Elizabethan Beauty

My current understanding of Elizabethan beauty is what Queen Elizabeth looked like, many women looked up to her and copied her look as she was considered the most beautiful women of her time. The definition of beauty in the 1500's was the pale skin and red hair. White lead was used to make a pale complexion, and ochre and mercuric sulphide were both used for cheek rouge. Women who preferred not to use this to whiten their skin were advised to wash in their own urine or with rose-water mixed with wine! Egg whites were used to give a fashionable glaze to the skin. The hairline on the forehead would be very far back and some women would even shave it to make it appear longer as this was a sign of high intelligence. The centre parted hear waved or rolled which had become popular in the 1540's continued to be worn like this during the early years Although blonde hair was fashionable in other countries, English women of the era were loyal to Queen Elizabeth, making flame-red hair the most popular. Many women would go to extreme lengths to achieve this look by dying their hair with substances including urine, saffron seeds, cumin and oil! Because some of the dyes they used were poisonous it meant there was a thriving business in wigs and hair pieces for women who were unhappy with their own hair. 

Some information from: http://www.extremecostuming.com/articles/twoelizabethanhairstyles.html

Image fromhttp://www.luminarium.org/renlit/elizface2.htm

Queen Elizabeth, c.1575-1578.
Attr. to Nicholas Hilliard.
Anglesey Abbey.

To me, this portrait is a prime example of what represents elizabethan beauty. Her face is pale and her lips and cheeks contrast this. Her eyebrows are highly arched and she has a high forehead. This image is relevant to my project as it clearly portrays how she wore her makeup and this is the look that everybody at the time desired. I love the way her hair is styled and I think the ruffles around her neck frames her face nicely. Her outfits were always exaggerated with the shoulder pads and puffy sleeves and they were always beautifully decorated with jewels. I love the contrast of the texture in her hair and dress with the smoothness of her skin. The background is plain which makes Queen Elizabeth the main focus. I think she looks very beautiful here and I love the composition of the image. This image can help me with my project as it shows a lot of colour, texture and shapes along with the style of her hair and makeup.