Victorian Beauty Ideals

Initially when thinking of beauty in the Victorian era I didn't have many ideas on what they looked like or what their beauty ideals would be so I did some initial research. 

During Queen Victoria’s reign having heavy make up became a sign of someone who had questionable morals such as a prostitute or a actress which was considered on the same level during this era. For the higher class, makeup was a lot more natural as they followed strict codes and religious values.

It was interesting to find that much like the Elizabethan era, a pale face was still a sign of nobility in the Victorian era however they had a less dangerous mixes to create this look. Women started using a white mineral powder called Zinc Oxide to create this pale complexion, as well as avoiding the sun so their natural skin was also pale. They would even go as far as using or consuming lemon juice and vinegar to maintain this ideal.

Wikipedia. (). Women in the Victorian Era. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era. Last accessed 19th January 2015.

The higher class used make up sparingly to achieve the natural look. Powders were often used to tone down shine but not enough to be obvious. They still used poisonous substances such as belladonna and deadly nightshade. On the Eyes ingredients such as antimony sulphide and lead where used while the lip reddeners were mercuric sulphide. To give the cheeks a light blush they would use beet juice. Make up wasn’t a way of portraying beauty in this era, the hair was more of a sign of an ideal beauty.  I found this interesting as when I think of the Victorian era I thought there was a lot more gothic theme running through their style. Therefore I want to research how Gothic horror links to this era and also see how the perception of Gothic horror has changed over time, as I feel people express it with a lot more make up in this day and age.

Women during the Victorian period would rarely cut their hair as the fuller look was the fashion of the time. They would usually wear their hair in buns or chignons and sometimes pair this with gentle curls to emphasize the sides of the face. To decorate the hair clips and ornate combs were used and oil was added to give a sleek and smooth look.

Christianson, L . (). How To Do a Victorian Bun. Available: http://www.ehow.com/how_8402424_do-victorian-bun.html. Last accessed 19th January 2015.

Woodyard, C. (). The Chignon Horror. Available: http://hauntedohiobooks.com/news/the-chignon-horror-dis-tressing-news-about-false-hair/. Last accessed 19th January 2015.

Finally men also took care of their hair during this period, they kept it short however curls were acceptable.  It was also common to sport a mustache or beard and sometimes even sideburns.

Over all I wasn’t surprised with what I discovered as I never really thought of the Victorian era as being iconic for its makeup. However I’m intrigued to discover the link between this era and gothic horror and how gothic horror has changed since this time.  

Reference

Gio. (2010). Beauty In the Victorian Age. Available: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/. Last accessed 19th January 2015.
Kuchinsky, C. (2007). Beauty Through The Ages- The Victorians.Available: http://www.thebeautybiz.com/87/article/history/beauty-through-ages-victorians. Last accessed 19th January 2015.

Glamour Daze Family . (). The Victorian Make up Look. Available: http://vintagemakeupguide.com/victorian-look/. Last accessed 19th January 2015.