Fashion for beauty in Russia: from the 18th century to the present day

The fashion for beauty trends changes over time, and what yesterday seemed to be the ideal of beauty and perfection is today perceived with an ironic grin. But still one remains unchanged - according to the assurance of many girls in Russia were and remain one of the most beautiful and attractive in the world. How did the beauty fashion in Russia evolve over the last few centuries? Peter's times: course to the West
A great milestone for beauty trends was Peter's time: the king ordered his fellow citizens to be equal to Europe. In particular, he ordered women to wear dresses of Hungarian and German styles - so there was a fashion for narrowly corseted waist and overall puppet look. Since then, all beauty trends have started to come from the West. Habits, however, not all. For example, in Europe black teeth were popular. The Christian ideal of beauty of that time is an emaciated woman, thin, without a breast, eternally pregnant, with teeth bad from frost. Problems with the oral cavity also could be evidence of the abundance - only the rich people could afford kilograms of sweets. Those who naturally got straight and white teeth, were forced to blacken them with coal. In Russia, only merchant wives tried to imitate the Europeans. Surrounding it was perceived about the way, as now, the attempts of the nouveau riche to be fashionable, dressed in expensive total look. We also did not have a craze for creative hairstyles. In the 18th century, the French queen Marie Antoinette twisted such "Babylons" on her head that Lena did not dream of. The most famous hairdress was a frigate - an impressive size ship mock-up, fixed on the head. Our Catherine the Great at about the same time preferred a modest style: she put her hair back, decorating them with flowers or a diadem. However, fashion for everything French gradually made its way into the country: Paris hairdressers were opened, and talking with a decent lady in Russian was not comme il faut. But a beautiful woman is still a woman in her body. Soft shoulders, beautiful high breasts, clear waistline, lush hips.

The beginning of the 20th century - a time of change in the beauty industry
Corsets, crinolines, curly locks, floral perfumes brought from France - all this suddenly went to the dump of history. The October Revolution also became a revolution in the world of beauty. World trends along with the new Soviet reality made a short period in the early 1920s, a period worthy of a separate study. After the First World War, everyone wanted to eat life with a full spoon, everywhere there was fun, lightness, vicious jazz sounded and there was a smell of sex in the air. The skirts grew shorter and the breasts became flatter. "Unhappy" owners of impressive merits bandaged. To achieve a dark tan, taking a bath with iodine. The fashion included short haircuts and bright make-up - blacked-out eyes, red or dark lips. It does not matter what your face is - you can draw any! Frankness and sensuality are becoming the main beauty trends, and Russia is trying to keep up. Another phenomenon of this time is fashion for leanness. Of course, not in our view, but still. Interestingly, this beauty trend was the result of the fashion trend, and the latter in turn - the harsh military realities. Until the 20th century, girls hid kilograms under corsets and lush skirts. Forced by war to change into trousers, women suddenly found that new proportions of the body were needed.

However, at this time, Russia not only adopted the beauty trends, but also formed them. Beautiful sleek noblewomen poured into Europe, especially to France. Many of them became mannequins, that is models. They are by and large glorified us as the most beautiful in the world.

Beauty in the USSR: make yourself
It is quite simple to follow the beauty trends of the Soviet years: it is enough to take a picture of the movie actress from the cluttered grandmother's pantry. Here is Orlov's Love - thin eyebrows with a house, high cheekbones, a cold, perfectly laid blond, a slightly haughty look. To replace her pre-war beauty, in which there is so little heat, came the beauties: Elina Bystritskaya, Tatyana Samoilova, Nonna Mordyukova. Recognized beauty, they reflected only the general trend of health, stagnancy and naturalness. To be a true example for Soviet women, they were too good. Dior's New Bow with emphatically feminine images also did not spend much time in the Soviet Union. Lyudmila Gurchenko, the owner of the aspen waist, flashed in the "Carnival Night" and disappeared for two decades. A Soviet woman should be in the body, look solid. Fluttering fairies will not be able to build BAM and will not raise virgin land.

Soviet industry also had no beauty experiments. Este Lauder began to knead her creams in the 1930s, in Moscow her cosmetics appeared in the official sale only in 1989! Our mothers and grandmothers treated "Yantar", "Evening" and "Lanolinov". Stories of even the recent past of mothers, modern girls now seem medieval savagery. In most normal, intelligent families, washing was done once a week. Gas columns and water interruptions made this strange hygienic habit legitimate. Frequent washing of the head even in the late 1970's was considered harmful - the hair would "salyut" faster. Is it worth talking about the absence of deodorants, as a class? Epilating legs, armpits and a bikini zone did not occur to anyone. The best and, perhaps, the only remedy for pimples was toothpaste. The lucky ones laid their hair on beer. However, more often a frothy drink for such purposes was unavailable, so that curls were poured on the sweetened water. The Soviet girl was decorated with modesty and the number of books read, and those who were engaged in their appearance, did it secretly. Students could easily send a lecture to wash and gather loose hair in a braid. And if it seems terrible to you, ask your older comrades. Our mothers were twisted as best they could, rejoiced if they managed to get hold of the Riga ink instead of Leningrad ink and rejoiced, laying out as much as six rubles for the French "Louis Philippe". What today seems like a matter of course to us was a discovery for them. And we should remember this.

Modern beauty concepts: down with the rules!
Anyone who begins to study the beauty habits of the 21st century after the time, for sure, will get confused - they change several times a year. Perhaps, only one tendency wanders from season to season - naturalness. However, the genetic memory of prohibitions and restrictions strongly affects the appearance of Russians. "I'll wear all the best at once!" - this is about us. Usually abroad, we are recognized not only on the heels (it seems, even the most self-denying have already realized that it is inconvenient to walk about the pavement with stilettos), but also a bright and often inaccurate make-up. American cosmetologists, comparing the principles of caring for appearance in different countries, noted with surprise the Russian disproportion: we look after the face much more intensively than behind the body. According to polls, cosmetics are on the list of our priorities. Free money we primarily spend on clothes, then on vacation. On the third honorable - cosmetic means.

Healthy eating as a way of maintaining a good shape can not yet be called a hypertensive. 40% of Russians regularly get on a diet. Most converts to vegetarianism, supporters of organic food, slow-food and other live in Moscow. Tempered Siberians or Ural girls with great suspicion refer to the leaflets without the meat and mayonnaise. Maybe they are right - time will tell.

In the world we are still considered beauties. However, judging by the various last year's ratings of travelers, we are inferior to Sweden, Italy, Argentina, Colombia, Israel, the Netherlands. Carefully reading the dignity, praised by men, we find that our competitors are fun, light, hot, open, sociable, benevolent. Not a word about the features of the face, the length of the legs and the height of the chest. Perhaps, the smile and the truth is given to us not always. But if given, the whole world is at our feet. So we smile and wave. Not for the sake of some sort of ratings, but simply because it's very good for us.