Bibliography

References

Elizabethancostume.net,. "Elizabethan Makeup 101". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Elizabethan-era.org.uk,. "Elizabethan Make-Up". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Uk.pinterest.com,. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Uk.pinterest.com,. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

http://jolyswittygirl.tumblr.com/post/68291914266/elizabeth-1998

Dermalex.co.uk,. "About Psoriasis, Psoriasis Symptoms - Dermalex". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Goldderby.com,. "Oscars: Most Successful Film Franchises - Shekhar Kapur's 'Elizabeth' Films: 2 Wins, 9 Nominations". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Nhs.uk,. "Conjunctivitis - NHS Choices". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Pcds.org.uk,. "Impetigo | Primary Care Dermatology Society | UK". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Pinterest.com,. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Tim Clayton Dermatology,. "Dr Tim Clayton - Atopic Eczema Specialist Manchester". N.p., 2015. Web. 13 D

Wikipedia,. "Lady-In-Waiting". N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia,. "Lettice Knollys". N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. ec. 2015.

Peer Review

What can I say about Nicole.. She was fabulous. She listened to everything that asked of her and she was able to create the design that I wanted her too. Although she said she was struggling with trying to create the gold lines that went across my face she persevered and was able to overcome this problem thanks to a little bit of masking tape! One thing I think was a little bit of a problem was the language barrier. I feel sometimes she didn't always understand what I was trying to say. This may be because I'm horrific at explaining or because of my incredibly fast speech but we always got there in the end. When it came to me doing her design she definitely had a set idea as to what she wanted her design to look like because she would always tell to change small things within her design, which I was fine with. I think because we always tried to communicate during the practices and assessments we were both able to come out with the designs that we wanted. I would say that we probably could have practised a little more on each other but that is something that I have learnt for the furture. I wouldn't say that me and Nicole are the best of friends but if I saw her out and about I would stop and have a conversation and hopefully as the year goes on we are able to get on better. 

Evaluation

Overall I have really enjoyed doing this project. There have been so many things for my to overcome and practise so that I can become the best that I can be. I have loved learning about a piece of history that has helped define the way we wear make up today. I enjoyed creating designs once I finally got into the swing of it and thinking up new ideas as to what I could use. My partner has been amazing and I think that we worked really well together. I feel due to a lot of communication during practise and the assessment we were both able to get the final design that we both wanted. I found the make up assessment quite stressful as I wasn't sure I would be able to create partners look in the amount of time that was give, but actually I was able to get things done pretty quickly while still making sure that I was doing her design to the best of my ability.One thing that I admit I have struggled with is time management. I left the blog more or less to the last minute meaning I found these last few days incredibly stressful. I've learnt from it though and in the future I definitely will be doing things as and when I get them so that I can't fall behind again! Another thing is that both me and my partner chose my final design and I think we picked one of the more simpler designs. Looking back I wish I had chosen one of the other designs, however I still really like the design that I did end up choosing.

My partners Design

                                                   

So this was my partners final design. I was able to practice on her once and then used people within my flat to practice on as well. Now considering I'm not the best at contouring and using eye shadow, this was an incredibly difficult design for me. It got to the point where I started wearing eye shadow just so I got the hang of shading!! 

 These are the practice photos for her final design. As you can see they aren't the best and a lot of work was needed to be done. After doing one side of the face I was able to get feedback from her so that when it came to doing the other half, I was able to get what she wanted.

 One thing that I really had to work on was the eye shadow. I wasn't used to working with such dark colours so trying to put on the right amount and then trying to blend it was such a struggle. Apart from the eye shadow I was able to get everything more or less spot on!

Final Images

Overall I am really please as to how the final look came out. I was able to over come the things that I struggled with to create a look that I hope my model was pleased with. One thing that I hadn't practised before the assessment is the gold paint on the ears and neck so I really had to communicate with my partner so that I could make sure I was doing what she wanted it to look like.

My Final Design!

I chose this to be my final design as I felt that it was simple enough but still be enough of a challenge for my partner. Unfortunately we didn't get an images of her practising the design so you'll have to live with the final images that were used. 

