How To Make 16th Century Makeup

By Danielle Nunn-Weinberg

"Waters she hath to brand her confront to shine,
Confections, eke, to clarify her skin;
Lip-relieve and cloths of a rich ruby-red dye
She hath, which to her cheeks she doth aply;
Ointment, wherewith she sprinkles o'er her face,
And lustrifies her dazzler's dying grace."

C osmetics accept been used since ancient times. Even so, they fell into disuse in most of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was not until the return of the men from the crusades that Europe saw the return of dazzler and hygiene aids information technology had long forgotten.

The concept of cosmetics as "face paint" did not really begin to resurface in Northern Europe until the 14th century. Fifty-fifty so, cosmetics were non commonly used exterior of the bawdy trades. The 1 exception to that rule seems to be "blanchete" or wheat flour. Women whose complexions were "ruined" by the sun used blanchete on their faces to regain the roses and lily complexions, which were so prized past the chivalric platonic. This ideal coloured the perception of dazzler until the end of the SCA menstruum.

The epitome of the fair pare and fair hair platonic seen throughout the later on Middle Ages and Renaissance is presented in Botticelli'south Nascency of Venus. Venus, as the goddess of honey and beauty, represents the icon of beauty that women would have aspired to. In guild to endeavour to achieve this, cosmetic lotions and powders of diverse sorts were employed. It is during the Renaissance that the use of cosmetics crossed trade and station boundaries to become popular with almost everyone. This commodity will talk over some of the cosmetics found during the subsequently Middle Ages and Renaissance by looking at extant recipes, and propose ways in which they might be adapted for use by recreators. Terms for ingredients which might be unfamiliar are covered in a glossary at the cease of this article.

Ane splendid source of information for dazzler pedagogy in the 16th century is a conversation manual normally referred to as "A dialogue of the faire perfectioning of ladies." It is written as a word between two kinswomen, Raffaella and Margaret. The elder, Raffaella, is guiding her younger kinswoman Margaret through the intricacies of social life.

Raffaella: "One thousand must know, Margaret, that a young lady could not accept a complexion so articulate, white and delicate if she did not help information technology to some degree with art, or else information technology might show at times by mischance equally might frequently happen, that information technology is non and so fair. And they practise not reason well who say that a lady, so she take a fair complexion past nature, may e'er thereafter set information technology at goose egg and neglect it. And for this cause I would grant that a gentlewoman should utilise continually waters of cost and excellence, but without solid matter to them or but the very least role. And for these I may know to give you receits well-nigh perfect and almost rare."2

There are numerous extant cosmetic recipes in many different sources. Nevertheless, there are a couple of major problems that a reenactor would take with these recipes: the toxicity of some ingredients, such as mercury and lead, and the scarcity of other ingredients such as ambergris, which comes from sperm whales, civet, which comes from polecats, and musk, which comes from the male person musk deer.

Given the number of comments in period sources that remark to the effect that "this recipe will no impairment your pare and teeth similar those other ones", information technology can be extrapolated that people, toward the terminate of the SCA period, were condign aware of the harmfulness of many of the cosmetics used.

The downside to the use of face whitening substances is described well past the ii kinswomen, Margaret and Rafaella.

Margaret: "And then these sublimates and white powders and many other sorts of lather-lyes seem not to you to exist commendable."

Raffaella: "Nay rather, they are the nigh arraign-worthy. For what worse tin we run across than a young lady who has powdered herself with chalk, and has covered her confront with a mask then thick that scarce may it be known who she is."3

This argument was further illustrated by Margaret's clarification of a lady of their house.

