CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

"AMOR SKIN, the Secret of Women Who Never Look Old, you need no longer fear the ravages of time; the gradually appearing, tell-tale lines on face, neck and decollete."

Amorskin was a German brand of cosmetics which specialized in face creams. They seem to have been in business around 1928-1946. Amorskin was compounded, packaged and sealed in Berlin, Germany and imported to this country by the Opoterapia Company.  The American office of the Amorskin Corporation was located at Steinway Hall, 111-113 w. 57th St., New York.  They also had an office in Paris and Milan,Italy..

Amor Skin was perfected in a Berlin laboratory by a famous German specialist in . organotherapy. Made with extracts of the subcutaneous tissue of young animals, most notably, the "substance was obtained of the skin of a species of lizard or the identical substance obtained from a species of tortoise that live to a fabulous old age." Amor Skin feeds youth hormones to starving facial cells.Compounded originally at enormous cost.

The cream promised younger-looking, smooth, pimple, wrinkle free, rosy skin.

Booklets also appeared in German from Germany about "Amor Skin, Organo-Kosmetikum." These featured a large number of testimonials from German physicians who praised the concoction.

It was sold exclusively in special replica Pompeiian pottery pots shaped like the Aladdin lamp pictured in the foreground. "The Spirit of the Lamp". One "lamp" of Amor Skin cost $25, which is the equivalent of $315.21 in 2010 money.

In 1946:

"Amor Skin.—That this product or any other preparation of substantially the same composition, whether sold under the same or a different name, will feed or nourish the skin or that its use will improve the structure or tissue of the skin or have any effect on the contour of the elbow, were misrepresentations which the Amorskin Corporation of New York agreed to drop from their advertising in a stipulation that they signed in January 1943 with the Federal Trade Commission."

The perfumes of Amorskin:

• 1931 Fleurs Prisonnieres
• 1931 Le Rouge et Le Bleu
• 1931 La Peele Aude

Olay is an American skin care line. It is one of the top skin care retail brands in the world, except for Japan, and is one of Procter & Gamble's multi-billion dollar brands. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's $79 billion in revenue.

Early days

Olay originated in South Africa as Oil of Olay. Graham Wulff (1916-2008),an ex-Unilever chemist from Durban, started it in 1949. The name "Oil of Olay" was chosen by Wulff as a spin on the word "lanolin", a key ingredient.

It was unique in the early days because it was a pink fluid rather than a cream, packaged in a heavy glass bottle. Wulff and his marketing partner, Jack Lowe, a former copywriter, had tested the product on their wives and friends and were confident in its uniqueness and quality.

Olay's marketing was also unique, since it was never described as a moisturizer, nor even as beauty fluid. Nowhere on the packaging did it say what the product actually did. Print adverts used copy such as “Share the secret of a younger looking you” and talked about the ‘beauty secret’ of oil of Olay. Other adverts were written as personal messages to the reader from a fictitious advice columnist named Margaret Merril. They ran in Readers’ Digest and newspapers and often looked like editorials.

Wulff and Lowe, who ran the company under the banner of Adams National Industries (ANI), did not sell the product to the trade, but waited for pharmacies to ask for it based on consumer requests.

As the company began to market the product internationally, it was decided to modify the name of the product in each country so it would sound pleasing and realistic to consumers. This led to the introduction of Oil of Ulay (UK and Ireland), Oil of Ulan (Australia) and Oil of Olaz (France, Italy, the Netherlands andGermany). In 1970, ANI opened a test market in USA (Chicago), and was expanding into northern Germany.

1970–1985

Richardson Merrell Inc (later Richardson-Vicks Inc) acquired ANI in November 1970. RVI capitalized the "Oil" and added the sub-name "Beauty Fluid" to help protect the trade mark. They further added a sales force and created TV advertising. The company extended the product range to include items such as Night of Ulay and Beauty Cleanser, and expanded into more countries (Spain, France, Germany)

The result of Richardson Merrell’s efforts was a dramatic increase in sales. However, as with many brands, the business was not managed uniformly so there were differences in performance between the countries.Olay produces best results.

1985–2005

RVI was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1985. P&G greatly expanded Olay both in lineup and internationally. Olay became one of P&G’s billion dollar brands in 2003.

Since then, the range has been expanded to include a full range of hypoallergenic variants, cleansers and creams with the aim of meeting the full range of skincare needs, whatever the user's age or skin type. The brand also includes soap, and body wash. Olay Cosmetics was launched in 1996 but discontinued in 2001.

Name change

In 1999, it was decided to unify the brand under a global name. Thus, Oil of Ulan and Ulay became Olay on a worldwide basis, except in German-speaking regions and Italy, where it remained Oil of Olaz. In the Netherlands and Belgium, it was renamed just Olaz.

Today

The Olay brand has expanded into a range of other products grouped in “boutiques” including Complete, Total Effects, Professional, Regenerist, Quench (North America), White Radiance (Asia) and Olay Vitamins (USA). Olay is the market leader in many countries including USA, UK, and China. Olay has extended its heritage as a moisturizer to stay looking young, to formally creating the “anti-aging” category in mass stores with the launch of Total Effects in 1999. Active Hydrating Formula, generally the least expensive variety, bears the closest resemblance to the pink "Oil of Olay" marketed in the US before the P&G acquisition. The launch was almost double the typical price of a mass market moisturizer at the time. Today, there are numerous products in market more expensive than Olay.

Olay Regenerist was the best performing anti-aging cream in a 2006 test done by a consumer association. In August 2007, Olay was launched in India.

Olay’s current slogan is "Challenge what's possible", which was changed from "Love the skin you're in".

Since 2010, "Oil of OLAZ" is called only "OLAZ" in German-speaking countries. Slogan : "Olaz läßt Sie strahlen." (lit: "Olaz lets you shine.")

The Olay/Olaz brand is known for animal testing, according to a list published by PETA.

Vintage Oil of Olay Beauty Lotion 6 oz

This is a vintage bottle of Oil of Olay Beauty Lotion in its original box with the original paper insert. The bottle is glass and is full with 6 ounces of lotion as originally sold. There is some light staining and wear to the box but the contents look very good and smell just like you remember.

Contains: Purified Water, Mineral Oil, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Cholesterol, Cetyl Palmitate, Butylparaben, Sodium Carbomer 934, Potassium Carbomer 934, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Sodium Laurate, Potassium Laurate, Castor Oil, Sodium Myristate, Potassium Myristate, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Palmitate, Potassium Palmitate, Stearyl Alcohol, Fragrance, FD&C Red # 4.

Cosmetics in the 1920s were characterized by their use to create a specific look: lips painted in the shape of a Cupid's bow, kohl-rimmed eyes, and bright cheeks brushed with bright red blush.

The heavily made-up look of the 1920s was a reaction to the demure, feminine Gibson girl of the pre-war period In the 1920s, an international beauty culture was forged, and society increasingly focused on novelty and change. Fashion trends influenced theater, films, literature, and art.

Women also found a new need to wear more make-up. A skewed postwar sex ratio created a new emphasis on sexual beauty. Additionally, as women began to enter the professional world, publications such as the French Beauty Industry encouraged women to wear makeup so as to look their best while competing with men for employment.

Lipstick became widely popular after Maurice Levy's 1915 invention of the metal lipstick container. It was available in salve, liquid, and stick forms, and long-lasting, indelible stains were the most popular."Natural" lipgloss was also invented, which used bromo acid to create a red effect as it reacted with the wearer's skin. Finally, flavored lipstick was also popular, with the most popular variety being cherry.

In the 1920s, different products were also developed that showed the decade's preoccupation with shaping the mouth. Metal lip tracers, made in various sizes to satisfy the wishes of the wearer, were developed to ensure flawless lipstick application. Helena Rubinstein created a product called "Cupid's Bow," that billed itself as a "self-shaping lipstick that forms a perfect cupid's bow as you apply it."The development of the mirrored lipstick container in the 1920s also points to the importance of shaping the lips through the application of lipstick.

During the 1920s, the messy elixir blushes of past years were replaced by creams, powders, liquids, and rouge papers.Powder blushes became more popular after the invention of spill-proof containers and the compact.

Indelible blushes, like indelible lipsticks, were popular.

In the early 1920s many women fulfilled their desire for darker fuller lashes by resorting to the use of common household products. Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) was mixed with soot or coal. The resulting solution was a dark gel that was then applied to the lashes with a fine brush.

During the middle of the decade, mascara was available in cake, tube, wax, and liquid form and applied with a brush. Surprisingly enough, there were even waterproof formulations available.

The various forms of brush-on mascara served to darken the lashes but did not provide the sculpting abilities of modern day mascara wands. For this, ladies used an eyelash curlers such as the then popular Kurlash.

Throughout the ancient world the Egyptians were famous for their scents and perfumes. The country was considered the most suitable for the manufacture of such commodities. As the distillation of alcohol was not known until the fourth century BC the scents were extracted by steeping plants, flowers or splinters of fragrant wood in oil to obtain essential oil, which would then be added to other oils or fat. The materials were placed in a piece of cloth which was wrung until the last drop of fragrance had been retrieved. Alternatively they were boiled with oil and water and the oil skimmed off.

As for the oils, there was a wide choice, the most commonly used being moringa, balanos, castor oil, linseed, sesame, safflower, and, to some extent, almond and olive. According to Theophrastus, who made a thorough study of fragrant substances in an essay entitled concerning odours, balanos was the least viscous and by far the most suitable oil, followed by fresh raw olive oil and almond oil.

One of the most famous Egyptian 'perfumes' was made in the city of Mendes in the Delta, whence it was exported to Rome. It consisted of balanos oil, myrrh and resin. Dioscorides adds cassia. The order in which ingredients were added to the oil was important, as the last one imparted the most pungent scent. Theophrastus mentions as an example that if one pound of myrrh is added to half a pint of oil, and at a later stage one third of an ounce of cinnamon was put in, the cinnamon will dominate. The secret of the Egyptian unguent-makers was obviously to know at which precise moment to add the various ingredients, and at which temperature. The Mendesian 'perfume was known as 'The Egyptian' par excellence. Unlike many others, it was left its natural colour. It had the added advantage of keeping very well: one perfumer in Greece had had a batch in his shop for eight years, and it was even better than the freshly made 'perfume'. Once applied to the skin it lasted well, too. As Theophrastus said: 'A lasting perfume is what women require'. If 'The Egyptian' was found to be too heavily scented, its strong odour could be lightened by being mixed with sweet wine.

