touchy subect - costmetics

[Drygoods]

Greetings Friends,

Yesterday I got into a conversation with a friend about participating in 'immersion' and authentic events and the question came up to what about facial cosmetics and acrylic fingernails?
Whereas I wouldn't wear make-up or acrylic nails to an authentic event, my friend who is authentic with the rest of her impression, wouldn't be caught dead without them.

I would like to know what some of the other women here feel about cosmetics and nail dressing at period events. Can anyone really turn a blind eye to lipstick and colored nails? :confused_

Mfr,
Judith Peebles

[TennViv]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

I could tolerate acrylic nails as long as they weren't long claws
and were natural in color. But! I would much rather not see them at all.
Plus, as a health matter, think of all the dirt and grime that must accumulate
under those long nails over the course of a weekend.

Makeup is another matter. Whenever I see someone wearing makeup,
all I can think is that she would look soooo much better without it. It
is jarring to see modern beauty standards applied to an otherwise good
19th century impression.

If she is so very concerned about her appearance that she feels she
cannot do without the makeup and nails, you might try telling her that
the modern paints make her look worse and not better to others in the
reenacting world.

Just my .02 YMMV . . .

[Spinster]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Semi permanent acrylic nails are a challenge to maintain even in the best of circumstances, never mind all the hardships of a weekend reenacting. Unless you are upper class and brought a wagon full of servants, sooner or later one will break one to the bloody quick while building up a fire.

I used in them for awhile in a vain attempt to disguise the fact that my real nails were badly stained from various dye pot experiements, and I needed to look somewhat respectable in my real-life job. And the expense of such things is such that one would not repeatedly take them off for weekend events.

In that context, the best I could do was having the nails shaped "naturally" (rather than the extra long or squared off box style so popular at the time) and keeping them in a "French style" manicure rather than painted in some fashion. It was still a BIGGGG leap, and I finally abandoned the effort of looking respectable and professional in my real job. :wink_smil

Any sort of painted nails, unless fully covered at all times with gloves, are really a bad idea. About as poor an impression as someone with an eyebrow piercing who leaves the ring in for an event......

As for makeup--well, Sister and I have been known to smear lard on our faces when the weather is cold or the wind is stiff. And there were certain period cosmetics and period conventions for wearing them which should be reviewed by any one who insists on wearing makeup. Properly done PERIOD makeup could add a great deal to an impression in the proper context.

But I do believe the wearing of modern makeup in a period setting is a vanity, and one not befitting a respectable woman. And if I was being really tacky and gossipy, I'd suspect such a person of being present in the hope of catching a man. :tounge_sm

[LindaTrent]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Hi Judith,

I'll tackle the question about immersion events. The quick and simple answer to this question is, "NO." For one thing everyone participating at an immersion event is putting their heart and soul into "stepping back in time," and something like modern make-up is not conducive to a 19th century frame of mind.

People who attend immersion events focus upon the attitudes of the people of the time, their interactions, actions, and reactions, first person, and tons of research for months leading up to an event. Immersion events are generally set in a location where there are very few, if any, anachronisms, and any anachronisms that are there are those that there is little that can be done about, they're generally permanent fixtures. As immersionists we can accept the things that we can't change, but when something can be done about something than it's another matter altogether. Colored lips and nails is an anachronism that can be remedied with soap and water and a rag, and nails with polish remover. Why should everyone else put in all the time and effort into these kind of events and eliminate all anachronisms except modern prescription medicines and a car key, and then have someone show up with an obvious anachronism that is visible everytime they face someone or talk to someone else? Any woman who can't attend a Civil War event without her modern make-up doesn't have the right attitude for immersion style events.

Also, unlike other events, immersion events have no "off stage" area, so there would be no place for her to apply the make-up at these kind of events. If you're interested here are the guidelines for SFS and ITW

http://struggleforstatehood.homestea...uidelines.html and

http://itw.homestead.com/CivilianGuidelines.html

Oops, and here's TAG http://www.westernindependentgrays.o..._guard_civ.htm

That's my two cents worth!