"...and so unhandsomely had she covered her face that I promise you her eyes seemed those of some other woman; for the cold had fabricated her complexion of a ghastly color like lead and dried plastering and then that the poor woman had to stand up stiffly and not turn her head but with her whole body for fear the mask should dissever."4

Although many of the recipes for lotions and face up-whitening substances comprise harmful ingredients, the following balm, which was considered to be mutual, seems to be less dangerous than most, although I do not imagine that alum and verdigris are precisely good for you. It is also worth noting that apparently, the use of these cosmetics were not bars to women:

Raffaela: "I know what lotion that is and it is sold to many; for at present most all ladies use it, since information technology costs but, footling (and not ladies simply, but many more of those womanish young fellows who had done meliorate to be born women than men). The lotion is made up of Malmsey wine, white vinegar, honey, lily flowers, fresh beans, verdigreese, right silverish, rock common salt, sandiver, rock alum and sugar alum; every chemical element distilled in a limbeck. And it is in truth a very practiced lotion, merely for divine waters I would give identify to no-1 in this world, and especially for one of them, very costly indeed but, of very great excellence."5

The toxicity of most of the whitening lotions is clearly evident in this recipe from Raffaella, which is apparently meant for a common person.

"...Ane takes pure silver and quicksilver and, when they are footing in the mortar, ane adds ceruse and burnt rock alum, and and so for a day they are ground together again and later moistened with mastic until all is liquid; then all is boiled in rain water and, the boiling washed, ane casts some sublimate upon the mortar; this is done three times and the water cast on the fourth time is kept together with the body of the lye. And this is used often among ladies who have no great means to spend."vi

I notice information technology interesting that the following recipe, which was meant for wealthier people, might actually be a picayune flake better for the skin because of the inclusion of the almond oil. Mercury was known to be a drying agent and was used past physicians to dry out weeping sores. I would likewise be curious to know whether or not the addition of the silver and pearls would change how the final product looked.

Raffaella: "...One takes the finest true silverish and quicksilver [mercury] passed through buffin cloth, and when blended together they are ground for a day in the same direction with a little fine sugar. Then I take it from the mortar and grind it on a painter's porphryry slab, and I embody therein shreds of silver and pearls. Then anew I grind all the things together upon the porphryry and fix them back in the mortar and next morning early on I slake them with foam of mastic with a trivial oil of sweet almonds; so when the liquid has stood for a mean solar day I slake all again with water of dittany and put information technology in a flask and bring it to the boil in a Mary's Breast-stroke lymbeck. Then having done this four times, ever casting out the water, the fifth time I conserve it and drawing information technology from the flask I void it into a basin and let it settle. Then anon I empty out the water softly, and at the bottom the sublimate remains with which I mingle woman's milk and requite it enjoy with musk and ambergrease. Al this I mix together with the water and shop it in a well-stopped flask in my cellar beneath ground."vii

Every bit you can encounter, virtually modern people, no matter how agog they are about actuality, would probably not actually utilize these concoctions on their pare. There was ane recipe I did find which might not be besides bad to employ, if somewhat hard to come up by. However, I would probably substitute almond or another safe and readily bachelor oil for the white poppy oil mentioned in the recipe. For reenactment purposes ane could probably also substitute white theatrical powder for the ground bone.

A white fucus or beauty for the confront.

"The jawe bones of a Hogge or Sow well burnt, beaten and searced through a fine searce, and after basis upon a porphire or serpentine rock is an excellent fucus, being laid on with the oyle of white poppey."

viii

It should exist noted that the neck and exposed breasts were too painted white. Sometimes blue veins were drawn over the whitened breasts.

While that covers the lily half of the complexion, the roses attribute was given equal attention. I find it interesting to notation that amidst all the recipes for other lotions and paints there do not seem to exist any for the ruddy used on lips and cheeks. To me this would propose that information technology was non something that was commonly prepared at abode merely bought from a peddlar or an apothecary. The most common red colour used seems to have been vermillion, which was an orangish red.

Vermillion is red crystalline mercuric sulphide. The pigment was practical by mixing it with gum arabic, egg whites, and the milk of green figs. Other reds that were used were derived from red ocher, madder, cochineal, brasil woods that had been steeped in h2o and applied with fish gum, and red sandalwood. Margaret, in the "Fair perfectioning of ladies," mentions that in some cases the ruddy used for the cheeks was put on before the white in an attempt to make information technology look more natural by supposedly making the complexion "incarnate" or flesh-coloured.

