Elizabethan beauty ideals

Having had a real interest in History throughout GCSEs and Sixth Form, I know a few things about the Elizabethan’s and have previously watched a program about Elizabeth beauty ideals and their rituals to achieve a pale complexion.

Most people are aware of the risk many Elizabethan women took in order to look beautiful. Of course, they were not aware that these were risks to their health. Elizabethan women would use lead to create a chalky, white base for their face, as they believed that being pale was a sign of wealth and elegance. It has been interesting researching other techniques that they used in their day, I was particularly interested in this video I found on YouTube. The video features an Elizabethan look portrayed by modern day makeup artists, as well as other beauty ideals from different periods:

I found a few books in the library that were really in depth about Elizabethan rituals and I was particuarly interested in the recipes featured in '

"To Make a Blanch for any Ladies Face

Of white Tartar take two drams, Camphire one dram, Coperas half a dram, the whites of four Eggs, juice of two lemmons,oyl of worth, bitter Almonds two ounces, all must be powdered and mixed with the oyl and water and then boyled upon a gentle fire and strain it; and so keep it: the party must rub her face with a Scarlet cloath and then over night was her with it, and in the morning wash off with Bran and white wine."

It also had a remedy to remove spots and freckles from the face:

"To take away Spots and Freckles from the Face and Hands

The sap that issueth out of a Birch tree in great abundance, being open in march and Aprill, with a reciever of Glass set under boring thereof to recieve the doth perfume the same most excellently and maketh the skin very cleer."

"A further recipe offers an expedition solutions:

To Make the Face White and Fair

Was they face with Rosemary boyled in white wine, and thou shalt be fair."



from: Gunn, Fenja. The Artificial Face. Newton Abbots: David & Charles, 1973. Print. page 77


I also found an instruction list on making solid perfumes. These were often used as a resort to deodrant, as people didn't bathe often in the Elizabethan era. These were strongly scented perfume sticks that were a lot more pleasant in smell than a person who hadn't washed for several days.. Another way of making themselves smell nice were herbs, or carrying flowers.

Ingredients
1/2 lb beeswax
1 tbsp almond oil
1 tsp ground  cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp powdered sandalwood
1/4 tsp amber paste
15 drops of benzoin essential oil 

Instructions
Melt the beeswax over medium heat while stirring constantly. Once it is completely liquid, lower the heat and continue stirring. Do not let the wax or mixture boil. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and sandalwood. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Then add the amber paste and the benzoin. Once these are thoroughly mixed add the almond oil and mix completely. Once this is mixed together pour it into the foil-lined bowl to cool. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle roll into balls. This makes over a dozen one inch "pommes." 

Leed, Drea, ed. Elizabethan Costuming Page. N.p., 1997. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. 



White skin

I also had a search on the internet to try and find a few beauty rituals and ideas for further research, I found a really useful website that talked about how a pale complexion was considered to be a sign of wealth (something I'd previously learnt) and prestige at the time. 
Only rich women could afford to have pale skin because poor people would work outside on the daily and caused tanning of the skin! To create a whiter skin, one of the most common ways was by using ceruse, a foundation made with white lead and vinegar. As previously mentioned, white lead was poisonous to the skin, and actually resulted in eroding on the skin/harsh blemishes. Other women preferred to apply sulphur, alum or tin ash. White eggs were also used to fake a paler complexion and even hide wrinkles. 

Eyes and eyebrows, cheeks and lips

Women often used black khol to liner their eyes and make them appear darker. They also used something called Belladonna, which enlarged the pupils so that eyes look particularly large and sparkly. Eyebrows were thin and arched, because it created the illusion of a high forehead, which was very popular at the time - Elizabeth 1st had a high forehead! It was a sign of aristocracy; many people looked towards the Queen for beauty and fashion ideas.

Rouged cheeks and lips were very popular in the time period. Women would use plants like madder, and animal dyes. (These included cochineal, a beetle!). Cheeks were often reddened using a mixture of egg white and ochres. Madder and cochineal were used on the lips, which could also be reddened using vermillion, a red pigment obtained from mercury sulphide. 

(internet source) http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/05/20/beauty-history-the-elizabethan-era/

Bibliography: 

http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/05/20/beauty-history-the-elizabethan-era/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g08-_NExOX0

Leed, Drea, ed. Elizabethan Costuming Page. N.p., 1997. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. 

Gunn, Fenja. The Artificial Face. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1973. Print.