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I just couldn't help my self after I found this. Hope you enjoy life as it was 125 years ago and be thankful we live today.
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A
lot of things have changed since the 19th century. When Barkham Burroughs wrote
his Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information in 1889, he
devoted a full chapter to the “secrets of beauty,” and for good reason. To
quote Burroughs, “If women are to govern, control, manage, influence and retain
the adoration of husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers or even cousins, they must
look their prettiest at all times.” Here are 11 of his tips for doing just
that.
1. Bathe often(ish)…
At
least once a week, but if possible, a lady should “take a plunge or sponge bath
three times a week.”
2. … in a household
cleaning solution.
What’s
better than soap? Ammonia. “Any lady who has once learned its value will never
be without it.” Just a capful or so in the bath works as well as soap and
cleans the pores “as well as a bleach will do.”
3. Wash your eyes…
Nothing
is as attractive as a sparkling eye. The best way to achieve this is by
“dashing soapsuds into them.” If that’s not your style, perfume dropped into
the eyes is a reasonable alternative. For the same bright-eyed look without the
burn, “half a dozen drops of whisky and the same quantity of Eau de Cologne,
eaten on a lump of sugar, is quite as effective.”
4. … but don’t wash your
hair.
Water
is “injurious” to the hair. Instead, wipe “the dust of the previous day” away
on a towel. You can also brush your hair during any long, idle breaks in the
day. 30 minutes is a good hair-brushing session.
5. And never, ever wash
your face.
Simply
rub the skin with “an ointment of glycerine” and “dry with a chamois-skin or
cotton flannel.” One “beautiful lady” is admired who had “not washed her face
for three years, yet it is always clean, rosy, sweet and kissable.”
6. And try not to wash
your hands, either.
A
well kept hand is soft, pale, and really, really dirty. Red hands can be
relieved “by soaking the feet in hot water as often as possible,” but
don’t dare touch water with your hands. As with the face, a regimen of ointment
and cotton flannel should be used, and gloves worn for bathing. (Burroughs
notes here that “dozens of women” with gorgeous hands “do not put them in water
once a month.”)
7. Hang out naked by the
window every day.
This
is also called vapor-bathing, which is a different kind of vapor than the
aforementioned ammonia soak, and one more likely to bring the attention of
unwanted suitors. To take a proper vapor bath, “the lady denudes herself, takes
a seat near the window, and takes in the warm rays of the sun.” If you’re a
lady of the restless sort, dancing is advised. A good vapor bath is at least an
hour long.
8. Go heavy-metal on the
eyes.
Nothing
says “handsome lady” like a lined lid. The proper solution is “two drachms of
nitric oxid of mercury mixed with one of leaf lard.” Lacking these
components, a woman may just as easily produce a nice effect with “a hairpin
steeped in lampblack.”
9. Say goodbye to that
fringe.
In
your great-grandmother’s day, lashes had a tendency to become “unruly.” They
were therefore “slightly trimmed every other day” with sharp, tiny scissors, because
who wants eyelashes, anyway.
10. Suction!
Nice
lips are essential to a woman’s prettiness. As early as possible, a girl should
begin thinking about the shape of her lips and how it might be improved. Thin
lips “are easily modified by suction,” which “draws the blood to the surfaces”
and over time provides a “permanent inflation.” Thick lips “may be reduced by
compression.” There are no instructions for this procedure.
11. And try not to be
single.
The
author’s female acquaintance, after disclosing to her favorite suitor that she
had gone those three long years without using soap, found herself back on the
market. A note from the gentleman read, “I can not reconcile my heart and my
manhood to a woman who can get along without washing her face.”
So
remember, ladies: Whatever methods are used, “it would be just as well to keep
the knowledge of it from the gentlemen.” Because being married is better than
ammonia-water for the complexion.