                       

                       


Overall I think my partner Nicole did an incredibly good job with design. It looks exactly like my face chart and we were able to think of solutions to any problems that popped up such as the gold line. Originally Nicole was trying to do it free hand and was using Supra Colour which meant that it was incredibly difficult to apply, however we thought of placing masking tape on my face to mark out where the lines would be and just colour it in using Aqua Colour which was a lot easier to apply and as it turns out a lot shinier as well!!

My designs

Trying to start designing was something I struggled with. I just couldn't think of anything so I just decided to do anything and see where that got me. Once I started designing I was able to get into the flow of it and create quite a few designs.

This was the first design that I did. I wanted to try and incorporate some form of green colouring as I felt that this would be a colour that would relate to the Elizabethan era. However I wanted to add a modern twist to it so I added in the gold around the inner corner of the eyes. I also added in some small little details such as dots and eye liner flicks to make it slightly more contemporary however I kept the red lips that the Elizabethans would have had. I love this style as I feel that it is simple yet effective. 

The next design that I did was influenced from the first design. After seeing what the gold looked like around the inner corners of the eyes, I wondered what it would look like if they connected. Rather than having the gold line going over the eye lid as I wanted to include the green shading again. As much as I like this look I don't think that the colours mix well together.

Again this one is influenced from the one before. It is more or less the exact same but the one thing that I changed was the colour of the eye shadow. When I was researching Lettice Knollys I had said that I wanted to include shades of red so I though that this was the perfect opportunity as I think the colour scheme work really well and although it is slightly more contemporary it has hints of Elizabethan culture in it.

This design just came completely out of the blue. What I was trying to aim to do was create a filigree style across the face but I though that would be too difficult so I made it a little simpler. I also wanted to change up the lips slightly as I felt that having fully covered lips wasn't completely working. I like this design as I think it is quite unique but it might be a bit of a struggle to do.

For this one I used the design before as influence. Rather than having a gold design I decided to try white instead as I felt that this might show up better on the skin and I would be a lot easy to apply. I also decided to add in some eye shadow just to see what it would look like. I think I prefer it with the eye shadow as it I feel that it just adds to the look.

Now this is one of my favourite designs. I got inspiration from the two with the filigree patterns across the face. I wanted to try and incorporate all the designs I had done previously into one, so I made a small filigree mask across the face. I then placed a small amount of green eye shadow so that it is not bright but it is still noticeable. I kept the same design for the lips but I just changed the colour to gold. I think it looks good but I don't think you can really see it.

The last design that I did was influenced by fireworks. I tried to re create the looks of fireworks across the face. The brush that I used probably wasn't the best as it made the lines thicker than I wanted them to be however I still think that this is a really good design. I chose red eye shadow but looking at it now, I don't think it really works with the rest of the look.

Eyes and Lips

Today was all about the eyes and lips. And just like contouring and highlighting I found this a real struggle as I've never had to do it before. So the first thing that I had to do was to figure out what eye shape my model had and then choose what eye shadow style would work best. I found that my model had close set eyes so I had to place a light shade on the inner corners and then blend it so that it got darker towards the outside of the eye. 

What I used:

• MAC Eye Shadow Palette
• Kryolan Lip Rouge Mini Palette
• Maybelline Mascara
• Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer
• Charles Fox Eye Shadow Brush
• Charles Fox Blending Brush
• Charles Fox Angled Brush
• Mascara Wands

I started off with the usual stuff, cleansing and toning, washing of the hands, tying up of the models hair and covering them with a cape. I then also applied a light foundation base so that it just makes the look a little more professional. I then added the eye shadow primer so that the shadow would stay on longer and so that I would be able to blend to colours a little easier. I started off with putting a small amount of a light shade all over the eyes but added a little more to the inner corners of the eye. Then I used a light brown a placed it in the middle of the eye and blended it outwards just enough that it is still noticeable. I then got a darker shade and placed it on the outside corners of the eye. I blended it in to the lighter shade of brown so that it was a smooth transition from light to dark. I also blended it so that it went slightly under the eye. Then using a mascara wands I put the mascara on the outside eyelashes and then a very small amount on the inside ones. I think overall the eyes turned out alright but I definitely need to work on it.

