Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-09
FOR HOME MANICURES
HINTS TO AMATEURS AS TO
CARE OF THE NAILS.

TT is not by occasionally polishing finger
l tips that woman will cultivate pretty
nails. except in those rare instances
where nature has endowed her with this
beauty. for only by the most patient and
persistent attention can homely, badly
| sha ped nails be improved.
To think that FURNISHED nails are pretty.
when shape and cuticle have been neglect
! ed, is the greatest possible mistake but
by no means an uncommon one. Under
such condition the luster only accentuates
previous neglect. and the fingers. instead
of being prettier. are more homely.
! In this treatment all steel implements
| for removing soil from the nails should
! he banished. for the harm they do by
| roughening the skin at the corners of the
nails, as well as directly underneath. is in
| ca culable, whereas a piece of wood of
| any kind is a perfect cleansing agent,
which in no way effects the cuticle.
Use Orange Wood Sticks.
Manicures tell woman that she should
! have an orange stick. as she should. if
really expensive. 1t is simply that there
are so many substitutes which cost prac-
tically nothing. For instance, fresh
"oouoh ShCNCi. SuCH DIS any OIS may get
from the butcher shop. will accomplish
the same result an orange wood stick.
| So will toothpicks. unless they happen
to be of very thin variety. The end of
match is excellent and. indeed, there is
| scar cely any bit of wood that may not be
so used. provided the end is slender
enough TO go easily beneath the edge of
the nail. but not sharp enough to bruise
the flesh.
In using this kind of article many wom-
| en- declare it does not clean their nails
| and this statement is quite true at first
because if steel has been previously en-
ployed the skin is roughened so the dirt
clings. but if one will persist with the
| wood the skin will in time be smooth and
even. .--...-...-.
The only piece of steel to use is a cuticle
knife. and this in the hands of an anna
teur should be applied carefully. This
implement should never be used for
cleansing, but only removing the loose
, skin at the base of the nail.
Loosening Skin Around Nails.
Even in doing this careful preparation is
necessary, and to disregard these precau-
tions is to ruin the nail surface by
scratching through the enamel. and even
| through several layers of the nail.
| Before attempting to push back the
flesh the finger tips must be put into
warm water with much soap and soaked
/ for at least five minutes. On removing
| from the bath they are mopped not dried
and the pointed stick to be used dipped
into water and then applied directly to
the base of the nail. following around the
! line of cuticle. pushing it back at the
base to make the half moon show. The
object of this is to keep the skin soft and
remove superfluous bits without at the
same time scratching the nail.
1t is not until after the cuticle rim has
been loOsened from the nail with the stick
| that the knife should be used. Then 1t
| should be dipped into water. as was the
wood and with drop still adhering to
the edge it should be rubbed gently. but
evenly. over the nail at the line from
which the cuticle has been loosened. 1t
will be found then that little mound of
| soft skin is scraped off. and this is wiped
away. The energy of a beginner must
not be such to continue scraping be-
cause then the nail itself will be
| scratched.