Those fine eyes ...

Zimei, I agree. Even without the eyeliner those ''melting'' eyes do attract ones attention.

Zimei,that was the exact picture I was looking at when I wrote that.

Now ladies, in the novel it is Elizabeth who has the "fine eyes" -- Darcy announces to Caroline Bingley that he is "meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow"...

HC says: "Now ladies, in the novel it is Elizabeth who has the "fine eyes" -- Darcy announces to Caroline Bingley that he is "meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow..." But HC, does that mean that we are precluded from meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a handsome man can bestow? ;-)

Given recent enlightenment, it does now appear that Firth is wearing make-up in many of the indoor scenes. However, I simply can't believe there is make-up involved in the outdoor scenes, especially when Darcy unexpectedly meets Lizzy upon her arrival by foot to Netherfield and before he jumps into the pond. Those fine eyes look completely natural.

Well, if the production wanted to stay strictly period, I suppose Jennifer & Co. wouldn't have been allowed to wear makeup at all. Then things wouldn't have been quite so light & bright & sparkling!

About the women wearing makeup - I seem to remember from the "Making of P&P" book (which I can't refer to atm) that the chapter on costume and makeup says that the women would have used coloured papers for rouge and lip colour (it might have been a note on that composite photo/drawing of Caroline Bingley). I have a vague recollection from rural India of the existence of colour papers for makeup - although I agree with you amy2 - the lip colour in some scenes looks far too glossy to be available in the 1800s.

Well, here's my GWTW question: Weren't women who used makeup (particularly rouge) generally prostitutes and/or disreputable? Was it acceptable for a respectable young woman to wear makeup? If it wasn't in antebellum Southern society, I rather doubt it was in 1812!

Re: 106:5 - "I simply can't believe there is make-up involved in the outdoor scenes, " I'm sure that some kind of make-up was used in every scene. (Without it, Mr. Darcy would have had almost no eyebrows.) I do think that the overall consistency of the make-up was not wonderful. In some scenes the actors looked quite natural and un-made-up, but in others, especially with the women, they were clearly wearing lipstick of a very un-natural shade.

Since we are being so picky, I would like to point out that on occasion, JE has bags undr her eyes big enough to put groceries in, and the heavy make-up seems to be covering something. I suppose it's too much to expect the poor girl to work five months straight with very early mornings and NOT develop the odd cold, pimple or hangover. She is only human,after all.I read somewhere that they dyed CF's lashes as well as his hair and eyebrows. That kind of treatment doesn't last for five months either. With th best will in the world, I don't think I could be as consistent for that long. As regards women of JA's day wearing make-up, I don't think it was particularly direputable to colour one's lips or cheeks a little, but any more than that would have been extremely old-fashioned- like Gen.Tilney's favourite gossip in Northanger Abbey.

Did Colin Firth have to wear one of those little plastic caps that tie under the chin and sit under a dryer while he was dying his hair?

] Did Colin Firth have to wear one of those little plastic caps that tie under the chin and sit under a dryer while he was dying his hair? ____ Elaine. That reminds me of a true story. 15 years ago my friend, Diane, and I were on a segment of a continuing mission to tease and embarrass my ex; I was married at the time. He was at the beauty shop getting a permanent and I thought he would just die if I brought Diane over to see him. The timing was perfect When we arrived, he was seated in the chair wearing a pink cape and a hundred pink curlers. His escape tactic was to try to ignore the surroundings and he began to strike up a conversation with Diane, whom he had not seen since we traded vehicles for a week so she could move some things with our little truck. He inquired after the battery problem she reported, to which Diane, my favorite partner in teasing crime, said in her great wise-guy way, "Don't be talkin' about trucks with curlers in your hair." Another time maybe I shall tell about the time in mid-summer we strung Christmas lights around his fiercely protected parking space. Amy

I absolutely adore the picture. I had been trying to get the magazine forever but could not. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!

"Weren't women who used makeup (particularly rouge) generally prostitutes and/or disreputable? Was it acceptable for a respectable young woman to wear makeup? If it wasn't in antebellum Southern society, I rather doubt it was in 1812!" In Persuasion, Sir Walter mentions makeup and rouge. On the one hand, Sir Elliot, is very vain about his appearance and would probably dye his hair and have perms IF he could do it without Amy catching him in "a pink cape and a hundred pink curlers" in a public place, but on the other hand, his vanity includes the appearance of respectablility. Therefore I conclude that the following remarks about Lady Russell (a lady of a certain age and the soul of solid sense and respectability) imply that rouge was acceptable although probably not widely used: "..I shall only leave my card. Morning visits are never fair to women at her time of life, who make themselves up so little. If she would only wear rouge, she would not be afraid of being seen..."

That's very interesting. Since in GWTW, any woman who resorted to the "rouge pot" was liable to be a Belle Watling (aka, a Madam). Maybe the Regency was more forgiving than the South. In any case, I'm glad that P&P2 chose to stick with makeup. I admire the "naturalism" of PERSUASION, but it is a bit dreary too.

Did anyone else notice that Mrs Bennet's make-up is heavier in the flashback scene to the Netherfield ball (when Lizzy is reading Darcy's letter), than it was in the original scene? Also to my eye it appears that the two heaviest make-up jobs are on Mrs. B and Caroline (why do my fingers keep replacing the "e" with a "g"?) Bingley.

] In Persuasion, Sir Walter mentions makeup and rouge. ___ The Lady Dalrymple and daughter wear makeup in the movie. Now why would that be?

Amy, Some men are simply steeped in confidence, especially first husbands. They never feel nor look silly in pink roller, too much testosterone. I love fiercely protected parking places! Do go on.

Amy1, I was really struck by the lack of makeup used in PERSUASION. It's so unHollywood, I almost fell out of my chair! But it really leant Amanada Root that air of a woman who's bloom had faded. I'm glad they didn't use this tactic on JE, cause it just isn't as appropriate to her character.

Re 16: Did anyone else notice that Mrs Bennet's make-up is heavier in the flashback scene to the Netherfield ball (when Lizzy is reading Darcy's letter), than it was in the original scene? I suppose this is to emphasize the vulgar impression she made on Darcy. Have not looked for some time but isn't there some camera angle or focus trick too?

I think they were using a wide-angle lense to make her look even more repulsive.

Jennifer's makeup is lightest in the first proposal scene -- she looked pale, and I was thinking to myself, "she looks like she has a headache." Then I realized she had begged off going to Lady Catherine's because of a headache -- it looked so real. At some point I recall noticing Colin's blue eyeshadow, can't remember when except it was a night scene. I think using the "period" makeup was an excellent decision. I saw the older version of "Persuasion" and was very distracted by the '70s hairstyles and makeup.

]Jennifer's makeup is lightest in the first proposal scene -- she looked pale- As a matter of fact, on the first proposal scene, I noticed that she has the same dress and very similar make-up as the one where Darcy and Col. Fitz.. first call at the parsonage. Took a while before noticing it since the latter is played prior, so you're not inclined to think she has a headache. Hmmmm...

She definitely looked _different_ than she does in the rest of the show. I can't quite put my finger on it -- maybe they used softer lighting? Or maybe because as Darcy was going on about her unsuitability & low connections, she was working very hard to remain expressionless.

Now that I am aware of the make-up required, and I have seen (I think) CF without make-up, Colin almost appears to be in drag some indoor scenes. This alone could have led to CF's ambiguity regarding the part.

I didn't pick up that his makeup was that heavy indoors. He was certainly wearing makeup, but so was everyone else in the cast. There were scenes where JE was pretty heavily made-up as well.