White teeth were considered as of import as a white face in the 16th century beauty ideal. Therefore, dental hygiene was encouraged, simply compared to modern standards, it was somewhat lacking. Hither is one recipe for powder to make clean the teeth, which guarantees the whitening of teeth and fresh breath after only a few days of use (though I imagine that with long-term use, this annoying pulverisation would remove the teeth issue birthday.)

"Have three drachms each of crystal, flintstone, white marble, glass and calcined stone salt, two drachms each of calcined cuttlefish bone and pocket-sized sea-snail shells, half a portion each of pearls and fragments of gemstones, two drachms of the small white stones which are to be establish in running water, a scruple of amber and twenty-two grains of musk. Mix them well together and grind them into the finest pulverization on a marble slab. Rub the teeth with it oft and, if the gums take receded, paint a piffling rose honey on them. The mankind will grow dorsum in a few days and the teeth will exist perfectly white."nine

Another recipe I found is a good deal less labour-intensive, but I uncertainty it was quite equally constructive for whitening the teeth:

"To keepe the teeth both white and sound. Take a quart of hony, as much Vinegar, and halfe so much white vino, boyle them together and wash your teeth therwith now so."ten

An interesting fashion originally related to the teeth was the beauty patch. A black velvet or taffeta "mastic" patch was originally worn on the temple to relieve toothaches. However, towards the end of the 16th century this became a dazzler detail, worn to contrast the whiteness of the complexion.

One characteristic that was important to the beauty platonic in Elizabethan England was large, luminous eyes. It has been suggested that kohl, which was commonly used in the Heart East and Asia, was employed to emphasize the optics. It has also been suggested that during the afterward 16th century, belladonna, or deadly nightshade, began to be used to enlarge the pupil and brand the eyes more luminous.

Illusions of youth were as important to the image of dazzler in the past, as these illusions are now. If yous call back about it, how many portraits of wealthy and powerful people show them grey-haired? Almost none. So, either all the artists were being generous and looking for the approval of their patrons by idealizing what they painted, or people had some way to deal with greying hair. Although wigs and fake hair were unremarkably used, information technology appears that hair dye was every bit well. We take surviving recipes to plow hair gilt, chestnut, or blackness.

I'chiliad sure yous aren't surprised that some of the recipes are harmful. This recipe for turning black pilus to chestnut even comes with its own warning:

"To colour a blacke haire presently into a Anecdote colour.
This is washed with oyle of Vitrioll: but, you must doe it verie carefully not touching the skin."xi

Surprisingly, the following method for achieving blond hair sounds like it might work; nevertheless, I wouldn't try it, given the lye.

"Take a pound of finely pulverized beech-wood shavings, half a pound of box-wood shavings, iv ounces of fresh liquorice, a similar amount of very yellow, dried lime peel, iv ounces each of eat wort and yellow poppy seeds, 2 ounces of the leaves and flowers of glaucus, a herb which grows in Syria and is akin to a poppy, one-half an ounce of saffron and half a pound of paste made from finely ground wheat flour. Put everything into a lye made with sieved wood ashes, bring information technology partly to the boil and then strain the whole mixture. At present take a big earthenware pot and bore x or twelve holes in the bottom. Next have equal parts of vine ash and sieved forest ash, milk shake them into a large wooden vessel or mortar, whichever you think better, moisten them with the said lye, thoroughly pulverize the mixture, taking almost a whole day to do this � only make sure that information technology becomes a chip stiff. Side by side pound rye and wheat straw in with it until the harbinger has absorbed the greater function of the lye. Milkshake these pounded ashes into the said earthenware pot and push an ear of rye into each small hole. Put the straw and ashes in the bottom so that the pot is filled, though however leaving sufficient space for the remainder of the lye to be poured over the mixture. Towards evening ready another earthenware pot and let the lye run into it through the holes with the ears of rye. When you want to apply the balm, take the liquid which ran out, smear your hair with it and let information technology dry. Within three or four days the hair will look as yellow as if it were gilded ducats. However, earlier you lot use it wash your head with a proficient lye, because if information technology were greasy and dirty it would not take the color so well. You lot should notation that this preparation will last for a twelvemonth or two and, if one goes nigh it properly it can help ten or twelve member of the fairer sexual activity, for very few things will colour the hair."12

