The award rules are as follows:
- Nominees must link back to the blogger who awarded them
- Write 11 random facts about yourself
- Answer 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
- Nominate 11 new blogs and ask them 11 new questions
I'm awful at listing things about myself so I have instead decided to list 11 interesting facts I learnt at the V&A talk I went to last week about Restoration Make-Up:
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| Credit: janeaustensworld.wordpress.com |
- The white colour of the face and red cheeks fashionable in that era were achieved by the use of 'paint'. The most popular (and expensive) form of this was 'Venetian Ceruse' which, you've guessed it, came from Venice.
- The ceruse was lead based and lots of people during this period (both men and women) died of lead poisoning after using these paints. They knew that this is what everyone was dying of but they continued to use the paints as being fashionable was SO important at this time.
- The paint came in the form of a powder which could be mixed with flower waters or greases and applied as a paste or was also used in its dry form for powdering the huge wigs of the time.
- The poisonous nature of the paint caused all sorts of problems, which other popular beauty techniques of that era were invented to combat. For example it would make your hair fall out, making the wig an ever more popular practical as well as fashionable choice.
- The lead paint also caused your teeth to fall out so people often wore wooden false teeth (or a porcelain set for a very special occasion if you were very wealthy). They also put a small cork ball in each side of the mouth (called plumpers) to fill out the cheeks which appeared sunken with no teeth behind.
- A rabbit's foot (considered a lucky token at the time) was often used as a sponge/brush to apply the red paint as rouge. Alternatively 'spanish wool' could be used to achieve the same colour.
- Double chins and big false eyebrows were considered very fashionable and beautiful at this time.
- At some points it was considered stylish to give your paint a sheen by wearing an egg white wash over it. This made it even stiffer than usual and if you laughed your paint would crack and bits of it may fall off!
- If you were lucky enough to still have your hair it would be built up over cushions and dressed with feathers. Once powdered and dresses it would stay that way until it cracked and you would need to sleep with your head on a little block to preserve it's shape.
- A feature of make up from this era you may recognise are the small black patches worn on the face and decolletage. These were often cut out of velvet or taffeta and stuck on with a mastic.
- The patches were often used to cover up pock marks and bad skin caused by the lead paint but their positioning is also said to convey a message:
- corner of eye = passion
- centre of right cheek = gayness
- centre of left cheek = I have a lover
- upper lip = kisses
- side of nose = sauciness
- forehead = majesty
I hope you all found those facts as interesting as I did! These are the questions Hazel asked:
1. What is your favourite project that you've made? (sewing, knitting e.t.c)
It is still most definitely the Lonsdale dress I made to wear to my cousin's wedding last year. I was so pleased with the finish I achieved on it and felt very proud to be wearing a hand made outfit!
2. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
This is a REALLY tough question. I want to go everywhere! I think out of the places I have been so far though I would have to say New York.
3. Online fabric shopping. Yes or No?
I'd like to say yes as it seems so easy, you can see the exact fabric content and most sites have a good description of the weight and drape along with suggestions of suitable purposes. However, I still much prefer being able to touch a fabric and test the drape myself.
4. What essentials could you not leave your house without?
Top of that list would have to be my iPhone, although I'm kind of ashamed to admit how addicted to it I am! I had to go out without it the other day when a software update went a bit wrong. I felt SO lost without it and realised how many things I rely on it for. I couldn't tell the time, look on a map to see where I was going, look up the train times home and of course I missed catching up on blog reading using the bloglovin' app on the train!
5. Who are your fantasy dinner party guests?
Oo another tough one. Audrey Hepburn. Fearne Cotton. Manolo Blahnik. Edith Head. Johnny Depp. Harvey from Suits. Mary Berry. I could keep going and going but I think I'll stop there!
6. What inspires you to craft?
Seeing what everyone else is making on their blogs of course!
7. What is your most visited website?
Recently it has to be Tom & Lorenzo's Mad Style posts about the costumes in Mad Men. I discovered them when searching for inspiration for Julia Bobbin's Mad Men Dress Challenge 2 and they are just fascinating. Well worth a read and a look at the pictures!
8. What are the top 5 most played songs in your iTunes/music library?
I don't actually use my iTunes that much (because I steal my boyfriend's humungous music collection!) and I was kind of dreading looking in case it was something really embarrassing but it's actually ok!
1. All My Life - Foo Fighters
2. Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
3. Bubbles - Biffy Clyro
4. Bonkers - Dizzee Rascal
5. Red Flag - Billy Talent
9. What is the background on your desktop/phone home screen?
Both of them are actually pictures from the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony after I worked on it last summer. There's some pretty special memories associated with those pics!
10. What is your favourite TV programme?
Well now this answer probably changes almost weekly! I think a constant favourite has to be Mad Men but recently my boyfriend and I have been watching old episodes of the BBC's Luther and I absolutely love it.
11. Do you prefer working with stretch or woven fabrics?
I'm still yet to try working with stretch/knit fabrics so I'm going to have to say woven. Stretch is definitely on the radar for this year though!
On to my nominees, I'm sure many of you have been nominated for this before so please don't feel you have to do another post but I just wanted to nominate you anyway as I love your blogs!:
1. Ami at The Little Tailoress
2. Alice at The Virtual Princess and the Pea
3. Tilly at Tilly and the Buttons
4. Sarah at Rhinestones & Telephones
5. Casey at Casey's Elegant Musings
6. Jane at Handmade Jane
7. Evie at Pendle Stitches
8. Julia at Secret Life of Seams
9. Kat at Modern Vintage Cupcakes
10. Joanne at Stitch 'n Witter
11. Marie at A Stitching Odyssey
I know I'm meant to make up 11 questions to ask you but I thought Hazel's were pretty brilliant for getting to know someone so I'm going to ask the same. I hope you don't mind Hazel!
1. What is your favourite project that you've made? (sewing, knitting e.t.c)
2. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
3. Online fabric shopping. Yes or No?
4. What essentials could you not leave your house without?
5. Who are your fantasy dinner party guests?
6. What inspires you to craft?
7. What is your most visited website?
8. What are the top 5 most played songs in your iTunes/music library?
9. What is the background on your desktop/phone home screen?
10. What is your favourite TV programme?
11. Do you prefer working with stretch or woven fabrics?
Right well I'm off to finish off a couple of half done projects. Please do check out these lovely blogs I've nominated and have a wonderful Sunday!
Thank you kindly! And for the links to some new-to-me blogs.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much for the award :) I think I've done this one before though so I won't answer it again. Plus I dread to think what my top 5 most played songs are - really embarrassing, no doubt!
ReplyDeleteAww thank you soo much Fiona! I am about to have a look at and no doubt a good long read of the other 10 blogs! Then I will try and answer those questions....! Eeek!
ReplyDeleteXxxx