Table of Contents

The Sin of Vanity
The Fairy Queen
Pale and Lovely
Beauty and Blackmail
The Actress and the Ingénue
From Elegance to Expression
Index

Promotional Information

The story behind the 'looks' that are so familiar to us from paintings and costume dramas.

About the Author

Sarah Jane Downing is a freelance writer with a special interest in the eighteenth century. She has written widely about the arts, contributing to national and local magazines and newspapers. She has written The 'English Pleasure Garden' and 'Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen' for Shire.

Reviews

"Small and compact, this wonderfully illustrated book describes the standards of beauty popular in each era, from 1550 when alabaster brows were highly prized, to the black eyebrows that were favored by 18th century women. As with all Shire books, Sarah Jane Downing's trip through time provides us with brilliant insights... I give the delightful Beauty and Cosmetics 1550-1950 four out of five Regency tea cups." --Vic Sanborn, Jane Austen's World "A comprehensive history of Beauty and Cosmetics from Pagan cultures to Christian cultures through to the 1950s. The small size of this book belies the extent of information contained within, including a rich social history...Intelligently written with humor throughout and with a strong emphasis on social history, this lushly illustrated book will be of wide appeal. Highly Recommended." --Vintage Fashion Guild