Sherlock (2015) - The Abominable Bride

On the first day of 2016, the creators of BBC'S Sherlock bought back the team of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for a one off special set in the Victorian Era (the original novels were set between 1880 to 1914). It was an interesting twist to have all the modern cast dressed and styled in the Victorian attire but the most intriguing aspect of the time-travelling episode was the 'ghost' Emilia Ricoletti or The Abominable Bride.  Aside from the actual episode being rather confusing flipping between solving a mystery of a suicide in the modern day back (Moriarty) to Emilia's haunting, the atmosphere surrounding the setting in the Victorian sections were extremely suspenseful and eery - very reminscient of traditional Gothic Horror. 

The seemingly delusion and crazy character is first spotted in a scene of manic shooting followed by her own suicide. Her madness is reflected in her makeup with the smudged red lipstick and messy liner/mascara blackening her under eyes. It could also be suggested that she is unhealthy with the pale complexion. The simplicity of the makeup (potentially 4 or 3 products could've been used to create the base, lips and eyes) is a reference back to the lack of products available to women the Victorian age but also the lack of normality in this character. 

The most interesting aspect of the bride for me was the fear surrounding her whilst her vail is covering her face. The 'not knowing' is a key aspect of horror and will be an interesting element to incorporate into a makeup design or the costume on a model. Having this popular detective series harp back to this age has given me an insight into the ways historical horror stories can be interpreted in the modern day. It was interesting to also see the male characters style change in subtle ways to indicate the era compared to their modern styles and helps me gain ideas to explore male makeup application as well this term.