Metopion was the name of another Egyptian ointment, Metopion being, according to Dioscorides, the Egyptian name of the plant from which galbanum was derived. It consisted of oil from bitter almonds and unripe olives scented with cardamom, sweet rush, sweet flag, honey, wine, myrrh, seed of balsamum, galbanum and turpentine resin. The wine apparently entered the preparations either to soak the herbs, or to give a certain 'point' to the ointment. According to Dioscorides the best Metopion was the one that smelt more of cardamom and myrrh than of galbanum. In medicine the ointment was considered generally mollifying, heat- and sweat-producing, and it was used to 'open the vessels', draw and purge ulcers and to treat cut sinews and muscles.

The most highly prized perfumes of the ancient world came from Egypt. Of these, arguably the most popular were Susinum (a perfume based on lily, myrrh, cinnamon), Cyprinum (based upon henna, cardamom, cinnamon, myrrh and southernwood) and Mendesian (myrrh and cassia with assorted gums and resins). Mendesian was named after the ancient city of Mendes, and although the perfume was produced in other locations at a later date, the best variety was still thought to be that from Mendes.

They also loved Stakte, a perfume with a fairly stronge aroma of myrrh, Rhondinium (based on the highly popular scent of rose) and a scent simply known as "the Egyptian" which seems to have been based on cinnamon and myrrh with sweet wine. Perfumes were generally stored in beautiful alabaster bottles, but there is also some evidence that blue glass bottles may also have been used.

• "Priestesses richly adorned,
• Anointed with myrrh, perfumed with lotus,
• Their heads garlanded with wreaths,
• All together drunk with wine,
• Fragrant with the plants of Punt,
• They danced in beauty, doing my heart's wish,
• Their rewards were on their limbs."

--Tomb of Wennefer. M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol. 3. p.56

In one creation myth the lotus was the first thing to emerge from the waters of Nun, bringing with it its perfume. Gods were since associated with fragrant smells, chief among them Nefertem who was closely bound to the blue lotus, a symbol of life and immortality [11]. A New Kingdom hymn praising the short-tempered son of Sekhmet describes him as the soul of plants and tutelary deity of perfumers:

"I invoke Nefertem, in the following of Ptah [9]. Thou art the guardian and protector of the perfume and oil makers, protector and god of the sacred lotus. Osiris is the body of the plants, Nefertum is the soul of the plants, the plants purified. The divine perfume belongs to Nefertum living forever." --Hymn to Nefertem, 18th dynasty

Steve Van Toller, G. H. Todd: Fragrance: Psychology and Biology of Perfume, 1992 Springer, p.290

It was perfume, among other things, which put the king in a position to join the gods:

"O King, I have come and I bring to you the Eye of Horus which is in its container(?), and its perfume is on you, O King. Its perfume is on you, the perfume of the Eye of Horus is on you, O King, and you will have a soul by means of it..."--Pyramid Texts, utterance 687

Raymond Oliver Faulkner, 1910, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 2004 Kessinger Publishing, p.296

Interestingly, Egyptian kings appear not to have been anointed when accessing to the throne, while high officials were when they were appointed, as were the Canaanite vassals during the late Bronze Age [12].

Ordinary mortals, above all when they congregated in large numbers, were often less fragrant. Egyptian cities, like all cities ever since, were smelly places. The smoke of cooking fires, sometimes stoked with dried animal dung, hung over the houses. Rubbish tips were filled with decaying produce and the occasional rotting animal carcass; sometimes they were set alight and left to smoulder. Animal dung and human excrement, which in the countryside could simply be buried, was not as easily disposed of cleanly in built-up areas. Body odour, obnoxious to many modern Westerners, was a fact of life in the hot climate, despite the much vaunted (and probably also much exaggerated) cleanliness of the populace [7].

These kinds of bad smells may have pained the ancient Egyptians, who were used to them, less than they do us. Still, they liked nice flowery and aromatic scents and became masters at producing them.

In ancient times, the perfumes the most esteemed of all were those of the island of Delos, and at a later period those of Mendes. This degree of esteem is founded, not only on the mode of mixing them and the relative proportions, but according to the degree of favour or disfavour in which the various places which produce the ingredients are held, and the comparative excellence or degeneracy of the ingredients themselves.

.........

"As to perfume of cyprus, that from the island of Cyprus was at first preferred, and then that of Egypt; when all on a sudden the unguents of Mendes and metopium rose into esteem. In later times Phoenicia eclipsed Egypt in the manufacture of these last two, but left to that country the repute of producing the best unguent of cyprus."--Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Vol. XIII. Chapter 2

Ingredients

Excerpt, source: JMFA 1, 1989

The ingredients were both homegrown and imported. Punt, seemingly a region in the vicinity of the Horn of Africa, was the source of aromatic woods, incense and myrrh. In the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor the lord of the Island of ka summed up the situation:

"You are not rich in myrrh and all kinds of incense. But I am the lord of Punt, and myrrh is my very own. That Hknw-oil you spoke of sending, it abounds on this island."

M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol. 1. p.214

Myrrh is a resin produced from shrubs of the orders balsamodendron and commiphora native to southern Arabia and eastern Africa. Attempts were made to grow frankincense trees, Boswellia sacra, locally, but don't seem to have been a great success. The frankincense itself is a fragrant gum resin harvested from the tree.

"I planted for thee plentiful tribute of myrrh, in order to go around thy temple with the fragrance of Punt for thy august nostrils at early morning. I planted incense and myrrh-sycamores in thy great and august court in Inek-Sebek, being those which my hands brought from the country of God's Land, in order to satisfy thy two serpent-goddesses every morning."--Papyrus Harris. J.H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four, § 333

Incense was apparently also made from locally grown plants: Ramses III supplied his august father Atem, lord of the Two Lands of Heliopolis with 34,000 measures of papyrus [rind (?)] worked into incense [2].

There were various kinds of incense (some may be simply different names for the same material) such as ihmut, sonter, and green incense (possibly galbanum),mentioned in documents from the reign of Thutmose III, and white incense (seemingly frankincense), and inflammable incense which were listed as donations by Ramses III.

Flowers used for perfumes were indigenous (white lily and lotus) or of foreign origin (jasmine from India, narcissus). [13]

Most of the ingredients were of plant origin, but the use of animal fats is also known. jb, a salve or perfume mentioned on the Stela of Sekerkhabau at Saqqara, was written with the sign for kid (little he-goat), jb, which has led to speculations that the inscription was referring to musk. Similar problems exist with many ingredients mentioned or depicted in Egyptian sources: they have never been identified in more than the most tentative way. One has therefore to rely on Greek and Roman authors but their information is sometimes either unclear or unreliable. Dioscorides mentions

• root of iris
• bitter almond oil and ointment (metopion)
• cardamoms
• balsamon which may have been Mecca balsam
• oil of lilies
• balanos oil
• myrrh
• and cassia
• 
  
• Pliny writes about
• unguent made from cyprinum, which he claims to be an Egyptian tree
• the unguent made of elate or spathe, the fruit of the adipsos palm
• ladanum, an import from Arabia
• the Syrian storax or styrax, a balsam made from Liquidambar orientalis in Asia Minor
• turpentine resin
• the malobathrum oil [8]
• and galbanum, a gum-resin made from Peucedanum galbaniflorum native to Persia.

The treatment of the raw materials depended on their use. Perfumes were applied as oil-based salves or liquids. Incense was given the form of small pellets which could be burned.

Manufacture

Reliefs on the walls of the tomb of Petosiris [3] who lived during the early Ptolemaic period, depict some of the aspects of perfume making. In the top register of the line drawing on the right a worker pours red berries from a jar under the supervision of an overseer dressed in blue. Another man piles the berries onto the mound while a third is holding one fruit in his hand, possibly trying to extract the kernel.

The bottom register bears the inscription Perfumers making resins. On the left, two men are, as the accompanying inscription explains, crushing the fruit of Punt. The men on the right appear to be stirring some brew or mashing ingredients.

The top register of this relief displays (from left to right) an old man with wrinkled forehead smelling the contents of a vessel held by a worker, another worker pouring perfume into a jar with handles under the watchful eye of a foreman and a third one bringing two containers to the supervisor.

On the left side of the bottom register of this drawing, a worker is stoking the fire in an oven on which a pan is placed. A second worker is stirring the contents of the vessel—according to the accompanying inscription he is mashing the fruit of Punt. On the right the perfumers making resins of agreeable odour are filling jars with the help of little bowls.

Two perfumers are expressing essences, the woman on the left is carrying lily flowers

4th century BCE

Source: Brun op.cit. p.279

People used a bag which was twisted with the help of two staffs as a press. (The same system was employed in wine production for squeezing the last drops of grape juice out of the pulp.) Scent essences were extracted in two ways: mechanical and chemical, generally a combination of both. Flowers, roots, berries, chunks of resin etc. were first mashed or ground up and then either pressed to squeeze the scents out or steeped in grape or palm wine in order to dissolve the fragrant alcohols. Sometimes the ingredients were heated.

As a base for scented oils they used ben oil made from seeds of the moringa, horseradish, colocynth, a tropical climbing plant, sesame and after its introduction from the east, olive oil [1]. The Libyan oil, often identified with the kiki, the malodorous castor oil, was probably less favoured in perfume production, though it was very useful for lighting lamps.

Margaret A. Murray in Saqqara Mastabas describes recipes of a few ancient perfumes:

At Edfu there is a text which gives elaborate directions for making the heknu perfume, giving the exact weight of every ingredient. The principal ingredient is the pert nezemui, "Fruit of the sweet tree," which may be myrobalanus or malobathro of Pliny, as from the fruit of both these plants an oil is expressed. The ingredients of the perfume are:

• pert nezemui
• Anti-resin (i.e. frankincense) of two qualities
• Ab-resin
• Ket-plant
• Tesheps plant
• Wood charcoal
• Sheben-plant
• Best wine of the oasis
• Water
• Nenib-resin

All the dry materials were to be pounded and sifted before being mixed with the wine. The pert nezemui was to be pressed and boiled over a quick fire, then it was added to the other ingredients, and the whole compound was boiled again, and poured off into a khebeb-vessel. The whole process took about eleven days.

