Standards of female beauty: Celts and Scandinavians. Scandinavian Girls Makeup Scandinavian Women

Scandinavian women who were Viking wives used kuda great respect than most of their contemporaries in other parts of the world.

There are places in Scandinavia named after women, which means that they were allowed to own land and other property. Sometimes daughters inherited part of their parents' wealth.

True, the status of women depended on their social position. The wife of a wealthy leader was freer in her actions and had more authority than the wife of a plowman.

Viking marriages

Usually, parents themselves chose wives and husbands for their children, and many of them for material and political reasons, and not out of love. Before the wedding, the groom offered a gift to the bride's father - part of his property of a predetermined value. It was called a ransom.

The father of the bride gave her a dowry in the form of goods or money. After the wedding, both the ransom and the dowry remained the property of the woman. The wedding ceremony was accompanied by the Vikings with a grand feast with many guests.

In one of the sagas, the wedding of Heidrek and Herborg is described as follows:

“A wedding feast like this our land has never seen; it lasted a month."

After wedding

The duties of a married woman were very diverse. She cooked food for all household members, baked, brewed beer and other alcoholic drinks. In wealthy families, this work was done for her by slaves.

A lot of time was occupied by women spinning and weaving. She had to provide all family members with the necessary clothing, and also made blankets and wove tapestries to decorate the walls of the house.

The peasant's wife had to milk the cows and sheep and make butter and cheese from the milk. She took care of chickens and geese, and during the harvest she helped her husband in the field. Finally, she was responsible for the family budget and looking after the slaves.

Women looked after small children, and also took care of any of the family members when they fell ill. To do this, every woman had to know how to mix herbs and minerals in order to prepare the necessary medicines and potions from them.

The housewife always carried with her a bunch of keys to her household, which served as a symbol of her status and responsibility. They usually hung from a chain attached to a brooch on her tunic. These were the keys to front door, from a chest that played the role of a safe, and from caskets where jewelry, silks and exquisite oriental spices were stored.

About polygamy among the Vikings

Before the Scandinavian peoples adopted Christianity, any man, except a slave, was allowed to live with several women at once, if he so desired. At the same time, he had one legal wife, who, as a rule, belonged to the same social stratum as her husband. She was also the mistress of the house. Other women were usually in the position of domestic slaves.

Viking hospitality

The Vikings were proud of their hospitality: to refuse shelter or food to a guest was considered a disgrace. The duties of the mistress of the house included taking care of her husband's guests.

At the feast of the leader, his wife put on the table all the best of food and drink that was on the farm. During the feast, the wife of the leader had to give gifts to her husband's warriors in order to reward them for their devotion. A similar reward awaited a skald who would compose a song or poem praising her husband's bravery and generosity.

Husband on a business trip

If the husband was a warrior or a merchant who spent many months away from home on military campaigns or trade trips, the wife in his absence was responsible for the state of affairs in the household. She could make any decisions on behalf of her husband, make deals with visiting merchants.

A woman from a noble family was also responsible for the security of her home. One of the sagas speaks of a woman who herself repelled the attack of enemies.

Divorce among the Vikings

If a woman made the decision to divorce her husband, she simply announced her intentions to a few witnesses. After the dissolution of the marriage, she had the right to take with her her dowry, as well as any property that belonged to her before the wedding.

A husband could divorce his wife in the same way.

Unusual activities of the Vikings

Archaeological evidence suggests that sometimes Viking women engaged in unusual activities. Some written sources mention skald women and even a woman carving runic inscriptions.

Scales, weights and measures were found in one of the female burials. It can be concluded that she was a merchant or worked in the market.

Some women played an important role in religious ceremonies and rites in honor of the Old Norse deities.

Among the women there were also soothsayers; it was believed that they could predict the future, give advice to people in their daily lives.

viking children

In Viking times, women often died during childbirth, and infant mortality was also very high. Sometimes babies born with obvious disabilities were left to die in the open.

So did the poor parents who couldn't raise them. Vikings were trained from childhood in the skills needed in adulthood.

The boys learned to hunt and handle weapons, they were taught peasant business, crafts. Some merchants took their sons on trading trips to teach them the art of navigation. The girls learned to cook, weave and look after children.

Much in nature is built on contrasts, and, as winter and summer are equally good, it is also difficult to judge the beauty of women with different types appearance. Representatives of the East have their own charm, but “cold” girls with a Scandinavian appearance are not without zest. Both those and others are beautiful in their own way and have characteristic features that loudly declare the origin of their owner.

Today we will talk about women with a Scandinavian type of appearance and try to figure out why the inhabitants of the northern part of Europe are called "snow queens".

