Elizabethan Make-up
The white make-up was also a useful aid to hiding the signs of aging. White face make-up was applied to acquire the pale look. The favoured application of the upper classes was a make-up called ceruse - a mixture of white lead and vinegar. It was poisonous. A pale complexion was so desirable that women were bled to achieve the desired look. Face paint made from plant roots and leaves was also applied. An Upper Class Elizabethan woman followed this fashion further and might even dye her hair yellow with a mixture of saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil. Expensive dyes such as Cochineal was used to redden the cheeks and lips. Madder and vermilion was also used to achieve this effect. Kohl was used to darken the eyelashes. Queen Elizabeth had a wide variety of wigs and hair pieces - believed to number over eighty. These were often referred to as Periwigs.