One particular frequently listed with these recipes is the pomander or "smell apple," which was a solid perfume carried in a decorative holder. Although I would not necessarily call it a corrective, it is important in the overall beauty concept and usually grouped with the cosmetic recipes. There are a number of pomander recipes that have survived. The following recipe from 1573 struck me as ane of the more pleasant ones:

"To Brand a pomander
Take Benjamin one ounce, of storar calamite half an ounce, of laudanum the eigth[h] part of an ounce. Beat them to powder and so put them into a brazen [brass] ladle with a lilliputian damask [water] or rose water. Ready them over the fire of coals till they exist dissolved and be soft like wax. Then take them out and chafe them betwixt your hands as ye practise wax. And so have these powders fix finely searched [sifted]: of cinnamon, of cloves, of sweet sanders [sandalwood], gray or white, of each of these three powders one-half a quarter of an ounce. Mix these powders with the other and chafe them well together. If they be too dry out, moisten them with some of the rose water left in the ladle, or other. If they wax cold, warm them upon a knife'southward bespeak over a chafing dish of coals. Then take of ambergris, of musk, and civet, of each iii grains. Dissolve the ambergris in a silver spoon over hot coals. When it is common cold arrive small, put to it your musk and civet. Then take your pome that you have chased and gathered together, and past little and trivial (with some sweet h2o if demand be) gather up the amber, musk, and civet, and mix them up with your brawl, till the be perfectly incorporated. Then make ane ball or two of the lump, as ye think skilful, for the weight of the whole is about two ounces. Make a hole in your ball and and so hang it by a lace."thirteen

Another pomander recipe from 1609 is:

"A sugariness and frail Pomander.
Take two ounces of Labdanum, of Benjamin and Storax one ounce, muske sixe graines, civet sixe graines, Amber hellenic republic sixe graines, of Calamus Aromaticus and Lignum Aloes, of each the waight of a groat, beat all these in a hote mortar, and with an hote pestell till they come to paste, then wet your hand with rose h2o, and roll up the paste sodainly."fourteen

Although there are a number or surviving pomander recipes, nigh of them are incommunicable for well-nigh of usa to easily reproduce now. So, I tried some experimenting and came up with a recipe that works. I used beeswax instead of ambergris as the waxy base of operations and added almond oil, cinnamon, cloves, powdered sandalwood, benzoin, and amber paste. I did notice though that although rosewater was a common ingredient in period recipes it is not appropriate to add it to the 1 I devised. It caused an about volcanic reaction when I added it to the mixture, and bubbled over terribly.

Adapted Pomander Recipe

Ingredients
1/ii lb. Beeswax
1 tbsp. Almond oil
i tsp. Basis cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground cloves
1 tsp. Powdered sandalwood
1/4 tsp. Amber paste
fifteen drops of Benzoin essential oil

Tools

small pot -- preferably enameled

measuring spoons

a wooden stir stick (I used a chopstick)

a ceramic bowl (or other type which can with- stand heat) lined in aluminum foil

a canvas of aluminum foil

Melt the beeswax over medium estrus while stirring constantly. Once it is completely liquid, lower the estrus and continue stirring. Do non let the wax or mixture boil. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and sandalwood. Stir until thoroughly mixed. And then add the bister paste and the benzoin. Once these are thoroughly mixed add the almond oil and mix completely. Once this is mixed together cascade it into the foil-lined bowl to cool. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle roll into balls. This makes over a dozen one inch "pommes."

The pursuit of beauty during the later Eye Ages and the Renaissance was not an easy matter, despite the availability of recipes to adapt all budgets. The long, time-consuming recipes and dangerous substances didn't seem to cease any adult female (or man) who aspired to fashionable dazzler. In this I observe a certain corporeality of irony since we have connected this mind-ready to the electric current times.

Bibliography

Ames-Lewis, Francis and Rogers, Mary, eds. Concepts of Dazzler in Renaissance Art. London, 1998.