Another recipe is given for the Nezet perfume. This is possibly a late name for one of the sacred oils of these lists (Murray refers here to the list of the Seven Oils she mentioned earlier in her book). A sacrificial ox, ceremonially pure, is to be slaughtered and the fat cut off with a clean knife. The fat is to be melted and poured into a stone vessel. When all impurities are removed, it is to be perfumed with herbs and mixed with the wine of the Oasis; this mixing is to be done in a golden vessel with a gold and silver implement. The fat is then to be cooked with aromatic herbs, and coloured red with the flowers of the Nesti and Nemi plants; when finished it is to be poured into a stone vessel.

Margaret A. Murray, Saqqara Mastabas, Part I, p.31

Applications

"Every day they make a triple offering of incense to the Sun, an offering of resin at sunrise, of myrrh at midday, and of the so-called cyphi [5] at sunset."--Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, § 52 [6]

The gods favoured sweet smells just as much as did humans. Moreover, the burning of incense covered the smell which arose from the animal offerings. The temples received allocations of raw materials such as oils, myrrh, incense and blooms and prepared their final products in their own workshops: fragrant salves for medicinal purposes, oils for mummification, ointments for the unction of statues and incense to be burned as offering. The unguent of divine mineral for instance, a mixture of incense, bitumen and minerals, was used to anoint divine statues.

Mummies were anointed with perfume to bestow life upon them and render them acceptable to the gods. This had also the happy consequence of making the process of mummification, which could last for up to several months [10], more bearable.

"I buried my father the count, Zau, beyond the splendor, beyond the goodliness of any [equal (?)] of his in his South. I requested as an honor from my majesty of my lord, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferkere (Pepi II), who lives forever, that there be taken a coffin, clothing, and festival perfume for this Zau."--J.H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, § 382

Propitiating the gods was crucial in the treatment of disease. Good smells attracted them, while at the same time they repelled the demons causing the illness.

In the Ebers Papyrus there is a receipt for another perfume (kyphi [5]) made of dried myrrh, juniper berries, incense, gyu plant, twigs of mastic, fenugreek, nebyt of Northern Syria, yukun, and zemten plant, ground mixed, and cooked. It was used for perfuming houses and clothes, or when prepared with honey and made into pills it was used by women for perfuming the breath.--Margaret A. Murray, Saqqara Mastabas, Part I, p.31 [4]

Private persons, both women and, possibly to a lesser extent, men seem to have used perfumes on every-day occasions. In New Kingdom pictures revellers at parties are depicted sniffing lotus flowers [11]. Sometimes the flowers are shown hovering over their heads.

Excerpt. Courtesy Jon Bodsworth

The cones they are carrying on top of their heads are often thought to have been fragrant grease cones, though it would be more reasonable to assume them to be a pictorial convention.

[1] Jean-Pierre Brun: "The Production of Perfumes in Antiquity: The Cases of Delos and Paestum" in American Journal of Archaeology, 104.2, April 2000, p.278

[2] Papyrus Harris in J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four, § 294

[5] According to Dioscorides kyphi consisted of ten ingredients, Plutarch, seemingly following Egyptian sources quotes sixteen:

Kyphi is a compound composed of sixteen ingredients:

• honey
• wine
• raisins
• cyperus
• resin
• myrrh
• aspalathus
• seselis
• mastich
• bitumen
• rush
• sorrel
• both the junipers, of which they call one the larger and one the smaller
• cardamum
• calamus

These are compounded, not at random, but while the sacred writings are being read to the perfumers as they mix the ingredients. As for this number, even if it appears quite clear that it is the square of a square and is the only one of the numbers forming a square that has its perimeter equal to its area, and deserves to be admired for this reason, yet it must be said that its contribution to the topic under discussion is very slight. Most of the materials that are taken into this compound, inasmuch as they have aromatic properties, give forth a sweet emanation and a beneficent exhalation, by which the air is changed, and the body, being moved gently and softly by the current, acquires a temperament conducive to sleep; and the distress and strain of our daily carking cares, as if they were knots, these exhalations relax and loosen without the aid of wine.

......

Kapet (better known by its Greeks name Kyphi) was one of the most popular varieties and seems to have been in use since the Old Kingdom. As well as its pleasing scent, it was thought to heal snake bites and cure bad breath and asthma. One recipe for this incense was recorded in the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1500BCE)

Ihmut incense, sonter incense (both from Punt) and green incense (thought to be based on galbanum from Persia) are listed in records from the reign of Thutmose III, and priests during the reign of Ramesses III recorded both white incense (probably based on frankincense) and "inflammable incense" in a list of offerings.

There is also a type of incense known as jb (referred to on the Stele of Sekerkhabau from Saqqara). The name was written using the hieroglyph for kid (a young male goat) leading some to suggest that it was based on musk.

According to Plutarch the Ancient Egyptians burned frankincense in the morning, myrrh at midday and Kyphi (Kapet) in the evening. In addition certain gods were associated with specific types of incense (for example, Hathor was strongly associated with myrrh) and certain types of incense were used for specific ceremonies.

Some of the ingredients were home-grown, but many had to be imported. Hatshepsut recorded a trading expedition to Punt on the walls of her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. The expedition was a great success, delivering aromatic woods and spices for the creation of incense and perfume. This expedition was also a great public relations coup because the Egyptians favoured exotic imported fragrances like myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, cassia and Galbanum. The Egyptians tried to establish their own frankincense trees, but this doesn´t seem to have been very successful.

Wood was also in short supply in Egypt, and they were particularly fond of cedar wood from the Levant. Balsomon (probably Mecca balsam) can be found in southern Arabia and eastern Africa, and iris, lotus (water lily), lemongrass, and rose were also popular (although the lotus was only rarely used in ritual incense). They also seem to have used papyrus rind to created incense.

Incense ingredients were either ground and thrown on hot coals or mixed with dried fruit (such as raisins or dates) and formed into small pellets to be burned.

"They use kyphi as both a potion and a salve; for taken internally it seems to cleanse properly the internal organs, since it is an emollient. Apart from this, resin and myrrh result from the action of the sun when the trees exude them in response to the heat. Of the ingredients which compose kyphi, there are some which delight more in the night, that is, those which are wont to thrive in cold winds and shadows and dews and dampness. For the light of day is single and simple, and Pindar says that the sun is seen "through the deserted aether." But the air at night is a composite mixture made up of many lights and forces, even as though seeds from every star were showered down into one place. Very appropriately, therefore, they burn resin and myrrh in the daytime, for these are simple substances and have their origin from the sun; but the kyphi, since it is compounded of ingredients of all sorts of qualities."--Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, § 80 [6]

[7] Herodotus was much impressed with the cleanliness of the Egyptian priesthood at least:

"They drink out of brazen cups, which they scour every day: there is no exception to this practice. They wear linen garments, which they are specially careful to have always fresh washed. They practise circumcision for the sake of cleanliness, considering it better to be cleanly than comely. The priests shave their whole body every other day, that no lice or other impure thing may adhere to them when they are engaged in the service of the gods. Their dress is entirely of linen, and their shoes of the papyrus plant: it is not lawful for them to wear either dress or shoes of any other material. They bathe twice every day in cold water, and twice each night; besides which they observe, so to speak, thousands of ceremonies".--Herodotus: Euterpe, 37.1

[8] As trade relations with the east became more developed Chinese dried malabathron leaves were imported from India and an aromatic oil was expressed which was then re-exported to Rome. (Joan Pilsbury Alcock, Food in the Ancient World, 2006 Greenwood Press, p.62)

[9] Ptah, Sekhmet and Nefertem formed the Triad of Memphis.

[10] The process generally took seventy days (cf. Mummification).

[11] Some of the fragrant essences (incense and blue lotus for instance) also had intoxicating components, which may have been one of the reasons for gods (and people) liking them as much as they did.

[12] Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions, 1997 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp.103 ff.

Horst Dietrich Preuss Old Testament Theology, 1995 Westminster John Knox Press, p.318

[13] Georges Tsoucaris, Janusz Lipkowski, Molecular and Structural Archaeology: Cosmetic and Therapeutic Chemicals, Springer 2003, ISBN 1402014996, pp.30ff.

From wikipedia:" Lip gloss is a product used primarily to give lips a glossy lustre and sometimes subtle color. It is distributed as a liquid or a soft solid (not to be confused with lip balm, which generally has medicinal or soothing purposes). It can be completely clear, translucent, or various shades of opacity, including frosted, glittered, glassy, and metallic finishes."

History

We can credit the ancient Egyptians with originally inventing lip gloss, possibly made of fat with red ochre or with one of the plants used for dyeing, was applied with a brush or spatula.

Lip gloss was re-invented by Max Factor in 1930. Though some sources say it was worn by actress Lillian Gish in 1928. Factor wanted to create a lip product that would make lips shiny and glossy for films. Factor created makeup for the movie industry. He developed makeup specifically for actresses starring in black and white films. Women were inspired by movie actresses and they also wanted makeup. The first commercially available lip gloss was Max Factor's X-Rated, launched in 1932.The original formula was sold up until 2003, when Proctor and Gamble retired the product. 

It was under Norton Simon that Max Factor launched "Maxi," a line of makeup aimed at a younger, more savvy consumer. Maxi sold products aimed at adolescent tastes, such as lip gloss, colour rubs and "mood" lipsticks. Maxi was priced to compete with market leaders Bonne Bell and CoverGirl.

Lip gloss in squeezable tube and wand applicator formats

Lip gloss is usually used as a cosmetic, however some offer moisturizing benefits or protection from the elements and other natural causes. Lip gloss containing sunscreen was first advertised by actress Lillian Gish.[citation needed]

In 1973, Bonne Bell introduced the first flavored lip gloss, Lip Smackers. Lip Smackers were, and still are, popular among young teenagers. Initially Lip Smackers came in two sizes: small and big. The small ones could be kept in the pocket and the big ones had a rope to hang around the neck. It was advertised that before a date, a teen girl should choose an appropriate flavor because that would be her date's first taste when his lips kissed hers.

Natural makeup companies have made progress in creating lip gloss with mainly natural ingredients except for preservatives.

Like lipstick, lip gloss comes in a variety of forms and may be applied in different ways. It can be contained in a small cylindrical bottle and applied with a rounded or sloped applicator wand (known as a doefoot applicator) or with a built in lip brush. Or it can come in a small, soft, squeezable plastic tube designed to be passed over the lips or applied with a fingertip or lip brush. Solid or semisolid glosses come in boxes and tubes and sometimes blur the distinction between lip gloss and lip balm.