Scandinavian type of appearance - specific features

blue eyes and blonde hair- a real gift of nature. Many representatives of the fair half dream of such data. But in order to get what they want, they have to spend hours in beauty salons and spend fabulous sums on cosmetics. At the same time, the end result does not always justify the effort and money spent. Whether it's a woman with a Scandinavian type of appearance, their nature has generously rewarded them. The Snow Queen will be issued:

  • blue, gray or green eyes;
  • blond hair: white, yellowish, rarely golden with a reddish tint;
  • prominent cheekbones;
  • narrow nose and indistinctly defined lip line;
  • very thin skin with a pale pink tint.

Girls of Scandinavian appearance, as a rule, are tall and slender, the problem is not relevant for them. It is also worth noting that "snow queens do not like" the scorching sun. Under the influence of sunlight, their skin quickly turns red and burns.

To emphasize the natural charm and beauty, girls of Scandinavian appearance can use clothes of rich blue, blue and black hues. A riot of colors in makeup is also not welcome, it is enough to make one accent on the lips or eyes - and the perfect make-up is ready.

To have a clearer idea of ​​what the representatives of the Nordic race look like, take a look at the photo of Michelle Pfeiffer or Cameron Diaz. Their appearance is a vivid example of a typical Scandinavian appearance, with all the characteristic features.

The Nordic beauty of Swedish women is usually fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair. There is a lot to learn from Scandinavians with truly angelic features. How exactly are Swedish women different from us?

1. Emphasize natural beauty with makeup

Swedes hate makeup that can be seen on the skin. This list also includes false and extended eyelashes, nails and hair. So . foundation perfectly matches the skin tone, the shadows cannot be darker than three shades from the natural shade. Everything shiny and colorful can be found only in the youngest Scandinavians, who are still at the stage of experiments.

2. Proud of their wrinkles

Swedes have no fear at all age-related changes- such is their upbringing. Like many foreigners, Swedish women are sure that at every stage of life there are joys, as well.

Moreover, cosmetologists believe that the wrinkles of Scandinavians and Russian girls are different. Swedes leave imprints from facial expressions of happiness, but we, unfortunately, from sadness, anxiety and excitement.

3. Cleanse the skin with steam, not scrubs

Swedes do not like peelings and scrubs, believing that in this way the skin loses its protection in the form of subcutaneous fat. That is why they try to remove keratinized particles only by steaming. Most often, they hold their face over a sink with a jet hot water, after which the famous homemade Swedish mask is applied: egg yolk and honey. It gives the Scandinavians the cherished elasticity of the skin. If you want to repeat, then remember - the mask is suitable only for those girls who do not have capillaries on their faces. And honey is a pretty strong allergen.

4. Drink plenty of water

No, it's not about wine, it's about healing power the simplest drinks - water, herbal tea and lemonade. By the way, Swedes make their own lemonades: they pour sliced ​​fruit with water without sugar.

Due to climatic conditions, the Swedes , drinking a large amount of liquid per day. Therefore, they are often seen with beautiful bottles(now very popular in Russia) in summer and with small thermoses in winter.

5. Keep track of your menu

Children in Sweden are protected from fast food, which is why there are practically no overweight people here. To protect their naturally delicate skin (light skin is one of the most sensitive), Swedish women try to consume large amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 acids, which are found in fish and seafood. The fish menu in the family diet here prevails over meat. The second mandatory component of the Swedish diet is berries: cloudberries, blackberries and rose hips. They are used in the production of juices and even anti-aging liqueurs.

6. Create intrigue with clothes

In the truest sense of the word. After all, Swedes never get naked. Naturally, they are not alien to the general fashion, for example, crop tops and short shorts. But women always follow the golden rule of pairing short with tall or long.

In our Slavic view, women of fashion from Sweden, Norway and Denmark do not dress pretentiously, but even restrainedly, minimalism prevails in their style. That's what we thought for years. But is that really the case?

Fashion in modern Scandinavia

As mentioned above, by Scandinavia we mean three countries at once: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They have a similar climate and similar cultural heritage so they dress the same way. On the this moment in fashion trends Scandinavia is about to split. minimalism and eclecticism.
Before we move on to describing each of these destinations, let's recall the weather conditions in Scandinavia. It is mostly cold and humid there. This climatic condition was the reason why both minimalist and eclectic styles are dominated by layering. Another factor influencing what Scandinavians wear is the presence of cobbled roads. That is, you don’t really go out in heels here, which means you need comfortable shoes. Unless, in extreme cases, they put on heels, in everyday life, low-speed shoes predominate.

Eclecticism

This style implies a large number prints. That is, flowers, polka dots, and stripes coexist in one outfit, and on all elements of the outfit, including accessories.
Girls love bright clothes. They wear it both in summer and winter. And this is understandable: they all year round the weather is worse than in Southern Europe, which means you have to indulge yourself in bright, warm colors despite the climate.

In addition to simply combining bright colors in an outfit, Scandinavians boldly wear such colorful things that we would not dare to. Let's say - bright high socks, shoes of an unusual design, a bright dress with an eye-catching print. For fans of eclecticism in Scandinavia, this is very normal.

