CULT OF BEAUTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17, 21 January 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

CULT OF BEAUTY.

THE COST OF LOVELINESS.

GREAT LIFE TRAGEDIES,

(By A BEAUTI SPECIALIST.)

There is a tragedy that dogs the steps of great beauties. It is as if the Fates were half resentful of the gift they have themselves bestowed. The Greeks, those lovers of beauty, had a name for that supreme bearing of the consciouslylovely woman—& touch of insolence almost. And they uttered warnings against it, as a quality certain to arouse the jealousy of the lurking powers that lie in wait for hapless mortals who presume too much. Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Aspasia, Diane de Poictiers, lime, de Castiglione, the Countess de Grammont, Lady Hamilton, and many others —of them it may be said, that their beauty was their downfall. They exercised an imperious and inexplicable sway over the male imagination. Their paths were strewn with "hearts," but always their beauty just failed to bring them what they longed for, and in the end, there was nothing but bitterness, ennui, and disappointment. The later years of the lives of most of these exquisite women was a tragedy. Some, like Mme. de Castiglione and Lady Hamilton, died alone and unhonoured in poverty, without the consolation of religion, and without the solace of husband, child or lover. Others, as their beauty faded, have dragged out a miserable and inglorious existence that must have been more bitter than death. Montaigne has said that, "There is no torture a woman would not suffer to enhance her beauty." Perhaps. Certainly there is no torture like that the great beauty suffers when she realises that her loveliness is waning. Time is jealous of beauty, and "wars against its lilies and roses." But there is a mpro tragic figure than the woman who realises her day is done, and that is a faded beauty who fails, or refuses to recognise the fact. She may be seen any day with dyed hair or with her powder and her paint, dre3sed like a girl, her skirts shorter than the skirts worn by girls and very young women, still coquetting, still believing that the looks she commands are glances of admiration. Young people laugh at her. Some mock and others scorn. But she is no figure of fun, she is the last word in pathos, the culminating tragedy.

Rules for Living a Long Life.

A famous French doctor, for 50 years a practising physician in Paris, laid down a dozen rules for longevity, declaring that observance of them would enable one to live at least 90 years. That was 10 years ago. Recently he died—at the age of 90. Here are his 12 rules: —Do not eat too much; do not drink too much especially of intoxicants; do not work too hard or too many hours; do not work too little, better to work for nothing than be idle; take just what sleep experience proves right; use recreation not for its own sake, but for new vigour; do not always be in a hurry; dress first for comfort, then for style; avoid worry, it enfeebles mind and body; shun all trespassers against the plain physiology of your existence; and thus lay the surest foundation for life of the spirit, here and hereafter; fresh air is a thing to be courted not shunned, fresh air, deep breathing, early rising, moderate eating, plenty of exercise, and your doctor will have to learn another profession. What is a good perfume? The answer seeme simple. It ,is a scent mixture which smells nice. But actually, there is so much more to a good perfume than its agreeable order that it is worth while to discuss some of the other qualities, so that the woman who reads this article may, when choosing a scent for herself, be able to make her own tests, and determine for herself whether a perfume has high quality. If all there was to good perfume was nice smell, then every woman could have her own scent, and good perfumes would be as varied as pretty dresses. It would be easy to find 50 new pleasing scent combinations every day. But if these new mixtures were left in a bottle over night the chances are that next day not more than half of them would still smell as they did when first mixed. Some would have de,veloped disagreeable odours, some would not smell the same upon two different surfaces, euch as the back of one's hand and the corner of one's handkerchief Some would evaporate completely. Therefore it will be seen that the problem is a difficult one. A rare perfume is as rare as a white blackbird.

The personal influence of an individual upon a perfume is an important point for the woman of fashion to understand. Fine perfume has the quality of adapting itself to the perfume of the wearer, thus giving her a scent which is individual and original. The same cannot he said of a poor perfume, which is too harsh and hold in its effects to be influenced by euch evanescent factors. The good perfume, however, is so delicate that it will respond to its environment. However, this variation and adaptability in perfumes should not stretch too wide. The perfume must always have the same delicate scent which varies to a minimum degree upon different wearers.