Val Garland is a British make up artist originally from Bristol. After emigrating to Sydney Australia to work as a hair stylist and colour technician she decided to persue a career in the field of make up. Apparently it was her passion for colour which inspired her transformation from Hairdresser to make up artist, since then she has worked for designers such as Alexnder McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, magazines including Vogue, celebs such as Kate Moss and Lady Gaga, along with product companies like M.A.C. and Pantene.
http://showstudio.com/contributor/val_garland
http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/04/5-reasons-we-love-val-garland-makeup-artist.html
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Ellis Faas
So as asked I have done some research into Ellis Faas and her work, I found her work extremely inspirational and I very much like her style. From what I have read about her work and how she has built up her career it's clear to see she is a very determined and dedicated woman. After viewing her portfolio on her website these are some of my favorite pieces of her work.
I found this image interesting because it reminded me of watching Charlie and the Chocolate factory when I was a child. I think It triggers memories of this movie due to the fact that the model is wearing a top hat like Willie Wonka, and the clouds in the background remind me of the idea of going up into the sky in a glass elevator, slighlty random some of my thoughts, but there we have it. Also the make up has a magical sort of fantasy look about it, with the combination of glitter, half red and half pink lips and the fact that only one eye has a great deal of make up applied to it.
I think this image is simply stunning the make up is extremely precise and natural looking giving the face a fresh airy feel. I also like the lighting focusing on the middle of the face giving a shadow down one side.
This last Image stood out to me because i think the way the colours of the make up used matching the eyes looks beautiful, not to mention the way the make up has been applied to create the illusion of shadow coming down across the face.
Finally I enjoyed watching the youtube video of Ellis's Identity revealed make up looks. I think the concept behind the work is an interesting one as I know that personally I do wear make up as a mask, and its interesting to think about how we perceive other people and how that may differ from how they view themselves or imagine other people viewing them or who they truly are underneath the version of themselves that they project to the outer world. I like the darkness in the background of the video and think the music is extremeley fitting with Ellis's thoughts and inspiration for creating the video.
I particularly like this first picture because I think contrast between the bright background and the whiteness of the models skin draws attention towards the make up, I also think the way the eyes have been outlined in black all the way around the lids is an interesting effect and gives the model an almost cartoonish feel, sort of the the Japanese manga style. With the defined brows giving the face an almost china doll like impression.
This last Image stood out to me because i think the way the colours of the make up used matching the eyes looks beautiful, not to mention the way the make up has been applied to create the illusion of shadow coming down across the face.
Finally I enjoyed watching the youtube video of Ellis's Identity revealed make up looks. I think the concept behind the work is an interesting one as I know that personally I do wear make up as a mask, and its interesting to think about how we perceive other people and how that may differ from how they view themselves or imagine other people viewing them or who they truly are underneath the version of themselves that they project to the outer world. I like the darkness in the background of the video and think the music is extremeley fitting with Ellis's thoughts and inspiration for creating the video.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
More of todays face charts
Elizabethan face charts
Today I decided to give face charts another go as I was getting frustrated with the shading techniques last week and decided it best to take a break. Having said this the new problem I have encountered is drawing eyelashes, in attempt to resolve this issue I have been watching face chart tutorials on youtube and will continue to practice. This is a face chart I have designed for the New Elizabethans project taking my inspiration from the two images at the begining of my blog.
I decided not to use the image of the Queen of Hearts from the Tim Burton's movie version of Alice in Wonderland as although the make up was designed to look Elizabethan it was rather plain, focususing mainly on the the Sky Blue eyeshadow which I felt was too modern and not truley Elizabethan, and therefore would not fit the criteria I needed to meet. So instead I used the fancy dress make up Image of the Queen of hearts combined with the Elizabthan portrait. I am still trying to find out both the make up artist and the artist who created these pictures, as soon as I find this information I will add it to my blog.
I decided not to use the image of the Queen of Hearts from the Tim Burton's movie version of Alice in Wonderland as although the make up was designed to look Elizabethan it was rather plain, focususing mainly on the the Sky Blue eyeshadow which I felt was too modern and not truley Elizabethan, and therefore would not fit the criteria I needed to meet. So instead I used the fancy dress make up Image of the Queen of hearts combined with the Elizabthan portrait. I am still trying to find out both the make up artist and the artist who created these pictures, as soon as I find this information I will add it to my blog.
