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Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20505, 25 August 1936, Page 10

pily content with simple things. Mrs Donald Raines, Bidwill Street, was hostess yesterday afternoon at a party in honour of Miss Bette le Cren whose marriage will take place tomorrow. The rooms were prettily decorated with spring flowers and prunus and Mrs Raines received her guests wearing a black marocain frock with red collar and cuffs and Miss le Cren wore a brown tweed costume. Those present were Mrs Raines, Mrs A. Gardiner (Ranfurly), Mrs Smyth (Wellington) , Mrs L. A. Scaife, Misses Bette le Cren, Maisie Jamieson, Enid Hazeldean, Kathleen Kerr and Helen Fox. The old custom of “marriage by capture,” when the bridegroom saw the lady he fancied for his wife and just raided her home and captured her, is responsible for many of our modern wedding superstitions. The old shoe that we tie on behind the bride’s carriage to-day is symbolic of the missiles hurled in futile rage by the outstripped relatives at the retreating captor. The “best man” is also a relic of these times. Bride stealing was a little too difficult single-handed, so the groom used to take some friends with him to help carry out the raid—and here we find the modern “best man.” “Complexion readings,” which are one of the latest beauty innovations in New York City, may yet become popular in New Zealand (states an exchange) . Before buying face powder, American women may now have then* skins scientifically analysed to find out the exact shade of face powder to match their complexions. A new machine, which accurately gauges the tint of the skin, was recently installed at the cosmetic counter of a large department store. The inventor of this amazing device spent several years experimenting in his laboratory before perfecting it. To have a “complexion reading” one merely sits before the cosmetigraph machine for a few moments, while an invisible electric eye is trained upon the forehead. This device scientifically determines the exact r—»ount of each of the four dominant hues in the skin, subdividing them according to their degree of brightness. Then the colours are -carefully reproduced face powders.