Recently I got to thinking about skin and sweat and stickiness and then showers and baths and soap and…ah…sweet! How could Inot think about it with all this miserable Washington, D.C., heat? Some further thoughts on the importance of our skin are brought to you this week from Youth, Sex, and Life, written by Gladys Cox. […]
Don’t Sit with Clasped Hands
I stumbled across this little jem when paging through Margery Wilson’s The Woman You Want to Be, a book about charm. I really, truly, had no idea that sitting with clasped hands was a no-no. You learn something new every day! 1942: Don’t Sit with Clasped Hands Never sit hour after hour and day after day […]
My Boyfriend Has B.O.!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I really hope you can help me, because this is driving me up the wall. My boyfriend, who I love very much, has no idea of personal hygiene. He stinks, yet isn’t bothered by it. How can I kindly persuade him to wash before my nose runs away? Signed, Lydia A […]
Cosmetic Illusions
Recently, I wandered into one of those shops in the mall filled with smelly soaps, vanilla-flavored shampoos, and gift baskets for the bath. Before I knew it, thirty dollars had been charged to my credit card, and I was the bewildered owner of foot care products unknown to me before that day. I feel particularly […]
How Well Are You Groomed?
This selection comes from a fabulous home economics book sent to me by my friend Helen in Kansas. She searched the region for an addition to Miss Abigail’s collection, and I must say she found the perfect text. 1936: How Well Are You Groomed? Following are some questions to be considered in judging whether or […]
Those Plucky Eyebrows
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I have a lot of hair on my eyebrows; they connect like one big eyebrow. I have been teased ~ not all the time, but you can definitely notice them. Should I pluck them to make them two separate brows? I really would appreciate your help! Signed, Casey A Dear Casey: […]
Eye Exercises
My eyes, my eyes, my aching eyes. This week has been particularly tiresome on them for some reason, so I did a bit of reading to help those babies out. The following tips are from Helena Rubinstein’s The Art of Feminine Beauty. I don’t know about you, but I feel better already. 1930: Eye Exercises Either […]
Mirrors
Helena Rubinstein, in the foreword to her book entitled The Art of Feminine Beauty wrote: I like to look forward half a century and imagine a world ~ and this dream is not beyond the realm of the possible ~ where every woman will rejoice in the possession of beauty . . . grace and mobility […]
Cosmetics and Cheerfulness
Oh, you don’t know how pleased I am to have found this week’s selection. In my many books on beauty and health, this is the first I’ve seen that has discussed the merits of NOT wearing makeup. As one who must have skipped the “how to apply cosmetics” lesson in junior high (and never figured […]
Useless Tensions and Busy Girls Don’t Mix!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I have this really difficult boyfriend. I am involved in a lot of different things at school and sometimes I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands. I also have a job. My boyfriend is always complaining that I never spend enough time with him. I also have […]