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Kevyn Aucoin
This post is all about the late make up artist Kevyn Aucoin. Being relitively new to the world of make-up I had not actually heard of Kevyn until we were set the task of reasearching him and his work for our homework this week, so here goes...
“Glamour is not self-conscious; it’s not trying really hard. It’s just expressing your own truth. I think that’s what the essence of glamour really is—expressing your uniqueness.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevyn_Aucoin
http://uk.spacenk.com/kevyn-aucoin/
http://kevynaucoin.com/the-brand
- The late Kevyn Aucoin was an American make-up artist and photographer who started his career in New York.
- He was the founder of the luxury cosmetics line named after himself Kevyn Aucoin
- He started his career by working for free applying make up to test models before being discovered by none other than the leading fashion magazie,Vogue where he worked side by side with the famous fashion photographer Steven Meisel.
- In 1984 he worked with Revlon as Creative Director to promote their Ultima II range and later collaborated with the company again on the Nakeds line, which focussed on skintone. These products were thought to be groundbreaking in the world of make up as they were some of the first foundations to contain a yellow undertone instead of pink meaning they were suitable for a wider range of skintones, providing a more natural look. Other big brand name make- up companies such as M.A.C. and Bobbi Brown were inspired by the Nakeds range and began developing their own ranges based on the principle of developing different undertones and textures.
- In 1989 he worked with supermodel Cindy Crawford on a cover shoot for Vogue
- He has created and applied the make-up looks for Cosmopolitan magazine.
- at the height of his career he was highly sought after and could potentially charge anything up to $6,000 per shoot.
- Celebrity clients of Aucoin inclue; Cher, Janet Jackson, Liza Minelli, Tina Turner, Gwenyth Paltrow, Courtney Love and Vanessa Williams.
- Kevyn Aucoin Beauty was launched in 2001.
- Kevyn has authored 4 books; Face Forward, Making Faces, and The Art Of Make-Up
- Kevyn Aucoin sadly passed in May of 2002 due to Kidney failure
“Glamour is not self-conscious; it’s not trying really hard. It’s just expressing your own truth. I think that’s what the essence of glamour really is—expressing your uniqueness.”
—Kevyn Aucoin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevyn_Aucoin
http://uk.spacenk.com/kevyn-aucoin/
http://kevynaucoin.com/the-brand
My Symbolism Selfie
So this is my Selfie that I created containing items and clothes which sybolize or represent how I would like people to see me, as the type of person I would like to become. First of all in the picture I am holding a picture of my Son as he is the most importnt thing in my life and more than anything I want to be a good mother to him and put his interests first at all times. Also in my hand I am holding his little pink poodle toy that he gave to me on starting University to put in my room to remind me of him while I am staying in Southampton during the week. because he gave me this gift it is very important to me and I treasure it. I also have my make up out in front of me restng on the side in front of the mirror where I took this picture. This is because I am proud of being a Make-Up and Hair Design student, especially because when I was younger I did not think I would ever end up going to University. I am dressed in an odd manor in this image for two reasons I tried to give my outfit a sort of school teacher type theme whilst keeping it stylish and quirky, this is because If I could have any job in the world once I have completed my studies it would be to teach. Preferably hairdressing or hair design because I am particularly enthusiastic about hair, however at the same time it is important to me to keep my own sense of style and individuality. Lastly I am wearing a necklace in the picture which obviously being a student is a cheap high street brand product, however the necklace from a distance to an untrained eye may look like it would be worth more money so I wore it to represent the fact that I do like nice things, but also because I want to be a self reliant woman and be able to earn a comfortable wage of my own instead of relying on anyone else.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
symbolism and contemporary status symolism continued...
The Ermine portrait 1585, of Queen elizabeth I is another fantasic example of Status sybolism in the 15th Century.Elizabeth again is wearing only the finest of garments this time made from Ermine a fur which was especially only used to royalty and noblemen. It was regarded that only those of royal blood should be worthy of wearing the Ermine fur because of a myth surrounding the Ermine, it was said that the creature would rather die than soil its own fur, once again this signifys Elizabeth is a true Monarch and that she belongs in power. The sword in the portrait symbolises justice, Elizabeth was popular with her subjects and thought of as a fair Queen with a strong and unshakeable sense of justice, Elizabeth was known to dislike war and made every attempt whilst reigning britain to avoild conflict as much as possible, thus explaining the olive branch present, representing peace.
