Let’s talk about the beauty secrets of the Elizabethan era.
Pale, alabaster skin. Curly, red hair. Thin, arched brows. Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry XVIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, perfectly personified the beauty ideal of the era.
All the women at court wanted to look like her. Here’s the lengths they went through to make that happen:
Face
Back then, a pale complexion was a sign of good health and prestige. The reason is simple: only rich women could afford to have fair skin. Poor ones worked for hours outside and developed a tan as a result.
To get the pale look, women (and men) used several different things: Ceruse (a foundation made with poisonous white lead and vinegar), sulphur, alum or tin ash.
Ceruse was seriously bad news. The lead soaked right into their skin, causing all kinds of nasty health issues like hair falling out, muscle problems, and eventually, death. But hey, looking ghostly white was worth it, right?
Plus, they also used egg whites to fake a paler complexion and smooth out wrinkles. (Egg whites tighten the skin, kind of like a DIY face mask.) Some even sprinkled crushed pearls on their faces or mixed up potions with poppy seeds and snail slime. Yep, they went all in for that flawless look.
Since smallpox scars were common, women covered them up with thick layers of ceruse. Others got creative and used tiny velvet or silk patches in fun shapes like stars and moons.
Eyes & Eyebrows
Women back then went heavy on the eyeliner, using black kohl to make their eyes pop. They didn’t know (or care) that kohl contained lead – anything for that sultry stare.
They also put Belladonna in their eyes to make their pupils huge and sparkly. It gave them that dreamy, wide-eyed look, but it also blurred their vision and could make them go blind if they used too much. Talk about suffering for beauty!
Thin, arched brows were all the rage because they made the forehead look bigger – apparently, that was a big deal back then. Women plucked away to get the perfect high-arched shape. Some even went as far as shaving off parts of their hairline to make their foreheads look extra tall.
To darken their lashes, they’d burn cloves and rub the ashes on. Others used elderberry juice mixed with tree sap to keep their lashes dark and dramatic.
Cheeks & Lips
Bright red cheeks and lips were a must. To get that flushed look, women used crushed plants like madder root or ground-up beetles (cochineal, anyone?).
They also dabbled in egg white and ochre to get the perfect cheek stain. Lip color? Vermilion, made from mercury sulfide—super toxic, but the rich red shade was too good to pass up.
Some ladies mixed their lip dye with beeswax to make a kind of early lip gloss. Fancy, huh?
Skincare
With all the junk they slathered on their faces, skin problems were a given. To deal with the mess, Elizabethans had some… interesting fixes.
They used rosewater and lemon juice to fade spots, but the real hardcore treatments involved weird mixes of eggshells, alum, mercury, and honey. Mercury was a go-to, even though it made their skin worse in the long run.
Wealthy women even bathed in donkey milk, believing it made their skin soft and youthful. And if that wasn’t enough, they’d slap pigeon poop on their face to clear up blemishes. Seriously.
Hair
Just like pale skin, light hair was the dream. Women used all kinds of things to bleach it – even urine! It worked because of the ammonia, but still… gross.
Another DIY blonde hack? A mix of cumin seeds, saffron, and oil. Some also rinsed their hair with chamomile tea to keep it golden.
And yes, red hair became a thing because of Queen Elizabeth I. Women started dyeing their hair with henna, rhubarb, and saffron to copy her fiery locks.
Unmarried women wore their hair down, but once they got hitched, up it went – usually into a neat bun so they could pin on fancy headpieces.
Wigs were a big deal, too. If your hair was thinning (or if you just wanted a different color), a wig was the way to go. Some women went full commitment and shaved their heads to rock wigs 24/7.
Both real and fake hair got the royal treatment with jewels, pearls, and fancy accessories. Only the super-rich could afford the best ones.
Men Hair & Beards
Men’s hairstyles changed a lot during Elizabeth’s reign. At first, short hair was in. But over time, long, curly locks became the trend. Men used hot irons to get those perfect curls and held them in place with wax or tree sap.
Beards? The bigger, the better. They came in all shapes – round, square, pointed. But one thing was constant: they were long and stiffened with starch. Some even dyed their beards red or golden blonde with saffron just to stand out.
And for extra flair, rich men scented their hair and beards with rosemary, thyme, or lavender. Basically, they smelled like an herb garden.
The Bottom Line
There you have it, all the beauty secrets of the Elizabethan era. All these beauty tricks came at a serious cost – not just in money, but in health. Poisonous makeup, sketchy skincare, and chemical hair treatments caused all kinds of problems, from skin damage to fatal poisoning. But hey, when has that ever stopped people from chasing beauty trends?
Believe it or not, some of their beauty habits have stuck around – natural dyes, herbal skincare, and thick eyeliner are still going strong today. At least we ditched the lead and mercury!
beauty and grooming have certainly evolved so much. now we have everything ready without the pain of DIY-ing everything 😀 i would love to have the luxury to bathe in ass’ milk tho
After reading this the only thing I can do is thanking God for being born in the XXth century…
thanks for sharing, this is interesting to read 🙂
.-= Jess´s last blog ..I’m being tempted by Ascience promotion! =-.
Xin, yes, we have certainly come a long way with them. Now we have lots of products that we can buy instead of making but what hasn’t changed is that we still go to great lenghts to achieve the ideal of beauty we have these days.
That sounds nice, doesn’t it? I wouldn’t mind that too. 🙂
Negra Cabreada, lol. I agree with you. We have some weird trends too but at least we don’t have to use those poisonous ingredients and weird homemade masks that didn’t work too well.
Jess, you’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
great info really helped me on my study 😀
Bob, thanks. I’m glad it helped you.
Hello, as part of research I am doing I am required to “critique my sources”. Where did you get this information from? And, have you had any professions or experiences which have involved in depth analysis of this era etc. Basically, was this just for a one time blog post or have you had any background resource/course etc. with this part of history?
thank you!
Hi Hannah. I’m a history geek who loves the Tudor era so I read a lot of books about the subject. Unfortunately, I don’t remember which ones I used for this post. I have so many and this was written years ago. Sorry!