SOOT FOR EYEBROWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20512, 2 September 1936, Page 10

SOOT FOR EYEBROWS

According to contemporary belief, some unusual ingredients for the makeup were favoured by the women of ancient Rome. And, although women might not care to use them to-day, the cosmetics of the Roman women were as numerous and as popular as our own (states the “Sydney Morning Herald”). A modern authority states that during the early Roman Empire, vegetable soots, obtained by burning the resin of certain conifers, were used to darken eyebrows and eyelashes. To preserve the colour of their hair, and to prevent it from falling out, Roman women used oil made from wild olives. Another hair, tonic which found favour with them was made from myrrh mixed with myrtle oil and wine. They also believed that bears’ grease was efficacious to promote the growth of their hair. Those of them who wished to dye their hair yellow or reddish used a henna shampoo. This shampoo was made by pounding up hernia leaves in the juice of soap wort. Yellow and black hair dyes also were used.