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/
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