New types of "plumping" lip gloss contain ingredients that make the lips appear softer and plumper. These are a cheap, easy, and usually harmless alternatives to collagen, Restylane, Juvederm, and/or fat injections. They are not as effective, however, and the effects are temporary and short-lasting.

The first retractable lip gloss was invented by Angie Parlionas in 2004. Utility patents were issued in March 2007. YOYO Lip Gloss is a fashionable retractable lip gloss that sits at the hip for easy access. The string extends up to 3 1/2 feet long and retracts back to the hip after use. The YOYO Lip Gloss Tubes and Fun Interchangeable Reels are available in 5 colors and yummy high sparkle flavors

Lip gloss is often used when a person wants to have some color on their lips, but does not want an intense, solid lip color effect (i.e., a more "made-up" look), as lipstick would create. Lip gloss is also often used as a sort of introduction to makeup. It is often used by preteen and young teenage girls who want to wear some makeup, but are too young to wear more intense lipstick colors.

Nowadays, there are millions of varieties of lip gloss. Some of them are liquid and some are semi solid. They come in colored, glittery, clear, metallic, frosted and all kinds of other forms. Tubes, applicators, metal boxes and boxes with lip brushes are the different ways the lip gloss can be packed in.

Here are the different kinds of lip gloss in brief:

• Just lip gloss: This is the basic kind of lip gloss which is used for glossing the lips

• Colored lip gloss: This adds color and shine as well.

• Glitter lip gloss: This adds shine and glitter to the lips. Color may or may not be present.

• Flavored lip gloss: In addition to the color, shine and glitter, it may also have some flavor like orange etc.

• Water resistant lip gloss: This is a long staying lip gloss.

The word wig is short for Periwig and first appeared in the English language around 1675.

Wigs have been worn throughout history and not just as a fashion item. Looking through history we can see that wigs were worn to demonstrate wealth and importance as well as having a more practical purpose as protection against cold and rain. Wigs were even worn in wars to impress the enemy!

The ancient Egyptians, wore them to shield their hairless heads from the sun and for ceremonial occasions.

In the 16th century a wig would have been worn as a means of compensating for hair loss or improving one's personal appearance. They also served a practical purpose: the unhygienic conditions of the time meant that hair attracted head lice, a problem that could be much reduced if natural hair were shaved and replaced with a more easily de-loused artificial hairpiece.

Queen Elizabeth I of England famously wore a red wig, tightly and elaborately curled in a "Roman" style and King Louis XIII of France pioneered wig-wearing among men from the 1620s onwards.

Periwigs for men were introduced into the English-speaking world when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. The wigs worn at this time were shoulder-length or longer, imitating the long hair that had become fashionable among men since the 1620s. Their use soon became popular in the English court.

With wigs becoming virtually obligatory garb for men of virtually any significant social rank, wigmakers gained considerable prestige. A wigmakers' guild was established in France in 1665, a development soon copied elsewhere in Europe. Their job was a skilled one as 17th century wigs were extraordinarily elaborate, covering the back and shoulders and flowing down the chest; they were extremely heavy and often uncomfortable to wear. Such wigs were expensive to produce. The best examples were made from natural human hair. The hair of horses and goats was often used as a cheaper alternative.

In the 18th century, wigs were powdered in order to give them their distinctive white or off-white color. Wig powder was occasionally colored violet, blue, pink or yellow.

By the 1780s, young men were setting a fashion trend by lightly powdering their natural hair. After 1790, both wigs and powder were reserved for older more conservative men, and were in use by ladies being presented at court. In 1795, the English government levied a tax of hair powder of one guinea per year. This tax effectively caused the demise of both the fashion for wigs and powder by 1800.

At the beginning of the 20th Century more freely arranged hairpieces were being used. In the 1920’s short hair cuts became fashionable and the trend for wigs almost disappeared overnight until the 1960’s when the hairpiece as a fashion item became a must and were not being sold in just specialised shops but also in department stores. The strong demand for wigs led to mass manufacture and the development and production of synthetic hair.

Now in the 21st Century there is still a need for wigs and hairpieces for reasons such as; hairloss due to a medical reason; fashion, with a growing trend for hair extensions; parties, and religious requirements.

A small ivory hand on the end of a long slender stick,  this was used to relieve the irritation caused by the numerous fleas infesting the elaborate wigs worn by fashionable 18th century women. The wigs were built up over wire foundations and padded out with false hair to reach fantastic heights, vermin were attracted by the powder and pomatum used and caused tremendous itching reachable only by the wig scratcher.

Wigs were born by both men and wome in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, and were as much a part of a fashionable male's dress as his breeches. Wigs became progressively smaller throughout the century, but they retained nevertheless the awkward feature of being, for al practical purposes., fied to the wearer's head unless he happened to find himself alone, no gentlemen could be seen wigless.

The wig scratcher was therefore a boon to everyman and woman who wore a wig. The short, straight little fingers of the little ivory hand could be pushed up by the ebony or ivory handle up between wig and temple. Wig scratchers weee invariably made with straight fingers, to get in between the wig and the head, can be distinguished by the similar designed back scratcher.

Powdering carrots:

The maintenence of a gentleman's or lady's wig in the eighteenth century was a complicated and time consuming process. The curls had to be kept tight and neat by using a crimper and pomades. Many men and women drenched their wigs in perfume, then powdered it, either by themselves,servant  or a professional dresser. The device used for powdering was called a powdering carrot, it was tube shaped but not unlike that of a carrot. 

The powder was poured into the hollow wooden "carrot", and the dresser would blow ito the mouthpiece at the broad end, the powder would emerge in a fine cloud from the point. Some powdering carrots were fitted with tiny bellows  to produce a stream of air. The carrot was designed up of wooden rings, jointed so that the whole affair is flexible.

In order to allow the nozzle to bend, the three smallest wooden rings were mounted on to leather. Originally there was probably a bulb of soft leather attached to the top of the cone which would have been squeezed to blow the powder out of the nozzle.

This enabled the top of the wig to be powdered without the dresser having to stand on a chair.

During the early 1960s, Colgate-Palmolive was looking to create a special luxury soap for a targeted demographic, women aged from 18-49 to compete with Dove, which had always been the most expensive brand of soap available for many years. After plenty of research, Colgate-Palmolive introduced their Cleopatra brand soap inspired by the queen of the Nile’s own beauty regimen.

The soap was developed in France and the company decided not make any changes for the Canadian market. The Cleopatra soap was marketed as a “premium quality, premium priced beauty soap” and was their answer to Dove, the leader in the skincare segment.

Like Dove, Cleopatra soap had boasted a base of beauty cream in its unique formula, this time at 15% along with some of the finest ingredients. Its scent was also made in France of the highest quality essential oils and was said to have an “unforgettable fragrance.”

The shape of the soap bar was carved to fit the hand and make it easier to hold, it was also stamped with the Cleopatra logo. Packaged in elegant gold colored cartons to bring it an air of affluence and to set it apart from other soaps on the market rather than the simple paper packaging it had in France.

Because Cleopatra was marketed as a very premium bath and beauty product, the company decided not to offer any discounts on the soap. Each carton was packed forty eight to a case, with a fixed price of $41.71. Colgate-Palmolive’s strategy was to price Cleopatra higher than Dove, which had always been the most expensive brand for years.

Colgate-Palmolive decided it would use a different marketing approach with Cleopatra than other companies, by not competing on price, with those who considered soap to be no more than a commodity.

The soap was well received in France and then launched in Quebec, whose population is mainly of French ancestry. For the Canadian launch, the company employed many promotions and wanted their demand to come directly from the consumers themselves which meant they needed as much exposure of their product as possible. To encourage this, the company needed a strong media presence and promotions aimed at consumers with a very strong emphasis on advertisements on television.

They had a specific plan which was to earn a 15% “share of voice” for the Cleopatra brand. They used the same commercial which was shown in France, and only had to make some small changes to fit their new target.

Sales promotions using coupons were another important strategy with the promotion of Cleopatra. Research found that 64% of people would buy the Cleopatra soap after trying it. With this in mind, Colgate-Palmolive gave away “Free Bar Coupons” to 250,000 households. Other promotions such as the “Cleopatra Gold Collection and Sweepstakes” offered consumers a wide range of affordable jewelry. Those who purchased the jewelry would then be entered into a chance to win a 14kt gold necklace in the Cleopatra style, which was popularized after Elizabeth Taylor’s blockbuster Cleopatra in 1963. Fashiion designers, coiffeurs, jewelers and cosmeticians went wild for The Egyptian Look.

Another contest called the “Dreamstakes” whose first prize was a 21 day Mediterranean cruise for two on the American Export Liner Constitution. “fly to New York for a whirlwind thee day at the Waldorf. Then board the Constitution bound for Casablanca, Rome, Monaco, Cannes and other ports, travel arrangements by Thos Cook and Sons. Enjoy the Constitution double suit with veranda: fresh flowers daily, room service the entire staff at your command. Also - a mink trimmed robe and gown by Seamprufe. A year’s supply of perfume. “The Second prize was a $1000 diamond ring, one full carat in the exclusive Sarong Twilight Design Setting- created with care by Caribe. Caribe Diamond Works, Puerto Rico.” “The 3-4-5-6 Prizes consisted of a fashionable lingerie wardrobe by Seamprufe. $200 worth of beautifully styled lingerie with extravagant laces and the finest quality workmanship.” 500 more prizes - Le Dix by Balenciaga in its elegant spill-proof spray atomizer. “The essence of elegance…the fragrance to melt a heart of stone.”

The Cleopatra soap was then marketed to the United States in 1963, starting in Florida. Voluptuous Broadway actress Tina Louise was touring the state on behalf of Cleopatra soap. Her sultry look and past roles helped Colgate Palmolive choose Tina to be their spokesmodel for the soap, in television commercials and nationwide tours, in which the press agent for the company who accompanied Miss Louise during her tours, described her as “lush looking.” Although she admitted to feeling a little silly about the whole thing. “I just wanted to be a little different’ to give you something to write about.”