These are but a few examples of symbolism and how it was used to create an aura of honourability and power and also how it created a sense of security and trust in Elizabeth and her abilities in ruling the country, but how is symbolism used in todays society? this is the question I am going to address next.
In todays society we see many status symbols, via television, film, music videos and just as frequently in everyday life. these status symols create a reputation and a feeling of importance and respect for the individual involved. Music videos in particular contain masses of symbolism with which the viewers minds are unknowingly bombarded with subliminal messages of wealth, beauty, respect, power and importance from the artist. Rap/hip hop videos are especially renownd for theses status symbols, where we often see rappers parading round wearing high end designer clothing, diamond jewlelry, sipping on champagne and driving fancy cars.
The contemporary image or portrait I am going to dicuss containing symbolism is interesting for a few reasons not only does it show the celbrity in question asserting their power, ego/high sense of self esteem, it also has links to a conspiracy theory, which demonstatrates the power of publicity and how celebrites will court attention at any cost. Afterall there is a saying that any publicity is good publicity...
The Image I am talking about in this case is a portrait taken from Beyonces Album "I am Sasha Fierce" artwork.
These are but a few examples of symbolism and how it was used to create an aura of honourability and power and also how it created a sense of security and trust in Elizabeth and her abilities in ruling the country, but how is symbolism used in todays society? this is the question I am going to address next.
In todays society we see many status symbols, via television, film, music videos and just as frequently in everyday life. these status symols create a reputation and a feeling of importance and respect for the individual involved. Music videos in particular contain masses of symbolism with which the viewers minds are unknowingly bombarded with subliminal messages of wealth, beauty, respect, power and importance from the artist. Rap/hip hop videos are especially renownd for theses status symbols, where we often see rappers parading round wearing high end designer clothing, diamond jewlelry, sipping on champagne and driving fancy cars.
The contemporary image or portrait I am going to dicuss containing symbolism is interesting for a few reasons not only does it show the celbrity in question asserting their power, ego/high sense of self esteem, it also has links to a conspiracy theory, which demonstatrates the power of publicity and how celebrites will court attention at any cost. Afterall there is a saying that any publicity is good publicity...
The Image I am talking about in this case is a portrait taken from Beyonces Album "I am Sasha Fierce" artwork.
So this portrait is interesting for a number of reasons starting with the pose and facial expressions of Beyonce, she is seen in an extremly dominant, slightly agressive pose, deliberatley staring directly at the camera with a very strong and assertive Facial expression. This clearly symbolises her as an authorative, powerful woman almost warrior like.
to add to this the outfit she is wearing is a metallic like corset, again almost warrior like as the shape of the garment in a way reminds me of a shield, maybe used by an ancient viking warrior with some type of medeivil armour like the one pictured below.
Another thought which popped into my head whilst viwing this image of Beyonce was its similarities to the garment worn by the ficticous super hero Wonder Woman, both in shape and style of the garment but also similar in colour. Again the pose in which Beyonce is staning in is extremely similar to the pose of Wonder Woman in the picture below. Sasha Fierce is said to be Beyonces alter ego with a super hero like name could her inspiration have been taken from Wonder Woman? As she is also strong and mighty powerful being.
Beyonce appears to also be wearing some type of bracelet on her left arm, however in all the different size images of this picture I could find I was not able to see what exactly was on the bracelet. therefore I am unable to attempt to analyze any symbolism regarding this jewelry piece.
