Beauty for Christmas

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 59

Many people give cosmetics as Christmas presents. Here are some facts about how they should be utilized. Beauty for Christmas by Catherine Wislang To all women the hectic last minute buying of Christmas gifts generally means a visit to the glamorous cosmetic bars where one can usually enjoy buying an attractive feminine gift at a small cost. In fact the cosmetic trade depends largely on the feminine weakness for attractive perfumes and packings which sometimes leads us into purchases which are not always very useful to the receiver. Most cosmetic firms exchange unsuitable goods with the exception of lipsticks, but this is not always possible. Unless one is sure of the make and colour of lipstick and rouge used by the recipient of the gift it is wiser to avoid buying these cosmetics for other people. Naturally there is always the risk that the lipstick has been tried on and it would therefore be unhygienic to return any returned lipstick into stock. Powder and powder bases are easier to choose as far as colour is concerned. Most young girls prefer a tinted powder base, either a liquid which is best for normal and oily skins, or a cream which protects dry skins more, especially in summer. Elderly women find the light untinted lotions or creams most pleasing and comfortable to wear under their powder. They keep the skin soft and pliable and give a very natural effect. This type of lotion is good too for the very young girl who needs very little make-up. Cleansing lotion or cream is a very safe buy for women of any age. Every woman should make such preparations a part of their toilet requisites. For normal and dry skins the soap and water wash should be restricted to the morning toilet. For any further cleaning such as remaking up during the day or preparing for bed at night cleansing lotion or cream can be used with much more rewarding results to the skin. Cleansing lotion can be applied on cotton wool and worked in until all the dirt has been removed. Cleansing cream is best applied with the finger and wiped off with cotton wool. These preparations are much less drying to the skin than soap and water. When choosing your Christmas gifts remember that cake of special face soap. Most women think twice before they will spend that little extra which such soaps cost, but if kept dry and well covered a cake of good soap will last for months. The ideal follow up for the soap and warm water wash is a liberal splashing of astringent lotion. This makes an attractive gift and one which again comes into the luxury class for most women. It is so much cheaper to give the face a good splashing with cold water after washing and close the pores that way but although this method is good it is not as effective as astringent lotion, particularly for greasy skins. Most astringent lotions contain alcohol which dries out oiliness in the skin as well as keeping the pores fine. Very greasy skins should wash with soap and water several times a day with an astringent to follow before drying the face. Another useful gift for very oily skinned persons is facial mask. This can be bought in attractive tubes and jars containing sufficient mask to last for about 20 treatments. The purpose of facial mask is to rid the pores of waste and tighten up the pores and reduce oilness in the skin. The skin should be washed carefully with warm water to open up the pores and dried with a soft towel. Spread a thin layer of mask all over the face and neck, avoiding the delicate area round the eyes. To make the most of this treatment one should lie down on a couch with cotton wool eyepads soaked

in cold water placed over the eyes and eyebrows. The mask takes about 20 minutes to dry and should be washed off with warm water followed by astringent lotion or cold water. This is particularly lovely treatment to have before a night out as it gives the skin a very smooth and clear appearance and is of course very restful if used in this way. Nourishing the skin is one of the most important factors of beauty culture. Skin foods and tissue creams are therefore most important if one wants to avoid those wrinkles which appear in all skins when they are undernourished. Only those with very oily skins can afford to neglect this part of the beauty routine. There are different strengths for different age groups, depending on the make of cream used. Some cosmetic houses don't bother with these variations and have only one range of nourishing creams. The “cold” creams one sometimes sees in the less expensive makes of cosmetics are generally not suitable as nourishing creams but only as cleansing creams. The more glamorous possibilities for gifts are usually produced most beautifully at Christmas time. There are always those lovely bottles of coloured bath crystal and boxes of bath cubes which we all hope will come our way. Bath essence is something which I have always longed for but so far have never been lucky enough to have given to me. A few drops in the bath will haunt one all day, so I am told. Remember to watch perfumes when you are buying talcs and scents. Too many different perfumes can spoil the effect if they are badly mixed. Hand lotions make very attractive gifts too, especially when they are dressed up in those gay coloured papers which are so much a part of the Christmas spirit.