The Aztec culture were not exempt from the usage of makeup, the Aztec priests, warriors and servants would paint their faces when human sacrifices would take place, in honor of their god Huitzilopochtli, their sun god, god of war, and patron to the city of Tenochtilan, the capital of their empire.
Similar practices were followed by the Aboriginal tribes in Australia.
The European Middle Ages followed the Greco-Roman trend of pale faces: Fashionable sixth century women would achieve the look by bleeding themselves, Spanish prostitutes wore pink makeup to contrast with high class womens pale faces.
The use of cosmetics was privilaged for the rich and nobles, the lower classes worked outside, therefore their skin was darker due to exposure to the sun.
Many debate the use of cosmetics to enhance the female appearance during the medieval times. Opinions varied among members of the clergy as to respectability of wearing cosmetics. It was felt that it was generally not a desired state, although it was mentioned that women who had been afflicted with illness and were thereby made unattractive, were excused from the sin of vanity by using cosmetics. The desire to not repel others or their husbands was deemed an acceptable excuse for enhancements.
Studies have shown that women in England "painted their faces white" to achieve a paler looking the complexion. Women often painted their faces with blaunchet or wheaten flour or used lead-filled cosmetics. It is suggested that "ground Lily root" made powder for faces, although it dose not specify what kind of Lily was recommended one recipe for a flour based cosmetic to whiten the face comes from the L'ornement des Dames in the 13th century: as follows:
Put a very pure wheat in water for fifteen days, then grind and blend it in the water.
Strain through a cloth, and let it crystallize and evaporate.You will obtain a makeup which will be as white as snow. When you want to use it, mix it with rosewater, and spread it on your face which has first been washed in warm water. Then dry your face with a cloth.
Many books say that eye colour and eyeliner were available during the Medieval period,but it would seem although technology to provide eyeliner and eyeshadow was available, fashion dictated that it wasn't used.
The ground leaves of Angelica Angelica Archangelica were the principal ingredient for the manufacture of "ladies red powder". Dried safflowers Cathamum Tinctorius were also used in the making of rouge. In a poem by a monk Montaudon from 1180-1215 AD, the writer stated that statues of the churches complain to God: "that there is not enough paint left to adorn them because of all the ladies who use rouge and cream".
The Compendium Anglicus from 1240 written by Gilbertus Anglicus, mentions Brazil wood chips soaked in rosewater would give a clear, pink dye which can be rubbed on the cheeks.
During the Renaissance, women strived for pale skin, and used a whitening agent composed of carbonate hydroxide, and lead oxide to create a porcelain-like face. These agents, cumulatively stored in the body with each use, were responsible for numerous physical problems and resulted in some cases in muscle paralysis. During the time of Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth I, the problem became catastrophic and resulted in many early deaths.
Elizabeth I was a well known user of the white lead and arsenic powder, with this look, Elizabeth I created what is known as "the mask of youth".
The favoured application of the upper classes was a makeup called Ceruse, a mixture of white lead and vinegar. Of course this was poisonous! A pale complexion was so desirable that women were bled to achieve this disired look.
An upper class Elizabethan woman followed this fashion further and might even dye her hair yellow with a mixture of Saffron, Cumin seed, Celandine and oil. Expensive dyes as Cochineal was used to redden the cheeks and lips, Madder and Vermilion was also used to achieve this effect. Kohl was used to darken the eyelashes.
Queen Elizabeth also had a variety of wigs and hair pieces- believed to number over eighty, these were often referred to as Periwigs.
To be continued......
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