Going into the 20th Century, the western world entered into a modern age of make-up . With the end of the Victorian period, the Edwardian period began with the short reign of King Edward VII from 1901-1910-- the same period as the later years of La Belle Époque through Europe and the continued settlement of the American Frontier. This was a time of advances in photography, film, and transportation. In particular, the Edwardian era was a transitional time for women with growing literacy amongst women of all classes and a persistent interest in political involvement. During this period of the 1900s, women’s suffrage started to gain more support across America and Europe. Regardless of increasing support of women's rights, however, there were still certain expectations as to what a lady should or shouldn't put on her face.
When it comes to beauty trends during this period, make-up remained as simple as it was in the late 1800s. Pale skin continued to be a sign of wealth and a trait that many attempted to achieve with the use of lemon juice tonics and various face creams. Foundation was not commonly used except by actresses and "women of ill-repute." Instead, blotting papers with a light dusting of powder were used to keep the face looking as naturally fresh as possible. A natural look during this period was ideal, so most available make-up consisted of blotting papers and pots of cream rouge. Rouge is a red-colored cream formula that was applied to the cheeks and lips for a natural pink glow. For the lips, rouge was applied very lightly for a natural bitten look rather than layered-on lipstick. At this point in the 1900s, a heavy use of makeup was frowned upon-- beauty was simplicity.
Getting the look with modern products
Palladio Rice Paper Sheets are perfect blotting papers with on side dusted with facial powder. Can be used alone for a natural look or on top of foundation to keep the shine away. The Palladio Rice Paper is available in a small package to carry for your midday touch-ups. I also love that they are vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben free.
Fat and the Moon Ruby Red Tinted Balm is a wonderfully simple and versatile zero-waste, natural, and organic blush option. Marketed as a balm, you can still use it on your cheeks and it's sheer enough to be a very authentic Edwardian blush --or you can just pinch your cheeks throughout the day.
Pond's was founded in 1846. So, by the time the 1900s rolled around, this was already a well-established and trusted beauty product. Used as gentle cleansers and effective moisturizer, Pond's Cold Cream continues to be a popular product today.
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