Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-11-23
How FASHIONABLE LADIES ARE GOT UP. =
Anna Cora Mowatt, in late London letter,


Anna Cora Mowatt, in late London letter
{ says:
There was time when ladies confined thei
passion for enamel chiefly to jewery, but iutat
hated fair ones of our day are zealous!y labor
ipg to make gems of, their own countenances
the enameler preSides at hundreds Of tollettes
and would be beauties lavish their gold upo;
Nine. Rachel and her followers, in exchange
for alabaster skins and blooming cheeks, brigh,
eyes and furrowless faces. Happy the man
who wooes bride with complexion that does
not come and go''-that is, come in the
morning and go away at night as the wits in
theSchoo for Scandal phrase it-a complexion
which her mind cannot fetch and carry" Hap
py the lover whose kiss of betrothal pressed
upon lip that has hue Of the strawberry,
does not taste OF the druggists compound.
The time will come when the alarmed mascu-
line, looking with suspicion upon the counte
nances that outbloon the rose, and dim the
lustre Of the pearl-upon the eyes too phe
nomenally bright, lips too rubious, hair too
abundant and sunshiuy-will find more attrac-
ton in few natural imperfections, and judge
the eenuineness OF charms within by the ab-
sence OF those which can be secured by art on
the surface.
a reliable source full description of Nine.
be amused by this initiation into the mysteries
of that surface now so common among Euro
peau ladies.
FIRST among the beautiful appliances, when
awful beauty puts on all her charms, comes the
Vestris enamel-an elastic pigment which fills
up all indentaions of the skin, peck mark, fur
rows scars 1t is the same color as the flesh
and yields to the movement of the muscles
After being carefully filed wherever requisite,
the whole face is washed with blanc de perles.
A delicate powder, called ''bloom OF roses, Is
then applied in small quantities 10 the cheeks
mot the rouge or carmine used by astresses to
neutralize the ghastly blue glare cast up blythe
t0othghts.) The ''eye color" consists OF three
preparations first to darken the eyebrows
perfect their shape, and add to the upper and
lower la;hes; the second to remove the crow S
feet; and the third, which is peculiar bueish
powder, lightly laid on, just under the eye, to
increase its apparent size and add brlillancy.
Another preparation is to stain the lips
and gums natural looking" red, ,-unnat
ural looking, fromits extreme brightness, would
be the more correct description. a powerful
dentrfce whiteus the teeth, land probably
hastens their decay;) the unsightly hairs grow
ing out OF the moles, and unfeminine down
shading the upper lip, are destroyed by depiI
laorieS; freckles and skin stains are removed
by paste, which is said to decompose them
and form new scurf skin; tresses Of any shade
receive the much admired hay color, or a
golden hue, from Albanian water, or any dark
er tint, by the use Of some other hair wash;
anl the nails are rendered delicate and induced
to grow in the form required, by nail shields
worn during the night. ..4.s.
Will it be believed that in London one sees
hundreds of women-noi the unfortuoates Of
the dem-monde, but ladies, well-bred, we'll
dressed, highly educated ladies, ofirreproacha-
bic reputation, and moving in good society,
who daily assume their enamel mask with their
garments .------ = = ----------