need to watch Lisa Eldridge’s Make-Up: A Glamorous History on BBC Two tonight