In this episode of Dressed for the Grave, we trace the history of lead-based cosmetics, from ancient Egypt to Elizabethan courts and the powdered excess of the 18th century. We explore how a material once used for protection became a symbol of perfection, and how that pursuit slowly poisoned the people who wore it.

Correction: In a very on-brand moment, during our corrections, we mention Prince Andrew. The prince we really meant to refer to was Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth II.

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In this Tangisode, we slip into the shadowy world of Marie-Madeleine d'Aubray, the 17th-century aristocrat who turned arsenic into an art form. Behind powdered wigs and polished manners, she orchestrated a chilling series of poisonings that helped ignite France's obsession with invisible murder. What started as whispered scandal unraveled into one of history's most infamous poison cases, blurring the line between high society and calculated death. Because sometimes the most dangerous weapon isn't a blade… it's what's slipped quietly into your drink.

In this episode, we follow the color trail from arsenic greens to early synthetic dyes. The shades that made fashion brighter, cheaper, and far more dangerous. From the tragic case of Mathilda Scheurer to the work of Alfred Swaine Taylor, one of the first to study poisoning scientifically, this is the story of how beauty came at a cost.

Correction: In this episode, we refer to King Albert. His correct title is Prince Albert.

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Noelle and Melissa talk about the crinoline cage and the disasters that arise from it. They discus the tragedies of Fanny Longfellow and Archduchess Matilda of Austria.

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Noelle and Melissa explain what their podcast is all about.

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