Can we speak about magnificence within the Victorian age? You’d suppose an 18 12 months outdated lady turning into queen would give the wonder trade a lift. Absolutely, such a younger lady liked to play with make-up, strive the newest lotions and potions, and launch traits, no?
Unsuitable. Queen Victoria liked to celebration and dance into the wee hours of the morning – however sans make-up. After the profligacy of her predecessors, Victoria was decided to make the monarchy respectable once more. And she or he didn’t suppose there was something respectable about cosmetics.
She thought face paint vulgar, and make-up appropriate just for prostitutes and actresses (there wasn’t a lot distinction between them again then). In actual fact, Victoria famously declared in 1870 that “The Queen is most anxious to do what she will be able to to discourage using cosmetics.” That royal disapproval definitely didn’t assist the struggling cosmetics trade. However that doesn’t imply that her topics stopped sporting make-up. They simply turned higher at hiding it.
Relatively than the heavy white paints and vivid rouges of the previous century, respectable well-off girls went for the no-makeup make-up look. It completely suited the perfect of fantastic thing about the period, which demanded a fragile and fragile look, with a pale complexion, and lengthy curls. Right here’s how they achieved it:
Complexion
The Victorians liked pale pores and skin. It was an indication of the Aristocracy. It meant girls had been well-off, and will afford to not spend hours working outside, which might inevitably end in a tan. The horror!
Whereas their ancestors had used harmful concoctions like Venetian ceruse (a lethal mixture of lead and vinegar) to whiten their faces, the Victorians turned to safer options. Zinc oxide turned the go-to. This white mineral powder gave pores and skin a porcelain-like end with out the nasty unintended effects of lead poisoning. It’s nonetheless used right this moment in sunscreens—although now we complain concerning the white solid it leaves behind as a substitute of embracing it as a magnificence commonplace!
Those that didn’t like Zinc, merely averted the solar and contemporary hair. Once they ventured outside, they’d carry parasols to guard their pores and skin from the solar. Some even drank vinegar. Apparently, they thought that, by some means, it’d forestall a tan!
For essentially the most fashion-forward, pale wasn’t sufficient. They wished to look so delicate that you could possibly virtually see by way of their pores and skin. To realize this, some girls took issues a step additional and painted fantastic blue traces on their arms and temples to imitate seen veins, an indication of utmost femininity and fragility. A couple of even went so far as emphasizing darkish circles beneath their eyes to look extra ethereal. Think about folks intentionally making themselves look sleep-deprived right this moment!
And, in fact, at any time when their faces received too oily or shiny, a lightweight dusting of powder helped hold the grease at bay. However solely simply sufficient – overdoing it was a social fake pas!
Make-up
With Queen Victoria’s robust stance in opposition to face paint, make-up took a critical hit in respectability. A “correct girl” couldn’t be seen shopping for it, not to mention making use of it in public. However that didn’t imply they deserted it totally. As a substitute, girls turned consultants on the artwork of subtlety.
Make-up was now all about reaching a pure, “my-skin-but-better” impact. All the things needed to be utilized with the lightest contact. Rouge was nonetheless a staple, however as a substitute of vivid reds, girls opted for mushy pinks, typically achieved with crushed beet juice. Some girls used rice powder blended with a touch of carmine to get that pure flush.
Lip colour was utilized in secret and sparingly. Beeswax and plant-based dyes had been frequent substances, whereas extra daring girls used cochineal (a pink dye derived from bugs) to present their lips a faint pink hue. However heavy lipstick? Completely not! That was reserved for “fallen girls.”
Eye make-up was virtually nonexistent by right this moment’s requirements. Heavy kohl-lined eyes had been far too risqué, so girls opted for lead-based powders to subtly improve their eyes – sure, nonetheless poisonous, however at the very least much less apparent! Eyebrows had been plucked, however solely evenly, simply sufficient to create a pure, polished form.
Skincare
Make-up might have been out, however skincare? That was a special story. In case you couldn’t cowl up imperfections, you needed to forestall them within the first place. DIY magnificence remedies turned all the fashion.
Ladies concocted their very own lotions, lotions, and tonics utilizing pure substances discovered of their kitchens and gardens. Almond oil, rosewater, glycerin, and beeswax had been frequent staples of their skincare arsenals. Lily water and elderflower water had been believed to melt the pores and skin, whereas cucumber juice was used as a brightening agent.
For these combating pimples (which they typically referred to as “spots” or “blemishes”), options ranged from natural infusions to downright weird practices. Some Victorian magnificence manuals beneficial washing the face with rainwater to maintain the pores and skin clear. Others urged making use of mashed strawberries or honey as a primitive face masks. And let’s not neglect the idea that bathing in milk may keep youthful pores and skin – a development Cleopatra would have authorized of!
Hair
If make-up was scandalous, a lady’s hair was sacred. Lengthy, voluminous locks had been thought-about an indication of femininity and wonder, and most ladies hardly ever minimize their hair. Trimming was reserved for excessive instances, reminiscent of sickness or mourning.
To realize that coveted fullness, girls typically used false hairpieces. Hair collected from servants or purchased from wigmakers was sewn into elaborate extensions to boost pure tresses. Oils like rosemary, castor, and macassar oil (which impressed the invention of “antimacassars” – these lace doilies positioned on chairs to forestall greasy stains) had been extensively used to maintain hair easy and glossy.
Hairstyles weren’t notably experimental. Chignons, buns, and cascading curls had been the usual. Younger girls typically wore their hair down in lengthy, mushy curls, however as soon as married, they had been anticipated to put on it up as an indication of maturity. Hair equipment had been important – ornamental combs, ribbons, and bejeweled pins added a contact of magnificence.
Males’s Grooming
Victorian girls might have been all about mushy femininity, however the males? The alternative. A well-groomed Victorian man sported a thick, full beard or at the very least a formidable mustache. A clean-shaven face was typically related to youth or, worse, boyishness, one thing no self-respecting Victorian gentleman wished.
As for hairstyles, shorter cuts turned extra widespread, a stark distinction to the lengthy, flowing locks of the earlier century. However one factor remained constant: the love of pomades. Macassar oil was the hair product of selection, slicking again hair to perfection – a lot in order that furnishings producers began making antimacassars to guard upholstery from the greasy residue.
The Backside Line
There you’ve it, all you ever wished to learn about magnificence within the Victorian age. Whereas Queen Victoria might have wished to banish cosmetics to the shadows, magnificence traits didn’t disappear totally. They simply tailored. Ladies turned consultants on the artwork of “barely-there” make-up, mastered DIY skincare, and located inventive methods to keep up their delicate, doll-like look. And although Victorian magnificence beliefs may appear excessive (portray on veins? Encouraging darkish circles?), they had been deeply tied to the cultural and social expectations of the time.
So subsequent time you complain concerning the white solid out of your sunscreen or spend hours perfecting your “no-makeup” make-up look, simply bear in mind – you’re not the primary to go to nice lengths for magnificence!
About Gio
Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that will help you obtain your greatest pores and skin day ever – each day. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising and marketing jargon that will help you work out what’s well worth the splurge and what’s greatest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally provide skincare consultations that will help you create the most effective skincare routine to your distinctive wants.
