For this history book spread, I was assigned to create an artifact for the time period 1850-1950 with “fashion” as the focus. Thus, I decided to create packaging for Victorian makeup products as my artifact.
Radium was just recently discovered in the Victorian era and it was a very popular ingredient in all kinds of products. Makeup, specifically skin cleansers and face powders, contained radium powder in order to help achieve the Victorian beauty standards of a pale complexion with rosy cheeks. With this information in mind, I created the packaging of my artifact with the main image of a woman with qualities that were considered beautiful in this time period. This would’ve made women of the Victorian era more compelled to buy this product as it showcased the beauty standards they were desperate to achieve.
In addition to the main image, I have also added decorative leaves. As the Victorian era was known for its extravagant and over the top fashion, the packaging of their makeup would’ve also had the same characteristics. The leaves and wreath surrounding the lady give a sense of sophistication and the higher class, where fashion was most prominent.
Other than visual aspects, I also decided to use a serif typeface that has a light ornamental feel that adds to the packaging’s aura of classical elegance. For a final touch, I also included more advertising on the sides of the packaging, not just the top, that say “Radium Face Powder- Absolutely Harmless” and “Restore Your Fair Complexion”.
With the description, I designed it to look similar to the actual packaging so it looks like it is part of the packaging and could be the instructional card or little message that sometimes come with products.
I am satisfied with my design. The overall feel I get from my packaging is very Victorian era and with the way I shot it with other makeup props, I think that I have succeeded in recreating an artifact from the past. The only thing I’m hesitant about is if I should’ve added a lightly coloured background to the figure. But I think that that would’ve overshadowed the name of the product instead. On a scale of 1-10, I give myself a 9/10.