More symbols present in the artistic display are both the way the photo has been taken and the colours used. Beyonce herself is seen in black and white with a shadow like dark effect to the photography. Her outfit however is in colour this draws attenton away from Beyonce herself, so the observers main focus is on details of her elaborate costume. This is where clever marketing of Beyonces image and her willingness and ability to play up to publicity, rumours and provoke a reaction of conspiracy theorists comes to light. A popular internet phenomenon and conspiracy theory has been in circulation for a while now, regarding many mainstream celebrities and their "connection" to a supposed satanic cult called the Illuminati. The fact that Beyonce is clearly wearing a corset not only in the shape of a Baphomet or devil like head with horns, but actually displays a devil like face image with flames in red and yellow on the front is an example of an extremly effective way to gain attention and court publicity. Beyonce and her husband New York born rapper Jay-Z are frequently the centre of attention due to a number of photographs, portraits and music videos containing apparent "Illuminati/satanic" symbolism and poses. They are clearly demonstrating a gift for gaining and maintaining media attention.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Symbolism in Queen Elizabeth I portraits and contemporary status symbols
Queen Elizabeth was known for being a very intelligent woman. Not only did she have a good understanding of politics, speak fluently in 6 six languages and have a gift for public speaking she also had a fantasic knowledge of how to present to herself to her subjects to win their affection and support, and indeed much of her success was gained through controling her self image.
As a young woman Elizabeth was thought to be extremely beautiful, her pale complexion and golden hair had come to be desired by many Elizabthan women and was a style icon of her time. However She realised quickly the importance of personal marketing, and keeping her image as a natural beauty and icon status for as long as possible and used the reputation of being the virgin Queen as propaganda, portraying her as a strong, very able woman who had her priorities straight and who loved her country dearly, this worked fantastically to her advantage in keeping heself on the throne famously telling her subjets she was married to England. Therefore filling them with confidence in her abilities to reign as Queen.
Art and portraits played a huge role in Elizabeths portrayal, and she recognised this. She was said to order amendments to any portraits she did not see fit to be seen or that she considered ugly and if after ammendment the portraits failed to meet her standards she would order them to be destroyed, not only was she a proud woman but in carefully monitoring the image allowed to been seen by others she had had full control of building and maintaining her reputation.
Not only did Elizabeth understand the importance of looking good in her pictures she understood the power of symbolism and used this method of subliminal messages to assert and remind her subjects just what a great monarch she was. Some of the most famous portraits of Elizabeth including symbolism include the Armada painting, some of the interesting points to take upon observing this portrait are the fact that Elizabeth is seen to be holding a globe in her hand, this symbolises the fact that under her reign much exploration occured and that Britain was a strong and wealthy empire. The pearls that she is wearing have may have more than one meaning. At first glance you would assume that they merely symbolise purity and virginity which they indeed do but these pearls were no ordinary jewellery piece to the Queen infact they were once given to the Virgin Queen by none other than the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudly who she is rumoured to have had a romantic affair with before completely cutting contact from on ending the relationship. A question that arises from this fact is did the Queen wear flaunt gift to be seen in portrait as a dig at the Earl who was already married to another woman? Due to the nature of king Henry VIII and Anne Bolynne (Elizabeths mothers) relationship and the termination of it with Anne being beheaded under rumours of witchcraft and incest some tudors refered to Elizabeth as the bastard queen, it is no mistake or coincidence that the Tudor rose is used within the portrait, Elizabeth is clearly and undoubtedly claiming it her her right to be on the throne.
Another painting in which the use of symbolism can be seen is the Pelican Portrait 1572, this portrait clearly represents Elizabeths love of England using the myth surrounding the bird, the pelican, which in tudor times was believed to pluck it's own chest in order to feed its young it was believed that the mother bird would pluck away until she herself died in order to ensure her offspring were able to survive. Although this myth is not actually true it is a clever idea to use this story to represent Elizabeths love for her country, sacrificing her personal needs to ensure the best for her people. The colours Queen Elizabeth is wearing in this picture are also of upmost importance in symbolising her status as Queen, monarch and a lady of wealth, dressed to the nines in rich black and red garments. Dying fabrich with Cochineal in the 15th century would have been extremely expensive so onlyvthe wealthiest in society would be able to afford such elaborate clothing but black was seen to represent power as well as also being a costly investment in the wardrobe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/elizabeth_I
factbook of british history, rainbow books, 1996
As a young woman Elizabeth was thought to be extremely beautiful, her pale complexion and golden hair had come to be desired by many Elizabthan women and was a style icon of her time. However She realised quickly the importance of personal marketing, and keeping her image as a natural beauty and icon status for as long as possible and used the reputation of being the virgin Queen as propaganda, portraying her as a strong, very able woman who had her priorities straight and who loved her country dearly, this worked fantastically to her advantage in keeping heself on the throne famously telling her subjets she was married to England. Therefore filling them with confidence in her abilities to reign as Queen.
