Your face is the first thing people notice about you. Whatever fashions you choose to wear, whatever position in life you happen to be in, it's your face that is the center of all human interaction and communication.

Women have always been experts at creating a presentable public face. For millennia, we've used various techniques to camouflage our least-favorite features and accentuate our natural beauty. Sometimes, the desire to look perfect can get a bit overwhelming.

In 1935, makeup mogul Max Factor introduced the Beauty Micrometer, a scary-looking contraption that appeared to fit better in a mad scientist's laboratory than it would in a beauty salon. The Micrometer was designed to measure and evaluate a face for the slightest flaws, which could then be remedied with makeup. It was, of course, a way for Mr. Factor to get some press in a time when the public would line up for the unveiling of any novel futuristic invention.