The lips were slightly easier as at least I've had a little bit of practice before hand. We were able to pick any colour we liked from the mini palette so I went for a dark crimson colour. Then using the angled brush I started with small strokes to create the outline. I then filled in the middle so that all the lips were covered. One thing I do struggle when it comes to doing lips is creating the perfect outline. One side goes well and then the other just doesn't. So again this is something I am going to have to work on.

Complimentary Face Chart

After doing my first face chart I decided to try and improve my skills a little more before I started on my final designs. I chose to do a complimentary colour scheme so the two colours that I used was red and green. 

The first thing that I did was to put on the base. Again I used quite a pale tone as I feel like I relate to it better and I can imagine what it would look like more easily. I found that I was able to apply the base a lot easier than the first time as I realised I didn't have to make it look perfect. Of course I tried to make things look as nice as possible but I didn't spend ages trying to create an even tone all over the face. I then added in where the contour and highlight would go. After doing contouring on an actual person I found it easier trying to do it on a face chart as I had a better idea as to where it had to go and how much would be needed. The next thing that I did was to start on the eyes. I placed a small amount of red on the inner corner of the eyes and then a bright green on the outside. I then slowly blended them together so that they merged together to cover the whole eyelid. I added a thin layer of eye liner just to make the eyes pop a little more. You can't see it in the picture but I decided to add some small little details around the eyes in the form of dots. The last thing that I did was to make the lips a crimson colour but darken the edges of the lips so that it fades from dark to light. I also decided to add hair just for fun, however looking at it know I think I have unintentionally created Wonder Woman....
Although I think it has turned out really well and I feel a little more confident in what I am doing.

My Lady in Waiting

So the Lady in Waiting that I chose was Lettice Knollys. I felt that because she had an affair with the Queens lover I wanted to know more about what happened and really look into her life. Lettice Knollys was born to Catherine Carey and Sir Francis Knollys. Looking at Knollys family tree I found out that she is 1st cousin to Queen Elizabeth meaning she grew up around her. Knollys had 15 brothers and sisters meaning she came from a big family. At a young age she married a man called Walter Deveraux, Earl of Essex. Deveraux left to Ireland for two years, leaving Knollys by herself. However during the time that Deveraux was away, knollys almost started an affair with Robert Dudley, who at the time was the Queens lover! Scandalous! Deveraux died soon after he came home. At one point people thought that Knollys might have poisoned him but after medical examination his death was ruled as natural causes. Two years after Deveraux's death, Knollys and Dudley got married in secret, however the Queen soon found out and banished Knollys from court. The pair soon have a child together who unfortunately dies from an infection as an infant. Dudley takes a position as Governor General and moves to the Netherlands. This royally pisses of the Queen as well! (No pun intended.) While Dudley was in the Netherlands, Knollys had another affair with a man called Sir Christopher Blount. Like Deveraux when Dudley returned home he quickly died from Malaria and Knollys ends up marrying Blount. Knollys whole life must have based around gossip!!

After learning the back story to Lettice I decided on a few things that I think could be included with my final design. I think Lettice must have been quite a firey person so I think colours like red, yellow and orange could be included. I can also see her being quite a jealous person so maybe using shades of green could be quite good.

I am yet to make any face charts so you'll have to wait for those unfortunately! 

Contouring and Highlighting.

This was a hard task for me as I have never contoured or highlighted the face in my life. I never felt the need to do it on myself so this was a whole new experience for me! Right lets get started but first..... what did I use?

• Kryolan Skin Base
• Illamasqua Satin Primer
• Illamasqua Translucent Powder
• Kryolan Glamour Glow
• Kryolan Dermacolour Camo mini palette
• Charles Fox Foundation Brush
• Charles Fox Blush Brush

Okay so like ever other time I had to cleanse and tone the face to make sure that it is free of any previous make up that might get into the new make up. Once that was done I made sure I had washed my hands, tied up the models hair and covered her in an apron. I then placed a small amount of Illamasqua's satin primer on the back of my hand and then added some of the Kryolan Skin base. Making sure that I had the right skin tone I started from the nose outwards and worked my way around the face. I found when applying the base and matching the skin tone to  the base a lot easier as I had done it once before. 