Art and portraits played a huge role in Elizabeths portrayal, and she recognised this. She was said to order amendments to any portraits she did not see fit to be seen or that she considered ugly and if after ammendment the portraits failed to meet her standards she would order them to be destroyed, not only was she a proud woman but in carefully monitoring the image allowed to been seen by others she had had full control of building and maintaining her reputation.
Not only did Elizabeth understand the importance of looking good in her pictures she understood the power of symbolism and used this method of subliminal messages to assert and remind her subjects just what a great monarch she was. Some of the most famous portraits of Elizabeth including symbolism include the Armada painting, some of the interesting points to take upon observing this portrait are the fact that Elizabeth is seen to be holding a globe in her hand, this symbolises the fact that under her reign much exploration occured and that Britain was a strong and wealthy empire. The pearls that she is wearing have may have more than one meaning. At first glance you would assume that they merely symbolise purity and virginity which they indeed do but these pearls were no ordinary jewellery piece to the Queen infact they were once given to the Virgin Queen by none other than the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudly who she is rumoured to have had a romantic affair with before completely cutting contact from on ending the relationship. A question that arises from this fact is did the Queen wear flaunt gift to be seen in portrait as a dig at the Earl who was already married to another woman? Due to the nature of king Henry VIII and Anne Bolynne (Elizabeths mothers) relationship and the termination of it with Anne being beheaded under rumours of witchcraft and incest some tudors refered to Elizabeth as the bastard queen, it is no mistake or coincidence that the Tudor rose is used within the portrait, Elizabeth is clearly and undoubtedly claiming it her her right to be on the throne.
Another painting in which the use of symbolism can be seen is the Pelican Portrait 1572, this portrait clearly represents Elizabeths love of England using the myth surrounding the bird, the pelican, which in tudor times was believed to pluck it's own chest in order to feed its young it was believed that the mother bird would pluck away until she herself died in order to ensure her offspring were able to survive. Although this myth is not actually true it is a clever idea to use this story to represent Elizabeths love for her country, sacrificing her personal needs to ensure the best for her people. The colours Queen Elizabeth is wearing in this picture are also of upmost importance in symbolising her status as Queen, monarch and a lady of wealth, dressed to the nines in rich black and red garments. Dying fabrich with Cochineal in the 15th century would have been extremely expensive so onlyvthe wealthiest in society would be able to afford such elaborate clothing but black was seen to represent power as well as also being a costly investment in the wardrobe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/elizabeth_I
factbook of british history, rainbow books, 1996
Monday, 13 October 2014
Movies about Queen Elizabeth I continued..
The Second movie about Queen Elizabeth I I have researched is called the Private Lives Of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) Starring Bette Davis.
Duing the filming of this movie Bette Davis who is known to have been a famous Hollywood beauty boldly decided to undertake a dramatic transformation in order to paint a realistic as possible image of the older virgin Queen. This drastic makeover included the 31 year old actress having her hairline shaved back up to 3 inches to reveal a high forehead, her eyebrows completely shaved off and pencilled in with thin lines and finally wore thick, white Elizabethan like make up which not only made the young actress appear much older than her true age but gave the illusion of her having thinner lips.
The make up artist for this movie was Perc Westmore is just one member of the famous Hollywood make up artist family, The Westmores.
Below the transformation from Bette Davis as she woukd have normally looked to her charecter as Qeen Elizabeth.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=50zStEopKDIC&pg=PA80&dq=Perc+Westmore&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zQGpUL-WDI-r0AXy9oGoBw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=Perc%20Westmore&f=false
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Private_Lives_of_Elizabeth_and_Essex
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/30/private-lives-of-elizabeth-and-essex
http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/essex.htm
Duing the filming of this movie Bette Davis who is known to have been a famous Hollywood beauty boldly decided to undertake a dramatic transformation in order to paint a realistic as possible image of the older virgin Queen. This drastic makeover included the 31 year old actress having her hairline shaved back up to 3 inches to reveal a high forehead, her eyebrows completely shaved off and pencilled in with thin lines and finally wore thick, white Elizabethan like make up which not only made the young actress appear much older than her true age but gave the illusion of her having thinner lips.
