The Process of Transformation Through Make-Up - Elizabeth (1998)

The film Elizabeth (1998) directed by Shekhar Kapur looks at the life of Queen Elizabeth before and as she begins her reign after the death of her sister Mary. Starring Cate Blanchett, her role as Elizabeth gave her international attention as she won various awards and the film even won a BAFTA for the best British film. Make-up and Hair designer Jenny Shircore won the award for best make-up. 

In the first scene we see Elizabeth with minimal make-up and her hair is left long with small plaits from the middle of her parting round her head. She has nude coloured lips and her face is left looking fresh and luminous. When she is coronated her make-up then changes as well as the relationship between her initial love interest Robert Dudley, who she attracted the attention of in the first few scenes. However, their relationship changes as her make-up transforms and she is coronated. Her make-up portrays her lack of power at the time as she was a working class women before her coronation. 

                                  

Due to her coronation her hair becomes more stylised and the transformation begins. Her complexion still stays quite natural but she begins to wear pinky red lips and her face is still pale to portray the elizabethan era. The biggest change was not in her hair and make-up but her fashion. She now began to wear expensive and detailed dresses. 

As time goes on in her reign we can now see the development happening. You can see that she is wearing visible make-up with a pale face, rouge lips and barely visible eyebrows. Her hair is now up and styled in a complex way. In the Elizabethan era it was known that when a women got married she would then wear her hair up. Elizabeth, however was not married to a man yet married to her country. She wanted to show her loyalty and power over England. Her hair is now tightly curled and very tall in height. She can be seen wearing jewels and feathers in her hair to show her wealth. The transformation from before her coronation is now extremely visible. It is noticeable to me, that she has taken to the role of Queen and has began to oblige to the life of expensive crowns, dresses and adorned headresses. 

In the last few scenes of the film, the transformation from girl to 'The Virgin Queen' is clearly visible through her make-up. Her make-up is extreme as her face is white, symbolising her virginity and purity. She is now 'married to her country' and seen as the most powerful women across England. The extremity of her make-up is obvious to the audience as she is now seen with a pure white face, no eyebrows and rouged lips and cheeks. The high forehead symbolises intelligence and is accentuated through no eyebrows. Elizabeth's hair is also shaved, so expensive and luxurious wigs can be used.  

When looking at portraiture and the adaptations of the make-up and hair of Queen Elizabeth, there are many obvious similarities which the film has tried to portray. The clothing is detailed and accurate in texture, material and colour. This helps in conveying the time of her reign and making it more believable to the audience. The make-up has been adapted and created with modern day products instead of cosmetics that the Elizabethan women would have used. You can see the contemporary take on the historic looks as they are softer in colour and look a lot more perfected than what Elizabethan women would have been able to create. 

References

Elizabethan make-up (no date) Available at: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-make-up.htm (Accessed: 1 December 2015).

Contact (2015) Monarchs, 6 February. Available at: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/queen-elizabeth-part-2/ (Accessed: 1 December 2015).

Elizabeth (1998) Directed by Shekhar Kapur

The virgin queen (no date) Available at: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/virgin-queen.htm (Accessed: 1 October 2015).