Beauty Marks

[Darhling]

Beautymarks

Show us yor beautymarks, fake or real.. I know it is pretty standard but I quite like adding a little mark by my left eye, right over my cheekbone with a black liquid eyeliner. Where do you add it? And what do you use?

Had to enlarge the image, so the quality isn't great, but you can just about see it..

 

[Laura Chase]

I read an interesting little piece of information about this:

“One might go on at length about the women of the Rococo. Let it suffice for the present to say that in appearance woman had herself to be an approximation to a work of art. The Rococo extends even to the art of applying cosmetics and the disposition of beauty spots. The manner of using rouge was a matter of great discretion since it was supposed to be expressive of your self as well as your social position. Thus there was rouge de cour, rouge de femme de qualité, rouge de bourgeoise, and rouge de courtisane. The beauty spots were even more eloquent and promising of delight: in the corner of the eye it was called assassin, on the forehead it denoted majesty, in the fold of the smile it denoted playfulness, on the cheek it announced the bearer to be galante, while near the lips the bearer might be said to be either naughty, precious, or coquette.”

Rémy G. Saisselin: “The Rococo as a Dream of Happiness”, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism vol. 19, no. 2 (Winter, 1960)

 

[Vintage Raven]

I actually used to have 3 beautymarks on my face; one on my chin, one above my brow, and one on my cheek. You can see 2 of them on this old photo:

But I had them removed, as I felt they weren't positioned in a great way. So now I am free to put them anywhere, if I wish to sport a beauty mark or two, which is a lot nicer

 

[Smuterella]

I have never added a beauty mark, I think I'd worry that people would laugh. Certainly it would be blindingly obvious to the folks at work or to my friends that it was painted on.

Am I being silly?

 

[TheKitschGoth]

Excuse the slightly silly look on my face, it was the only photo I could find where my hair wasn't covering the beauty spot on my cheek. I do occasionally use eyeliner to make it stand out more.

 

[artful dodgette]

i always paint one on, i've been doing it so long i feel odd without one!
it goes under my left eye, sometimes strays onto my cheek! i think you can see it in my avatar??

i use eyeliner, then powder , then a final bit of eyeliner!

 

[dollydaydream]

hehe I have 3 in a line down my left jawline. And matching ones on my top & bottom eyelids. I'd feel pretty funny drawing one on, I'd juast make it look ridiculous. MAybe I'll try it out tonight though lol

 

[Smuterella]

so - liquid or pencil eyeliner? and in what colour - brown?

i've always fancied having really ostentatious beauty marks like a french courtesan - in odd shapes like hearts etc. i9 recall hearing about really unusual ones cut out of fabric that were stuck to the face, in shapes like tiny, tiny coaches and horses etc.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

so - liquid or pencil eyeliner? and in what colour - brown?

I tend to use liquid eyeliner in brown, I found black looked too fake.

 

[i_am_the_scruff]

No I don't. I have a monroe piercing though. Although I didn't get it for that reason, I just got it.

 

[artful dodgette]

so - liquid or pencil eyeliner? and in what colour - brown?

i've always fancied having really ostentatious beauty marks like a french courtesan - in odd shapes like hearts etc. i9 recall hearing about really unusual ones cut out of fabric that were stuck to the face, in shapes like tiny, tiny coaches and horses etc.

i sometimes have a heart when ive got finger waves...sort of a cross new romantic goth thing! it looks cute!

but...liquid is more harsh, pencil more natural, i think you should go for dark brown.

 

[Darhling]

I have never added a beauty mark, I think I'd worry that people would laugh. Certainly it would be blindingly obvious to the folks at work or to my friends that it was painted on.

Am I being silly?

well no of course not! mine is OBVIOUS painted on.. but I kinda like it that way.

Wasn't there once a guide for how different places to place a beautymark meant something about the person?

 

[Laura Chase]

well no of course not! mine is OBVIOUS painted on.. but I kinda like it that way.

Wasn't there once a guide for how different places to place a beautymark meant something about the person?

Yes, you can read about it in the quote above, in the 18th century, there were all sorts of "rules" for this, just like for fans. You could communicate with your fan as well as signal something specific with your beauty mark.

Actually, in the baroque and rococo fashions, hearts, stars and other cute shapes were sometimes worn.

Rather than being drawn on, they were often made as patches out of fabric (black silk or velvet) and glued onto the face, and I know there is a specific name for this, but alas, I have forgotten it now. I think they are called mouches.

They were also often worn on the cleavage, and often many at a time, not just one.

18th Century French Society Engraving, Madame la Duchesse de Guiche

Madame Le Archduchesse d'Inspruch

Madame la Marquise de Florensac

La Toilette sous Louis XIV, L'Art et les artifices de la beauté, 6 ed. Uzanne, Octave. Paris 1902; page 53

Francois Boucher: Une Dame à sa Toilette

 

[TessTrueheart]

It's been a long time since I added beautymarks, even though I love the look. I used to paint one on under my right eyebrow and feel very Sherilyn Fenn-like

 

[Lillemor]

I wouldn't add to the one over the left side of the lip, one over the right side of my lip and slilghtly higher and further away than the left one and one on the right cheek. I'm not very conscious of them and don't try to emphasize them. I think foundation sometimes cover them but that's not intentional either.

 

[Laura Chase]

TessTrueheart, Sherilyn Fenn's beaty spot is sooooo beautiful, she is amazingly beautiful. And so are you! I'd love to see a picture of you sporing the spot.

 

[KittyT]

I have never added a beauty mark, I think I'd worry that people would laugh. Certainly it would be blindingly obvious to the folks at work or to my friends that it was painted on.

Am I being silly?

No, you're not. I'm not fond of the idea of painting them on either. It's always obvious to me when someone has, and I think it usually looks tacky.

 

[KittyT]

I think they are called mouches.

Which, for the record, is the French word for "fly" (as in the insect).

 

[Laura Chase]

No, you're not. I'm not fond of the idea of painting them on either. It's always obvious to me when someone has, and I think it usually looks tacky.

Well, the point isn't really that it looks natural, not for everyone at least. I like that it looks made up, artificial, self-made. I like that people can see that my painted on beauty spot or mouche is a very conscious choice and that I want to communicate something with it, have it say something about me.

 

[i_am_the_scruff]

Didn't women used to carry around a little case full of fake beauty spots?
I saw one on the aucitions show bargain hunt once lol