The make up artist for this movie was Perc Westmore is just one member of the famous Hollywood make up artist family, The Westmores.
Below the transformation from Bette Davis as she woukd have normally looked to her charecter as Qeen Elizabeth.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=50zStEopKDIC&pg=PA80&dq=Perc+Westmore&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zQGpUL-WDI-r0AXy9oGoBw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=Perc%20Westmore&f=false
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Private_Lives_of_Elizabeth_and_Essex
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/30/private-lives-of-elizabeth-and-essex
http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/essex.htm
Movies about Queen Elizabeth I
The first movie I am going to discuss is the one we have watched in class, simply named Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett.
One of the main themes throughout the movie is tranformation, that being, from teenage Elizabeth to the "Virgin Queen" which she famously later came to be known as. Cate Blanchett portrays Elizabeth Through out the movie with hair and make up providing viewers with a very visual transformation.
Elizabeth of course was a natural red head with a pale complexion, a look which was desired by all wealthy Elizabethan women as it represented class and affluence.
The young Elizabeth in the film therefore wears her hair down with naturally glowing white skin. it was common for young un-married Elizabethan women to wear their hair down, so these first scenes of the young Elizabeth are important emphasizing her natural and youthfull beauty.
Unfortunately as Elizabeth aged and after a bout of Smallpox in 1562 aged 29 years old Elizabeth was left with severe scarring on her face and thinning hair. A woman who was proud of her appearance and who had previously always been considered as a natural beauty turned to make up in an attempt to maintain her image. Later scenes in the film depict this well seeing older Elizabeth as she would have been in her later years with a white face, covered in heavy Ceruse make up red cheeks and lips to maintain her inocent virgin like statue, With a red elaborateley curled and styled wig, high shaven forhead and thinly plucked brows. Even with age Elizabeth was still thought of as a style icon and this heavily made up look of course became the trend amongst wealthy British Women.
The film Elizabeth had 13 make up artists/hairsylists in total to provide the cast with authentic Elizabethan style. The Make up and hair designer for the film Jenny Shircore won 4 awards for the make up and hair of Elizabeth including the 71st Academy Awards Best Hair and Make Up, the Best Make up Award at the 1998 Oscars, BAFTA Awards Best Hair and Make Up and the Max Factor Award at the Venice film festival 1998.
Two Pictures of Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth first as the youthful natural Elizabeth and Secondly as the older Virgin Queen.
Pictures from and sources of information:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/splashpage/cate_blanchett?film=hanna
http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/oscar-politics-elizabeth-vs-shakespeare-in-love-vs-emma/
http://www.elizabethfiles.com/10-october-1562-elizabeth-i-contracted-smallpox/5923/
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/oscars/1999-oscar-award-winners/
http://awards.bafta.org/explore?year=1999&category=Film&award=false
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/awards
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/fullcredits/
One of the main themes throughout the movie is tranformation, that being, from teenage Elizabeth to the "Virgin Queen" which she famously later came to be known as. Cate Blanchett portrays Elizabeth Through out the movie with hair and make up providing viewers with a very visual transformation.
Elizabeth of course was a natural red head with a pale complexion, a look which was desired by all wealthy Elizabethan women as it represented class and affluence.
The young Elizabeth in the film therefore wears her hair down with naturally glowing white skin. it was common for young un-married Elizabethan women to wear their hair down, so these first scenes of the young Elizabeth are important emphasizing her natural and youthfull beauty.
Unfortunately as Elizabeth aged and after a bout of Smallpox in 1562 aged 29 years old Elizabeth was left with severe scarring on her face and thinning hair. A woman who was proud of her appearance and who had previously always been considered as a natural beauty turned to make up in an attempt to maintain her image. Later scenes in the film depict this well seeing older Elizabeth as she would have been in her later years with a white face, covered in heavy Ceruse make up red cheeks and lips to maintain her inocent virgin like statue, With a red elaborateley curled and styled wig, high shaven forhead and thinly plucked brows. Even with age Elizabeth was still thought of as a style icon and this heavily made up look of course became the trend amongst wealthy British Women.
The film Elizabeth had 13 make up artists/hairsylists in total to provide the cast with authentic Elizabethan style. The Make up and hair designer for the film Jenny Shircore won 4 awards for the make up and hair of Elizabeth including the 71st Academy Awards Best Hair and Make Up, the Best Make up Award at the 1998 Oscars, BAFTA Awards Best Hair and Make Up and the Max Factor Award at the Venice film festival 1998.
