BEAUTY SECRETS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 343, 8 March 1911, Page 7

BEAUTY SECRETS.

—. QUEENS AND THEIR "MAKE-UP." Some time ago it was asserted that Queen Alexandra had discovered the elixir of youth in a certain enamel with which her face was covered every day, thus hiding the wrinkles which tell the story of advancing years. Anyone, however, who has been close to Her Majesty on the occasion of a public appearance must have had their doubts as to the truth of this report. As a matter of fact, the Queen relies for her youthful complexion solely on facial massage and a certain kind of cream, the recipe for which was given to her by Queen Victoria, who obtained it from a popular prima donna of the sixties. This cream makes wrinkles almost impossible, and imparts to the complexion that youthful freshness for which Her Majesty is so famed. The secret of its manufacture has never been divulged, except to two or three of the Queen's most intimate acquaintances. SCENTS AND SOAPS. Queen Alexandra does not care much for perfumes, although at times she uses a little eau de Cologna and violet. On the other hand, the Czarina is passionately fond of the strongest scents. Her favourite essence, too, is violet, and for several weeks in early spring hundreds of women and girls may be seen at Grassc gathering the blooms from which the Czarina's perfume is made. In addition, however, to using perfume for her wearing apparel, the Czarina causes her rooms to be sprinkled hourly with rare perfume, creating an atmosphere which the average healthy Englishwoman would probably find intolerable. Of late years the Czarina has been obliged to "'make-up" very considerably. 111-health and worry have ruined her complexion and figure, and when making pubic appearances rogue powder has to be resorted to. She derives great benefit, however, from a certain soap made by a Paris firm from a recipe which they dare not divulge or employ on behalf ol any other customer.

BEAUTIFUL SHOULDERS AND COMPLEXION. This I'eminds one that the German Empress, justly famed for her beautiful shoulders, gives the credit to a certain spermaceti soap. The preparation used by her has a delicious]y refreshing odour, relaxes the tiny muscles, and at the same time acts as a marvellous tonic upon the tender cuticle of the face and neck. Peppermint, a solvent so cheap that no one would dream of adulterating it, Her Majesty employs as a dentifrice. New-mown hay is her favorite handkerchief perfume, and the Royal suite receives frequent atomizations of eau de Cologne. The Empress powders freely with poudre de riz, a fashion her august consort does not object to, although his strictures; upon dyed hair compel her to refrain from attempting to darken her prematurely white coiffure by artificial means. The most-talked-of Queen in Europe of late —Her Majesty of Hollandpossesses one of the loveliest and most delicate complexions in Europe. This she attributes not so much to "make-up" as to simple diet and open-air life. At the same time she makes a daily practice of using in her bath a pint oi the finest essence of Cologne, the purity of which Queen Wilhelmina teats herself over the lamp upon which her morning chocolate has been prepared. She is a great belisver, too, in the merits of glycerine and rose-water, with which she treats not only her face, but also hev arms and shoulders. A BEAUTY BATH. Carmen Sylvia, Queen of Ilouman'a, places great faith in a special daily bath prepared by herself. Into the water she introduces an extract made from forest herbs, which she says is the best tonic for the skin she lias yet discovered, and, judging by the beautiful complexion which Carmen Sylva, in spite of her sixty-six years, still retains, her praise of the merits of this extract is in no way exaggerated.—" Tit Bits."