After I had applied the base I dabbed a small amount of the Translucent powder to make sure the base had set. This is where things got interesting. So to contour the face you want to find the areas that dip in and make it even more noticeable. The areas that you would have to contour are under the cheekbones, lightly uner the lower lip and either side of the nose, at the temple and along the hairline. A lot of these are easy as it's common sense as to where they are on the face but trying to do the cheekbones means you have to feel around your models face (with their permission of course) so that you can feel where the cheekbones end and where you need to contour. So after touching up my models face for a bit I placed a small amount from the Glamour Glow palette under the cheekbones to outline where I would need to contour. Or at least that's what I tried to do. The Glamour Glow comes out a lot stronger than it looks on the brush so I had to blend out what I had placed and use that as the contour. I then had to do the same thing on the other side, and we all know I struggle with making things even. 

Once I got the cheekbones done I moved onto the rest of the face and I feel that actually it turned out a lot better than I thought it would.

The last thing that I had to do was to highlight the face. And not the kind of highlight that you would use to make pieces of text stand out. Using a base colour that is a shade or two lighter than the original base, place it on the areas of the face that pop out such as the cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and the middle of your forehead. I don't think you could really notice the highlight when I did so I think that is something that I need to work on in the future. 

Lady in Waiting...

Official definition of a Lady in Waiting : 'A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at court, royal or feudal, attending on a Queen (either if she is a Queen regent or the Queen consort), a princess, or a high ranking noblewoman.

Today Sharon gave us a list of women that were ladies in waiting to Queen Elizabeth and we had to choose one and create a back story for them. There were nine in total and we were told a brief amount of information about each one.

• Katherine Swynford - Married a knight
• Anne Russell - Married Ambrose Dudley. Robert Dudley's brother
• Lettice Knollys - Had an affair with Robert Dudley
• Elizabeth Throckmorton - Married Sir Walter Raleigh
• Elizabeth Brydges - Was included in the Queens Funeral
• Blanch Perry - Gentlewoman of the Bedchamber
• Anne Vavasour - Mistress of the Earl of Oxford
• Bess of Hardwick - Married four times. Second most powerful woman in the country.

So after learning a small amount of each lady, there was two that I was deciding between. The first was Lettice Knollys. What I liked about Knollys was the fact that she had an affair with the Queens lover and I wanted to know how and what happened after. The second was Anne Vavasour. I liked the sound of her as she seemed like the kind of person that caused a small amount of trouble wherever she went. I also thought she sounded quite scandalous which would have been an interesting thing to try and portray.

Which one did I choose? You'll just have to wait and see!

Now can I be an Elizabethan!?

Now as we previously know Elizabethan women were known for their white face, red cheeks and lips and high foreheads. And as I said in the white base post I didn't really want to try using the ingredients that they did so I used some more modern day cosmetics. Now after doing that exercise I wanted to see what a full on Elizabethan make up would look like. So to start off here are the things that I used to make myself into an Elizabeth Lady:

• Kryolan Aqua Colour
• Illamasqua Translucent Powder
• Kryolan Blush Pallet
• Kryolan Lip Rouge Mini Pallet
• Charles Fox Foundation Brush
• Charles Fox Blush Brush
• Charles Fox Detail Brush
• Mascara Wands

So to start off the first thing that I did was to apply the white base. I chose to use the Aqua Colour rather than the Illamasqua white base as I wanted to try something slightly harder and see how it turned out. Seeing as this was the second time I had applied it, I kind of knew how to apply it so that I was able to get an even coverage while still being able to maintain a good amount of colour. One thing that I did learn was once you had dipped the foundation brush in the water and then into the base was to apply some onto the back of your hand so that the brush isn't as wet and you are able to apply it without disrupting any other parts that you have previously done. If that makes sense! I then had to create that high forehead look, and to do that I had to get rid of my eyebrows. Now there is no way I am plucking my eyebrows so I used a mascara wand and covered it in Illamasqua's white skin base and the then back brushing my eyebrows. This made sure that I was able to get right down to the roots of the hair and completely cover them in the white base. I naturally have really dark eyebrows so I struggled to make them fully white. Maybe next time I might try using the Supra Colour as I feel that, that might work slightly better. I also then covered my eyelashes in the white base so that I really went for that high forehead look. I must say I looked pretty weird!

