Tudor Cosmetics and the Dangers

Queen Elizabeth I inspired a nation into using the new variations of cosmetics used within her extreme looks. 'Along with her red wigs, Elizabeth wore the fashionable red and white paint on her exposed skin, and the older she got, the more she painted' (Corson, 2003) demonstrating the length she would gone to remain looking youthful, and this is reflected in the extremities the Elizabethan woman may implement in their beauty regime. 

One of the most commonly practised techniques of creating a pale complexion was by using ceruse, or a white lead, which was very dangerous for human skin. (Gunn, 1973). This paleness implied healthiness and wealth as you would not be working out in the sunlight and could afford servants and staff to complete your daily jobs, so theoretically the skin would stay young and plump forever for the rich. This did not turn out to be the case as it known that as Elizabethan aged, she would use a concoction of ass's milk, hog lard and beeswax for the production of lotions and coated her face in egg whites so her makeup would not crack or smudge. The image from Fenja Gunn's The Artificial Face demonstrates details a further bizarre cosmetic fashion. Veins were painted on the forehead which was presumably introduced to simulate a youthful, translucent complexion.

To achieve the pale complexion, some severe measures were taken by Elizabethan women. Many would 'swallow gravel, ashes, coals, dust, tallow candles, labour and toil themselves to spoil their stomach, only to get a pale-bleak colour'. Women who preferred not to use the dangerous pastes to whiten their skin were advised to wash in their own urine or wine (Corson, 2003). These ideals show the utmost lengths people would go to have a cosmetic look like Queen Elizabeth. 

Juvenile and youthful young women were the inspirations, primarily for Elizabeth Tudor, of their cosmetic looks. The ideal face would have a basic colour palette of white, pink and red. This portrait of a young woman (identified as a maid-of-honour to Elizabeth I) demonstrates the standards of beauty that are trying to be achieved through the Elizabethan makeup trend - hair of red and amber shades and soft bone structure. (Ribeiro, 2011). There is barely any eye makeup used, apart from a touch of pink shadow. It was important for the eyes to be large and well-shaped (potentially why the eyebrows were also overly-plucked to leave the emphasis on the eyes). It seems as though the production of tudor cosmetics and the makeup craze of pale complexions and blushed cheeks stemmed from the young women that elder ladies so desired to be throughout their existence. 

Elizabethan Cosmetic Recipes

• To make the complexion white: 'Take leaves and roots of nettle and boil them in water and with this water wash your hands and face and they will become white and soft.'
• To reduce redness in the face: 'Take white lead, rose water and violet oil and mix together and anoint the face.'
• Powder to make teeth white: 'Take coral and rock alum burned and ground very well and pass through a sieve and use'
• To make hair and body hair grow: 'Take borax water, fumitory water, water of plantain and with this water wash where you want and take a comb comb and comb very well.'

References

• Aileen Ribeiro. 2011. Facing Beauty, Painted Women & Cosmetic Art. Published by Aileen Riberio (U.S). Chapter: Renaissance 78-82.
• Fenja Gunn. 1973. The Artifical Face, A History of Cosmetics. Published by David & Charles (London). Chapter: Late Fifteeth and Sixteeth Centuries 70-88
• Richard Corson. 2003. Fashions in Makeup, From Ancient to Modern Times. Published by Peter Owen Publishers (London.) Third Edition. Chapter: Elizabethan Days 101-113
• Jill Burke. 2011. 'Making Up The Renaissance' [14^th October 2015] Available from: https://sites.eca.ed.ac.uk/renaissancecosmetics/

12 comments Research

Share: