Contemporary Elizabethan Make-up and Hair Looks

(www.pintrest.com)

To me this image represents a 'new Elizabethan' as it is a contemporary twist on classic Elizabethan styling, hair and make-up. The image closely links with classic Elizabethan images, as the model has a very big hairstyle with curls which were traits of Elizabethan hairstyles, but the contemporary twist is that the hair is quite messily done instead of being in a perfect updo. She also has very pale skin and pale eye make-up, the contemporary twists being that she has dark purple lipstick which looks quite royal, and instead of having rouged cheeks she has more of a contoured look. she also has white eyelashes which is contemporary. The clothing the model has been styled in is also very representative of Elizabethan times with the big ruffled collar and the pearls and richly decorated fabric, the contemporary twist is that there are sequins on the ruff and also the materials that have been used to make the clothing is quite modern. 

(www.armarandadorn.blogspot.com)

This image also reminds me of the Elizabethan era. This is because firstly, her hair is red which was a very popular and fashionable hair colour in the Elizabethan era because Queen Elizabeth had red hair. The hair has also been made a feature of as it is very large and volumised, and hair was a main focal point in and Elizabethan womans look. Her skin has also been made to look very pale with rouged cheeks and little eye make-up, much like it would have been in the Elizabethan era, but the contemporary spin is that she has a more bronzed lip rather than the pale pink the Elizabethans would have fashioned. I also think the styling is quite Elizabethan. She is wearing white which was seen as a royal colour and a symbol of virginity, and the dress is also made partly with lace which is a rich fabric with lots of texture. The jewellery is also Elizabethan with the big and elaborate gem rings, but there is a contemporary twist with the hoop earrings and the head piece.  

(www.niansa.deviantart.com)

 I also think that this image represents a modern interpretation of Elizabethan styling, hair and make-up. The hair is a very contemporary version of Elizabethan hair, as it is short which instantly makes it look contemporary. It has also been dyed pink which is a light colour and Elizabethan women liked to have their hair red or blonde and the pink is like a mix between the two. She also has an elaborate and structured headpiece on with pearls on it which is a ver modern take on an Elizabethan hairpiece. Her make-up links with Elizabethan make-up as she has pale skin and little eye make-up and she also has rouged lips but they look modern as it is a darker shade of pink than the Elizabethans would have worn. The styling is also very Elizabethan with the neck ruff of white lace and the big diamond necklace and earrings.

Monochromatic Test Shoot

 

This is one of my images from my monochromatic make-up test shoot. We had to choose any colour we liked and use its monochromatic scale to create our looks with. I chose to use the colour blue and went for a futuristic sort of look with my hair and make-up. After prepping the models skin, I applied a base of foundation, concealer and powder. I then used a metallic electric blue eyeshadow powder on the eyelids and used a stencil to create the scale like pattern on the sides of the face. I then used my MAC blue lip paint and a mascara wand to comb through the eyebrows to make them bigger and more wild looking. For the lips, I mixed the metallic blue eyeshadow powder with some duraline which made it into a liquid form so that i could paint it onto the lips. For the hair, I wanted a hairstyle that would be off her face so you could see the detail in the pattern on the make-up so I decided to do a massive bun in her hair, as it also reminds me slightly of a UFO so it fits with the futuristic look. I clipped in some hair extensions and scraped her hair back into a high ponytail. I then used a huge hair donut to create the big bun shape. 

For the photo shoot, I photographed my model in a studio using one light with a soft box over it to disperse the light so it was slightly softer which is better for beauty images. I got my model to pose in a variety of ways to show the make-up at different angles. 

For my final shoot, I will change a few things about the images. Firstly, I am going to make the eyebrows the same shade as the rest of the blue make-up so that it all fits together better, and I will intensify the blue colour on the eyes so that it stands out a bit more. I will also highlight and contour her skin so that the bone structure is more visible.   

Selina Snow

(www.southampton.gov.uk)

Selina Snow is an artist who creates her pieces by taking inspiration from her travels and experiences across the world. She especially takes inspiration from foods across different cultures and places them into her artworks. 

This piece is called ‘Horn OK Please’ and shows a collection of images such as a motherly figure and a child figure dressed in loose drapery which looks quite religious, flowers, birds and a crab on a plate.  

The painting uses lots of bright colours such as fluorescent pink, bright yellow and bright blues and greens amongst others, making it a very eye catching piece, as there are also no dark colours in the image giving it a very exotic look. 

