Elizabethan Make up

The Elizabethan used very extreme make up on there face to create a very pale and pasty face. They used white lead or white paste on there face which actually burnt there skin. They would use egg white as a glaze on top. This egg white created a tight complexion to stop wrinkles showing and kept the white paste in place.They used fecus on cheeks and lips this is a plant based material.

In the image above you can see the very fine detail of Elizabeth's clothes and make up. In many of her portraits she uses small items that show her personality and has a lot of symbolism. In this one she is holding a madalion which has a horse and a man riding it with a spear. It could mean a sign of war and how she conquered the spanish armada. Or how she is of such great power and such dominance.