CARE OF THE NAILS

Categories: Beauty

It is a luxury to have one's nails done by a manicure,
and if one can not afford this, always, it is profitable to have it done a

few times and carefully observe the process, because the nails are a very

important part of the care of the hands.



Finger Nail Powder, Old Tried Remedy for--



"Violet Talcum Powder 1/2 ounce

Pulverized Boric Acid 1/2 ounce

Powdered Starch 1/2 ounce

Tincture of Carmine 15 drops



If the nails become hard or brittle, immerse them in warm olive oil every

night or rub vaselin into them."





IMPLEMENTS. The tools required are a pair of manicure scissors, which

have small curved blades; get a good pair of steel scissors, the silver

are not so good; a package of emery boards, an orange-wood stick, a

flexible nail file, a small bottle of peroxide of hydrogen for bleaching,

a bit of pumice stone, a cake of polishing powder, a chamois covered

"buffer" and a box of rosaline or other paste.





THE PROCESS. The nails are to be shortened by filing, as cutting thickens

them. The orange-wood stick is then dipped in peroxide and run under the

nail to bleach, then the pumice stone, powdered, is used in the same way

to cleanse. During this the left hand is soaking in tepid, soapy water. Of

course, if you do your own manicuring you will go on with the right hand,

waiting while the cuticle at the base of the nail softens. This is then

anointed with a little cold cream or vaselin; the cuticle is loosened and

trimmed if necessary,--do not trim if you can avoid it, as cutting

thickens it. When both hands have been thus treated, they are again soaked

a few minutes, then a little of the rosaline paste--a very little--is put

on each nail, the buffer dipped in the polishing powder and the nails

polished. The hands are then washed, rubbed dry, and the fingers gone over

a second time in search of roughness of nail or cuticle; they are then

polished again with a clean buffer, and may be sprayed with perfume from

an atomizer.