Since we touched on the topic dresses let's continue it. Girls from Scandinavia love midi dresses, wear them with low-cut shoes, often with sneakers, brogues, loafers. Plus - with socks.

The common love of all Scandinavians - jackets. They wear them in huge numbers: fitted, with broad shoulders, long, short, printed and monochrome. According to the fabric - always dense, not flying. They are worn with all other components of the outfit, whether it is a long printed dress, or jeans, or a low heel.

Another type of clothing that is loved by both fans of minimalism and eclecticism is pantsuit. In general, the tendency to masculinity is inherent in Scandinavians. They like to emphasize their femininity with the contrast that creates either a fitted pantsuit or its oversized / exaggerated oversized counterpart. The latter is especially good in tandem with a medium heel.

Coats and raincoats wear constantly. In terms of color, they like both muted tones and bright ones. If the top is bright, then the girls try to pick up colorful shoes with accessories - they are not afraid to experiment.

Socks- a separate love of the Scandinavians. If we can’t imagine where else they can be worn, except under sneakers, then in Scandinavia they know a lot about socks. They are worn:

  • with shoes;
  • with sandals;
  • with loafers;
  • with sneakers.

At the same time, socks are completely crazy: with a print, with lurex, transparent, insulated, high, low, etc.

If a bags, then necessarily bright. Even if the rest of the look is subdued, a bag will make the difference. It should be flowered, multi-colored, large or small - it doesn’t matter, as long as it attracts attention.

A distinctive feature of the Scandinavian eclectic style is earrings. Often girls wear one large earring, putting it on public display, and their other ear is covered with hair. Such a massive earring will perfectly fit into the overall masculine image created by a trouser suit.

Minimalism

Girls dressing in this style do not want to attract special attention to themselves. For them, the most important thing is comfort and warmth. Their brightest color is milky., the rest are typical: black, white, gray, dark blue, brown.

Because of the cold, the girls dress as warmly as possible, and this is layering. So, for a shirt, they are likely to put on a jacket, a jacket, be sure to wear socks, sneakers, jeans, a hat with a scarf and mittens.
Moreover, if we are talking about the Scandinavian layering, then it looks stylish. Girls know how to dress so that all things are “friends” with each other. Therefore, their shirt peeking out from under the jumper will peek out exactly as much as necessary so that the style is read.

Minimalist fashionistas love sweaters, often - natural, more expensive, to really warm, oversized - sometimes, to the knee, shortened - to wear with a men's shirt.

From trousers they love jeans. Moreover, for the winter they take mostly brighter ones - blue or white.

From knitwear, Scandinavians prefer exclusively dense expensive knitwear- they are ready to invest in good-quality clothes that will last them for years. And since minimalist pieces are not flashy, they can be worn forever; others will not pay attention to the fact that the girl walks in the same.

Representatives of the minimalist trend in clothing prefer sneakers and sneakers. The main principle of all fashionistas in northern Europe is convenience. If a girl is uncomfortable in shoes or clothes, even the most fashionable things, she will not wear them. What may seem strange, incongruous, surprising and even tasteless to us, will become the most comfortable and suitable option for Scandinavians.

By the way, it was in Scandinavia that the fashion was born to combine sneakers with casual style clothes and dresses. Let's thank them for it! That's all, in one of following articles Let's talk about the French.

If we pay attention to the Scandinavian girls, then we will not hear an unambiguous opinion about their beauty. Here, as in any nationality, variations in appearance from beautiful to quite standard. Of course, cultural differences are so great that, for example, Norwegians do not understand how Russian girls manage to "paint" themselves, they consider such makeup to be rather aggressive and excessive. It is understandable, in Russia one social position of girls in society, and in Norway - another. From here (and not only, let's not go deep) follows the attitude towards oneself, towards men, towards a career and so on. And this is reflected even in such "little things" as makeup.


In my mind, though common features for Scandinavian makeup is.


Where does any makeup start? As a rule, with the creation of an even and healthy tone (base). This video shows very well how to create such a base for makeup.

Second video for creating an even and healthy skin tone.

Do lip makeup.

Make up your eyelashes in the usual way for you and one of the makeup options is ready! And if you have eyelash extensions, then you can skip this item.

For those who want to watch the full cycle of Scandinavian girls make-up, these videos are for you!

As you can see, a lot of cosmetics also go away, but there are still significant differences. Girls strive for a natural look and their transformation after makeup is only light and as natural as possible, in any case creating a natural look.

In many videos, the girls specifically name the brand of the product they used to create their makeup. But still I want to dwell on the cosmetics that they use. As a rule, these are quite well-known luxury brands - Lancôme, Chanel and others, as well as quite budget ones - NYX, L "Oreal, Maybelline and similar ones.

If you didn’t have enough videos, then there are quite amusing makeup lessons in the form of articles, I suggest reading blogs, for example