Use A Little Thought Before Plucking Your Eyebrows

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 4

Use A Little Thought Before Plucking Your Eyebrows

BY

LORELEI.

rpo pluck or not to pluck—this ought 1 to be the question. But too often it is not asked. Women, always ready to become slaves of fashion, will follow like sheep to the shearing. And bo-

olographs of mannequins and fashionable beauties have a pencil arch over each eye-socket, every typist thinks that she must,do the same. The result is frequently lamentable. There are undoubtedly some women who look more

attractive with the eyebrows trained to the thinnest, of thin lines and even the forehead partly shaven, in the fashion of the Italian Renaissance beauty. But these are not so many as they think. Others may be improved by a discreet trimming of over-bushy eyebrows, especially by the elimination of hair between the brows, which, by joining them, is apt to give a heavy, even an ill-tempered expression to the face. Again, others are immensely helped by a slight alteration of the' line of the brows, either by elongation-at the corners, by shortening, or by actual deflection from nature in the giving of an upward tilt or a more serene sweep to the line of hair we name the eyebrow. Yet, again, a simple darkening of brows that are colourless o,- 100 fair may occasionally give added character to a countenance. All of which is law-

ful, even landable in the modern woman. who is as desirous of looking her best as of being thoroughly comfortable as well as appropriate in her clothing. But, although lawful, all is not expedient. Apart from the time and trouble involved in the perfect maintenance of an artificial line

above the eyes, the indiscriminate plucking of eyebrows h: s created an eyesore in our midst, one sees girls, in whom other marks ot care and taste are sometimes lacking, with a thin, hard line somewhere on each side of the forehead, which gives them a doll-like and inexpressive appearance. What is worse, they often look both common and bard. _ one would like to remind them that if they look carefully through the best picture papers they will discover that a fannumber of the most beautiful and most admired women in good society in England, in France and in the United States have refused to mutilate themselves in the interest of the mode. It is also remarkable how their faces

stand out from the others with a restful and personal charm. Folly, lack of taste and the blind following of a fashion which happens not to suit us are one thing, however, and positive disfigurement is another. Beauty specialists frequently receive letters from people asking to be told

"how to prevent eyebrow plucking's i resulting in the formation of nn--1 sightly spots, especi- - ally between the eyebr o w s, just above the nose.” They further ask “how to make eye-brow-plucking less painful.” Although they use cold cream

beforehand and cold water after plucking the spots persist and the pain of the operation is severe. The obvious reply is "Stop plucking.” To some skins the process is scarcely painful at all ami it has no ill aftereffects. The owners of these must do as they please, whether the result be pleasing or not to the eyes of others. But: a painful operation followed by ugly spots! Surely the eyebrows must be bad ones that would make this sad r<‘|K'tition worth while. Surely if they need alteration it would he better lo use a depilatory or—-judiciously—a razor for the job. The writers of the letters have evidently sensitive skins and must accept that fact and plan accordingly. For I he most part, gentle combing of the eyebrows into their natural line, with 'a streak of petroleum jelly

afterwards. ant perhaps the extend lag of their line a the outside with ; pencil to form t tapering point (: lead pencil is a good as any ollie for this), with th careful plucking o a few recalcitran

hairs that straggle badly, is the right treatment. And it should be remembered that very fair eyebrows are seldom improved by aggressive darkening. Fair eyelashes can usually be darkened witli benefit to beauty. But the faintest central line to fair brows is enough when it. is not too much. And when eyebrows are well and truly plucked by those who will have it so they should look neither painful nor too obviously painted upon the denuded foreheads of their wearers. The strongly artificial face has its charm, but it. is a charm that wants dressing up to and wants, moreover, a sort of dressing up that is not for the busy woman of limited means. When not in perfect ensemble it is apt to look as unfortunate as finger-nails coloured “ox blood” on a pair of imperfect I,v-kept hands.