Two Pictures of Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth first as the youthful natural Elizabeth and Secondly as the older Virgin Queen.
Pictures from and sources of information:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/splashpage/cate_blanchett?film=hanna
http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/oscar-politics-elizabeth-vs-shakespeare-in-love-vs-emma/
http://www.elizabethfiles.com/10-october-1562-elizabeth-i-contracted-smallpox/5923/
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/oscars/1999-oscar-award-winners/
http://awards.bafta.org/explore?year=1999&category=Film&award=false
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/awards
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/fullcredits/
Sunday, 12 October 2014
These are the two images I have chosen for my sad blue picture.
Elizabethan Cosmetics
Today I have been doing some more research into Elizabethan cosmetics and found out some interesting things. Not only did the men and women of the Elizabethan era use Ceruse (a mixture of White Lead and Vinegar) for foundation, many people also used tin ash, sulphur, alum and even egg whites. not only did these products lighten the skin but they were also used to hide wrinkles.
However many of theese products were in fact toxic and would have extreme detrimental effects on the skin and to the overall health of the people chosing to wear them. To many reading this poisonus white lead would be the obvious danger, but it wasn't the only unsafe indredient in the cosmetics and beauty treatments of the Elizabethan times, it was also common practice to use a toxic plant extract called Belladonna, from the plant Atropa belladonna, also known as Deadly nightshade, to brighten the eyes. The method in this case was to use the plant extract in a form of liquid eye drops to dialte the pupils, therefore giving the eyes a sparkling appearance. Belladonna has also been used throughout history by the Ancient Romans and in the middle ages for tipping poisoned arrows and for anesthetic during surgery.
We may look at theses treatments and wonder if they were worth risking ones health for, but in reality they are no different to some of the risks taken in modern times in the effort to maintain a "beautiful" and youthful appearance. treatments such as Botox, collagen fillers and cosmetic surgery all come with dangers attached, not to mention a great deal of pain.. Dermal fillers are often reported to to have adverse side effects, and plastic surgery even more so, not only is there the risk regarding complications with the surgery itself but taking into consideration the risks associated with anesthetics and post surgical infection.
returning to the subject of Elizabethan make up, other methods used during this era to accentuate the eyes included outlining them with kohl which was also used to darken the lashes (again similar to modern techniques, using eyeliner and mascara). In addition to this they would pluck their eyebows into very thin arched shapes thus making the eyes appear larger and the forehead appearing higher.
Queen Elizabeth herself was of course a redhead and given her style icon status red/yellow or lightened hair became fashionable amongst the weathly women of Britain during her reign. In order to achieve a lighter hair shade women would use a mixture of spices such as Saffron Celadine and Cumin, and in some cases even Urine would be used.
The webistes I used to obtain this information included: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/beauty-during-the-elizabethan-times/ https://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SKPB_enGB299GB299&q=Belladonna
http://www.allaboutvision.com/cosmetic/botox.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/basics/risks/prc-20022389
http://www.thebeautybiz.com/78/article/history/beauty-through-ages-renaissance
However many of theese products were in fact toxic and would have extreme detrimental effects on the skin and to the overall health of the people chosing to wear them. To many reading this poisonus white lead would be the obvious danger, but it wasn't the only unsafe indredient in the cosmetics and beauty treatments of the Elizabethan times, it was also common practice to use a toxic plant extract called Belladonna, from the plant Atropa belladonna, also known as Deadly nightshade, to brighten the eyes. The method in this case was to use the plant extract in a form of liquid eye drops to dialte the pupils, therefore giving the eyes a sparkling appearance. Belladonna has also been used throughout history by the Ancient Romans and in the middle ages for tipping poisoned arrows and for anesthetic during surgery.
We may look at theses treatments and wonder if they were worth risking ones health for, but in reality they are no different to some of the risks taken in modern times in the effort to maintain a "beautiful" and youthful appearance. treatments such as Botox, collagen fillers and cosmetic surgery all come with dangers attached, not to mention a great deal of pain.. Dermal fillers are often reported to to have adverse side effects, and plastic surgery even more so, not only is there the risk regarding complications with the surgery itself but taking into consideration the risks associated with anesthetics and post surgical infection.
returning to the subject of Elizabethan make up, other methods used during this era to accentuate the eyes included outlining them with kohl which was also used to darken the lashes (again similar to modern techniques, using eyeliner and mascara). In addition to this they would pluck their eyebows into very thin arched shapes thus making the eyes appear larger and the forehead appearing higher.