Angeloglou, Maggie. A History of Make-up. London, 1970.

Boeser, Knut, ed. The Elixirs of Nostradamus: Nostradamus' original recipes for elixirs, scented water, beauty potions and sweetmeats [1552]. London, 1994.

Camden, Carroll. The Elizabethan Woman. New York, 1975.

The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford, 1981.

Corson, Richard. Fashions in Makeup: From Ancient to Modern Times. New York, 1972.

Furnivall, Frederick, ed. Caxton's Book of Curtesye. (printed at Westminster almost 1477-eight). London, 1868.

McLaughlin, Terence. The Gilded Lily. London, 1972.

Orlin, Lena Cowen, Elizabethan Households, An Album. Washington DC, 1995.

Plat, Sir Hugh. Delightes for Ladies, to adorne their Persons, Tables, Closets, and Distillatories: with beauties, bouquets, perfumes & waters (1609). Introduction by G. Eastward. Fussell, and Kathleen Rosemary Fussell. London, 1948.

Raffaella of Master Alexander Piccolomini, or rather A dialogue of the faire perfectioning of ladies: a work very necessarie and profitable for all gentlewomen or other. J.Due north [i.e. John Nevinson] trans. Glasgow, 1968.

Romm, Sharon. The Changing Face of Beauty. St. Louis,1992.

Stubbes, Phillip. Anatomy of the Abuses in England in Shakspere'due south Youth [1583]. Frederick J. Furnivall, ed. London, 1877-nine.

Williams, Neville. Pulverization and Pigment: A History of the Englishwoman'southward Toilet, Elizabeth I � Elizabeth Two. London, [1957].

Glossary of Ingredients

Alum --A white transparent mineral common salt Ambergris --An odiferous wax-like substance of ashy marbled colour, made from the intestines of the sperm whale
Belladonna --The specific name of the deadly nightshade, used cosmetically to enlarge the pupil of the eye.
Benjamin --Gum benzoin (a dry and brittle resinous substance with a fragrant scent and slightly aromatic taste).
Buffin textile --A coarse cloth.
Calamus Aromaticus --Some Eastern aromatic plant or plants (supposed by some to be the sweet scented lemongrass of Malabar). Applied by some English language herbalists to the native Sweet Flag or Sweet Blitz.
Ceruse --A proper noun for white atomic number 82.
Civet --A musk-like substance obtained from sacs or glands in the anal pouch of several animals of the civet genus.
Dittany --A labiate plant, formerly famous for its alleged medicinal values.
Drachms --A weight approximately equivalent to the Greek coin, the Drachma. In Apothecaries weight it equals 60 grains or ane/8th of an ounce.
Fucus --A paint or cosmetic for beautifying the skin, or a wash or colour for the face.
Graines --A unit of weight equal to1/5760th of a pound troy or 1/7000th of a pound avoirdupois.
Kohl --A cosmetic powder used around the middle that usually consisted of finely powdered antimony.
Labdanum --A resinous balsamic substance.
Laudanum --A proper noun for various preparations in which opium was the master ingredient.
Lignum Aloes --A blazon of tree.
Limbek --(alembic) - An apparatus formerly used in distilling consisting of a gourd shaped vessel containing the substance to be distilled surmounted past the head or cap or the alembic proper the beak of which conveyed the vaporous products to a receiver in which they were condensed.
Lye --Alkalized water made from vegetable ashes used for washing.
Marshmallow --A shrubby herb that grows near table salt marshes.
Mastic --A gum or resign exuded from the bark of an evergreen shrub.
Musk --An odiferous ruby-brown substance secreted in a gland or sac by the male musk deer.
Oil of Vitriol --Concentrated sulphuric acid.
Sandiver --A liquid saline constitute floating over the drinking glass after vitrification.
Searce --A sieve or strainer.
Storar calamite --A fossil institute.
Storax --A fragrant gum resin.
Sublimate --A solid product of sublimation, peculiarly in the form of a compact crystalline block
Verdigris --A green rust naturally forming on copper and brass.

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