Wearing a fabulous costume inspired by the famous Egyptian queen, Miss Louise wore an extravagant hat designed by John Fredericks and was adapted from Cleopatra’s famous headdress, composed of myriads of golden leaves sewn onto a net base. Her dress, made by designer Elgee Bove of New York had a “triangular bib with the modern Cleo feeling“. Sheathed in a simple little white gown made up of silk linen , bared nearly to the waist in the back. Her right arm was wrapped with a gilded metal snake with beady little eyes, and her throat was encircled by green and gold beads linked to a mesh of gold which fell over her cleaveage in a wide v shape.. The only thing not Cleopatra inspired was her low-heeled white pumps. “I always wear one-inch heels,” the 5 foot 8 ½” auburn haired 27yr old explained. “I don’t really like to be taller than men and I find with that size heels I’m only a little taller than the average man.”

Tina applied her own makeup in a heavy, sexy queen of the Nile like way with drawing the eyes with black and drawn straight across to separate at the outer edge, creating an optical illusion of outsized orbs. Her signature black beauty mark was also caused by her eyeliner, a natural blemish on her left cheek which she only darkened it to create more of a glamorous look. Reporters asked her if the “eyelines” were part of the costume. “No. This is always the way I wear my makeup,” she said.

Tina‘s role was to represent the legendary figure and reveal a fount of fascinating data on the beauty secrets of the soap‘s namesake. “Surprisingly enough,” Miss Louise said, “the beauty problems imposed by nature in Cleopatra’s Egypt were strikingly similar to those right here in Florida: sand, sun, heat and high humidity. Oils and scents were therefore, the most important parts of Cleopatra’s beauty ritual - bathing. “According to Putarch.” continued the actress, “she sent camel caravans thousands of miles into India and Madagascar to bring her rare oils of lemongrass, jasmine and precious white ylang ylang blossoms to be blended by her high priests into secret perfumes that scented her warm pool.”

“It was the Egyptians who invented the warm bath and it was Cleopatra who refined it to a beauty ritual,” said Miss Louise. “To Cleopatra beauty was not a vanity, it was a weapon and she constantly maintained it as her armament”

It is also said that Cleopatra supplemented her warm baths with an exotic regimen of sand washes, immersions in mule’s milk and oil massages. The sand washes cleansed the pores, and the mule’s milk softened the skin. Her handmaidens massaged her body with neroli oil to keep it youthful and supple., according to Miss Louise‘s research..

The actress went on to recall Shakespeare’s description of Cleopatra’s entrance on her barge, ‘Purple were the sails, and the air was so perfumed that the winds were lovesick with it.’ And it was this divine fragrance that presumably captivated Antony from the start.”

“The modern woman hasn’t the pocketbook to send a camel caravan to India, nor does she have the time for such folderol as sand washes or mules milk baths, smiles Louise. “However,, the care of her skin is just as important to today’s housewife as it was to Cleopatra.”. She warns, “never never take scalding hot baths. The water should be slightly warmer than body temperature. And of course, use a scented, oil based soap. We ladies can be thankful that someone else has gone to the trouble of getting all of those marvelous fragrances and oils and putting them into one beauty soap.”

Miss Louise then added, among her beauty hints, that a good beauty soap makes ideal sachets for lingerie drawers and also served as a inexpensive body sachet or skin freshener. She then suggested that you could “simply rub the dry soap on your arms, neck and behind your knees where you’ll discover the jasmine fragrance would remain with you for hours. It’s a delightful and easy way to be as bewitching as Cleopatra between baths.

A 1963 advertisement for Cleopatra soap reads:

“Cleopatra new body soap with five fragrant oils. Take the plunge and lose yourself in the subtle, sultry mysteries of five fragrant oils ! For here inspired by the ancient Egyptian queen’s beauty ritual - is new Cleopatra beauty soap with five fragrant oils! And the feeling is nothing sort of devastating. Every time you use new Cleopatra beauty soap, its rich, creamy lather drenches your skin with moisture! Cleopatra’s fragrant oils actually caress you as you bath! You can feel new softness flow over every female inch of you! And through it all, your heads swims with jasmine - the most provocative fragrance a woman ever tangled with! Plunge into a flirtation with this soothing, smoothing - yet strangely stimulating - soap just once…and you’ll understand by even Caesar fell…..plunge into a flirtation with the forbidden….the soap that whispers you’re a woman.”

A 1964 ad reads “Cleopatra Beauty Soap. * instant luxury. just add water ivory tinted beauty bars from Colgate-Palmolive for bath for beauty for bubbles”

Won Sue Fun (Return of Youth) was a facial cream which came out in 1929 and lasted til the early 1930s. Manufactured by Won Sue Fun, Inc.of 202 Lumber Exchange, Minneapolis. Minn

Some ads of the era read:

"Oh lady before you decide that you have found the Ideal wrinkle proof cream do try Won Sue Fun the miracle cream of the Orient There are three good reasons..."

"Did you ever hear of WON SUE FUN It's a delightful Chinese cream made of the finest oriental oils and has brought loveliness to thousands of women here and.."

"Hollywood's fairest stars use Won Sue Fun for Its wrinkle retarding powers the smooth contour this dainty cream gives them Is vital to their success."

Here is a picture of a complete Won Sue Fun cream jar with some similar looking perfume bottles, made in Czechoslovakia out of malachite glass.

Bandoline is intended to be used as a fixer for the hair and for other similar uses. The word, bandoline, comes from the French word bande, or bandeau, meaning a "band" or "belt", because the hair has to be kept in position by a band of thin cloth or better, a bit of old lace or gauze, to allow the air to come in contact with the hair until completely dry. Line comes from the Latin linere meaning "to smear".

The Bandoline was used to plaster the bangs onto the forehead into what was known as "Montague curls", a flattened type of curl, the Bandoline itself was a gummed viscous liquid that worked much in the way of today's mousse or hair gel. These Montague curls were also known as "beau-cachers" during the 1860s and "spit-curls" in rural New-England.

The earliest mention of the word Bandoline was used in Dicken's Mugby Junction.

The secret of Bandoline was to wait until the Bandoline was dry and then comb out the Montague curls, which resulted in soft, pretty and graceful rings.

In some Victorian photographs, you can see the usage of Bandoline on women's bangs. Even though the Bandoline was meant to be brushed out after it was dried, we can see from photographs that some women didn't brush it out, and either didn't have enough time, or enjoyed the look of the glossy, flattened bangs.

Bandoline was made up of quince seeds and water, it was often perfumed with rose or violet essences. It could also be tinted.

"If bandeaux are worn, the hair is thoroughly brushed and frizzed outside and inside, folding the hair back round the head, brushing it perfectly smooth, giving it a glossy appearance by the use of pomades, or oil, applied by the palm of the hand, smoothing it down with a small brush dipped in bandoline." —The Book of Household Management

In 1828, M. Loret of Lyons, France, was busying himself on recreating two ancient Egyptian perfumes, Tasi and Kyphi, he poured over ancient texts and tomb paintings and engravings before settling on some compositions. 

Tasi, was a temple perfume used to anoint the statues of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, made up of storax, benzoin, myrrh and other resins.

Kyphi was more important, it was a compound incense that was used for religious and medical purposes. The term "kyphi" is actually Greek and a transcription of the ancient Egyptian term kp.t. (kapet) and made up of roots, leaves and seeds of different plants.

Kyphi was often used at home for the rites of Isis and Serapis. It was imported to Greece and Rome after the conquest of Egypt where it was known for its narcotic and euphoric properties.. It then became a favorite perfume among the luxurious Greeks and Romans who were anointed with Kyphi after the bath, and were sprinkled with the essence during the grand banquets, while sometimes it was used to perfume the wine.

 The earliest reference to kyphi is found in the Pyramid Texts, where it is listed among the goods that the king will enjoy in the afterlife. The Papyrus Harris I records a donation and delivery of herbs and resins for its manufacture in the temples under Ramses III.

Fortunately for us, the instructions for the preparation of kyphi and complex lists of ingredients are found among the wall inscriptions at both of the temples of Edfu and Dendera in upper Egypt. The Temple of Horus at Edfu is one of Egypt’s best preserved temples, built between 237 BCE and 57 BCE and was reported to be the legendary location of the mythical battle between the gods Horus and Set. The Temple of Horus was built by the Ptolemaic dynasty but this was an area used by the ancient Egyptians for their temples as early as 2660 BCE. The manufacture of kyphi as given in the Edfu text involves careful blending and aging of sixteen ingredients in sequence.

The Edfu recipe calls for mastic, amber, sweet flag, aspalathos, camel grass, mint, and cinammon, each ground then added to the mixture one at a time in a specific order. This base mixture is then moistened with oasis wine and steeped overnight in a copper bowl. Separately, the raisins are soaked in oasis wine, dried and then ground to a powder; then they are mixed with the base and left to steep for another five days. The excess wine is gently boiled off. Then the frankincense and honey are mixed together and boiled to reduce their volume by one fifth, and quickly mixed with the base mixture. The boiling helps to remove excess water and causes the honey to crystallize upon cooling. The mixture is left to rest overnight to set. Lastly, the myrrh is ground up and added, the resulting mixture was rolled into balls, and the incense dried gently, which takes several days to cure. It was then placed on hot coals to release a perfumed smoke. This recipe comes from the walls of the so-called Laboratory Room located in the Temple's Great Hall.

The Egyptian chief -priest Manetho of Mendes is known to have written a treatise called On the Preparation of Kyphi-Recipes, but unfortunately, no copy of this work survives.

Greek physicians studying the Egyptian pharmacopia took interest in kyphi's reputation as a medicine. In "On Antidotes," Galen cited a medical poem recipe for kyphi from Damocrates who that he said was recorded by Rufus of Ephesus (110-180 CE), the physician of the Emperor Trajan. This ancient recipe outlines the proportions for raisins, wine, honey, asphaltum, bdellium, camel grass, sweet flag, cyperus tuber, saffron, spikenard, aspalathos, cardamom, and cassia. Galen prescribed kyphi for snakebites.

A curious Dioscorides set forth the preparation of kyphi in his Materia Medica, a five volume book on “the preparation, properties, and testing of drugs”, and this is thought to be the first Greek description of the material. Like Galen's recipe, the ingredients in this first-century kyphi include raisins, wine, and honey, as well as sweet flag, aspalathos, camel grass, and cyperus tuber. The major difference is in the proportions and in the addition of  myrrh and pure resin and the subtraction of asphaltum. This recipe also includes a period of steeping in the middle of the process that the Galen recipe does not

The Greek historian and philosopher Plutarch commented in his work, Isis and Osiris, that Egyptian priests burned incense three times a day: resin/frankincense at dawn, myrrh at mid-day, and kyphi at dusk. 

