In England—as once in America—the tinted fingernail controversy is raging. To tint, or not to tint, is the question. The women who have so far shown a tendency to copy their American sisters, and lacquer their nails, say "Yes." Some men say "No."
Proponents of tinted nails point cut, of course, that the practice was followed as long as 3,000 years ago by Chinese mandarins, who gilded their nails to show their exalted station in life. Indian potentates painted the nails of their elephants and of their favourite wives.
Cleopatra and wie ladies of Egypt ore said to have stained their toenails, and although the occupants of Eəst Indian seraglios may not actually heve applied paint to their toes, they certainly indulged in pedicures and used perfumed oils on their feet.
Egyptian women also plucked their eyebrows and used kohl—which corresponds to modern mastara—to darken them. They are known to have used beauty preparations made of milk and marrow and perfumed oils. Many of these were undoubtedly used to improve the texture of the skin. They may be likened to the cleansing tissue and nourishing creams of today.
That cosmetic arts were practised widely in China as early as 232 to 300 A. D. is suggested by the inscription under a painting from that time in which a woman is shown applying paint to her lips while her maid arranges her hair, It says, "Men and women know how to adorn their faces, but there is no-one who knows how to adorn his soul..."
Even Helen of Troy is said to have used a curling stick to fluff out her Fair, and ointment to make her skin soft. More recently, Queen Elizabeth was a great patron of the arts of beauty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.