Makeup In Elizabethan Era Essay

In today’s time if men wore makeup, people would not accept it and even mock it. If men wore makeup in Elizabethan time, it was culturally acceptable and manly . Cosmetics worn at the time of Queen Elizabeth differed dramatically from those we wear today. Makeup was a huge part of Elizabethan time but a total pain to put on. The makeup was very heavy on the face and you had to put on several layers to get a good look. It told your peers how wealthy and even how fashion forward you were. But since people did not understand how to make the makeup properly it became a life and death situation each day that they put the harsh chemicals on their faces (Leed). Queen Elizabeth set the fashion standards, and every girl worshipped the queen’s image because few women had role models to choose from that were so elegant and beautiful. The ideal looking women had light hair, a snow white

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Face paint from plant roots and leaves were applied with several layers to the lips (Alchin). To achieve a bright sparkle women use to drop belladonna in the eyes (Leed). Cerus was all the rage – and so they used a foundation mixture of white lead and vinegar (Alchin). This was downright poisonous, but people loved the look of it so they did not care. Madder, vermilion, and cochineal were used to redden the cheeks and lips. Elizabethan makeup included mineral makeup which was a loose powder foundation (Alchin). This is a favoured applicant even today. To become the perfect whiteness became a little obsessive when people started to draw in false veins (Leed). Kohl was used to darken eyelashes, which is an alternative today from using mascara. This was worn by men and women