Kyphi was a temple incense, blended by priests (as Plutarch hints at in his works), so each temple would have had it's slightly different version and different method of blending it up. He also reported that kyphi had sixteen ingredients and adds "These are compounded, not at random, but while the sacred writings are being read to the perfumers as they mix the ingredients."

Plutarch cites "honey, wine, raisin, galangal, resin (franincense), myrrh, thorny trefoil, hartwort, mastic, asphalt, thornapple, dock, both kinds of juniper- they call one "the greater" and the otehr "the lesser", cardamom and reed. These are mixed in an orderly way, and the ointment recipes of sacred writings are read when they are being mixed."

Plutarch further notes that the mixture was used kyphi as a beverage (potion) and used as a purgative when drunk, and as an unguent (salve), an emollient cream for the skin,  as well as incense to be burned at night as a sleep aid and to prevent nightmares.

The seventh century physician Paul of Aegina records a "lunar" kyphi of twenty-eight ingredients and a "solar" kyphi of thirty-six.

According to Egyptologists, Kyphi played an important role as a sacred fragrance in many ceremonies. It was also believed Kyphi could revive the sexuality of the dead.

Kyphi Ingredients:

All recipes for kyphi mention wine, honey and raisins. Other identifiable ingredients include:

• cinnamon and cassia bark,
• the aromatic rhizomes of cyperus and sweet flag,
• cedar,
• juniper berry, and
• resins and gums such as frankincense, myrrh, benzoin resin, labdanum, and mastic.

Some ingredients remain obscure. Greek and Aramaic recipes mention aspalathos, which Plinydescribes as the root of a thorny shrub. Unfortunately, scholars do not agree on the identity of this shrub so Alhagi maurorum, Convolvulus scoparius, Calicotome villosa, Genista acanthoclada and most recentlyCapparis spinosa have been suggested as the plant. The Egyptian recipes similarly list several ingredients whose botanical identity is uncertain. Spikenard, a popular plant in the ancient worls,  is listed as an ingredient in some recipes.

RECIPES

Here is a modern recipe for kyphi by Rowan:

• 4 parts sweetgrass 
• 4 parts cypress 
• 4 parts lemon grass 
• 2 parts cedar 
• 2 parts juniper berries 
• 3 parts frankincense 
• 3 parts copal 
• 1/2 part myrrh 
• Port wine 
• Honey (cooked down to thicken) 
• Prunes 

Grind snipped prunes with wine and myrrh. Grind in other ingredients one at a time. Add honey gradually. Let sit to age. Break apart and grind down again. Use a mortar and pestle for most of the first compounding; then use a coffee bean grinder for the final grind. Then let the mixture sit at least at least a few months after the final grind to develop and cure.

Kyphi Recipe #2:

Ingredients

• 3/4 Parts Honey
• 3 Parts Raisins
• 1/4 Part Copal
• 1/4 Part Myrrh
• 1/4 Part Orris
• 1 Part Sandalwood
• 1/4 Part Storax
• 1/2 Part Frankincense
• 1/2 Part Cinnamon 
• Red Wine (enough to moisten mixture)
• Benzoin (enough to roll balls in) 

Thoroughly grind all ingredients separately, then mix together groups of ingredients by nature: resinous together, powdery together, etc. Finally, mix all batches together, add red wine to moisten, then roll into 5/8" balls and roll balls in benzoin. Lay out on waxed paper for a week or so, until firm. 

Other ancient Egyptian perfumes were: Susinum, Mendesian , Statke, and Cyprinum. Stakte was made up of myrrh, specifically, bruised myrrh itself, or the resin added to balanos oil. Mendesian, named for the city of Mendes, was an oily perfume made from assorted gums, resins, myrrh, and cassia. Susinum had a base of balanos oil infused with lilies, myrrh and cinnamon. Cyprinium, contrary to what some may believe, was not named after the Greek isle of Cyprus, but based upon the scent of henna and infused  with favorite essences of cinnamon, myrrh, cardamom and southernwood.

Brief History:

Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain was born in 1798 in Abeville. In 1817, he began a career as a "commited merchant" in the House of Briard, which manufactured and sold perfumes. Soon, he was hired by the House of Dissey et Piver, a cosmetic and perfume house, where he worked as a salesman and helped create perfumes.

In 1828, at the age of just 30, Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain opened his first boutique, at 42 rue de Rivoli,an arcade-lined street located in the heart of Paris. Fortunately, this was also the location of the fashionable Hotel Meurice, a favorite haunt of the British high society.

To exploit this fact, he used his knowledge of popular British toiletry products from his days as a salesman, Guerlain began his business by importing upscale products from Britain, but he was soon developing his own, original, trendsetting formulas for toilet waters, scented toilet vinegars, soaps, creams, pomades, cosmetics, perfume extraits and perfume essences for handkerchiefs. many of the products bore English writing on the labels. He used imported ingredients for cosmetics: cochineal from Goa, alum and vermilion from China, and myrrh and rose water from Persia.

He created recipes similar to those from Dissey et Piver, namely Serkis de Sultanas, which they sold as Serkis de Serail, a skin whietening cream, the so called secret of the Harem. Other products such as Cream de Perse, Persian face cream, was also produced by both houses.

These swanky products were all the rage with the British aristocrats, especially the young Queen Victoria for whom Guerlain created the perfume Bouquet de la Reine Victoria in honor of her acension to the throne.

Not long after the Guerlain boutique was opened in 1834, he offered his products to the French market, and it was a most popular and natty place for ladies to purchase the latest skincare and cosmetics.

A 19th Century Lady's Toilette featuring Guerlain's cosmetics:

A fashionable Parisian lady during the 19th century may have used Guerlain's perfumed vinegars to scent her apartment, the Vinaigrillon Seville which she could also use to heal cuts or sores on her body.

The lady would have also used Guerlain's famous Savon Sapoceti, a rich soap, made up of whale blubber to cleanse her body and whiten the skin. It could be had in either a jasmine, ylang ylang, frangipani, heliotrope, benzoin, acacia, verbena, gardenia, honey or rose, or even one of Guerlain's special perfumed blends, Fleurs de Alpes, Huile d'Amande, or Marcehal Duchesse.

A long soak infused with L'amidon de Guimauve, a starch made from the marshmallow plant, would have softened the bath water.

When she wanted to remove superflouous hair on her face, neck or arms, she could mix some of Guerlain's Epilotoire with a bottle of its Prepared Water to create a hair removing paste.

After bathing and depilating her unwanted hair, she may have dusted her body with Poudre d'Amande in a cloud of pulverised almonds.

To cleanse her face she may have used Laits d'Iris ou de Concombres, a cucumber and iris infused milk from a glass bottle, followed by the citron based astringent, L'Essence de Cedrat or Eau de Pearl to tone her skin and shrink her pores.

By massaging Crème à la Fraise, in a white porcelain jar with a small strawberry molded on the lid, or Creme Emolliente au Suc de Concombres, a cucumber cream, from white porcelain jar, this would moisturize and freshen her face.

To lighten her skin's complexion she may have used some Lotion de Golwond, the cold cream made up of snails, Creme Froide de Limaçons or the pearly white cream of Blanc de Perles. If she had a blemish a little dab of Creme Camphrea, a so called miracle cream, from a tin pot would help, it was promoted to make your skin look like one of the porcelain dolls from your childhood.

Before bed, she may have slathered on a night cream, possibly Creme Lenitive, an analgesic cream to smooth the skin and to make to maintain its elasticity, and to fade age spots or freckles, she would use Creme Patti or Creme Nivea, both from white porcelain jars.

To clean her teeth, she would use Tresor de la Bouche, a vegetable powder based tooth powder she would moisten with water, it was advertised as preventing tooth decay and would not hard the enamel on the teeth.

To ensure that her mouth was freshened, she would have swished with either L' Elixir de Guerlain,, a balsamic antiseptic mouthwash to keep her gums and teeth strong and healthy, or Alcoolat Cochlearia et de Cresson, a watercress infused mouthwash..

To give her complexion a little color, she may apply Serkis de Sultanas, the secret formula of the harem queens. This would be followed by a dusting of Poudre de Lys or Poudre de Cypris culled from its decorated cardboard box with a swansdown puff to cut down on the shine and give her an alabaster like complexion.

To bring a natural glow to her visage, she may have rubbed a little liquid blush, Bloom of Roses on her cheeks with a cotton ball, or swiped a little powdered Rouge au Carmin de Chine or Rouge de Damas on the apples of her cheeks which was pressed into a small glass mortar decorated with gold.

A genteel lady would have used Roselip, a lightly rose tinted lip balm housed in a tiny Sevres porcelain pot, but a more adventurous lady may have applied a little Rose du Moulin, a rosy lip colour with her finger from a small green glass tub or Extrait de Rose from a glass bottle.

The more daring woman may have even lined her eyes with La Pyrommee, an Arabian styled kohl powder for the eyes kept inside an ivory tube decorated with an eye motif. Advertising of the era told a story that Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain learned the secret formula from an Armenian Pasha who gave it to the ladies of his harem

To keep her body moisturized and supple throughout the day, she may have rubbed on some Creme Nivea to her arms and legs and during winter or harsh, windy weather, when her skin needed more protection, a thicker emollient the Cold Cream of Roses would have made sense.

If she was a nursing mother, she may have applied Baume de la Ferte, a balm made from the tannins in Bordeaux wine, benzoin, beeswax and almond oil, to soothe her chapped nipples, the antiseptic qualities of the benzoin and wine tannins would promote healing.Years later in the 20th century, the formula for this balm would be used to restore flexibility to the lips.

She may have then used Crème de Perse to soften her hands, removed her cuticles with Pate d'Amande au Miel, a honey and almond paste, and applied a little Huile de Rosat to give a rosy gloss to her nails..

Her hair would be cleansed with L'Eau de China, to condition her hair, she would have used the Veritable Moelle de Boeuf, a pomade made up of beef marrow to promote hair growth.

To complete her hairdressing, hen she would have applied some l'Eau Lustrale, a liquid hair groom which would have gave it a lustrous shine. A touch of Grasse d'Ours Liquefiee, a pomade made of bear's grease, would help keep that jaunty cowlick from popping out from her coiffure in addition to strengthening and prevent color fading of the hair.