The next thing that I done was to apply blush to the face. Now some women used a light shade of pink while others went for a slightly more redder tone. I decided to use a red coloured blush as I wanted to go for a slightly more extreme look. One thing I struggled on was making the blush even. For some reason one side always goes better than the other and then I find it incredibly difficult trying to get them to be even! Does anyone else get that?! Either way I am really glad as to how it actually turned out in the end as I feel that it really stands out against the white base and it was the kind of look that I was going for.

The last thing that I did was to get the small detail brush and have medium colour red for my lips. I didn't want a bright red as I felt that it wasn't a colour that would have been used just like a deep red. I wanted to go for a more orangey red as I thought that I would look a little more authentic. 

 Overall I had a really good time recreating this look and I love how it has turned out! 

Creating the perfect base

So today in Sue's lesson we learnt how to create the perfect skin base. Using the Kryolan skin base pallet we had to try and match the base to our partners skin tone. Before you start applying any make up there are a few things that are needed to be done. First things first you want to make sure that your hands are clean. Remember to let your model know what you are doing so they have reassurance. The next thing is to tie up the models hair so that none of it gets into the makeup. And lastly place an apron over the model so that no make up goes on the clothes and possibly ruin them.

What I used:

• Illamasqua Primer. Matt or Satin
• Kryolan Skin Base Pallet
• Illamasqua Translucent Powder
• Charles Fox Foundation Brush
• Charles Fox Kabuki Brush
• Illamasqua Powder Puff

To prep the face I made sure I had to make sure that there was no make up on the face so I quickly cleansed, toned and moisturised the face. 

So the first thing that I did was to place a small amount of Illamasqua's satin primer onto the back of your hand. You can either put this straight onto the face by either using your fingers or a make up brush. Primer is meant to help keep the make up on the face and stop in from coming off. However what I did was to take a small amount of the Kryolan skin base in the colour that I thought would match the skin colour of my model and mix the two together. I felt that this gave the base a better texture and I was able to apply it on a lot easier.

To test to see if you have the correct colour for your models skin, you do a single brush stroke on the bottom of the face by the jawline. Then gently rub in the base and if it matches then you can start applying more to the face. However if it doesn't match this means you need to add in another colour and keep testing until you've got the right tone. Once you have found the correct shade you start  from the nose and working your way outwards, I tried to put on the foundation as evenly as possible. I found this base to be incredibly streaky when applying and I struggled to try and get it so that it had a smooth coverage. I used the Charles Fox foundation brush for most of the face but when it came to areas such as the eyes I got a slightly smaller brush to get the foundation all over but then used the foundation brush to help smooth everything out. I then got the kabuki brush and with medium pressure, rubbed small circles all over the face. This helped get rid of the streaks and made the foundation have a lot more even coverage. I had to be careful around the eyes as I didn't want to hurt my model but I had to make sure that I found a balance so that the foundation sat right on the face. The last thing that I did was to lightly dab a small amount of the Illamasqua translucent powder all over the face as it is meant to help set the foundation and stop it from wearing off. Another reason for putting the powder on is so that when it comes to putting on any other powder cosmetics they apply easily and stay on rather than rubbing off.

 I think for the first time of trying to colour match, I did a pretty good job as you can't really notice a difference in skin tone. One thing that I would say about this base is that it is really thick and can easily be seen on the skin even after its been rubbed in. However that may be because I didn't do it right......We'll have to see next time I do this!!

Monochromatic face chart

So today was the day that I did my first ever face chart..It was a daunting process to say the least. we were told to choose either an analogous, monochromatic or complimentary colour scheme and then create a face chart based around it. I chose to do a monochromatic look and picked the colour blue. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible seeing as it was my first time and I wanted to make sure I got the hang of it before I started to go a little more wild with my designs. We watched a brief tutorial just so we had a slight idea as to what to do and where to start. 

