MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1931, Page 7

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

PLATINUM BLONDES. NEW SILVERY FAIRNESS. There is such a desire to become a platinum blonde,” thfit women are >eing changed from brunette to the icv,- silvery fairness at the rate of Trreo a day at one West End hairdresser's alone (states the "Daily Mail”). Several hairdrc-.sscr> hav-j .ent experts to Paris to find out the newest and mo-1. effective methods of transforming hair to this new shade. A Court hairdresser said recently: The new hats reveal so much of the hair, and women are finding that they can show off the sweep of a treorne, iiicerne, or Glengarry much better against. :■ silvery-yellow coiffure, especially as so much black is being worn. Another coiffeur said that women find thar this shade enables them to wear bright ted, mauve, and certain shades of green which could not. be worn with yellow hair. To achieve platinum blondness four or five treatments tire often required. with a week between each while the chemicals gradually change the hair from black or brown to the new fairness. Several young and popular members of society have amazed their friends by returning from a “holiday" with hair changed from dusky brown to silvery yellow. The hair must be re-dyed once a month.

REMEDIAL BEAUTY. FOR SEMI-SUN-TANNED? One of the effects of the sunless summer in England is .seen in the introduction of entirely new beauty treatments for the “half-sunburned” women who have not had sufficient sunshine to turn their skin completely brown (slates the “Daily Mail.”) No one wants Io begin bleaching so early in the year, and instead of, using lotions and face packs to lighten the tone of the skin, to give it an evenly tanned appearance. Skilful make-up will do much ' to remedy the patchy effect of partial sun-tanning. Among several new coloured cosmetics for ibis purpose is a pale yellow powder rouge which is specially invented for toning into a sunburn powder. This rouge does not change colour on application, remaining' yellow all day. For use with this there is an anemone-yellow powder. A basis of sun-tan cream darker than the skin is applied to the face and neck, the yellow rouge being worked in well towards the nose if that happens I<> be darker than the cheeks. Finally the powder is lightly dusted over the surface with a swansdown puff.

Another suggestion fur women whose sun-tanning has not been totally successful is the application of a sun-tan oil mask. A soft piece ol cloth is saturated in a. honey-coloured oil, and this is applied to the skin to be darkened and left on for ten minutes. When the pad is removed the oil deposited on the skin is allowed to remain for another ten minutes and then carefully removed with a clean cloth. For intensive skin colouring the “mask” is left on all night, a pad for the face, having slits for eyes, nose and mouth, soaked with oil, being worn. COURTSHIP IN SPAIN. The revolution, which made so many other changes in Spain, has left the position of women exactly what, it has been for centuries. Marriage is the only career. Many girls are engaged at IS; the others admit them selves almost past hope it they are not engaged at. 24 (states a correspondent). The Spanish lover's most ardent passions are listened to placidly by an elderly aunt, who scarcely leaves the girl’s side until she is engaged. A girl who breaks an engagement, even one arranged by parents, seldom finds another lover.

BLUE-TINTED TRESSES. BLONDES OF OTHER DAYS. Fashionable women of ancient Greece favoured colour and generally wore their elaborately-di essed tresses tinted a delicate shade of'bine. Roman ladies sought variety and frequen'.ly changed the colour of their hair. Blondes wire apparently preferred hj tin- gentlemen of those days and dark hair often became golden overnight with the assistance of special preparations. Indeed, if is said that Venus practised the art of bleaching her own hair, states a Paris correspondent. In the Western civilisation hair dressing does not appear to have, developed into an art until the Middle Ages. Once begun, however, the pace became fast and furious. Italian and Fr-itch hail dressers vied with <-a Ji other for stipiemacy in rhe creation of elaborate modes ami “false attire/’ Curls in their hundreds were made from the wearer’s own hair, or by a skilful union of the real ami artificial. Fringes were, fashionable at the Court of Louis XIV. —not the straightcut. “bangs” of yesterday fait a thick wad of hair curled at the ends to match the ten-inch curls worn over the shoulder. In the days of Queen Charlotte pads and frames wore much used. The front hair was drawn smoothly back over a. specially shaped pad arched at the sides. A curl was placed lengthwise al the top of the dressing, and the back hair and chignon arranged in a series of puff curls. None of the curls was allowed to fall below the hair line in the neck. , Madame du Barry gave her name to a mode of hairdressing which long remained fashionable, and which might, well be worn with some of the new season’s gowns provided modern women had the time and patience needed for the dressing. A MATCH-MAKING FESTIVAL. Quaint customs are observed at the “Harvest Homes” recently held in the villages in England’s West country (remarks an overseas writer). Scores of comely village lasses meet their future husbands at such gatherings. In many villages the names of Ihe girls who have married since the last harvest, home are read out while the harvest, feast progresses, by way of a sly hint to the bashful farm lads and village lasses who are only at the courting stage. Only unmarried lads and. lasses are permitted to serve at the tables at. the harvest least. If a girl of marriageable age serves more than three years in succession she is laughed at, and dubbed an old lua’d who has lost her chance. It is not. unusual for a. dozen weddings to take place in a village within a few weeks of the match-making festival. The ceremonies begin with a procession of farmers and their men bearing trays loaded with food. Huge sides of beei’, dozens of hams, and hogsheads of cider are provided. LOOKING INTO 1932. AL a recent fashion show in Chicago among new exhibits, was a. bridal costume made entirely of cellophane, extremely transparent material used to case cigars and cigarettes, states the “San Francisco Chronicle." Another daring innovation, was a. bathing suit, made of thin, dark silk, covering the bodv from the neck to the heels, but so thoroughly slashed, that the wearer appeared to be attired solely in very narrow ribbons.