Suzanne Jongmans

Lately I have been reading a lot about makeup history, both modern books about it and old ones. Google books, I love you! It’s enormously interesting with both gold nuggets and odd things. Perfume made out of ox dung, anyone? So Madame Isis’ Toilette have evolved a little and is no longer a blog about making historical beauty recipes, though I will continue to do so too. I plan to broaden the subjects to be about makeup and hairstyles in history, and broaden the times scope as well. There will still probably be a bit more about the 17th and 18th century as those epochs are where my main interest lie, but not only those. I have already begun with a post about eye makeup in history; The time-traveler and the painted eye. So, go and read now!

In case you prefer not to, then you can take a peek on these pictures where plastic foam have been used for recreating these amazing portraits.

Inspiration post for a 1630's gown

The need for some 17th century clothes is starting to get a bit pressing and though I probably won’t have time to start any bigger projects until October, (The whole house is getting the plumbing updated and as we will be without water and bathroom during that time, we will soon have to live in the summerhouse until it’s finished.) I still wanted to put some of my thoughts and the images I have collected together for an inspiration post.

One of the bodices featured in Seventeenth-century Women’s Dress Patterns is this bodice at Victoria and Albert.

Skokloster castle

On our vacation we visited Skokloster castle, a rather amazing 17th century castle at Lake Mälaren in Sweden. It was built 1654-1676 by count Carl Gustaf Wrangel and though he himself spent merely 30 nights, or so, at the caste- most of his life was with the Swedish army in various parts of Germany, the castle is a monument over his riches and intellect. The castle holds some amazing collections of art, furniture, weapons and books. I have yet to see the library, you need a special appointment for that, but the rest of the castle is wonderful as it is. And the guides have very properly looking 17th century clothes- kudos for that!

Source: comtour.ee via Elisa on Pinterest

An amazing extant wardrobe from the 17th century

The Livrustkammaren in Stockholm has a treasure that no one really talks about, despite that it is such an amazing thing as 40 something item from a royal wardrobe from the 17th century. I think there are three reasons for that. 1; they are men’s clothes. 2; Karl X Gustav (1622-1660) doesn’t really catch the romantic imagination, fat and dumpy as he was. 3, it’s located in Sweden. The fact remain, there is a more or less intact 17th century men’s wardrobe in existence and that ought to be much more well known than it is.



A couple of years ago some of the clothes were exhibited together and it was a real treat to be able to see the clothes that the king wore at formal occasions contrasting with the clothes he wore when he could wear what he wanted. His personal taste was rather austere and simple in cut and colour. Here are some samples from this amazing collection.

18th century makeup, 18th century cosmetics

Of course you haven't been able to miss my interest in 18th century beauty. I do realise that not everyone share my obsession in old recipes, but perhaps you will find the result interesting. So I point you into the direction of yesterday's beauty parlour, at Madame Isis's Toilette, where I inflicted my makeup skills on a number of willing victims.



Hair powder, two kind of white paint and two kind of red dito were used.

A day in the 18th century

I'm back home after spending two weeks at the summerhouse, but I have two weeks left of my vacation. Today spent in the 18th century at Skansen. We mingled around as part of the tourist attraction, were models in a lecture on clothes, danced and ate well, all while people were taking pictures of us. I enkoyed myself nevertheless. No new clothes, but it was the first time for the straw hat I decorated last summer. I really like the look of it, but it was quite heave and pulled my wig more and more down on one side. It looked fine, but I could feel it sliding- a very unsecure feeling. I'm not used to wearing wigs and need to learn to fix it better in place. J wore Gustaf III's national suit and looked great as usual.

A masked ball deep inside the earth

Isn’t this picture wonderful? Caroline and I are looking at a living flame, lightening a mining cave and we are 155 meters underground.

This weekend was spent at the silver mine at Sala, a couple of miles northwest from Stockholm. The mine was active for about 400 years, until 1908 and is today a museum. One weekend every years there is an 18th century festival, though I must confess that I have never heard of it before. The idea is, I gather, to make it bigger and more well-known. The Society of Gustafs Skål was invited to be part of the entertainment for food and a bed. And, on Saturday night, there was a masked ball inside the belly of the mine.