When I began writing historical fiction, I knew I would need to research settings, events and people related to a time period. Hair styles, clothing, furniture, and other items needed accurate description. However, I never thought I’d research women’s cosmetics.
My current story drove me in this direction. I needed to understand the cosmetics available to women in the middle of the 19th century, as well as the signal of social status they conveyed. I found that some things remain the same today, but others have changed.
Women in the 1850s cared greatly about skin care. They used cleansers and moisturizers made from animal fat and rosewater to create a soft, clear complexion. Some recipes also included cucumbers and strawberries, even milk.
However, women avoided any tan. They desires a pale complexion with rosy cheeks to indicate they did not work outdoors and enjoyed good health. You would think women favored using a foundation to achieve this appearance and hide blemishes. They did so in earlier years. But in the 19th century women who wanted to signal their good moral status eschewed any heavy makeup. At most, they used a powder, often made of rice flour, and added some blush. “The mark of a true lady was her natural, untouched appearance.”* Wearing more cosmetics than the bare minimum marked one as a “painted lady”, aka prostitute.
If you’d like to read about cosmetics during this and other periods, you might try the following sources:
*https://www.almanac.com/history-american-cosmetic
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/womens-makeup-in-the-1800s/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian-era_cosmetics
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