Linda Trent

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Greetings Friends,

Yesterday I got into a conversation with a friend about participating in 'immersion' and authentic events and the question came up to what about facial cosmetics and acrylic fingernails?
Whereas I wouldn't wear make-up or acrylic nails to an authentic event, my friend who is authentic with the rest of her impression, wouldn't be caught dead without them.

I would like to know what some of the other women here feel about cosmetics and nail dressing at period events. Can anyone really turn a blind eye to lipstick and colored nails? :confused_

Mfr,
Judith Peebles

In researching _Painted, Powdered, and Perfumed_ there are a great number of period references to facial cosmetics. The rule to remember in wearing cosmetics is the natural look, meaning that it should not look like you are wearing cosmetics.

A few period cosmetics used were cold cream, rouge (both cream and powder), face and body powder, and lip rouge (much like tinted lip gloss). Some modern cosmetics with no documentation in the CW period are eye shadow, eye liner, opaque colored lipstick, and enameled nails.

There were period instructions the length of nails and how to polish them. Nails were polished with an abrasive cream (it could be tinted) and then polished with a chamois. This leaves the nails a healthy pink and shiny. This process is very similar to the process used today that uses a multi-grit nail board which smooths the nails and then buffs them. The enamel polish we use today did not come about until the 1920s.

It is surprising as to how many cosmetic recipes were in period magazines but all the advice points to using them with a light hand.

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics-LONG

Here is a post that I saved back from 2001, knowing this same topic would come up again. This is from Virginia Mescher's research on nail care and posted originally to the CW-reenactors.com listserve:

From "The Arts of Beauty or Secrets of a Lady's Toilet" by Lola Montez
(1858): In the chapter titled, "The Beautiful Hand" there was one brief
section on nails, but no specific instructions for the nails. "It requires
almost as much labor and attention to keep the hands in order as it does to
preserve the beauty of the face; taking care of the nails alone, is an art
which few women understand, for eight out of ten of even fashionable ladies
always appear with their nails neither tastefully trimmed or otherwise in
good condition. The nail, properly managed, will be smooth, transparent
and nearly rose colored."

From "Female Beauty" by Mrs. A. Walker (1840): There was a entire section
on the care of the nails. "A beautiful arm and white hand require
well-shaped and very clean nails; it is the surest index to the degree of
importance that a female attaches to her toilet. Daily attention gives
them polish and transparency that occasional care will not."
"The nails should be cut frequently, very little at a time, and always in
an oval shape, as it gives a more slender appearance to the fingers."
"For this purpose, there is a little instrument called a nail-knife. This
instrument is flat and sharp at one end, which is the knife: the other end
resembles the extremity of an ear-pick, and serves to clean the nails."
"They should be cut to a level with the tips of the fingers, which they
are intended to preserve. If left too long, they are liable to break; and
if cut off too short, they will not then protect the fingers suffciently
from shocks and frictions that may injure the tips."
"The nail brush should be full, broad and soft. This is to be rubbed upon
a cake of soap, and then made use of to brush them, and remove all the
slight inequalities that may be found."
"Rough uneven nails may be scraped with a piece of glass, then polished by
rubbing them with a little wax [white beeswax, as the natural beeswax would
tend to give the nails a yellow cast]."
"If, through dryness, the nails become crooked or disposed to break, some
oily substance may be applied to the surface during the night."
"The white spots which sometimes appear upon the nails, which we call
gifts, may, it is said, (but I don't believe, untruly), be removed by
applying pitch and myrrh mixed together to the outside. The stains from
walnust, cherries, and other fruits, are easily removed by vegetable acids;
such as the juice of citrus, sorrel, etc."
"A small piece of prepared sponge, steeped in a mixure of vermillion and
emery, applied everyday to polish the nails, with give them beautiful
color; and after they have been well washed, a little oil of bitter almonds
may be used to moisten them.
"The majority of Asiatics dye their nails red or yellow, with annotto or
henna. The modern Persian and Grecian women rub them with orphin, and thus
resemble so many rosy-fingered Auroras."

From "The Encyclopedia of Domestic Economy" by T. A. Webster and Mrs. Parks
(1847): "The nails require particular care, otherwise they are apt to
become coarse and split.... Nails in their best state, have so much
transparency that the colour of the flesh beneath is seen through, and they
have a fine polish."

