Officine Universelle Buly presents: Ancient Beauty Rituals

In this first episode, we reveal the beauty rituals in vogue in ancient Rome, following a young noblewoman, Cassia, in her cosmetic routine, with Phoebe, her favorite ornatrix.If their complexion was generally damaged by poor hygiene, illness or the composition of their makeup, The Romans were on the other hand renowned for the great care they took with their appearance, thanks to necessarily natural products: donkey's milk, fat extracted from sheep's wool, crocodile dung, but also oyster shell powder, swan fat and snail ash.As a tale, L ‘Officine Universelle Buly tells you in detail about this ancient ritual.

In this episode, we reveal a beauty ritual practised in Rajasthan, India, in the early 19th century. Troubled by the English romanticism that offered her a glimpse of Western freedom, young princess Alka found appeasement in a meticulous series of vigorous head and body massages, and in the famous Indian ablutions ceremonial. In the form of a tale, Buly tells you all about this ritual, which is as much a spiritual process as anything else.

Justine takes us by the hand and leads us to the Centre-West of France in 1863. More precisely, to the Aurillac ball, a vibrant dancing performance on which the curtains of our story open.But no ball is complete without a preceding beauty ritual. After a long day on the farm, Justine walks hastily back to the house and invites us to plunge headlong into the intimacy of rural grooming in the 19th century. A number of customs are thus revealed to us: hierarchical baths, the bar of Marseille soap and, lastly, the obvious importance of face and hand care.L'Officine Universelle Buly tells you all about these beauty rituals, handed down from generation to generation.

In this episode, we shine the spotlight on a ritual that is not just for women, but for a change, for men. We visit Souverain Raya, in the south of India, at the very beginning of the 16th century. This was an area prolific in spices, used for culinary, medical and cosmetic purposes, whose value could approach that of gold. In the "best provisioned city in the world", King Raya took as much care of his health as his appearance.The Officine Universelle Buly goes back in time to reveal this beauty ritual, based on the principles of Ayurveda or "the science of life" – a millennia-old custom of holistic healing.

In this episode, we tell you about the beauty ritual of a great samurai in Japan in 1730. Bathing has a religious significance in Japanese culture. As well as being hygienic, it serves to cleanse the soul. Numerous onsen (natural hot springs) and sento (public baths widely available) gave everyone access to ablutions. Before important ceremonies with religious or social significance, such as a wedding, it was important to take a purifying bath. The bath was taken with unheated water while reciting Buddhist sutras. This was followed by a visit to the temple or deity.Buly describes this purifying ritual, for both body and soul, which continues to this day, through the story of Tadeka, the great samurai.

The 1920s in the United States saw a resurgence of African-American culture in all creative fields, and the birthplace of this revival was Harlem, New York. It was also a time of blossoming for African-American women, who emancipated themselves from the diktats of beauty long reserved for white women. C.J. Walker, the daughter of a slave, illiterate and self-taught, was the ultimate icon, becoming the first female millionaire in the United States. Hear the story of this generation of women as Zora, a young African-American writer, prepares for an exceptional evening.