The first thing that I did was to create the base. I used the Kryolan skin base in Alabaster as I wanted to have a pale skin tone. At first I found it incredibly difficult as I couldn't place it on as evenly as I wanted to however after a while I was able to get the hang of it and I was able to apply it a lot smoother than I did originally. The next thing that I did was to add a small amount of shading around the cheekbones so that it makes the face look a little more 3D. This I think was the hardest thing to do. At first I couldn't find the right colour and then at some point I put on too much and then there was too little. I just couldn't find the balance!! I had to do some serious blending in order for both sides to be even!! The last thing that I did was to start on the eye make up. I had to use different shades of blue so I started off with putting a small amount of light blue in the inside corner of the eyes and then tried to make it darker as it went out, however that didn't go quite to plan. It ended up mostly a darker blue with a tiny amount of light blue. However for my first attempt I am really pleased as to how it turned out. 

White base

So as I mentioned in a previous post, Elizabethan women placed a white base on their face to create a pale complexion however seeing as I didn't want to try a harmful mixture I tried out 3 modern day bases so that I could see which one worked best and which one didn't. 

The first one that I tried was the Illamasqua white base. This base applies on so easily that it helped create such an even look the only problem is that it applies on quite thinly. I feel that this is the perfect look for an Elizabethan style make up however if you want to have quite a heavy white base it's probably not one of the best ones to choose.

The next one that tried out was Kryolan Supra Colour which is an oil base paint. Like the first one is applies on really easily but it's not always even which means you would have to go over it with a kabuki brush to smooth it out. One good thing about this is that it can be applied on quite thickly however it can wear off after a while and it's not always easy to apply anything else on top because due to it being oil based it can smudge really easily.

The last one that I tried was Kryolan Aqua Colour. The nature of this base is kind of in the name as it need water for it to work. Again it applies on great but it is incredibly difficult to make it even. This means that you would have to bring out the kabuki brush again to smooth out the edges. This particular base applies on really thickly so if you're looking for a heavy white base this is the one to use. Also because it is a water base it means that once its dry you are able to apply anything on top of it as it won't smudge.

Overall I think that the Illamasqua white base is the best as it is easy to use and apply and creates an even look. 

Colour Theory

Colour theory. Sounds easy right. It's not. When creating a look you have to make sure that the colours that are used work together otherwise the whole thing will look interesting to say the least...
                         

Look at that beauty!! The range of colours that we have is extraordinary and trying to choose the right ones can be incredibly difficult. Kat taught as about the different groups of the colour wheel. The primary colours are the main 3 that people start off with and then expand from there. Red, Blue and Yellow are the primary colours and are ones that cannot be made by adding one colour to another. The next set is secondary colours. These are the ones that when two of the primary colours are mixed to create a new one. There are then seeing which colours work together and which ones don't. 




Monochromatic:  Monochromatic means different shades of the same colour. This means that there are various amount of shades that can be used. The lighter colours are known as tints.











Analogous: Analogous means three to four colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. The colours can be either one of the lighter shades or one of the bright ones.













Complimentary: Complimentary colours are the ones that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Although they shouldn't work, you'd be incredibly surprised. This particular colour scheme is one of the most common ones to be used and it creates such an interesting look.







Warm and Cold: Warm and cold colours can be the basis of what you ones you choose. If your trying to create a look based around the cold, you wouldn't use colours such as reds and oranges as these have a warm tone to them. 






Next lesson I shall be creating my first ever face chart based around one of these colour groups, which should be interesting as I'm not sure how it is going to turn out. So fingers crossed!

Can I be an Elizabethan?

Today in Sharon's lesson we started to briefly look at symbolism and what certain objects meant to the Queen and why they were used. Our task for outside of lesson was to look for a modern day elizabethan portrait that we felt included some form of symbolism from the Elizabethan period. and then create our own with things that we felt symbolised who we are as a person.

