“Oh, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem,
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem,
For that sweet odor which doth in it live.”
—Shakespeare
The odor of perfume should be ever so slight
Women love delicate perfumes as they do silk stockings and violets.
The true gentlewoman never uses strong perfumes, yet her hats and
clothing and handkerchiefs always send forth a faint scent of fragrant
flowers. The odor is so very slight that it does not suggest the
dashing on of perfume, but, instead, bespeaks scrupulous cleanliness of body and garments, with perhaps an added suggestion of the soft winds that blow over a clover field.
There is a secret about it all, and such a simple one! It is merely
choosing one particular odor and using it in every possible way. There
is nothing sweeter than violet perfume, so suppose I illustrate with
that?
There is nothing better than the pure white castile. The
odor of this, disliked by some, can be entirely done away with by using
a little violet toilet water in the bath and touching the ear lobes
with it afterward.
A few drops of essence of violet will scent your face powder, if it is not already perfumed, and bath bags of orris—and other good things—will add to your galaxy of sweet odors. If you use creme marquise or any of the other
delightful cosmetics told about in our beauty book, add a little
essence of violets to them while they are being mixed. Putting it all
in a nutshell: Simply choose your favorite perfume and carry it out in
every detail. For those who are fond of violet I will give the
following recipes:
Creme de la Violettes
- Place in a porcelain kettle- one ounce each of white wax and spermaceti, cut in fine shavings.
- When melted add to this five ounces oil of sweet almonds and heat, but do not let boil.
- Remove from fire and pour in quickly one and one-half ounces of rose-water in which ten grains of borax has been dissolved. Beat briskly.
- When beginning to thicken, add one-half teaspoonful essence of violets.
- When nearly cold put in little jars. Use as cold cream or any general face cosmetic.
- It is more effective when applied at night, just after the face is bathed in warm water and while the flesh is pink and moist.
Perfume—Violettes de Bois
- Essence of violets, five ounces
- Essence of acacia, one ounce
- Essence of rose, one ounce
- Extract of iris root, one ounce
Oil of bitter almonds, five drops
Violet Lotion
- Alcohol, four ounces
- Ammonia, one ounce
- Essence of violets, one dram
Add one teaspoonful of this to a bowl of water when bathing the face, neck and arms. Hard water is the cause of many bad complexions, and this will remedy that particular trouble of the beauty-seeker.
Poudre de Vicomtesse
- Talcum powder, seven and one-half ounces
- Finest starch, one and one-fourth ounces
- Powdered orris root, one and one-fourth ounces
- Oil of orris, ten drops
Violet Bath Bags
- Two pounds of finely ground oatmeal
- Three ounces of almond flour
- One cake of best white castile soap, shaved fine
- One-quarter pound powdered orris root
Take one yard of cheese cloth and make it into little bags about four inches square and fill with the mixture. These will make a soft white lather, and afterward the face, neck and arms should be rinsed in water containing a few drops of benzoin. Larger bags can be made for the regular bath.
Violet Sachet
- Black currant leaves, powdered, one-fourth pound
- Rose leaves, one-fourth pound
- Cassia buds, one-eighth pound
- Orris, ground, one-half pound
- Gum benzoin, one-eighth pound
- Grain musk, powdered, one-fourth dram
Mix thoroughly and let stand for one week.
Violet Toilet Water
- Essence of violet, one and three-fourth ounces
- Essence of rose, one-half ounce
- Essence of cassie, one-half ounce
- Alcohol, 14 ounces
Essence de Fleur d’Oranges
- One-half ounce pure neroli
- One pint alcohol
- One ounce essence of jonquille
Violet Sachet Powder
- Eight ounces of orris root
- Five drops oil of bergamot
- Three drops oil of bitter almonds
- Four drops oil of rose
- One fluid dram tincture of musk
Mix thoroughly
Lavender Sachet Powder
- One pound powdered lavender
- One-quarter pound gum benzoin (powdered)
- Six ounces oil of lavender
Mix.
Heliotrope Sachet Powder
- One-quarter pound rose leaves
- Two ounces tonquin, ground fine
- One-quarter pound pulverized orris root
- One ounce vanilla (powdered).
- One-half grain musk
- Two drops oil of almonds
Mix by fluffing through a sieve.