BEAUTY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume 246, Issue 246, 16 October 1926, Page 26

BEAUTY NOTES.

(By A rAEIS BEAUTY SPECIALIST.) The Finger Nails. Finger nails are of small importance, compared to some other things in life, but what a great deal of difference it makes when they are broken, and one tries to pick Ip pins or needles —something like catching mice with a St. Bernard dog. There was a time, when linger nails were nothing more than animal claws, and were used for protection only, but even then, they received a great deal more care than tho average person of to-day spends upon them. Jn Oriental countries, it was once the custom to push organic dyes under the inarix of the nail, to colour in various tints. In fact, the shape, design and colour of one's nails indicated the social status of a person, and a great many of the old Asiatics were accustomed to paring down their thumb nail to use for a pen, but that isn't quite up to our present self-fillers and starters! Unkempt Nails Obnoxious. The care of the nails is not only a means of adornment to-day, it is really a science, as there are some manicurists who can tell, by looking at your nails - , what is wrong with you—if anything is. She can't treat you with medicine, but she can, quite often, tell you where the

trouble lies, for the nails quite readily indicate a physical state of the owner. Unkempt nails are as obnoxious as a smudge of dirt on the face, and a great deal more noticeable than dirty hands. A homely pair of hands can be made to look really beautiful with properly treated nails. Care of the nails is something that everyone should know. It is an asset in the general scheme of one's existence. How to Treat the Nails. First, the nails should never be clipped unless it is absolutely necessary. It is much better to trim them with a file after soaking well in warm water to make them soft. They should be filed to a shape that is most becoming to the individual hand. Any one can experiment with their own nails in shaping them until they have found the shape that is best suited to their hands. A sharp instrument that will scrape the nail in uneven ridges, should never be used to clean underneath. Absorbent cotton drapped round an orange stick, is the best thing. This same swab can be dipped in a bleach, and then, swabbed down the entire length of the nail to remove any discolouration of foreign stain. Use the flat end of an orange-wood stick, taking care that the fingers are wet while this is being done to prevent tearing of the dry cuticle. Care should be exercised to prevent injury to the tender skin, j roujih edges that remain can be trimmed i away with a cuticle knife or scissors. then, taking a small buffer, dip it into some nail powder and rub it briskly oyer the body of the nail in a lateral direction, never from the base to the tip. This operation will usually make the nail matrix tingle and bring the blood forward and colour the nail deeply, this .18 to be desired, as it gives it vitality and improves the growth of the nail. ° The Polishing. After washing all loose powder from tie T y r 3 , thoro and rub a tin of P ° ' Sh ° Ver each nail > the Up of j our linger. Again dip the nail eactn a Vt POWde J"' andbuftor P each nail, from Sl de to side, usin- a lighter touch this time. Dip the hands in warm water, dry them thoroughly and then rub a little powder on the palm of your hand and use this as a buffer in the same fashion as before. Although polishing the nails is the best possible thing for their growth and beauty, care should be taken that when the operation is completed, one does not have finger-tips that will dazzle the eyes of the casual observer. A dull polish is the correct and proper finish under all circumstances. Wipe the nails with absorbent cotton, to remove any loose particles of polish, and you should have a very satisfactory manicure. If your nails are dry and break easily, apply a little linseed oil at night. Children, who bite their nails

should have aloes rubbed on the end of their fingers. The bitter taste will aid them in correcting this bad habit. Set of Hand Rules. Frame the following rules in your mind, and do not forget them: — No. 1. —Manicure your nails once every twenty-four hours. . No. 2. —Trim the nails to suit the shape of your finger tips. No. 3. —Never cut the nails with a knife. No. 4.—Do not let your hands grow thin and rough. No. s.—Bleach away the yellow tints as soon as they appear. No. C.—Keep your hands pliant by making; your hands tense, and then opening and closing the fingers with the arms extended before you. No. 7.—Dry the hands thoroughly after a bath. No. 8. —Keep your hands and nails clean above all else. No. 9.—Keep your hands soft by means of a glycerine and rose-water, or a glycerine and witch-hazel lotion. No. 10.—Use plenty of cold cream on your hands and on your nails. No. 11.—And manicure your nails once every twenty-four hours. Corpulence. Corpulency is a disease induced by lazy habits, self-indulgence, and bad breathing —breathing that does not permit the air to circulate through the abdomen. When the abdomen is left thus to care for itself, it becomes musclebound, and fat accumulates. Almost without exception, this disfigurement is acquired by laziness, neglect, and over indulgence in eating foods which build fatty tissues.