How A Victorian Woman Wears Makeup

"And, after dressing for the evening, look again at your reflection in the mirror, and study the effect. Do you resemble a painted doll or an elegant woman? Is the expression killed by cosmetics or improved?" ~Gems of Deportment, 1881

My dear friends, 

Pour some tea and let us have a chat about makeup, shall we? 

As a woman that has had extremely fair skin for my entire life {except for those few summers that I felt such pressure living in the south that I caved and signed up for the tanning booth}, I have always loved having fair skin. My skin is so fair that my veins show through. Did, you know that some women would draw veins to look paler? So as I was studying the research more in-depth for this post, I came to realise that were I to have lived in the Victorian era, I would have had admirable skin colouring {smile}. 

Victorian women were known to use lemon juice to whiten their skin.

I am slowly incorporating small pursuits into becoming a Victorian lady, such as wearing Victorian reproduction makeup. It is my desire to eventually transfer from using any modern cosmetics to only Victorian reproduction makeup. The two items I have recently purchased are from LBBC Historical Apothecary. I do make my own most often, but in recent months due to being in temporary housing {the gardener and I are living at my folks}, my many potions for making such cosmetics are neatly packed away in storage. I will show you the items that I'm currently using, which are perfect for anyone that has very pale skin {remember that's the look we're attempting to achieve}, and the products are readily available. I shall leave the links down below might you delight in purchasing.

Whereas I won't go into great detail, as there are many websites for beauty history, I will offer a few suggestions of how one should look when wearing cosmetics. A woman should maintain her beauty and keep a pretty face. 

The perfect look is to wear makeup but not look as if you are. I don't claim to follow the letter of the law with every single thing when it comes to living like a Victorian {let's be honest, I do enjoy many of the modern conveniences, such as a computer and dental care}. As well as, It also takes time to become engrossed in the Victorian lifestyle. That's the pure beauty of living in modern times. I can live as accurately as I choose to. There are no hard rules; only the ones I make upon myself. I do intend on becoming fully engrossed, although it takes time.

Many women wore cold cream to preserve the white talc or rice powder from coming off too quickly. I use rose cold cream that I make myself, however for convenience sake I went ahead and purchased a few items from LBBC Historical Apothecary until I am securely in my forever home and have the opportunity to unpack. The closest loose powder that I have found is from elf, and it works quite nicely. It smoothes my skin out, and I appear to have fewer wrinkles. Which you know I do if you've ever seen me in real life. However, the powder is high definition. So if you notice in my photo how it appears to make my skin look. I keep out of the sun, which I genuinely believe has benefitted me from ageing to the degree I might have done were I to have been in the sun continually. Here's what the Elf description says on the website: {The e.l.f. Cosmetics High Definition Powder is a translucent, versatile loose powder that creates a flawless, soft-focus effect to the skin. Masks fine lines and imperfections for a glowing, radiant complexion. This incredibly soft and invisible powder is ideal for everyday wear. Cruelty-free and vegan.}

I use a stain on my cheeks, lips and eyelids. A little mascara, and that's it. It takes me about 3 minutes to do my makeup. But it makes me feel beautiful for days. I do use a small little brush with. A dab of neutraliser if I happen to have a blemish. I do not use concealer. Concealer creates an unnatural hue, and it doesn't cover up a defect very well. Neutralised, on the other hand, evens out the skin (reddish) hence, why it's called neutralise.

I have blemishes on the rare occasion, and when I do I pull out my handy doterra melaleuca essential oil, dab it, and by morning it's forgotten. I rarely eat sugar, and I also take MSM powder (link) every single day, which I feel are two of my best-kept secrets for flawless skin.

Remember, the women in the Victorian era that wore makeup was never presumed to be noticeable. Do as the Victorians and keep it light, natural and never admit to wearing it! (heh)

I genuinely hope you enjoyed this post and that your holiday is lovely thus far. 

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx