"One of the most successful means of creating white powder was by using cerise, or white lead, which was extremely dangerous"
"After the face was powdered, rouge was applied to the cheeks; at this period red ochre was the most popular colorant"
The Artifical Face, Fenja Gunn 1973 pg 76
What I gain from these sources is a general idea of the look women of this era were trying to achieve. The ideal of the time was very much an imitation of Elizabeth I with pale white skin and red painted cheeks and lips.
Ive found that to whiten the face women used a cosmetic paste called ceruse, which contained lead. This toxic metal caused hair loss and long term skin problems. (Encyclopedia of Hair, Victoria Sherrow)
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