Flies, powder and blush are the spicy weapons of the “Gallant Age”.
Another name for the "Gallant Age" is "Porcelain Age".
Both ladies and gentlemen, with their carelessness and grace, strove to resemble porcelain figurines. The gallant age is the time of the cult of youth. This effect was supposed to be achieved with the help of a generous application of powder and blush on the face and hair.
Blush was applied not only to the cheeks, but also to the temples and under the eyes, which "gave the look additional expressiveness."
Lipstick in this makeup could be not only pink, but also golden and orange (based on henna). The main thing is the contour of the lips: the smaller the mouth, the more seductive!
Pure white skin with a blush is a sign of the highest class.
Back in the XVIII-XIX centuries. a clean, pock-free face was considered a “special feature”. Many of their faces were disfigured by "Cupid's disease" (syphilis) and pockmarks. Flies that mask unwanted skin flaws were in great demand. The fashion for flies did not bypass the stronger sex either: men also paid attention to cosmetics - they used powder and whitewash, tinted their eyes, inked their eyebrows, blushed cheeks and lips. Flies and heavily drawn eyebrows enhanced the whiteness of the face.
The appearance of the fly as a decorative element is attributed to the Duchess of Newcastle, who had problem skin.
Flies were made of taffeta, velvet, black paper. There were even special workshops where they were produced. And in order to make flies of the desired shape with our own hands, special stencils were bought. There were flies of a very intricate shape: in the form of a carriage, a boat.
A box with flies of various shapes was considered a prestigious, fashionable and expensive gift. The boxes themselves were richly decorated and were often a work of jewelry.
Some fashionistas were too carried away and pasted a large number of flies, which was inappropriate and likened the representatives of the ancient profession. Therefore, a special "Register of flowers and flies" was issued. It was considered that the most appropriate thing to stick to 3 flies.
In the course was the "language of flies": the front of the left eye hinted at gallantry, on the forehead - greatness, on the chin - playfulness. Interestingly, the language of the flies had a different reading: in Russia, a front sight glued to the nose signified a refusal, while in France it indicated the hostess's agility. A fly in the shape of a crescent served as an invitation to the chosen one for a night date.
Balancing figs.
Hairstyles were considered important for both sexes. By 1770, the end of the Gallant Age, when the figs reached large sizes, the sleek hairstyles changed to gigantic ones to balance the look. Such a volume of hair required an intricate decoration. The abundance of jewelry made it possible to judge the generosity of a husband or gentleman. Hair was decorated with flowers, pearls, fabric, jewelry stones.
Hairstyles of that period were distinguished by a special fantasy. "Polonaise" - heavily powdered whipped curls - a tribute to the Polish princess Maria Leshchinskaya, who became in 1725. wife of Louis XV. The Countess de Cossel gave the name to another popular hairstyle: curls were laid in a wreath around the head, and two curls were released over the shoulders. Both hairstyles were richly decorated with fresh flowers, ribbons and abundantly powdered. By 1770. the hairstyles "grew", counterbalancing the increased size of the figs.
By the way, the famous hairdo "Frigate" Kuafer (hairdresser) Leonard Autier, nicknamed Bolyar ("Magnificent"), celebrated the victory of the French frigate "La Belle Poul" over the British in 1778.
To increase the volume, wool, hemp, cut hair, special fabric pads were added to the hairstyles, and wire was used to fix the structure.
The more fantastic the forms of stacking - inverted pyramids, hearts, baskets - the more fashionable their mistress was considered. Special proportions were calculated for the hairstyle 1 / 2-11 / 2 of the face.
But the hairstyle, which took hours, I wanted to keep longer!
For this purpose, huge bonnets of a special cut were worn over the styling at night, fastened with hairpins and pins. Their number reached 24 pieces.
The Great French Revolution of 1789, which put an end to the absolute monarchy, put an end not only to the social order, but also radically changed the view of fashion in favor of the convenience and expediency of clothing and hairstyles.
But that's a completely different story.
Photos are taken from open Internet sources.
The material was prepared by Elena Oleinik-Kochetova.
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