Romancing The Victorian Age: Creating the Marie Antoinette face with Fresh’s Victoire Palette

At fifteen, Marie Antoinette, the impractical, scandal-loving future queen of France, became a bride. At twenty, she became a legend for her lavish lifestyle. But her beauty ““ luxurious and enigmatic — was beyond question. Like an oil painting by Sargent or Rembrandt, her face was timeless and exquisite, making it relatively easy for her to commit scandal (or so the saying goes) and indulge in excesses that could put even a celebrity to shame.

BeautyNews was thrilled when we found Fresh’s Victoire Palette, a work of art in and of itself with its six jewel-toned eye shadows, shimmer powder and blush. The palette was inspired by “old paintings, old portraits, books and textiles,” says Fresh co-founder Alina Roytberg. “Although I was not directly inspired by the movie, I believe I was inspired by the same sources that develop our culture; (the palette was) a natural progression of a subconscious trend.”

The colors in the Victoire palette work to complement a “porcelain doll” complexion espoused by Kirsten Dunst in the move Marie Antoinette. Use the Cloisonne blush, which is a shade of vintage rose, to subtly but artfully transform a pale cheek into a wash of light color. Roytberg says she was inspired by the color of the rosette windows from the Chapels of Versailles when she created the blush.

The names of the eyeshadows read like titles of Victorian romance novels: Midnight Duel, Tarnished Virtue, Blush Corset, Steel Dagger, Violette Parfumee and Moonlight Rendezvous. “For the eyes, use the neutral shimmers to continue the all around glow, and then choose one of the darker shades to line the lash line all around,” says Roytberg.

The deep and rich eye colors, rich as Fall coats, have subtle sparkles to them that are reminiscent of the metallic ornaments and silks fashionable women wore in the day to look and feel upper crust. To complete the look, dust the Trousseau translucent shimmer powder all over the face.

The palette is an ode to the age of the healthy complexion and youthful glow; the rich lip and enigmatic eye; the sparkle on her silks and on her cheek, and the shimmering powder on her skin. Aim for a lot of blush and a deep lip. Use the powder to finish the skin. Use gently dark shadows and smudge them around the eyes. And after you’re all dolled up, go and eat cake.

To purchase, visit Sephora or www.fresh.com