LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 60

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— This is the time of year when complexion treatment is a subject of especial interest to the "summer girl," (freckled, tanned, reddened, or roughened as to skin by the effects of summer open-air sports, and the hot reflections -of sunlight from glittering.- sea and sand. The "specialist" steams the skin elaborately,, massages it, rubs in mysterious scented creams, arid sprays them off with cool liquids, works "skin food" up and down 1 the cheeks and chin and brow, puts on a "clearing wash, ' dries, powders, rouges and pencils the features, and charges half a sovereign to the well-satisfied customer. ' Now for the home imitation, which will (as margarine sellers say) be found an excellent substitute. Steam the face over a basin of very hot water, keeping the steam in by a towel over head and shoulders. Massage the skin well during this process, especially about the corners of thje nose and the chin. If blackheads are present press them carefully out after this, using the finger nails, protected with a fold of cambric. Use a, little good toilet vinegar to contract the tiny orifices left. Then massage well into every part of the face some soothing toilet unguent — good cold cream is quite satisfactory. 'Remove this by wiping with a soft handkerchief, and use a little oatmeal in a muslin Ibag to clear away grease. ("Skin foods" sre generally nothing more than doctored-up oatmeal). If there is sunburn, rub fresh cucumber juice into the skin, and leave it for a quarter "of an hour. Sponge off with rosewafcer, and the process is complete. This course of treatment, carried out twice a week, will foe found quite as effective as the more expensive visit to the skin doctor. Most of the complexion. . creams and washes sold are composed of the commonest possible materials prettily named and put up. Home substitutes " can "be prepared by any woman who" has sense -and enpugh knowledge of the construction of the skin to understand that the network of underlying capillaries and the thickness of the various layers cannot be magically altered by fhe smearing of a little grease on top. •As well "tickle the dome of St. Paul's to please the dean and chapter." Sunburn and spots, being definite injuries or diseases, can be dealt with to some extent. There is no better cure for the former than the eighteenthcentury one of fresh milk, curdled with lemon-juice, and the lattei will often succumb to the cheap and common medical ointments — boracic, carbolic, or sulphur. — The Queen of Siam has a remarkable thimble, which was given to her by her husband. It is made of gold, in the form of a lotus bud, and is thickly studded with diamonds, which are arranged to form her name and the date of her marriage. The form of the gift was particularly appropriate, since the lotus is the Eoyal flower. — The death of Prince Heinrich of Hesse leaves the Grand Duke of Hesse the only male representative of his house. Should his Royal Highness leave no son, the Grand Ducal line of Hesse und bei Rhein will die out and the Grand Duchy pass to the Hesse- Cassel branch of the family ; of which the head is the blind Landgraf, who has made himself so well known as a musician and composer. The Landgraf ,4s first cousin of the Princess of Wales through his father, who was the brother of the late Queen Louise of Denmark, and he is alsb first cousin of the Duchess of Connaught, his mother being a sister of the late Prince Friedrich Carl of Prussia, the father of her Royal Highness. The younger brother of the Landgraf is married to the Princess Margherita of Prussia, arid has four ons, so that there is no lack of heirs in this branch of the family. ♦ — Did you see, asks Mrs Humphry in

Truth, in the published accounts of ths Conference of Journalists, that Miss Catherine Drew finished lip hei remarks on titled lady journalists with the naive observation, "I hate them !" much to the amusement ol her hearers. By the way, Miss Drew made a remarkable statement on the subject. She declared that very few of those titled women really wrote the articles themselves, but that they pay some poor, halfstarved joiirnalist to write for them. And the object? To get their names wired up before the world. - — According to a woman's paper the veil is fast acquiring a bad reputation. A well-known physician is quoted as saying that "every dot on a veil is worth a, guinea to an oculist" ; and a woman skin specialist, whose devotees are on two continents-, contends that she owes half 'her practice to the dirty veils women wear over their faces at receptions, theatres, and teas, where the pores, opened oy the heat, form each one | a germ-rfesl. But the crowning blow is the statement from a German physician that veils are responsible for a disfiguring skir disease, acne rosacea, which affects the noses of women who wear veils. .There is especial danger of this disease where the j veil* is worn in athletic sports. The evil ! is produced by the friction against the I skin of the veil, moist from the breath, and carrying in its meshes the germs accumulated in days of wearing. Where women, will insist upon the veil when wheeling it should be worn very lcose, and "the nose | should b&" anointed with some delicate luj bricant. — With the best of care, veils are perishable addenda to one's toilet ; that is, if you ma-e a rule never to wear a soft, a rumpled, a shapeless, or a torn veil. Its life will be lengthened considerably if ,you are willing to spend a few moments- in putting it away after every time of use. Firsfc straighten it out, then roll it round a stick i rather wider than the veil. Have the round stick — a small ruler or a piece of an old broom handle— covered in the following manner: Stitch' round it one or two thicknesses of cotton wool, and cover .this ■with a piece of soft silk, frilled at each end ; wind round this in an oblique manner a, piece of bebe ribbon, leaving several loops at each end wherewith to hang it up if desired. When each veil is smoothly and neatly wrapped round the stick, fasten it on with two small pins. Some people use* scented veil sachets, something after the style of a handkerchief sachet, in which the veils are placed — folded. This is a rather speedier way of putting them away, but does not preserve their fresh and crisp appearance so well. — A pretty little romance re the Shah, of Persia has just come to light. Hearing that the daughter of a certain Italian Marquis, who was once a member of his suite, was a Scettr de Charie at Bruges, his Majesty determined to go and see her. Driving to the convent; he saw the sister, and, taking both her hands .in his, told her that" he could not leave "Belgium without haying seen the daughter of his old friend. The ,nun> who, hy the way, is far from uncomely, delignted his Majesty by xeplying iin Persian. So delighted was the~Sha&-i-that ne presented the nunnery with two' thousand francs. — Lord .Liandaff has a private grievance. In the advertised column of births appearing in the papers the other day was- t ; hafe of a child born to "the Countess of Landaff." True, Lord Liandaff is only a viscount, and a bachelor to boot. But bachelors are particularly sensitive about possible' confusions of the kind involved ; and the Home Secretary of old days does 'not smile on the existence of a Lady Liandaff who is not his wife. It may be remembered that a gentleman of the name of Mathew, about two years ago, announced his intention of assuming the title of Earl of Landatf, as his "inalienable possession." It is in pursuance- of that resolution that the name of the "Countess of Landaff ' has a place in the newspapers, but not on the roll of authorised peeresses.