New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-19
Powdering.

For the Crescent.
Powdering
MEssRs EDITORs - Although two doughty
champions have already been made to bite the
dust by the victorious Daisy have the auda-
city to enter the list against her, and with a
stone from her own sling do l intend to over
power her She says, in repeating the supposed
criticisms Of the loungers, s. if rosy she's rouged,
if pale she's powdered : and it is about this
same powdering that l design to speak.
On my first arrival in the Crescent City
hurried. as most young men do, from one place
Of public resort to another for the purpose of
seeing the city bellies, whose beauty | had heard
highly e1toled | was quite disappointed in
them--they seemed such pale, unhealthy look
ing creatures To my untutorcd taste the con-
trast between their dark eyes, hair and brows,
and the dazzling whteness Of their compilations,
was more startling than agreeable. Custom
has somewhat reconcied me TO this contrast,
but still deem it Objectionable and the more
so because it is usually not natural, but results
from the abominable practice Of covering their
skin with powder.
A spTightly old lady, who is past coquetry
herself and has no female relations in the mat
TtluOlldl tutely ult Win re-
gard to the different methods of performing this
whitewashing process and | have concluded to
make the information public
1t appears that there are several ways of APP
plying the powder, and that that which is most
dispensing to the eye is least injurious to the
skin, wiz putting it lightly on the surface with
an instrument called puff.
Some fair artists who aim at durability, use,
I'm told, white mixture, nature unknown,
VIII cd in Gtnf 1KvlH
dry presents beautifully polished appearance,
so closely resembling nature rs to defy detec-
ton, This method is strongly condemned, as
being no better than painting, by the disciples
Of all the other schools The followers OF the
greasy system anoint their skins with sweet oil
or cold cream, and then rub in prepared chalk
before it becomes dry. Many other methods of
whitening might be enumerated, but those de-
scrihed are the most common.
The first, or simple application Of rice powder
with The puff, Is, as ! before mentioned, the
most harmless 1t has, moreover, the merit OF
being done openly; and is warmly defended by
its followers, who maintain that it is indispen-
sable in this climate, and that they only use it
because il is cooliHg" If asked &" why then
use it in winter they reply, 8 to take the
shine off. And it does take The shine off com
plefely
Now, it is to be presumed that no woman of
ordinary eandor will pretend to say that she
decorates her person, arrangps her hair in the
most becoming manner, and in short, performs
her elaborate toilet for the express purpose Of
pleasing our sex or ut least some individual -"
member OF it. True, there are those who assert,
and no doubt believe that comfort and ncatness
require them to dress MS they do but we all
know that the acquisitions of comfort and neat
ness may be amply supplied in half the time that
| is usually devoted to the toilet Others aver
| that they are always more solicitOus concerning
| their appearance when about to meet only thei1
| own sex and give as a reason that women are
| much more critical in such than the men. This
is all very fine but are these self deceyers sure
| that they are not influenced by a latent view to
| the opinion ofcertain unmentioned male relatives
Of tht female critics.
Taking it for granted, then, that ladies in
general deck themselves for our admiration
why do so many of them persist in the destruc-
tive practice of powdering, which is so uniyer-
sally detested by those they wish to please
They make great mistake in supposing that a
few degrees more or less Of whiteness in the
skin has much effect on the opinion entertained
of their charms by us The expression, the
form, the gait, the smile, the appearance Of
neatness, the manner the conyersation-the
are the points which attract the admiration OF
men, and the shade of the skin provided it be
what is usually called white) is matter Of mi
nor Importance The texture indeed. IS Of some
consequence, but that is injured, not benefited,
by the use of powder
1t is to be hoped that we shall shortly see a
reformation among the ladies in this respect
that the fashion has passed its meridian and
that the time will soon arrive when it viii be
possible to touch the cheek of wife, sister, or
sweetheart, without being unexpectedly treated
to rdir pastry. CENSOR