OTMA - smoking, make up and clothes

[Michelle]

You know that's another interesting thought:  did OTMA have any acne?  I suppose not and they were incredibly lucky since we can't really see any in photos.  But then again, black and white doesn't show blemishes.  I actually can't imagine them or anyone from back then as having zits and crap like that.  It seems so strange......what do y'all think?

[Lanie]

You know that's another interesting thought:  did OTMA have any acne?  I suppose not and they were incredibly lucky since we can't really see any in photos.  But then again, black and white doesn't show blemishes.  I actually can't imagine them or anyone from back then as having zits and crap like that.  It seems so strange......what do y'all think?

Well, since everyone gets zits and stuff, I'm sure they did!

[Abby]

Yeah they would've been incredibly lucky to bypass that little downfall of adolescence! Although their skin looks perfectly clear in the photos. But I guess it wouldn't show up too prominently anyway...

[Ortino]

You know that's another interesting thought:  did OTMA have any acne?  I suppose not and they were incredibly lucky since we can't really see any in photos.  But then again, black and white doesn't show blemishes.  I actually can't imagine them or anyone from back then as having zits and crap like that.  It seems so strange......what do y'all think?

I have always thought about this and have never been able to figure it out. They seem to all have flawless skin, but like you said, it could be just the pictures. I wonder what they did back then to fix it or cover it up, since Alix wouldn't let the girls were makeup or anything so face powder's out.....I doubt though that she'd let them walk around like that, after all they were royalty......Hmmm, I'm very curious about this myself.

[Lanie]

I'm sure they used powder, etc--something to cover up things--when taking official portraits at least.  And black and white pictures do not pick up blemishes, so that's probably why their skin looks so great.  I've read someone (Anna Vyrubova?  I think so) saying how Olga had a "flawless complexion," but I doubt it!  I'm lucky and never really did get much in the way of zits or blemishes, though man, my pores are icky (but cleanser fixes it!).  Perhaps they were lucky like me?  Haha.

[Georgiy]

Possibly they were just lucky. Some people have more acne than others. Also, not using make-up might have been a factor - their pores might have been less prone to clogging without it.

[Michelle]

Yes, Georgiy, you are quite right.  It makes sense.  Makeup certainly does clog one's pores and since they didn't wear makeup that probably would've helped matters.  Also, if any of them had zits or blemishes wouldn't one of them have written about it?  Like something along the lines of "Oh pig and filth!  I have another blemish today!"

[grandduchess_sofia]

if they were lucky like my friend, who has only got about two spots in her entire lifetime, they they may not have a got any spots.
sopsxxx

[Laura Mabee]

I have yet to wear makeup in my lifetime, and I have never had more then one or two zits in my life. So you're right the lack-of-makeup does make a great difference on the skin

[Janet_W.]

Remember that just as photos of Alexandra, aimed for public consumption, were touched up to make her look less worn, it's very posible an occasional Grand Duchess blemish may also have been airbrushed.

Good complexions are influenced by a number of factors, including exercise, diet, heredity, hormones, sleep (or lack thereof), hygience, emotions, and stress.  When I was an adolescent I had horrible skin, despite the fact that I cleansed it regularly. Ultimately medication helped to modify the problem, as did getting older (alas!) plus learning to deal a bit better with stress.

[RealAnastasia]

People wore make up. I have a 1899 magazine  where you read how to make up yourself properly.  

RealAnastasia.

[xX_Mashka_Xx]

I'm sure that, like many other adolescents, the grand duchesses had some acne. You can never know, since black & white photos don't show acne.

[Maria_Nikolaievna]

There aresome of Olga smoking, and I've seen one of Tatiana smoking one cigarette and holding another in her hand.  They all smoked; the girls commented on it in letters, thanking Nicholas for cigarettes.

I know this topic is a bit outdated by a few months, but does anyone have the pictures that Lanie is talking about? And if so, could you please post them? Thank-you so much!

  *~Mashka_Fan~*

[Speedycat]

Interesting how in those shots, Anastasia is the only one with a cigarette in her mouth......Being the comical one, the more I look at them, the more I think they were posed as a joke.

Poor Anastasia...getting the blame for smoking in both photos.  But isn't she lighting her cig off of sister Olga's in the second photo?

[RealAnastasia]

In those times smoking was considered something who makes you healthier. It's weird, but it was like this...

RealAnastasia.