Elizabethan Makeup in Film

The makeup of the Elizabethan characters in films is either historically accurate or takes inspiration from it and is intertwined with modern elements and the Elizabethan aspects are only alluded to.

Elizabeth (1998)

https://ktismatics.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/eliz-white.png

 Towards the end of the film, Elizabeth becomes queen and gives herself to England, to which she then adopts the conventional desired Elizabethan regal look. The white face, signifying her lack of sunlight due to not having to work in the fields, the rosy cheeks, the fair eyebrows and the rouged lips. This was the stereotypical look of Elizabeth that she adopted for the rest of her life. It is notable that the white is brought onto the ears too to give a more believable look. Moreover, her forehead is not as large as it would be if she was older here as she would still have had a lot of hair and not succumbed to the consequences of lead poisoning fully yet.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31700000/Elizabeth-The-Golden-Age-elizabeth-the-golden-age-31785830-500-387.jpg

It is apparent in this movie how the makeup artists have made the white makeup look more natural and blended, which may be due to the fact that this scene is not a moment where Elizabeth is among those who she would need to impress, and so this may be seen as a casual look per se. She is still a ghostly white, however it does not look painted and lathered on unnaturally like the first photo. Moreover, she does not have accentuated red cheeks and red lips. 

Elizabeth R (1971)

http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Pelicula/ERTV2.jpg

This TV show, aired in the 1970's, gives a haggard and rather scary impression of Elizabeth's makeup. I believe that the whiteness of her face here is more realistic than that of the the previous two movies mentioned as it accentuates her wrinkles here, and is less blended and moisturising. They did not have the makeup utensils we have today, and so this looks more historically accurate. However, in her portraits it does not appear that she has such eccentric blusher of such a vibrant neon pink colour; I don't believe this is a very accurate colour. The fact that her eyebrows are shaven and penciled over however is accurate.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130509175153/disney/images/6/6a/Padme_Amidala.jpg

I believe that the character of Padme Amidala in Star Wars' makeup has a clear Elizabethan influence. Her face is painted white, and her cheeks and lips are rouged in a modern manner, an interpretation of Elizabeth's stereotypical look, but is minimised. The blush is shrunken into small circles, and the lips and only half coloured in. Moreover, her head is adorned with gold decoration, something Elizabeth liked to have too.