From "Personal Beauty" by D. G. Brinton, MD and G. H. Napheys, MD (1870):
There was also a section on nail care. "The nails should be oval in form,
pink in color, with a white cresent at their base, and evenly cut a little
below the tip of the finger. They should be frequently cleansed with the
nail brush, which should be soft, and not stiff and harsh, as most of them
are. The thin skin should be pressed away from their roots soa s to
display the pearly half moon there situated, and, by thus lengthening the
oval of the nail, to give the finger a more tapering appearance. Often,
too, this little attention prevents those very painful affections known as
'hang nails' or 'ag nails.' "
"The most elegant hint we can offer concerning the color of the nails is
to polish them now and then - not too often. It may be done by rubbing
them lengthwise with a soft sponge dipped in emery dust tinged with
vermillion [Vermillion is a combination of 100 parts mercury and 23 parts
flower of sulphur. "Dick's Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and
Processes" by William Dick (1858)] or carmine [Carmine is made by
precipitating the colouring matter of chchineal with alumina, and is
perfectly harmless if genuine. "Encyclopedia of Domestice Economy" by T. A.
Webster and Mrs. Parks (1847)]. This lends them a delicate, roseate hue.
No one much ever think of scraping them with a knife or bit of glass, as
this may lead to troublesome diseases."
"An equally excellent nail powder, and one commonly sold in shops, is
oxide of tin, perfumed and colored with carmine A little of it can be
rubbed on the nail with a finger of the other hand, or with a piece of
chamois leather. It soon renders the surface smooth, bright, and pink,
which is not surprising, since this is the substance used to polish tortise
shell and horns."
"The school-girl habit of biting the nails must be broken up at once. If
in children, rub a little extract of quassia on the finger tips. This is
so bitter that they are careful not to taste it twice. Not only the nails,
but the beauty of the whole finger and hand, is often forefited by neglect
in this respect."
"Sometimes the nails become brittle, crack, and break off readily in
irregular pieces. This is a trouble difficult to manage, and demands long
medical treatment."
"Consumption is often accompanied with a deformity of the nails. They
grow curved over the ends of the fingers are are usually in perceptible
ridges."
"Of course more serious matters than the treatment of the local
malformation demand our attention when this is the case."

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

well, Sister and I have been known to smear lard on our faces when the weather is cold or the wind is stiff.

What about a version of sunblock? Sunblock is one thing that lives with my contacts for the weekend.

Anna Worden

[Spinster]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

In modern life, I'm liberal in the use of sunblocks--not so in period life, for I seem to have no need when properly dressed for one of my class and age in life (po'white, rural, old enough to have grandchildren of an age to be useful).

While I may leave for a long event with one dress, and two sets of underpinnings, its likely that I'll have 4 slat bonnets of various sizes and weights of fabric, from sheer batiste to linen to cotton twill to wool--all very deep, with curtains that may even cap my shoulders. Between that and my dress, I'm 100% in the shade, with the exception of my hands.

And my hands don't count anyway, as they aren't really mine---about 10 years ago now, I suddenly noticed that my Dear Mother's hands were attached to the ends of my arms---they must be hers, for nothing else about me is so wrinkled and freckled :sarcastic

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

What about a version of sunblock? Sunblock is one thing that lives with my contacts for the weekend.

Anna Worden

The period sunblock was staying out of the sun, covering arms with long sleeves and wearing a slat bonnet to protect the face and neck, or using a parasol for sun protection. There were numerous recipes of period remedies for getting rid of tan and freckles.

[Drygoods]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Why Mrs. Lawson, we must be related! I have your mother's hands too! :wink_smil I can't really say that mine have freckles as I live in a climate that has little sun (pacific northwest with a high summer temp of about 74). However, when I do go to events that are generally not in my home area, I look like a coffee bean -- toasted and burnt. Also thaks to my age, the 'ugly' always travels with me to sunny events.

And although I do not wear sunscreen, I do ask my children to wear it as they are young and even more fair than myself. I'm of the mind that nothing looks worse than seeing a woman with lovely sloped shoulders in a ballgown with tan lines. I'm too old for ballgowns and so insist that the girls wear that sunscreen.

