Beautifying As A Business.

From figures supplied by the Washington Bureau of the Census of Manufacturers, it is estimated that for 1929 in the United States £100 millions represented the amount spent on perfumes, cosmestics and other toilet preparations manufactured in that country. There were thus, in the United States, a million women with an average annual expenditure of something like £100 on these things and the service associated with them. H. G. Wells points out that an average well-to-do woman goes now to the beauty parlour for massage at least once a week, and there, according to her physical condition, she has electric treatment or rubbing with creams, the application of hot and cold lotions; she has her face put under a “mask,” an affair of beaten-up eggs and other ingredients which tightens on the face; she has it covered and rubbed with ice. Then her eyebrows must be made to a fashionable form, and there must be treatment for any casual hair. Her neck must remain round and youthful; it must be treated for sagging, and her hair, even if it does not need to be dyed, must be washed, marcelled or water-waved and rubbed with a tonic. Good hair tonics are especially expensive. Once a week at least the hands must be manicured, and generally the nails are coloured as well as polished. A little pedicure may come in here. Few people can be trusted to cut and arrange their own toe-nails well.

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In New Zealand the number who can afford either the time or the money for this weekly and fortnightly treatment is relatively small. In all the principal towns and in most of the provincial centres there are at present modern beauty parlours, and every woman should try now and then to have a good “freshen up” at one of these places. The effect on one's appearance is sometimes truly wonderful, and the stimulating result is often as good as a holiday; and certainly the diversion from some other less satisfying means of using up one's spare pocket money is usually well rewarded.

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At the beauty parlour you will also be given advice regarding scents, bath salts, lotions, eau-de-Cologne and perfumed soaps. This is likely to be far more satisfying than trying out matters of this sort for yourself without any expert advice. It has to be remembered that the main object of all beautifying is to make yourself more pleasing to those with whom you live and associate. If this is clearly in mind, then the charge of vanity may well be disregarded. A good appearance is helpful to one's own peace of mind, which is the starting point for happy relations with one's friends.