CULT OF BEAUTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 56, 7 March 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

CULT OF BEAUTY.

CARE OF COMPLEXION. USE OF A GOOD CREAM.

(T3y A BEAUTY SPECIALIST.)

It is astonishing how much dirt one's complexion picks up in the course of the day! We have only to wash our faces and this especially if we dwell in cities to realise by water and towel the amount of sheer grime which has rested upon them. Now, this casual washing is the first thing I want to utter a warning about. It is detrimental to the strongest skin at any time, and always biings prompt Nemesis to the more fragile and delicate. But when the experience coincides with sudden changes, of temperature from outdoors to heated rooms it is simply suicidal. Moreover, all such methods of "getting clean" establish a vicious circle by roughening the outer surface of the skin, which then* picks up grime much more quickly than when it 13 smooth and satiny, just as rough woollen material gets dirtier ever so much sooner than a slippery silk one. On the Horns of a Dilemma. We are therefore on the horns of a dilemma. Unless the skin is kept perfectly clean we know that it cannot be healthy, and, as a natural consequence, beautiful, according to the standards of to-day, while the very steps we take to ensure this condition may be harmful in another direction. I think I can safely go further, and say that they will be, unless directed by knowledge. Now, there are two avenues of danger in ordinary washing. First, some factor in the soap or water may be directly harmful. Secondly, the very action may, and almost always does, extract some of the natural nutriment from the ekin. And the result of this is impoverishment, as in every analogous case, so that the way to shrivelling, to sallowness, and the unwelcome appearance of lines is laid open.

You will see for yourselves that, in the first place, should, y° u use soap for your face, the greatest care must be taken 311 the choosing of it, while, in addition, the water used must be rendered soft, if -it lacks this emollient quality in its natural condition. In regard to the extraction of nourishment, the solution is not so obvious. It bans the use of hot wateij, for this has the immediate effect of opening the pores and extracting the nourishment from them. Avoid Too Much Soap and Water. One this is clear, repeated applications of soap and water must be avoided. No self-respecting skin will stand the strain! And, with the exception of the very oily skin, soap and water should be left severely alone. A cleansing cr°am answers the purpose of soap and water, •and keeps the skin softer and younger than any other method. A cream has a gieat deal to recommend it all round, for all creams have a soothing effect upon the surface of the skin, and this is just what it calls out for, almost pitifullv in many cases. J The Best Way to Use Cream.

The best way to use a cream is to put a thin layer all over the face, working upwards, according to the invariable rule, leaving it there for five minutes or so, and then remove it very thoroughly with a softy elean towel. Work the cream with the tip of the little finger well into the crevices at the base of the nostrils, a ? xi V le top °f a third into the cleft of the chin, for these are the great danger spots. If they are deeply indented, or the fascinating dimple calls similarly for care, wrap one of the little orange-sticks—usually dedicated to the hands—up in cotton wool, and applv it gently to the places to ensure that the cream is absolutely removed later. A great many people'have assimilated the idea of keeping their skins clean with cream,, but are woefully careless about removing it, when their efforts are only apt to defeat their own ends. Once during the day, at any rate, it is well to cleanse the skin in this way. At other times, unless it has been subjected to very dirty conditions, the application of a soothing milky emulsion will do all that is needed, or, what is of value beyond words, the use of one of those invaluable lotions for the cleansing of the skin, which simply work wonders with many types of complexions. A lotion of this can be obtained at any beauty parlour, or any drug store, but you can make a very simple one yourself by mixing equal quantities of hazehne and rose-water, adding if you like, a drop or two of glvcerine.

A Few Hints, A large, full-coloured mouth should never be adorned with anything more than a plain white lip-stick to increase its freshness. .If the_ mouth is large and pale, use a bit of lip-stick at the centre, and then gradually taper it down to fade out entirely before it reaches the corners of the mouth. A small mouth should be adorned in just the opposite way—clear to the orners, to accentuate the size. Thin lips can be made to look fuller by adding rouge beyond the line of the lips, but care should be taken to keep the line very even. Full lips can be made to look thinner by stopping the lip-stick before the outer line of the lip is reached. A mouth without shape can be cleverly shaped to represent the "Cupid's. Bow" with a little practice. Lip-stick applied unevenly and unwisely is apt to ruin the most effective of toilets. With a lip-stick you can fool the character readers, but you can't fool yourself! To make real change, you must work from the inside, where all real, worth-while beauty originates.