In my quest for knowledge, I came across something AMAZINGLY intriguing..
During the Victorian Era, the most popular beauty guide followed by young women was called, “The Ugly-Girl Papers”
It details recipes and tips on how “A women's business is to be beautiful”, going into various ways on how to care for hair, skin and body.
Many of the ingredients included in this beauty guide includes ammonia, tar, oil and use of tapeworms for getting the ever-popular “16-inch waist”, seen as the beauty standard of the era.
Fun fact! Beauty standards of the Victorian era was based off of victims of “consumption”, also known as the wasting disease, but better known as tuberculosis in today's society.
Tuberculosis, or TB for short, caused pale skin, dilated eyes, rosy cheeks, crimson lips, and a fragile figure.
These beauty standards were highly sought after in the 15th century, but still resonates through our society today.
Ruby red lipstick and dark eyeliner to resemble the large, dilated eyes of the consumption victim are still popular in women's beauty today.
Even having a slim and fragile figure is desired. Many women I encounter as a personal trainer tell me they want to lose weight, but “don't want their muscles to show”. The beauty ideal of a tiny, slim and weak posture is still rampant through our society, despite decades of women empowerment.
In recent years, the shape of Brazilian women, with thicker legs and glutes paired with a small waist, has come into fashion in America. Many women have turned to the expertise of personal trainer studios or gym classes to get the extra “booty gains” for their ideal body shape, where some have resorted to surgery with a Brazilian Butt Lift to achieve their goal body shape.
Are you interested in learning more about “The Ugly-Girl Papers”? Let me know if you want more info on this Victorian based beauty guide!
Looking for a workout to gain that “Brazilian Body” shape? Click here to get your workout scheduled with a certified personal trainer!
