Cora Pearl (born Eliza Emma Crouch, 1836 – 1886). British nineteenth century courtesan of the French demimonde who became most well known during the period of the Second French Empire.
Pearl was known for dressing creatively, with the intent to provoke either shock or awe. Théodore de Banville wrote of her affinity for dying her hair bold colors; she was once seen riding out in her carriage, her hair the color of a lemon, dyed to match the carriage's yellow satin interior. In another instance, she appeared in a blue gown, her dog’s coat dyed to match her wardrobe.
Pearl also utilized makeup in a manner heavier than most women of the time, using makeup to accentuate her eyes and eyelashes, and wearing face powder tinted with silver or pearls to give her skin a shimmering appearance. Jean-Philippe Worth, the son of the couturier Worth, pronounced her "shockingly overdone" in this aspect. In 1867, a drink came into vogue, inspired by Pearl, dubbed the "Tears of Cora Pearl". Alfred Delvau wrote a tribute to Pearl in Les Plaisirs de Paris in 1867, declaring that: "You are today, Madame, the renown, the preoccupation, the scandal and the toast of Paris. Everywhere they talk only of you…"
- "Among his many children, Emma was his favourite: she was a delightful child, lively and flirtatious, with red hair and a freckled face." https://books.google.it/books?id=3pcQosflgoQC&pg=PA59...
- "She had a round, freckled 'clown's' face, with small, piglet eyes, a large mouth, and unfashionably red hair." https://books.google.it/books?id=MWsCVWCH8V0C&pg=PT298...
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