Eyebrow Removal - Bleached Brows Contemporary v.s. Historical

Book Ref: The Artificial Face, A History of Cosmetics', Fenja Gunn, David & Charles, October 1973
Internet Ref: 'New 'no eyebrow' Trend, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2663986/The-bald-beautiful-From-Katy-Perry-Miley-Cyrus-new-no-eyebrow-trend-taking-fashion-world-storm.html

The Phoenix Portrait, Nicholas Hillard
1575, Oil on Panel

Elizabethan beauty standards regarding the eyes, and in particular the brows, is something I find most fascinating and strange about the era especially in comparison to todays modern conventions. Today a bold, sculpted brow is considered the essence of youthful beauty and you only have to look at models such as Cara Delevingne who grace the covers of almost every editorial magazine for educating into the perfect 'brow game'. Yet when you compare this to the standards of the Elizabethan period you find the expectation of beauty is completely the opposite, within the period both the hairline and brows were moved at least an inch back from their original placement, or removed completely for the purpose of aristocratic beauty standards. The higher the hairline and lesser the brow, the wealthier and wiser the woman. Often eyebrows were completely removed to enhance the height of the forehead and enhance the illusion of a youthful smooth skin.
This portrait entitled 'The Phoenix Portrait' is a perfect example of how both the brows and hairline were reduced as part of beauty standards. As you can see in this portrait the eyebrows have been completely removed from the face creating an almost other worldly appearance to the skin, this image in particular is of Elizabeth I who would of corse not have had any eyebrows as a sign of her status and regality. It could be interpreted that this strange appearance created by having no brows and pale skin is somewhat angelic and could also resonate the Queens connection to the heavens. It is also apparent from this portrait and the time of which it was painted that the hair may be a wig and that the hair beneath it is completely removed from the hairline, by doing so this allows for a high forehead but also the sharp hairline that was fashionable within the autocratic society.

Nina Ricci Spring/Summer 2011
http://thisismink.tumblr.com/post/5673242068/
bleached-eyebrow-trend-alert

Although within contemporary fashion standards it is now considered beautiful to possess a bold brow when looking at a number of images from couture editorials the use of a bleached or absent brow is a reoccurring feature. Although this is seen more commonly now in more futuristic references it does retain that element of strange Elizabethan regality. This image taken from Nina Ricci's Spring/Summer catwalk show demonstrates when the bleached brow was becoming a statement within high fashion during 2011, however thanks to "celebrities" such as Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus the trend is set to return for the fall/winter period of 2014. However it has been consistently pointed out by other makeup artists such as Pat McGrath that this is not a new beauty statement but rather a returning of the standards of old. I personally adore the look of bleached/no eyebrows, the alienesque and yet historic appeal it carries is utterly artistic but simple. Through the removal of eyebrows any makeup look can be completely reinvented and I can say that if the fashion of brow bleaching became another mainstream trend the concept of giving it a go myself would most certainly cross my mind.