In the last issue of the magazine, we talked a little about the famous courtesan of the 19th century, who was loved by kings, great writers and brilliant musicians … She managed to do so much that she seems to have lived a long life. No, no! Lola Montes died at forty … She was the first feminist - brave, educated and witty. The beloved of Dumas the father, F. Liszt and King Ludwig I of Bavaria, wrote a wonderful book. We will talk about the book in more detail today …
When this bestseller conquered Europe, the author was already in the United States, where Lola fled, persecuted for her scandalous nature and fleeing charges of double marriage. Yes, she was quarrelsome, strove to tell fools the truth in the face - even if they were high-ranking or crowned fools! Of course, in a new place, the scandalous beauty was in dire need of money and began to earn a living by lecturing on social and political topics. And her earnings often exceeded the fees of Charles Dickens himself, who visited the United States with lectures in 1867-1868! Her lectures on the secrets of beauty were especially popular, so a book called “The Art of Beauty, or the Secrets of Women's Dressing, with Tips for Charming Gentlemen” was soon published.
THREE COMPONENTS OF BEAUTY
According to Lola Montes, the secret of female beauty consists of three components: exercise, restraint and purity. If you do not know that the book was written in the middle of the 19th century, you might think that these are the recommendations of a modern specialist in a healthy lifestyle.
Physical exercises. Lola believed that in order to improve her beauty, a woman must first of all be healthy. In her book, she recommended vigorous physical exercise and always in the fresh air.
Abstinence. Lola also knew that excesses in food, violent libations and lack of sleep affect health and appearance: “Young lady, be she beautiful like Hebe (the goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera. - Ed.) And charming like Venus herself, maybe soon destroy all your charm and beauty, if you indulge in fun tirelessly and sleep little."
Purity. "Frequent use of a cool bath is the best cosmetic product I can recommend to my readers …" “With the help of such ablutions, minor bodily impurities are easily removed, the skin is cleansed; while the surface of the body is preserved in its pristine beauty, many diseases are prevented."
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HOME COSMETICS
In her book, Lola shares homemade beauty recipes. In the middle of the XIX century. industrial cosmetics appeared in Europe. However, the author of the book warned her readers against using ready-made creams because of the dangerous chemicals they contained. And she recommended that women themselves prepare face masks, tooth powder, breast augmentation products and even lipstick for hands.
Facial cleanser
To lighten the skin: “Take equal parts melon, pumpkin and cucumber seeds and grind into a powder, dilute with a little fresh cream, add enough milk to make the mixture a liquid paste. Add a little bit of musk and a few drops of lemon oil. Apply the prepared mixture to your face and leave for 20-30 minutes, or overnight if convenient. Then wash off with warm water. It perfectly cleanses and brightens the skin of the face. This recipe was very popular among French women in the 19th century.
Breast augmentation agent
Lola also had a recipe for those who were unhappy with the size of their bust. Mix ½ ounce of myrtle tincture, 4 ounces of sparrow's tincture, 4 ounces of elderberry tincture, 1 gram of musk, and 6 ounces of refined (rectified) wine alcohol. With the resulting product, lubricate the breast 2-3 times a day, leaving for 5-10 minutes.
Dentifrice
“There is no need to remind a lady that clean and white teeth are an integral part of beauty. A lady who neglects to rinse her mouth after eating not only loses the natural whiteness of her teeth, but also gives herself over to the vice of dirty breath. The best dental powder I know is 6 ounces of refined and ground chalk, an ounce of cassia powder, and an ounce of ground violet root. Mix all ingredients and brush with a stiff toothbrush once a day."
Lipstick for hands
What is the point of having a beautiful face if your hands are ugly and give away your age? Lola had a recipe for "saving" hands. “French and Spanish women - at least those who seek to use their full arsenal of charm - have a habit of sleeping with gloves coated with a lipstick-like compound on the inside to give their hands a graceful look and feel. Lipstick is usually made from the following ingredients: half a pound of mild soap, a quarter pint of minced lettuce, an ounce of lamb fat, melted. Mix the ingredients and boil until the mixture is smooth. Cool the lipstick until warm, then add a quarter pint of alcohol and a drop of musk."
These are just a few of the recipes from Lola Montes's book The Art of Beauty, or the Secrets of Women's Dressing. The book was a huge success. It was published by a New York publishing house and sold 60,000 copies in the first months! In our time (after 1970) "The Art of Beauty" was reprinted twice in the USA. Lola Montes' bestseller has been published by French, British and Canadian publishers, and has also been translated into other languages.
RULES FOR GENTLEMEN
Undoubtedly, the personality of the author himself played a big role in the popularity of the book. Indeed, this courtesan who drove men crazy undoubtedly possessed the professional secrets of seduction. By the way, in her book, Lola gave 50 ironic "recommendations for gentlemen" who want to win a woman's heart. Here are just a few of them.
Rule one. To fall in love with a woman, a man must act as stupid as possible. Then success will be swift and triumphant.
The second rule. A young man will have great success with women if he feigns admiration for more than one particular woman, but claims to love and adore all women; this he can easily achieve by steadily and shamelessly examining all the women he meets.
Third rule. A man should boast that there is no higher ambition in his life than to please women.
Rule four. A man should appear pampered by adding a sugary lisp to his speech. This is a great way to charm women. You can only talk about balls, parties, fashion and opera.
The fifth rule. A man is obliged to wear a lot of jewelry. If he does not have his own, then you need to borrow or get them in some other way.
Rule six. Remember that a coward has never conquered a beautiful lady, so a gentleman must push with his courtship with the determination and fury of an army of soldiers storming the fortress.
Lola Montes has always lived on a grand scale. Her lecture fees and book sales did not cover her expenses. She had to move to a poor neighborhood in New York called Hell's Kitchen. Lola apparently felt that she would soon die. She became an active defender of the "fallen girls" and became a true Christian. The demonic beauty died in 1861, just a month before her 40th birthday: she suffered several strokes, and before Christmas she fell ill with pneumonia, from which she died three weeks later. They buried her in Brooklyn, at the Green Wood cemetery.
Anastasia GROSS (USA)