As for all the other comments about cosmetics and nails, I agree with all of you. I'm not in favor of either of them. Although I look toady without cosmetics, people really do notice the overall effect of the impression. I would compare it to wearing nike sneakers with my skirt....once you do that the public doubts every other aspect of your impression.

To all who have posted their views regarding this topic, thank you for your opinion and for helping me see things a bit more clearly. I truly appreciate it. I'd have to also agree with the book references quoted by Mr. Dabney, I have copies of them and find them quite useful.

Can anyone give any clue as to the statistics or ratio of women who do/don't wear cosmetics at events? I'm not really sure how it is done on the east coast, but here in the west, I see less of it on most women except on the very young (16-25). Perhaps this is due to the fact that the younger ones are new to the hobby? Any thoughts?

Mfr,
Judith Peebles

[Fiddlebum]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Being a Mary Kay gal in the 21st century, I can honestly say I love makeup as much, if not more than the next person. BUT when the period clothes go on, the makeup stays OFF, except for a little plain rice powder. I don't wear fake nails, or even natural long ones, since the violin won't let me. :wink_smil Anyhow I can't imagine anyone would want to fuss with acrylic nails, polished or not, in sparse camping conditions. (I had fake nails ONCE, years ago. They popped off when I did something as simple as to tie my shoes.)

I know, seeing oneself without makeup is a little jarring at first if you're not used to it. But that look is just part of the Total Look, and a lady in 19th century dress with a 21st century face just plain Don't Look Right.

Sunblock doesn't show. Wear it if you want. And if you don't want, make sure you're covered up, or that you stay out of the sun.

Cheers---

Kim Caudell

[S. Hampton]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

Just my two cents,

I've had several friends in the hobby undergo surgery for skin cancer in the last several years. Not a fun thing to go through. They never used sunblock at events and usually stayed covered up. But it's amazing were you can get skin cancer these days (on your nose, foreheads, hands, etc.) and how severe it can be, even if it doesn't look bad.

Unless you know you're going to be completely covered up (hands, face, scalp, arms, neck, etc.) all weekend, I'd recommend sunscreen.

Love my hobby and I'm always trying to be more authentic as possible. But I also don't want to go through skin cancer either. I have too many risk factors for it.

So my sunscreen will be hidden in my carpetbag along with my epi-pen for my allergy to bees. I don't want to die authentically at an event if I'm ever stung by a bee. ;)

[cwbelle]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

I guess you might say I don't wear tons of makeup in my everyday world anyway so it's not a big change to leave it off for one weekend. I haven't even considered wearing acrylic nails at an event and I always remove any nail polish before going.

As for sunscreen I'd opt first for using the period protection methods of covering up. If that is not possible for some reason (though it seems 99% of the time it should be feasable), safety (even for the long run) still comes first.

[Anna Kraus]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

I also dont wear makeup much today. There is makeup in my case that I have had for years and is pretty much untouched.

I can't understand why anyone would WANT to wear makeup to an event. I would relish the thought on not having to curl my hair or have to spend an hour putting on makeup. For one thing you look very out of place among all the other women who are aren't wearing it. Im sure these women who do this get the same looks that women in the 19th century did. Not friendly. Its really a shame that some women ruin it like that for so many others.

[Millie Fillmore]

Re: touchy subect - costmetics

This is just a comment relating to photography and cosmetics --

My fiance and I were visiting Gibson's photography studio while a couple was being photographed. I believe that the two were not living historians, but just wanted a period image for posterity. Mr. Gibson allowed us to watch the developing process, and we discussed afterward how interesting the photo turned out. The lady that was photographed was very attractive to modern eyes. However, when the glass was developed, she did not look like a 19th century woman did.

This had nothing to do with Mr. Gibson's photography; no, we realized that with her tan skin and lipstick, this had made the difference. Her lipstick was not even garish, but it still was enough to be noticeable.

After our visit, I decided that I'm going to have to find some good ol' period "lip balm" and that will be the end of it!!

Cheers,

Katie Guslick