The image creates an exciting and dynamic mood as there are so many bright colours and big and bold patterns, so there is lots going on in the image. It reminds me of a dream as it is not in a realistic setting and there is lots going on it in, and objects that you wouldn’t think to see together, for example flowers and a crab. 

The hair and make-up on the motherly figure in the centre of the piece is very subtle and plain. Her hair is down and is mostly covered by the material she has draped over her head. Her make-up is very youthful looking, with pale, matte, smooth skin and rosy cheeks and lips, which also reminds me of the makeup in the Elizabethan era.

Introduction to the Elizabethan Project

Recently for my Elizabethan project I have been researching into the Elizabethan era by looking at a variety of Elizabethan portraits, quotes on hair and make-up from the Elizabethan era, books such as 'Fashions in hair the first five thousand years' by Richard Corson which has pages of useful information about the processes Elizabethan women would go through in order to achieve bleached hair, and also has many images of various Elizabethan hairstyles for both men and women which is really useful. I also watched the film 'Elizabeth' which was really interesting, as the make-up was done in such a way that it looked authentic, but at the same time with a slight contemporary twist as the product wasn't layered on so thickly. 

I am really looking forward to experimenting more and researching into more contemporary versions of Elizabethan hair and make-up, as there are so many possible outcomes when taking inspiration from things such as the pale skin and rosy checks and lips, the solid structured elaborate hair styles, and the grand clothing and jewels. 

(Book: 'Fashions in Hair the First Five Thousand Years' by Richard Corson)

Elizabethan Portraiture: 'The Ermine Portrait'

(www.gogmsite.net)

This is the Ermine Portrait by Nicholas Hillard of Queen Elizabeth 1 dating back to 1585.

The portrait is full of symbolism, for example, the ermine symbolizes purity, status and royalty, which are also shown by the small gold crown around its neck. The sword on Queen Elizabeth’s lap represents justice, and the olive branch she is holding resembles peace.

Her clothing is richly decorated, showing she is of high status and wealth, and she is wearing black and white which were her favorite colours, and could only be worn by the very wealthy or royalty. The white on the dress also represents her status as the ‘Virgin Queen’. Elizabeth also wears the ‘Three brothers’ jewel- a gem made up of three diamonds set in a triangle around a pointed diamond, and it was one of her most treasured jewels.

For her make-up, Elizabeth has her famously pale skin which also shows her wealth and status, as poor people would have more tanned skin from working outside in the sun. She also has slight rosy cheeks and pale pink lips giving her a youthful glow, as Elizabeth always wanted to appear ageless.

Her hair is in an elaborate style and is adorned with jewels, which again symbolizes her status and wealth. She has a very structured hairstyle with tight curls showing her power and authority. Her forehead is also on display and looks large, which was considered to be attractive in the Elizabethan era- ladies would pluck their hair lines back to achieve this look.

Analysing Visual Images

(www.pictify.com)

 This is a photograph by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) which dates from 1937, and is of the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson (1896-1986) in Elsa Schiaparelli’s (1890-1973) ‘Lobster dress’. 

My first impression of the image is that is has a dreamy and slightly surreal quality to it, as Wallis is wearing an evening gown with a lobster on it which is unusual and unexpected, and the fact that she is wearing this evening dress amongst bushes and foliage whilst carrying bunches of twigs seems out of place, as you expect to see an evening dress against a glamorous backdrop, not a natural, chaotic one, adding to the surreal quality of the image. To me the image represents an angelic woman, who looks as though she is floating about in a dreamy way, perhaps because this photograph was taken shortly before she was to marry the Duke of Windsor, so she was in a blissful and distracted state of mind, which I think shows in the image, as she looks like she is preoccupied by her own thoughts and not fully present in the photograph. It is also quite a romantic image, which would have been fitting as she was about to be married. I think there is a subtle message in the image through the lobster painted by Salvador Dali on the dress. When you first look at the photograph, you see an angelic image, but when you see the lobster on the dress, it perhaps hints to a more sexual side of the image, as Dali was known for using lobsters in his artworks to represent sexuality. 

The nature of the image is a professional portrait, but it is done in what looks like quite a candid way, as it is though Beaton has captured Wallis on a stroll through some gardens, as she does not look as though she is pulling a pose and it all looks very natural and in the moment. I think that the setting compliments the image, as although there is a lot going on in the background with all of the plants, it does not detract away from Wallis, but compliments her and she dominates the image instead of blending in with the backdrop, yet she also seems at harmony with her surroundings. There is a clam aura to the image, as Wallis’ face and body looks relaxed, and I think the black and white effect of the photograph contributes to the calming quality of the image. The lighting of the image looks naturalistic like a bright beam of sunlight from the left hand side of the image, but could have perhaps been exaggerated by using a reflector to reflect the light onto Wallis to make her glow in the way that she is in the image, and to also reflect some of the light into the background of the image so that Wallis stands out from it and they’re not the same tone.  