Before heading outside she may have applied Pate a L'Huile d'Amandes de Pistache, a pistachio paste made with almond oil, to make skin supple or Creme Huve de la Providence to her face to protect it from the sun's rays.

Her toilette would be complete with a splash of Esterhazy Bouquet, a cologne rumord to have aphrodisiacal qualities was a blend of orange blossom, rose, vetiver and vanilla. Her copy of Le Journal des Elegances, a fashionable magazine of the time, even had its pages of a special edition sprinkled with the famed essence.

Fashionable cosmetic and skin care products

19th century:

• Cold Cream of Roses (1828)
• Veritable Grasse d'Ours (bears grease hair pomade, c1830)
• Veritable Moelle de Boeuf (beef marrow pomade c1830)
• Savon Sapoceti (soap, made up of whale blubber, c1830 -1960)
• Crème à la Fraise (strawberry face cream, c1840-onward)
• Bloom of Roses (liquid blush, 1840)
• Rouge au Carmin de Chine (blush, 1840)
• Rouge de Cour (Court Rouge, a blush,1840)
• Rouges de Carthame (Safflower Rouge, a blush, 1840)
• Rouge de Damas (Damascus Red, a blush, 1840)
• Creme Emolliente au Suc de Concombres (cucumber face cream)
• L'Essence de Cedrat (Citron based facial astringent)
• L'amidon de Guimauve (bath water softener made up of marsh mallow starch)
• Laits d'Iris ou de Concombres (cucumber and iris milk, cleanser)
• Lotion de Golwond (a skin bleach)
• Creme Froide de Limaçons (a cold cream, made from snails)
• Blanc de Perles (Pearl White, a skin lightener)
• Creme Camphrea (a zit cream, c1870)
• Creme Lenitive (an analgesic cream to smooth the skin and to make to maintain its elasticity)
• Creme Nivea (skin bleaching cream)
• Creme Patti (skin lightener)
• Tresor de la Bouche (a vegetable powder based tooth powder)
• L' Elixir de Guerlain - Dentifrice Antiseptique (antiseptic mouthwash)
• Alcoolat Cochlearia et de Cresson (a watercress infused alcoholic mouthwash)
• Serkis de Sultanas(a tinted face cream)
• Pate d'Amande au Miel (Honey and almond paste)
• Poudre de Lys (face powder)
• Poudre de Cypris (face powder)
• Poudre de Cygne (Swan's powder, a face powder)
• Poudre aux Fleurs (Powder of Flowers, face powder )
• Alba Pulvis (white face powder)
• Roselip (rose tinted lip balm)
• Extrait de Rose (liquid lip tint)
• Baume de la Ferte (nipple balm made from Bordeaux wine tannins, benzoin, beeswax & almond oil, c1878)
• Ne M'Oubliez Pas (the first lipstick from 1870)
• La Pyrommee (kohl, a powdered eye liner, from 1878-1940)

20th century:

• Secret de Bonne Femme Creme Pour le Visage (face cream, scented with Apres L'Ondee perfume, 1904-2001)
• Rose du Moulin (Moulin red, a blush, a play on the name Moulin Rouge, made from 1907-1950)
• Rouge d'Enfer (Rouge Inferno, first indelible lipstick c1924)
• La Poudre C'est Moi (face powder scented with Shalimar, created in 1925)
• Stilboide Fluide (a hair dressing, used to add lustre and fix the hair, created in 1923. It was perfumed with Jicky, L'Heure Bleue, Shalimar, Mitsouko, Fleur de Feu,Sous Le ent and Hegemonienne )
• Creme au Citron (a lemon scented moisturizing face cream c1930)
• Huile Pour Brunir (tanning oil, 1936)
• Cremaliment (1941)
• Emulsion Ambrosia (anti aging serum c1950)
• Creme Super Nourissante No.2 (1952)
• Hydroserum (1955)
• Creme Hydrante Pour Le Corps (Body Moisturizer invarious scents, halimar, Ode, Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue, Chant D'Aromes, Chamade 1959)

Many of us have heard of leg makeup, a fantastic formula that gave the illusion that a woman was wearing stockings, was a secret of many ladies during World War II when nylon stocking shortages were at their height.

I found the earliest reference to leg makeup in a 1929 newspaper ad, "Doraldina's Allura Arm and Leg Makeup simulates a perfect tan. These shades of Allura take the place of stockings.  "

This liquid foundation like formula came in several shades, Hollywood Tan, Palm Beach Tan, Desert Tan, Sun Tan. Doraldina also had powders to harmonize with these shades. 

Doraldina, born Dora Saunders ( b1888 - d1936), was a famous Hollywood cosmetician, Metro Goldwyn Mayer screen actress and above all, a dancer who brought the native Hawaiian dance, the Hula to mainstream America. Her perfectly tanned skin contrasted with her vivid costumes and started the rage for sun tanned skin and started her own makeup company specializing in bringing the sun tan to American housewives easily and affordably. Now the women ho could not otherwise go away to an exotic place to reach that unforgettable vacation hue, could easily slather on the leg and arm preparations and at least have the look with less damaging results.

Hollywood stars and starlets wore the leg and arm makeup, Bessie Love, Mary Carlisle, Lilyan Tashman, Raquel Torres, Anne Ames, Helen Welles, Marjorie McNally and Joan Crawford were some of the actresses advertised as wearing the makeup. The last advertisement I can find for Doraldina's cosmetics is from 1942.

Doraldina started her cosmetician career as a manicurist and then started her own business, Doraldina, Inc in the 1920s. Doraldina was known for her " extraordinary [olive] skin and complexion"  and one observer remarked that Doraldina "represents the exotic charm of the maidens of the South Seas, to whom are known the final ports of many missing men."

A 1930 advertisement for Doraldina's cosmetics reads "Just in time to fill Vacation needs1 A complete week-end kit of DORALDINA BEAUTY BOX. Two jars of Allura, a box of Powder, bottle of Astringent, jar of Cleansing Cream, a jar of Skin Food, a jar of Tissue Cream, a box of tissues - packed in an attractive green lacquered box."

In 1912 Arden travelled to France to learn beauty and facial massage techniques used in the Paris beauty salons. She returned with a collection of rouges and tinted powders she had created. In an era when it was generally only acceptable for entertainers to wear makeup, Arden introduced modern eye makeup to North America. She also introduced the concept of the "makeover" in her salons.

Arden collaborated with A. Fabian Swanson, a chemist, to create a "fluffy" light whipped cream-like skin cream. The success of the cream, Venetian Cream Amoretta, and corresponding lotion, Arden Skin Tonic, led to a long-lasting business relationship. Elizabeth Arden's Venetian line of cosmetics along with her velvety Cream Amoretta--in her signature chic bottling--were being sold in department stores all over the country.

The products in the Venetian range included:

• Venetian Velva Cream
• Venetian Amoretta Cream (for oily skin)
• Venetian Untra Amoretta Cream (for extremely dry skin)
• Venetian Adona Cream
• Venetian Reducine Lotion
• Venetian Cleansing Cream
• Venetian Skin Tonic
• Venetian Bleachine 
• Venetian Anti-Wrinkle Cream
• Venetian Orange Skin Food
• Venetian Lille Lotion (Liquid Powder)
• Venetian Special Astringent
• Venetian Rose Color (Waterproof Liquid Rouge)
• Venetian D'Illusion Powder
• Venetian Waterproof Cream
• Venetian Poudre de Soir
• Venetian Crystalline Eye Drops
• Venetian Special Eye Cream
• venetian Special Eye Lotion
• Venetian Eyelash Cosmetique
• Venetian Lipstick
• Venetian Rouge Amoretta
• Venetian Flower Powder
• Venetian Milk of Almonds
• Venetian Lip Paste
• Venetian Ardena Masque
• Venetian Velva Bath
• Venetian Velva Liquid
• Venetian Muscle Oil
• Venetian Pore Cream
• Venetian Acne Lotion
• Venetian Ardena Hair Tonic
• Venetian Dandro
• Venetian Ardena Henna Shampoos
• Venetian Chamomile Shampoo Powder
• Venetian Special Tunisian Henna
• Venetian Graduated Henna
• Venetian Reducine Soap
• Venetian Carino Compact
• Venetian Electra Eradicator
• Venetian Tooth Paste
• Venetian Forehead Straps
• Venetian Eye Shadow
• Venetian Eye Pencils
• Venetian Patter
• Venetian Velva Bath Mitts
• Venetian Mascara
• Venetian Hand Cream

Great set of vintage beauty preparations by Elizabeth Arden in a pink metal presentation box.

Products include:

1. Venetian Skin Tonic Astringent, in a tall bottle with a ribbon and cork stopper
2. Ardena Velva Cream, in a small, round screwtop jar with purple ribbon
3. Venetian Pore Cream in a small, round screwtop jar with purple ribbon
4. Ardena Cleansing Cream, in a small, round screwtop jar with purple ribbon
5. Small vial labeled: Muscle Oil, 
6. Small vial labeled: Lillie Lotion
7. Small vial labeled: Rose Color.

All the items come in a metal box painted pink inside and out.

A 1928 newspaper ad reads "ELIZABETH ARDEN'S VENETIAN DUSTING POWDER, a delightful luxury a smooth fine powder pure soft and lightly per A large box gaily flowered with a big puff."

I just started to collect these, and already have the Venetian Muscle Oil, the Venetian Special Astringent (though mine is empty and I would like to have a full or partial bottle), and the Venetian Ardena Skin Tonic. If you have any Venetian items by Arden, I would be interested in them...

Ever wonder how to store your perfume properly? Well I have compiled a few vintage newspaper articles here to answer your questions. Enjoy!

A March 26, 1928 article in the Reading Eagle newspaper:

"KEEP PERFUME IN DARK, PARISIAN ADVISES. Air and sunlight may change finest odors , according to French expert. Have you ever wondered why the perfume on your dressing table seems to change odor week from week? Perhaps you have been puzzled by a fragrance which smelled agreeable at the time  you bought it, becomes commonplace or even unpleasant after you have used it a few weeks, writes a Paris correspondent of the Kansas City Star.

Such thoughts may be considered a confession - an admission that you have not learned how to care for your perfume. These delicate scents for which fashion orders for modern  use particularly when they are of high quality, deteriorate and lose all traces of their original fragrance if they are handled remissly.

