It's very much like a primer, yes. Interestingly with makeup from the beginning of the early 20th century, it started out being something that's quite unseemly and something that's under the counter.
" I am confounded, " said Reepicheep to Aslan. " I am completely out of countenance. I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."
This type of behavior on the eve of a meeting in Iceland between the President and Mikhail Gorbachev would be unseemly enough for any member of Congress.
I think 30 years ago, it was kind of unseemly for a donor to be seen as trying to influence too much, give too much money in politics, and obviously that's all gone away in the Super PAC era.