Or boil ounce of clean Irish moss in 1 quart of water until it thickens; add 4 ounces of 95 per cent alcohol as a preservative.
Or boil ounce of quince seed un til it thickens. Strain through a piece of cheese cloth, put in a double boiler; add 1 pint of soft water, bring to a boil, and stir in 1 table spoonful of linseed oil. Let boil 5 minutes, remove, and add 10 drops of the oil of bitter almonds or other essential oil to perfume.
Brilliantine. — These preparations are employed to give luster to the hair and beard when the natural oils are deficient or are temporarily re moved by shampooing.
Put in a glass bottle 2 ounces of alcohol, 1 ounce of pure honey, and ounce of glycerin. Shake well and perfume with any of the essential oils or essences.
Or dissolve ounce of castor oil in 2 ounces of cologne. Or mix equal parts of cologne and glycerin. Or dissolve 1 ounce of honey and 2 ounces of alcohol.
Or put in a glass bottle 6 ounces of castor oil; add 2 ounces of 95 per cent alcohol, and is ounce of am monia. Shake well and perfume with any essential oil according to taste. This is the celebrated French " lustral." Compounding Brilliantine and Bandoline.—Such substances as gum tragacanth, quince seed, isinglass, and Irish moss may be dissolved by boiling in hot water until sufficiently thick. They should be allowed to stand on the dregs from twenty four to forty-eight hours, squeezed through a coarse linen cloth, melted, and perfumed after cooling but be fore they have finally set. Boil lin
seed oil in water for five or six min utes. Perfume when cool.
Melt Burgundy pitch with white wax, cool slightly, mix in the spirits, replace on the fire, and bring to a boil. Remove, and strain through linen.
Eyebrows and Eyelashes.—In gen eral the less attention paid to these features the better. The practice of attempting to deepen the color of the eyes by darkening the lids or lashes is a dangerous one, and many of the preparations advertised for sale for this purpose contain lead or other poisonous ingredients. Any preparation which is good for the hair is also good for the eyebrows and may be applied to them at the same time.
A simple lotion consists of sulphate of quinine, 5 grains; alcohol, 1 ounce. Preparations containing cantharides are also of assistance.
Clipping the eyelashes is, on the whole, a dangerous practice, as it tends to thicken them and cause them to become stiff like bristles. The presence of superfluous hairs causing the eyebrows to run together calls for remedies given elsewhere.
A stick of India ink is perhaps the best method of darkening the eye lashes if that is thought desirable.
Or burnt cork is sometimes em ployed.
Or cloves charred to a crisp in an open flame.