The Renaissance was a fervent period of cultural, artistic,
political and economic re-birth beginning in Italy and making its way across Europe.
While men were studying up to be knowledgeable in politics, war, and high art; women, on the
other hand, focused on one thing: beauty. From bleach blunders, to blood sucking beauty tricks,
we’re tackling the strenuous efforts made by Renaissance women to keep up with the times.
But, before we get into the pretty gritty, welcome back to Nutty History.
Today we will be talking about beauty practices during the The Renaissance. Let's get started.
Looks were a top priority in Renaissance Italy, as they could be perceived as an outward reflection
of a person’s character. Though, inner beauty wasn’t the only key to outer beauty.
These women went to drastic measures to keep up with the pressures to be beautiful. This was of
high importance for women as beauty was one of the few things that could enhance their status
in society. So: you’re a young Renaissance woman looking for the full works. Where do we start?
Skin, of course! Pale skin was still in, representing wealth, youthfulness and health.
For those not blessed with naturally pale skin, rather dangerous compounds such as lead oxide,
hydroxide, carbonate, mercury and vermillion would be applied to the face to achieve the
coveted pale complexion. In particular, mercury granted the illusionary effect of innocence,
fertility and virtue, blurring the age-ing process and airbrushing blemishes, freckles and brown
spots. I think we know that Instagram filter. However, these highly in demand skin-enhancing
cosmetic applications would have devastating fatal effects on health at times leading to
scarring, wrinkled leathery skin, facial muscle paralysis, headaches and ultimately early deaths.
If you were looking for a more natural approach that would help enhance this translucent effect,
you could wash in your own urine or with a mixture of rosemary and wine. Special occasion coming up?
No problem. Just apply leeches to your face and ears. The leeches would drain the blood from the
head, thus leaving the women their much desired never-worked-a-day-in-their-life look. However
stomach-churning it may sound, leeches were in fact a far healthier alternative to some
of the more harmful ways of attaining a pale complexion. While the measures taken for fair
skin were cause for concern, the application of other makeup was low key in comparison. Affluent
women would use antimony or soot to darken their short but dense eyelashes. Additionally,
they would sometimes line their eyelids in black liquid and shadowed their lids with brown, gray,
blue-green, or violet colors. Eyebrows needed to remain light and airy, so they were often
tweezed or even cut to ensure they were not overly prominent. Wealthier women would often use pricey
saffron to highlight their cheekbones, while less affluent ladies wore a tawdrier earth red. As for
the lips, Renaissance ladies commonly used honey and vermilion, which could either be left natural
or tinted to a full, highly defined and luscious red color. Many Renaissance women followed their
beauty regimes religiously. Catherine de Medici used pigeon dung on her face to achieve a young,
dewy complexion. While Mary Queen of Scots was said to have bathed in wine to keep her
youthful appearance. And Diane de Poitiers’ fountain of youth? Drinking gold, of course.
A 24-karat transformation in 24 hours we imagine. Say cheese! Teeth-whitening methods were common
in the Renaissance. One such recipe advised mixing pumice stone, brick and coal followed by a rubbing
of the teeth vigorously. Another teeth-whitening ritual was to use “dragon-blood” mixed with
red coral powder and white whine tartar. Contrastingly, during the reign of Elizabeth I in
England, it became fashionable to paint the teeth black. Not only had the appearance of tooth decay
highlighted the fact that one could afford sweets, but it was also an effective cover-up for enamel
that had been worn off of teeth from some of the more destructive whitening-rituals. A win-win!
Skin burns and eye infections were not the only risks women faced while trying to live up to their
society’s beauty standards. Moral criticism could befall them as well. Augmenting your physical
appearance by wearing makeup could endanger the state of the immortal soul. First of all, it was
a sin because by changing your appearance, you are altering the work of God. Secondly, a woman whose
beauty had been enhanced with cosmetics could seduce men into committing sexual misbehavior – in
this, makeup was deemed just as dangerous as dresses with plunging necklines. Those poor men!