These images of Wallis by Beaton were taken for a spread in Vogue magazine, and Wallis told Vogue, ‘I’m not a beautiful woman. I’m nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else’. Wallis presents this attitude in the images, as she herself isn’t necessarily the most striking woman, but the combination of the outfit, the backdrop, and the subtle hair and makeup adds to an overall striking, interesting and iconic photograph.

 

Val Garland Make-up Looks

(www.fashiongonerouge.com)

 
 This is a make-up look created by Val Garland on the Polish model Anja Rubik for ‘Numéro’ magazine. I really love this make-up look as it is bold and daring with the use of strong graphic lines and bright colours which are complimentary of each other. Garland has done this look in such a way that having strongly structured electric blue eyebrows looks the norm, and the eyebrow is almost reflected underneath the eye, as the blue eyeliner follows the same shape as the eyebrow, creating a striking frame around the eye so that you are drawn in. The bright yellow on the eyelid clashes with the dark blue really making the eye pop, and the more subtle blue shades around the top of the eyelid and the inner eye bring a slightly softer quality to the look. The violet lip compliments the yellow of the eyelid and works well with the tones of the blue, pulling the overall make-up look together. The soft violet colour also works well with the softer blue sections on the eye so that the complete make-up look is not too harsh. The half dyed purple hair really adds to and completes the whole make-up creation, as it matches the violet lips and sticks to one of the three colours used in this design so that it doesn’t look too busy, and the tousled and back-combed texture and styling of the hair give it a slight rock-and-roll edge.

I would choose this look by Garland to transform myself for a photo-shoot with David Lachapelle. I would be photographed by Lachapelle at an aquarium, and I would be inside a tank full of tropical fish to match my bright make-up. I think the make-up would work well underwater as it is a bold look so would show up in the photographs well, and the hair would look full of volume as it would float in the water around me. I would choose this location and make-up look to transform myself as I am usually quite a quiet person and I don’t like being the centre of attention, so in picking this look, I would be setting myself a personal challenge to embrace a bold look and act confidently with it. It would be a personal achievement, and the photographs would remind me that with the right tools I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.  

(www.allurabeauty.com)

 This is the second make-up look by Val Garland that I have chosen to review, and it is of Lady Gaga in the advert for her ‘Viva Glam’ lipstick range at MAC. I think this is a classically beautiful make-up look and oozes glamour and femininity. It is a soft look with lots of nudes and pale browns and pinks, but still with that edge of sex appeal with the subtle flick of black eyeliner on the top of the eyelids and the feathery eyelashes to lure you into her eyes. Garland has created a sort of half smoky eye, as on the upper lid she has used pale pinks and nudes for a very neutral look, and under the eye has used a smoky bronze/ brown colour, which combined with the black liner on the upper lid makes a delicate smoky eye effect. I like the fact that the eyebrows have been kept very pale as they look natural and don’t detract away from the eye make-up, but compliment the pale shades on the eyelid and add to the soft and feminine appearance of the make-up. I really love the nude shade Garland has used on Gaga’s lips, as it has a slight tan colour to it and brings out the brown tones in the eye make-up, and she has also used a slightly darker nude brown to line the lips with to give them more definition and fullness. The skin looks flawless and natural, with minimal amounts of bronzer to give it a slight glow and warmth. To me, the whole look is about being effortlessly glamorous, and the slight Hollywood style waves in her hair also add to the overall image of glamour and gracefulness.   

I would choose this make-up look by Garland to transform myself for a huge star studded, old Hollywood glamour themed charity event in the casino of ‘The Cosmopolitan’ hotel in Las Vegas. I think this make-up look would be perfect for an event like this, as it is very glamorous and classic, and it reminds me of old Hollywood starlets such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1950’s, and I can picture paring this hair and make-up styling with a classic strapless floor length fitted black dress and elegant diamond jewellery. The setting of the grand and glitzy casino with the numerous celebrities mingling around and all the gorgeous 1950’s-esque looks would create a magical atmosphere where I would feel like a true star. I think this look reflects my personality as I love anything glamorous that makes you look and feel good, and I also love the era of the 1950’s and admire how the women always looked so put together and perfect and exuded femininity.