Madeleine Marsh is an artist, writer and broadcaster.

She was educated at the Lycee Francais de Londres and at Trinity College Cambridge, where she prepared for her future career by dressing up in vintage clothes and shopping for antiques in Cambridge market. She then took a diploma in the fine and decorative arts and set up her own company Provenance, researching paintings and antiques for an international clientele of dealers, collectors and auction houses.

Madeleine produced catalogues on everything from Sevres snuff jars to jewellery belong to royal mistresses and her first book: Art detective: How to research your Paintings, Antiques and Collectables, was published by Pelham Books in 1993. Between 1993-97 she edited Miller’s Picture Price Guide and in 1995 she was appointed General Editor of Miller’s Collectables Price Guide, the annual ‘bible’ for collectors, a post she held for many years.  Madeleine is a specialist in post war collectables and is the author of Miller’s Collecting the 1950s, Miller’s Collecting the 1960s, and Modern Retro Table Top (Ryland, Peters and Small).

Madeleine’s particular interests include vintage fashion and women’s history and she is also author of Miller’s Collecting Perfume Bottles and of Compacts and Cosmetics- Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day – Pen and Sword – a social history of make-up and beauty practices.

Madeleine has worked an expert on the BBC Antiques Roadshow and has appeared on and presented for a wide range of television programmes including This Morning (ITV), Car Boot Challenge, Great Food Live, and numerous documentaries and historical programmes.  She appears regularly on radio and has contributed to a wide range of magazines and newspapers.

Today Madeleine works as an artist specialising in sculpture and jewellery. Her creations draw on her previous experience as a writer. Be it a necklace or a sculpture, her works typically tell a story and often draw their inspiration from the history of painting, antiques and vintage fashion. Madeleine lives in London and for many years has mudlarked (beachcombed) the Thames which has provided another major source of inspiration both for jewellery and other pieces.

Her designs  have a narrative and a sense of fun.  Each piece is handmade by the artist and entirely individual. Madeleine also produces commissions for those who want jewellery or sculpture as a unique gift or personalised work of art.  She has participated in various exhibitions and her work can be found in private collections in Britain and North America.

The History of Compacts and Cosmetics

From the dawn of time women have removed their body hair, covered up their natural odours and plastered their skin with everything from white lead to soot in order to make themselves feel more beautiful. Style expert Madelaine Marsh explores the history of make-up and researches the origins of our everyday cosmetic rituals. She goes back to Ancient Egypt to reveal the literal foundationof make-up and takes us up to the modern day world of Botox and bling. She chronicles the rise of the modern cosmetics industry and tells the story of some of the great pioneers who helped transform make-up from a guilty secret into an everyday handbag essential. Vintage beauty items are now increasingly sought after and this book also provides a collector's guide to powder compacts and cosmetic accessories - revealing the collectable make-up that you shouldn't throw away even if it's past its sell-by date!