Marie Antoinette's approach to beauty—labor-intensive, luxurious, and, above all, excessive—was the anti-thesis of a modern day French woman's laissez-faire attitude. But that doesn't make her unwavering commitment to vanity, and fabled over-the-top regimen, any less fascinating. In honor of the former Queen of France's 262nd birthday, here, five of her centuries-old beauty secrets, from the totally outlandish to the surprisingly practical.
Take Skincare Matters Into Your Own Hands
Antoinette's most infamous beauty practice was cleansing with Eau Cosmetique de Pigeon, which, yes, was crafted using the bird itself. According to The Toilette of Health, Beauty, and Fashion, the recipe, popularized by Danish women, included the juice of water lilies, melons, cucumbers, and lemons, as well as the crumbs of French rolls, white whine, and stewed pigeons among other curiosities. After washing up with the concoction, she'd tone her skin with her choice astringent, Eau des Charmes, made of "drops exuded by grapevines in May." Finally, her signature face mask (which is still popular in France today) for a fresh, glowing complexion was made from two teaspoons of circulation-stimulating cognac, 1/3 cup of cell-renewing dry milk powder, brightening lemon juice, and one egg white.
Indulge in Baths Ritually
In Sophia Coppola's 2006 film Marie Antoinette, Antoinette, played by Kirsten Dunst, can often be found de-stressing in a large white bathtub inside her decadent Versailles wash room. And it's not a dramatization—the queen bathed frequently even though it was uncommon for the time. According to Melanie Clegg, author of Marie Antoinette: Intimate History, she would spike her bath water with skin-soothing pine nuts, linseed, and sweet almonds, as well as gently exfoliate her skin with rice bran-filled muslin pads.
Try an All-Natural Hair Color Boost
Antoinette loved all-natural, D.I.Y. elixirs for her hair, too. In fact, underneath her towering gray wigs, she was a strawberry blonde. To pull out the copper tones and increase vibrancy, she'd apply ginger-hued, plant-based ingredients such as turmeric, sandalwood, and rhubarb to her strands in paste form, says Clegg.
Fake a Beauty Mark
During the 18th century, smallpox was a major endemic disease that left many with dark marks and deep scars on their face. In tandem with other makeup techniques, such as a veil of creamy white face powder and heavy-handed rosy rouge on the cheeks, women would conceal pock spots with faux beauty marks made of velvet or satin called mouches, in cheeky shapes such as hearts, moons, and stars. And they could convey different things based on placement. A heart shape on the right cheek indicated that you were married, for instance, while shapes near the corner of the eye denoted passion. Antoinette was said to have applied hers near the corners of her mouth to indicate she'd like a kiss.
Surround Yourself with Fragrance
During Antoinette's reign, the Palace of Versailles, despite its arresting beauty, left much to be desired when it came to odor due to its lack of adequate bathrooms. To ensure a pleasant smelling bedroom, Antoinette would fill her space with fresh flowers and potpourri, as well as mist fragrance—she was partial to rose, jasmine, tuberose, and especially orange blossom—and apply essential oils, such as lavender, onto her body. Antoinette was also notorious for her obsession with signature fragrances, looking to French perfumer Jean-Louis Fargeon to create bespoke scents including the rose, jasmine, and bergamot blend she kept with her, even during her imprisonment in the Tower of Paris.