Research Through Books

The Eyebrow-Robyn Cosio with Cynthia Robins.

From my research I wanted to look at a range of different sources. From this helpful book 'The Eyebrow' I found out lots of things about Victorian style and makeup trends. A quote from the book: "The Victorians were a society that traveled." "all Kajars have naturally large, arched eyebrows =, but not satisfied with this" It was said that Italians would want to darken their brows and even wore brows made from real animal hair to make theirs appear dark. "Recipes for making eye-darkening kohl came from Arabia. One instructed: Fill a lemon rind with plumago and burned copper and leave in fire until it becomes carbon" it was then wetted with rosewater. Rise of the geisha in Japan. Brought more sylalization to makeups. First applied pink makeup on her face to neutralise her features, then she brushed white chalk gently over it. Porcelain look."

I found it interesting looking at this source for information when it comes to makeup in Victorian times, it shows how Victorians were beginning to wear more and more makeup but at the same time wanted to hide this at the same time. I find it strange how Italians would use animal skin and hairs to make their eyebrows appear thicker but it references eyebrows of today as we now have a trend for big bushy eyebrows which are shown in models and fashion su as model Cara Deleviegne. I find it interesting also that the Victorians were still going back to the pale skinned look without it being overpowering. Having light skin showed wealth as the rich would not go outside as the workers and lower class would be the ones working outside who would get a tan.


Women in the UK and USA found recipes "for home brewed cosmetics in publications like Godey's Lady's Book. Brows could be dyed with a mixture of sulphate of iron, distilled water, gum water, and eu au de cologne, deemed by the fashionable book as too irritating to use on the lashes"-Four Hundred Years Of Fashion.

The ingredients used in our products now are highly judged by their consumers. People like to hear how products are hypo-allergenic, non animal tested and organic. The products were starting to be made in the Victorian times and from then on products have been developed.