For Elegance and Beauty

You need no one to remind you that you are neglecting your beauty: a single glance in the mirror, and you grasp this bitter truth at once.

The dullness of your hair is glaring proof that you have been neglecting it. You must therefore comb and brush it frequently, and wash it once a week with a special soap solution known as "shampoo."

Often a lady neglects her skin and does not tend it well, not knowing that the beauty of the skin is one of the essential elements of beauty. Rough, dry skin is proof that you are not nourishing it with the nourishment of creams that it requires. But laying creams on the surface of the skin is of no avail; it must be massaged, and the skin rubbed with them, and the excess then removed before sleep. Wipe the skin of your face with one of the creams while in the bath, for the steam helps the skin to absorb them.

It may be hard to see a soft, tender face in these days, because foodstuffs are poor in fats. But if your face is given to abundant oily secretions, use a special alcohol solution before making up. If you are young, wash your face two or three times a day with hot water and a fine soap. And if you complain of acne, wash your face often, for acne increases where oily secretions are present.

Know, too, that the lines of the face increase with the passing of the years. You must prevent their appearance by taking extra care for the beauty of your face. Creams that nourish the skin work to keep away the lines of old age, and massaging the muscles of the face in a practical way prevents their sagging and removes wrinkles.

Just as the body needs its daily bath, so too, Madam, your eyes need bathing — and they need exercise as well. Internal cleanliness of the body helps keep the eyes clean and their whites pure and gleaming.

And do you care for the skin of your neck as you care for your face, Madam? Millions of ladies treat their faces with creams, perfumes, lotions, and powders without giving any attention to their necks. That is why the necks of ninety percent of ladies who have passed their third decade look more wrinkled and aged than their faces. You are therefore bound to attend to the beauty of your neck and throat as much as you attend to and care for your face, for it contributes an ample share of your beauty. And persevere in suitable physical exercises, for they help greatly in preserving beauty and its charm.

Among the gravest signs of old age is the appearance of masses of fat on the abdomen and the upper arms. You must therefore take care over what you eat: do not take too many foods rich in starches, and cut down on drinking tea. You should do plenty of light physical exercise if you want your waist to be slender. The most important thing of all is to eat less — not to the point of starving yourself, but to a reasonable degree, for you have now reached an age that is no longer the age of youth, when your activity and the strenuousness of the tasks you performed called for large quantities of food.

Finally, the mirror is your best judge: be honest in treating your points of weakness, and treat the weakest points first.