Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/196

 BEAUTY 174 cuticle cream for softening the edges of the skin round the nail and making more easy the process of polishing. To heighten the delicate shell-pink in the centre of the nail these powders and creams are tinted, and there is also a special form of rose enamel which gives to the nails a brilliant finish and polish, although in this country extreme smoothness is more admired than a very brilliant gloss. A bleaching fluid should always be kept handy in case of discolourations on the nails. The polisher, the use of which completes the operation of manicure, should be provided with leather of the best quality. Beak'shaped nail cutter Polishers are obtainable from is. upwards, and there is a special perfumed variety sold for 3s. 6d. How to Proceed Before the operation of manicure is begun the hands should be carefully cleansed in hot water, well lathered with a good mani- cure soap, and the nails brushed with a moderately soft nail brush. After washing, the hands should be care- fully dried, and, while they are yet soft, the nails cut and the cuticle carefully trimmed. A rounded shape should be maintained, and the nails should not be cut too short. The very sharply pointed shape is merely a cult of fashion faddists. However, it is not attractive, and should be carefully avoided. After cutting, the edges of the nails can be smoothed with emery boards or a file, the ^jt^'^i ly^^mTTpr^ (,,,„, , I, fTjjj^jTmiSi^ File skin all round pushed back with the nail trimmer in such a way as to show the shape of the nails and of the half-moon at their base. Next, with the aid of the cuticle knife or scissors, all ragged pieces of skin and nail should be carefully trimmed, and the nails will then be ready to be polished. Whether a cream or a powder is used for this purpose only a very small quantity should be placed on each nail. This should be rubbed in Nail trimmers with the finger-tips, and briskly polished with the polisher until the desired gloss has been imparted to the nail. If, however, powder is used, care should be taken to brush it well out of the corners of the nail afterwards with the powder brush. The nails also can be polished with the aid of a nail stone, and to do this it is necessary to moisten the palm of the hand, rub the stone upon it, let it dry, and then to rub the nails briskly across the palm. Afterwards, if necessary, the nails can be lightly rubbed with leather so as to give a finish. A small quantity of nail cream rubbed into the finger from the first joint to the tip helps to impart that healthy rosy appearance to the skin, and, in addition, accentuates the brightness of the nails. The nails, under all circumstances, should be attended to carefully every day, and this can be done very easily, for manicure can be learnt quite quickly, and, after a little practice, the operation becomes very simple, and takes only a very short time. Polishins: Powders There are many varieties of polishing powders and creams for the nails, the in- gredients used in making these preparations being practically the same. Oleate of bismuth or oleate of tin and putty powder form the basis of most of the creams and powders made for this purpose. Not only does such a composition impart to the nails a brilliant lustre, but it is of great utility in diseases of the nail, and overcomes brittleness. Nail stones contain a proportion of wax in addition to the other ingredients men- tioned, and the nail stone is perhaps one of the simplest and quickest poUshers. The gloss is retained The naii.polishing pad for days, and, after washing, the nails only need to be rubbed with the palm of the hand. Nail stones are inexpensive, but not so easily made at home as are some of the powders and creams. For instance, putty powder, liquid cochineal, and a little bay- rhum and glycerine lotion is easily made into an excellent nail paste ; while a good powder is prepared by mixing oleate of tin and powdered pumice-stone, adding perfume to suit individual taste. Lavender and otto of roses are generally used in manicure preparations. Powder polishes are generally preferred, and these are most useful in boxes or bottles with sprinkler tops, so that the powder is easily placed on the chamois polishing leather. Although, after polishing, nail varnishes are often used, they are hardly necessary ; it is generally sufficient to touch the nails with a little toilet cream. Nail Bleach Nail bleaches are composed of dilute acids, perfumed, with sometimes a little tincture of myrrh. To whiten the nails dip the tips of the fingers in the lotion after washing, and polish with chamois. When any of these preparations are made at home, care should be exercised in getting the right proportions for small quantities. To te continued.