Do blondes have more fun? The perfect Renaissance woman seemed to think so. The ideal was to have
long, wavy golden hair on a high white forehead. This forced women with darker locks to come up
with ideas to lighten their hair. Saffron and onion skin dyes, as well as elements like alum,
sulfur, and soda, were commonly used for this purpose. However, most of these products didn’t
work on their own. They required long hours in the hot sun, which activated the bleach.
Remember, these ladies didn’t want to be in the sun to risk a tan, or worse, a burn! So,
to bleach their hair and stay pale they had to sit outside for hours in heavy clothing and hats
to protect their skin and faces. Unfortunately, these bleaching processes were by no means perfect
and often led to some rather unusual shades of hair color, ranging anywhere from platinum
blonde to a carrot-top red. Additionally, the bleaching process often severely damages the hair,
leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to easy breakage. In terms of styling hair,
the savvy Renaissance beauty was quite particular. The upper-class sophisticate sought a high
hairline since a wide and high forehead was an essential trait of beauty during this era.
Many women who weren’t graced with a naturally high forehead plucked their hairlines to get
the desired effect. Other women opted to hide their hairlines under jeweled turbans or caps,
which were also popular at the time. Under their head covering, most Renaissance women
pulled their hair back tight against the skin and braided it, often in very elaborate designs.
Certainly, not all Renaissance women’s attention went to the hair on her head. It was
also fashionable at the time to have flawlessly hairless skin. And removing unwanted hair was no
easy feat for someone with a weak stomach. One hair removal recipe reads that “you take equal
parts of the blood of tortoises, frogs, and owls, together with ant eggs, red orpiment,
gomma di hellera, and mix it with vinegar. Apply it discreetly, so that you don’t flay yourself.”
As the disturbing warning at the end of this hair-removal recipe shows, some of
these mixtures could be quite dangerous. We’re sure the burn ointment was never out of reach!
Cancel your gym memberships, ladies, because in Renaissance Italy you won’t need them! This
was a period that admired fleshy arms and legs, broad hips and a round stomach. Physicians even
suggested foods to eat to fatten yourself up. Carbs aside, as much as it was encouraged to be
a curvier woman during the Renaissance, you just had to make sure it didn’t affect your bosom.
That’s right. Small breasts were in vogue during the Renaissance. The preference for small breasts
in Renaissance Italy not only had to do with the young age of marriable women, but also with their
sexual identity. Therefore, people equated that of large breasts with a sign of sexual experience,
whereas small breasts were a sign of modesty or virginity. So those unmarried women with larger
breasts, through no fault of their own, often scrambled to try outrageous methods to suppress
or reduce growth. Now, perhaps you’re thinking: “Why didn’t these women just rebel and leave
their bodies as they were?” Not unlike today, the pressures of perfection were high, and large
breasts could ruin your reputation as immodest or indecent. Women would even wear a predecessor of
the modern bra to flatten their chests. While no woman should ever be ashamed for what she was born
with, times were tough and sometimes fitting in was a safer bet than standing out. Meanwhile, one
woman scandalized the 15th century French court by being the original posterchild for #freehernipple.
Angès Sorel, official mistress of Charles VII, was known for her ample bosom and took an
if-you’ve-got-it-flaunt-it approach to her assets. Not only did she accentuate her décolletage with
an uncut-diamond necklace, Agnès also made a habit of keeping her bodice unlaced so that her breasts
were exposed. While this shocked many, it still was an inspiration to other women in the court,
and even caught the eye of painter Jean Fouquet. He was so inspired by Agnès’s grand tetons
that he used her as a model for his painting, The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels,
merging her spectacular beauty and confidence with the sacrality of the Madonna. On a scale
of one to leeches, how far would you go to risk your life for Renaissance beauty? Let us know in
the comments. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Nutty History! Don’t forget to like and subscribe!