Historical research of Elizabethans beauty and culture

Cosmetics were not widely popular during the reign of Mary I (c.1516-1558) but after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I, makeup had become popular and widely being used. This was mainly influenced by the Italian women and their culture had brought into England. During the Elizabethans era, the Elizabethan view of pure beauty was a woman with white skin, rouged lips and cheeks and light hair.

Queen Elizabeth I

Many cosmetics were made from dangerous chemicals in the Elizabethan era and mercuric salts is an example which were used to whiten the complexion. Women from upper class got a pale and white complexion and it was a sign of wealth and nobility. While lower class women were expected to work outside, so they had got pink and tanned skin. Queen Elizabeth I's white complexion was viewed as the standards of beauty at the English court, so it was very important for her to maintain her image and the beauty of a 'Virgin Queen' as many people followed her beauty trend. This white complexion was therefore considered by Elizabethan men as well because of the popularity and there is one more reason that Elizabethans used the white makeup on their face because it was useful for hiding the signs of ageing.

During the Elizabethan era, women liked to used black kohl to rim their eyes and make them look darker. Belladonna was also used so to enlarge their pupils and make their eyes look bigger.

Rouge lips and cheeks were popular in the Elizabethan era and it symbolises wealth .  

In the 1590's, a decade in which people started to comment and questioned on the extremes of dresses and makeup on English women's appearance.
Shakespeare has written a poet called Sonnet 80 which regarding the female beauty in the Elizabethan era. On below are the lines that Shakespeare commented on Elizabethans women within his poem.

'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun,
Coral is far more red than her lips' red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun...
I have seen roses damask'd red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks'

Book references:

• facing beauty: pAINTED WOMEN & COSMETIC ART by aileen ribeiro PAGE 82,85,86,223
• Fashions in makeup: from ancient to morden times by Richard corson page 101,103,105