Elizabethan England
Essay by Paul • September 7, 2011 • Essay • 567 Words (3 Pages) • 1,774 Views
Elizabethan England
Make-up was used even in Elizabethan England. The definition of beauty was for women to have light colored hair, a pale complexion with red cheeks and red lips. Women of the upper class were the only ones that were supposed to have a pale complexion because it represented royalty and nobility. Women of the lower class were expected to work out in the sun and therefore would be tan. Women would put white make-up on their faces to achieve his look. The make-up they applied to their faces was called ceruse, which was made out of white lead and vinegar, so it highly toxic. Some women would even purposefully lose blood to make their faces paler. This make -up was useful when it came to hiding wrinkles and other signs of aging, and other imperfections. Sometimes women would even dye their hair with saffron, which can be deadly in large amounts, cumin seeds, and Celandine which can cause rashes, itching, and severe allergic reactions in people. Cochineal was commonly used to redden lips and cheeks. Khol was often used to darken the eyelids; Khol was made by grinding up lead sulfide. The Queen herself had many wigs that gave her the illusion of light colored hair, at one point it was believed that she had a collection of over eighty wigs. Although many women of nobility wore the elaborate face paints and make-ups and dyes, Queen Elizabeth I was believed to have had the most elaborate make-up in her era. And although royalty, Queen Elizabeth had many flaws, including scarring she received when she, at one point, contracted small pox. The heavy, white, lead-based face paint covered these imperfections with great ease.
Make-up was used even in Elizabethan England. The definition of beauty was for women to have light colored hair, a pale complexion with red cheeks and red lips. Women of the upper class were the only ones that were supposed to have a pale complexion because it represented royalty and nobility. Women of the lower class were expected to work out in the sun and therefore would be tan. Women would put white make-up on their faces to achieve his look. The make-up they applied to their faces was called ceruse, which was made out of white lead and vinegar, so it highly toxic. Some women would even purposefully lose blood to make their faces paler. This make -up was useful when it came to hiding wrinkles and other signs of aging, and other imperfections. Sometimes women would even dye their hair with saffron, which can be deadly in large amounts, cumin seeds, and Celandine which can cause rashes, itching, and severe allergic reactions in people. Cochineal was commonly used to redden lips and cheeks. Khol was often used to darken the eyelids; Khol was made by grinding up lead sulfide. The Queen herself had many wigs that gave her the illusion of light colored hair, at one point it was believed that she had a collection of over eighty wigs. Although many women of nobility wore the elaborate
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