How the International Day of Beauty began

The story starts in post-war Europe. In 1946 the first congress of aesthetics and cosmetology specialists met in Brussels: delegates from several countries joined forces to raise professional standards and share knowledge. That is how CIDESCO — Comité International d'Esthétique et de Cosmétologie — was born.

The organisation grew, and from 1957 its qualification was governed by a single international standard. A CIDESCO diploma is still considered one of the most prestigious credentials in cosmetology, and schools under its umbrella follow the same curriculum on every continent.

Almost half a century after its founding, in 1995, committee members proposed a separate day devoted to beauty in all its forms. They chose 9 September. At first it was a strictly professional occasion for cosmetologists, hairdressers and make-up artists, but its meaning widened over time: beauty became a shorthand for inner harmony, health and self-respect.

Beauty starts with a step

An outfit is read from the ground up: people may forget the colour of your bag, but they always notice worn-down heel counters or a badly chosen heel height. Footwear is the one wardrobe item that works on your appearance and your health at the same time — the wrong pair changes your posture, your gait and the look on your face by the end of the day.

So the best gift to yourself on 9 September is not another impulse buy but a pair you can wear through a full working day without wanting to take them off. At the N-SHOES online shoe store we build the range on exactly that principle: natural materials, a well-designed last and honest sizing.