Elizabethan Beauty

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Elizabethan beauty seems to refer to Queen Elizabeth I who was a style icon of this time as well as the ruler. She prided her self on her appearance and wanted to come across pure and as the a virgin queen. 

The Elizabethans image of beauty was light hair, preferably blonde or red. A pale complexion, red cheeks and lips. These were signs of wealth and ranking in Elizabethan times. To achieve these looks the products they used were made with dangerous products such as white led and vinegar to lighten the skin, this was called ceruse. Cohineal was used as a lipstick and blush colourant, this bright colour is found when beetles are crushed. They also used coal to darken the eyelashes. 

The hairstyles were very extravagant, the hair lines would be plucked back to represent intelligence, the further back the hair line the more intelligent you were. Queen Elizabeth did this and was known for being very intelligent. They would use cumin, saffron seeds and urine to lighten and dye their hair. They would frizz and curl hair and use hair pieces as the poisonous chemicals would make their hair fall out.

some information from: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/makeup.html