I picked this portrait as I felt that it created a sense of power even though there isn't much going on within the image. Dark colours were often worn by the Queen as it was a show of wealth and power. Only people that were incredibly high up were allowed to dress in dark clothing. Another thing is the high neck piece. Although the Queen stuck to ruffles around the neck, the pearls that were used are just as symbolic. Pearls are known for their purity so in many of the dresses and hair pieces that the Queen wore, pearls could be seen all over. Also the gold around the eyes is a show of wealth which is another colour that was used often within Elizabethan portraits.



This is another image that I am in love with. The dress, the hair, the make up everything is absolutely gorgeous. Although the style of the dress isn't something that would have been worn, the colour is something that would have been worn often. The make up is the iconic pale face, red lips and high forehead. The hair is something that maybe is slightly different as to what was popular however I think it works well with the over all look. I also like the small pearl decorations as I feel that it just ties the look together.



After doing a bit of research I felt that I had an idea as to what I wanted to include in my own Elizabethan portrait. I decided that I wanted to keep it simple so rather than go all out I picked 3 things that I felt described me the best. I kept my hair and makeup simple as I am not the kind of person to go all out. One thing that the Queen might of worn was an ermine cloak, so I decided to try and recreate my own version using a blanket. What wasn't planned was the design of the blanket although I think it fits in really well with the Elizabethan theme as it's filled with little filigree designs. The next item that I chose was my laptop. Originally on the screen was the netflix logo as I love to watch tv and get broaden my imagination, however it didn't show up as I had hoped on camera so I just placed it so that it was open. The last object that I had was two make up pallets from Kryolan as make up is the thing that I want to learn every aspect of and it is a way to express myself. I tried to use a pose that would look as though I had just stepped out of a real Elizabethan portrait. I think overall the image turned out really well and I feel that it describes me well as a person. 

Elizabethan Make up?

Beauty standards, they've always been around and probably always will be, but what were they like in Elizabethan times? Well they were very different then they are now, for instance having pale skin was something women strived for rather than having tanned skin. Although for the lower class woman being tanned was something they couldn't help as they would be out working under the sun while the upper class women would stay inside. 

If women were born with slightly tanned skin they would use a mixture of ingredients many of which were harmful to the skin. To create a white base they would use white and lead and vinegar which was also known as Ceruse. This was one of the mixtures that only the wealthy would be able to afford however there were many authors that advised people against it as they thought that it would cause the skin to become 'grey and shrivelled'. A slightly less poisonous mixture is paste of alum, tin ash and sulphur and they would then add in things such as boiled egg white, talc and other materials that could be used for a white base. Uncooked egg white could also be used to create a glaze look over the face to try and hide wrinkles. Men and women used ceruse to try and cover up blemishes that illness like pox would cause however due to the nature of the make up, more problems would occur rather than being helpful.

Another strange thing that they did was to pluck their hairline back an inch or more as at the time that was a sign of wealth and knowledge. This soon resulted in many women just shaving off all their hair and using wigs rather than deal with their own hair. Some also went as far as shaving off their eyebrows!!

Now you might be thinking a white face and high hairline?! Bit plain....However they also applied plants and dyes to taint the cheeks and lips. Things like madder, cochineal and ochre based colours were used however Vermilion was the most popular and had to be placed on quite thickly so that it could be noticed. One utterly crazy thing that they did was to place Belladonna around or in their eyes to create a 'bright spark' in their eyes to make them look a little bit more seductive. For those of you that don't know, belladonna is a deadly poison that when even a small amount is consumed can cause horrific hallucinations and when enough is applied...death. Sorry to go all morbid on you!

Although all these mixtures are dangerous for your skin, the Elizabethans did use remedies to help cleanse the skin. Using things like lemon juice and rosewater mixed with compounds such as mercury, alum, honey and eggshells. This helped make make the skin soft and clear. Another remedy that is widely known is bathing is some sort of milk as it's meant to get rid of any dirt built up in the pores.

After looking at the resources that the Elizabethans used I decided against trying to create and use the make up as I don't really feel like causing my skin to flare up and cause any major damage...