"Always keep perfume in a dark place, advises Lucien Lelong, the Paris dressmaker whose study of perfume has resulted in valuable suggestions for its use. "Daylight will affect every odor differently according to its formula, and in extreme cases, the perfume turns bright red as soon as its exposed to the sun.

Jasmine becomes black in the light, other flower extracts darken less noticeably, but as soon as they change color, even slightly, the perfume changes scent. According to Monsieur Lelong, certain chemicals suffer similarly as a result of exposure to light. If a product such as indol has been used in the perfume, it will form ether and emit a foul odor soon after it is allowed to stand in the sun.

So carefully must the elements that compose a perfume be guarded that many of the more fragile extracts are bought in a discolored state by the perfumer to prevent darkening after they have been mixed. Discolored floral elements cost a great deal more than flowers in a natural state and they are reserved for expensive perfumes. 

The need is evident for keeping perfume flacons tightly stoppered. Air, sunlight will harm the scent and carelessness in keeping the odor airtight results in a noticeable loss strenth and quality."

A Jan 14, 1945 article in the Milwaukee Journal newspaper reads:

"KEEP PRECIOUS NEW PERFUME IN COOL, DARK SPOT. That bottle of floating enchantment which won you perfume praise for Christmas will be filched from you by light and air if you dont watch out.

Warning you to put yours back in the box and stow it in a closet after use, perfume wise model Pat Powers, insists this is the best way to outwit the ultraviolet thief and says, "Although my swanky black bottle bearing a question mark and an enigmatic label is a temptation to exhibit on my dressing table, I don't take chances."

To lock a bottle against leakage and evaporation, Pat says twist the stopper tightly until you've lined up the "thread" with the ground surfaces of the bottle. To unlock, here's her trick to save a temper, tap the stopper lightly against another piece of glass, and she does mean l-i-g-h-t-l-y." 

According to a 1930's article in the Tampa Times:

"The practice of bringing back perfumes from Cuba for all your friends is just about a thing of the past now, under the terms of the new (Republican) tariff law. Importations of all foreign manufactured perfumes are forbidden and Tampans returning recently from Havana were permitted to bring in only a single bottle of any one brand, and then only with the seals broken and other evidence of the perfume's source destroyed. Messrs. Chanel, Cot and others -address Paris - will be required to open brand factories in the US to manufacture their famous scents."

"Great New Invention for Seekers of Health, Power & Beauty! Elco Health Generators are at last ready for you. If you want more health - greater power to enjoy the pleasures and delights about you - or if beauty is your wish - write! 

Dorothy Gray's Salon Cold Cream advertisement, early 1950s. From the music in the beginning, it sounded like it was from I Love Lucy. I think Dorothy Gray was one of their early sponsors, hence the commercial.

Dorothy Gray Salon Cold Cream, her face is actually covered in radioactive dirt so that it would read on the Geiger counter, pay attention to the commercial. Then the cold cream would remove every trace of it. This was ONLY done for the commercial, to show you the effectiveness of the cream, live on a commercial. There was no radioactive materials included in the cream for everyday use by housewives at home or at the Dorothy Gray salons. It was just for the commercial to show how the cleansing cream worked.

In 1923, Dorothy Grey introduced The Face Patter, to stimulate circulation and ... The Face Patter to stimulate circulation, which gave cheeks a natural, rosy glow. It was also used for “reducing a double chin at the same time making the muscles firm”,” to firm loose muscles and a crepy throat”, and “for erasing lines and wrinkles.”

“Pat your way to perfection with the little Dorothy Gray Patter. One, two, three! One, two, three! The brisk, rhythmic patting stimulates a rapid, healthy circulation, making the muscles firm, keeping the skin clear and bright. And its all so quick, so easy! The Dorothy Gray Patter does its work deftly and well. It costs only $2.50.” “Pat a thin face gently,” the instructions read, “a plump face firmly.”

The face patter was a simple round slice of rubber stuck on the end of a handle that measured a foot long. A "specially contrived instrument for stimulating the facial muscles without irritating the skin".

The directions called for cleaning the skin with the Dorothy Gray Cleansing Cream, then patting on the Circulation Cream, then applying the non-fattening, emollient Special Mixture Tissue Cream for circulation, then applying the mild, refreshing Orange Flower Skin Tonic astringent and rhythmically patting some more, finally patting on the Astringent Lotion, the effective contour astringent..

In 1932, Margaret Dibble applied for a patent on her improved face patter made up of sponge rubber. Her design added a pocket/ cut out portion so that a cake of soap could be slipped in or astringent could be poured inside. The function of the dampened patter using soap was to massage and stimulate the pores for efficient and deeper cleansing of the face, in which a foaming lather would be produced by moving the patter in a circular motion over the face. For patting purposes, a small amount of astringent could be poured into the pocket, allowing the liquid to fully penetrate the one side of the patter made up of spongy material. The other side would be for powder or massaging of the face. The handle of the patter was made up rubber, which allowed flexibility and reduced fatigue from usage. Her patent was granted in 1934.

Beauty marks were particularly highly regarded during the eighteenth century and creating false ones became common, often in fanciful shapes such as hearts, crescent moons or stars, but at certain times women also wore patches in the shapes of birds, flowers--even horse-drawn carriages. 

The horse drawn carriage patch was a special favorite. The author of England’s Vanity (1653) mentions that "Methinks the mourning coach and horses all in black, and plying on their foreheads, stands ready harnessed to whirl them to Acheron, though I pity poor Charon for the darkness of the night, since the moon on the cheek is all in eclipse, and the poor stars on the temples are clouded in sables, and no comfort left him but the lozenges on the chin, which, if he please, he may pick off for his cold."

Initially, they served two purposes: to highlight a well-shaped mouth or eye or to cover a blemish. The dandies and fops would also wear the patches. Later on, placement of patches became significant and could signify ones's political alliance, marital status or sexual availability.

'To draw an arrant fop from top to toe,

Whose very looks at first clash shew him so;

Give him a mean, proud garb, a dapper grace,

A pert dull grin, a black patch cross his face.'

Patches were worn for political significance too, and the Spectator reports that 'politically minded dames used their patches as party symbols: the Whigs patching on the right, and the Tories on the left side of their faces, while those who were neutral, decorated both cheeks."

Patches could be purchased as silk, taffeta, leather or velvet patches known as "mouches" (flies) other patches were made up of moleskin, hence our word mole to describe a beauty mark. Men and women both used patches. They were first worn in the 1600's to cover small-pox scars or other blemishes. Temporarily glued onto the face, neck, shoulders and breasts, they were adored by the court and satirized by their critics.

In Bulwer's Artificial Changeling from 1653, the author complains: " Our ladies have lately entertained a vain custom of spotting their faces, out of an affectation of a mole, to set off their beauty, such as Venus had; and it is well if one black patch will serve to make their faces remarkable, for some fill their visages full of them, varied into all manner of shapes."

Her patches are of every cut

For pimples or for scars

Here’s all the wandering planet’s signs

And some of the fixed stars

Already gummed to make them stick

They need no other sky.

Anonymous, 18th century.

These beauty patches would be contained in what is known as a "boite-ii-rouge-et-a-mouches" a French term for a patch box. Despite their size, patch boxes would sit upon the vanity or dressing table rather than carried to say the opera or a ball, unless traveling. Patch boxes were often given as gifts and special love tokens. There are so many styles of patch boxes it is nearly impossible to describe all of the designs. Boxes were made up of glass, pewter, silver, gold, wood, My favorites are the ones made up of enameled copper, Germany, France and Britain all made similar looking patch boxes. The English boxes generally had a small tin mirror affixed inside the lid, these are known as Staffordshire enamels and were also used as snuff boxes. I have owned two different Staffordshire enamel boxes, both dated to the late 1700s. Today you can still find the exquisite antique boxes thru auctions or individual websites. For those who are looking for a contemporary alternative, Staffordshire enameled boxes are made by Crummels and Halcyon Days.

The mouches were considered to be the height of fashion. Mouches were worn to prevent toothaches and headaches but they had become stylish for their optical effect, to make the skin appear whiter. The French and English were main wearer's of the beauty marks, but Russian court wore them and called them mushka after the French mouche. People wore as little as one to three patches at a time, and there are others who wore as many as ten at a time. Some were placed to direct attention to dimple or smile.

Glapthorne writes in 1640:

If it be a lover's part you are to act,

take a black spot or two;

twill make your face more amorous,

and appear more gracious in your mistress's eyes.

The usage of the mouches was already known to the 17th century, and was the object of a well precise language, much like the language of fans or flowers, it is at the 18th century that they will become the symbols of the costume. Women used their beauty patches to convey a secret message. Madame Du Barry, a courtesan of Louis XV, apparently defined the meaning of the placement as so: 

They carried all of the names:

• Close to the eye, she names herself provocative or fascinated.
• On the corner mouth, this is the lover and kissable.
• Above the lip, she is  flirty.
• Under the lip, she becomes mischievous or flirty.
• On the nose, sassy, impudent or strapping.
• On the forehead, the majestic or haughty
• On the cheek, this is the gallant or flirty one.
• On a wrinkle or laugh line, she is cheerful and playful
• On the chest, this is the generous one.
• On a button, the receiver.
• Or well on the chin, would not at all this be the discreet one?

By the mid 1800s, patches began to lose favor, they were no longer worn, but their boxes were still being produced. More recently, several companies revived this old fashioned beauty secret. Places like Caswell Massey and Sephora carried them. About a dozen black silk cut outs that you lick & and apply to your skin. Little figurals included spades, stars, crescent moons, hearts, and even tiny flies, a nod to mouche. You can get beauty patches from www.seasidesisters.co.uk

Superb 18th C German Enamel antique Table Snuff box with interior painting of a woman with a patch box. Approx. 2 by 2 1/2 by 3 3/4 inches. Exterior is beautifully decorated with Raised scroll and floral sprays. Interior painting is exquisite. Seated Woman in ermine trimmed gown with a patch box in her hand and a newly applied patch at her cheek. Her hair is beautifully coifed with pearl hair ornament and earrings. Photo courtesy of Virtu. Here is a link to their patch and snuff boxes, vanity boxes and cases so you can get a better idea of the variety of types that were manufactured. http://shopvirtu.com/Products.asp?ProductCategoryID=10