Queen Elizabeth herself was of course a redhead and given her style icon status red/yellow or lightened hair became fashionable amongst the weathly women of Britain during her reign. In order to achieve a lighter hair shade women would use a mixture of spices such as Saffron Celadine and Cumin, and in some cases even Urine would be used.
The webistes I used to obtain this information included: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/beauty-during-the-elizabethan-times/ https://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SKPB_enGB299GB299&q=Belladonna
http://www.allaboutvision.com/cosmetic/botox.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/basics/risks/prc-20022389
http://www.thebeautybiz.com/78/article/history/beauty-through-ages-renaissance
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Face charts
In yesterdays lesson, Monday the 6th of September we looked at basic colour theory and face charts. we discussed primary and tertiary colours. Learnt the difference between Warm and cold colours and how that some colours which you would automatically assume were warm or cold can infact be the opposite to that which you first think. Monochromatic colours, chromatic colours, and finally achromatic and neutral colours.
We then watched a couple of very helpful youtube clips on how to shade and colour facecharts using make up to create different effects and experiment using different colours. here are the two face charts I did. The first I started in class to practice shading in skin and contouring. I then added eye make up and a red lipstick when I got home. The second I did at home to experiment with different styles of eye make up and using different colours. on the left hand side of the face I used Aubergine and violet eyeshadow to bring out the green in the eye with a pale pink lipgloss to create an evening look. On the right hand side I used a light brown and a grey eye shadow for a more natural daytime look I then added foundadtion to a lipgloss to create a very pale pink colour as i did not have a lipgloss in this shade.
I enjoyed learning the colour theory and how to design face charts, however I feel I need alot more practice to get the shading and shadowing correct.
We then watched a couple of very helpful youtube clips on how to shade and colour facecharts using make up to create different effects and experiment using different colours. here are the two face charts I did. The first I started in class to practice shading in skin and contouring. I then added eye make up and a red lipstick when I got home. The second I did at home to experiment with different styles of eye make up and using different colours. on the left hand side of the face I used Aubergine and violet eyeshadow to bring out the green in the eye with a pale pink lipgloss to create an evening look. On the right hand side I used a light brown and a grey eye shadow for a more natural daytime look I then added foundadtion to a lipgloss to create a very pale pink colour as i did not have a lipgloss in this shade.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Elizabethans achieved this pale look by using a cosmetic called Venetian ceruse, made from white lead which is of course poisonus. the reasoning behind the pale complexion being desireable during this era is that it represented wealth. Peasants and working class women worked outside often for long periods at time and of course built up a suntan therefore tanned skin was regarded as common therefore wealthy women strived to make their skin appear as pale as possible . The red cheeks and lips were achieved by using a red face paint called Fucus.
I found some of this information from the website: http://www.fragrancex.com/fragrance-information/elizabethan-makeup.aspx
Leading on from here, this portrait reminded me of the Queen of Hearts from the story Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol.. these are a couple of images I found on Google of Queen of hearts inspired make up and the charecter from the Tim Burton Movie. The websites the pictures were taken from are listed below...
The above right image is the Queen of hearts in the Tim Burton movie version of alice in wonderland this reminds me of Elizabethan make up because of the white base, thin eyebrows red lips and although it is not actually make up the red Elizabethan style hair. The above left image is again Queen of Hearts inspired make up, with a white base, rosy redcheeks and red lips. The only un-authentic Elizabethan element in both of these looks is the eye makeup. Elizabethans did attempt to darken their lashes with Kohl but would not have achieved a thick eyeline or depth of black which is attainable using modern day make up such as liquid eyeliners and mascaras, and again the bright sky blue eyeshadow gives these images a contemporary feel.
this Image of Queen of Hearts make up i found on a
Pictures from: http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-costume-ideas/117293-chesire-cat-makeup-ideas.htmlhttp://chasing-paperplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/halloween-is-coming.html
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