Introduction

In this Elizabethan project I will be learning, research and presenting my own take on the Elizabethan era. I will be researching and finding out more information on Queen Elizabeth, her portraits, how she looked and what she did to 'enhance' her beauty. Watching films about her reign will also be an interest as these give a more contemporary view with real facts on what happened all those years ago.
looking in to and researching all these different things will give me a really good understanding on what they did and why they did it, on creating their iconic make up look.

Doing all these things will set me up on how to research other briefs for the future, looking in to symbolism, make up recipes and the different films and programmes based on that time will give me a good idea on how to research properly and efficiently. I will also be looking at modern hair styles too and how they have been originated from the Elizabethan era.

I know that they used to have the palest white skin, made from a special concoction of  ingredients we probably will never use on our face in the 21st century. They had really high foreheads and no eye brows, pink cheeks and really red lips. The more make up they had on, was the biggest symbol that they were high and mighty.

It was said that Queen Elizabeth I

'had fully mastered the art of manipulating her image as the 'Virgin Queen' so that she appeared
perpetually youthful, even perpetually desirable'

She wore all the make up, all the wigs, all the jewellery and pearls she could, she was the biggest role model in her time, everyone wanted to be like her and look like her. In the year 1602 she had all her beauty and hair 'cosmetics' recorded

'she also possessed a massive wardrobe of dresses and every form of cosmetic preparation
common to the age. Many of her cosmetics were prepared by herself and she favoured a strange assortment of ingredients.' 

Finding out new facts and seeing what they used to wear and put on their skin is so fascinating, thinking that some of the recipes I'm going to research were actually a proper face cosmetic back in those days is baffling. I would never dream of using such crazy ingredients on my skin like they used to.

In this project I will be going in to depth about the cosmetics and portraiture in the Elizabethan era, finding out these things are crucial historical facts about how fashion and make up have revolutionised in to today.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDg9AoJYxeY