Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
NUNS FIRST POWDERED HAIR.
The Fashionable World Then Adopted
F the Custom.
From the Chicago Chronicle

From the Chicago Chronicle.
+ The custom of powderlng the hair dates
back as far as the sixteenth century and
was first introduced by the nuns In French
converts. Those who had occasion to
leave the cloisters for any reason were
wont to powder their hair so as to make
1t appear gray and give them a venerable
look. The fashionable danes were so
struck with the novel effect of white pow
der on dark hair that they soon appropri-
ated the device as one of the arts Of the
worldly toilet. Out Of this grew the use or
tints in the hair. The Roman women often
used blue powder. and later in 1860, EN-
press Eugene set the fashion of using gold
powder.
Rome under the empire and Greece dur
ing the time Of Pericles were seized with
mania for golden hair. The bellies and
fops of the day devised several methods
whereby black locks might be changed to
golden yellow, but bleaching did not al
ways succeed. Consequently quite a trade
was established with the fair-haired tribes
beyond the Alps, who sold their locks to
Latin merchants, to be worn the heads
Of the Roman handles.
Many dame dampened her raven tresses
in the strongest of murlatic acid and sat
In the sun to bleach her hair to the COW
ward anointed their heads with oil made
from goat fat. ashes of the beech tree and
certain yellow flowers.
The itlnerant barber, who passed down
and out when people ceased to use powder
in their hhir, was quite parsonage in his
day He went from house to house armed
with soap bowl to fit the chin, powder
boxes, pomatum and puffs. was always
newsmonger and a gratuitous scandal
bearer.
When wigs were In vogue the Roman
danes had in their wardrobes as many wigs
as costumes, and when the choice of a wig
was made 1t was necessary to arrange the
eyebrows, lashes and complexion in har-
mony 1t was then that the slaves were
specially charged with the. makeup of the
face-a delicate operation, called by Cicero
"Medicaments candoris eft ruboris."
There were some cunning devices In
vogue among the bellies of the old world
for giving expression to the eye. The most
reckless OF them were wont to place a
single drop OF that deadly poison. prussic
acid, in the bottom of wine glass and
hold 1t against the eyes for two or three
seconds. Or, more rashly still, they would
take small quantity. a piece not larger
than grain of rice-of an ointment con-
tanning that mortal drug. atropia. and rub
posed to give clearness and brilliancy, ex
pand the pupil and impart fascinating
fullness and mellowness to the eye. Ger
tain slightly pungent and volatile perfumes,
worn on the handk erchief causing the eyes
to glitter and sparkle The eye was made
to appear large. full and almond shaped by
the use of fine pencil dipped In the anti
monical sulphur or Egyptian black. rubbed
upon the lids along the angle.
But, after all. the surest means by which
q woman may acquire and preserve the gift
OF pleasing is to be young In spirit II not in
years: and every bit as pretty as Is pos
sibie with all the legitimate means at her
command II she Is always kind and gentle
always ready to give to others the sunnies.
side of her nature.