Sunday, September 30, 2012

Lina says "don't"

Beauty don'ts from "My Secrets of Beauty", by Lina Cavalieri, 1914. Lina was an Italian operatic soprano, world renowned for her beauty. Good advice never changes, this is a perfect example~




Don't eat too much.
Don't chew the lips.
Don't bite the nails.
Don't sit on your foot.
Don't eat many sweets.
Don't read in a dim light.
Don't bathe in a cold room.
Don't neglect a daily outing.
Don't read or write facing a light.
Don't sleep in ill-ventilated rooms. 


Don't read when the eyes are tired.
Don't read or write on a moving train.
Don't open the eyes upon a bright light.
Don't stand with the shoulders forward.
Don't stand with the abdomen thrust out.
Don't let your hands or feet remain cold.
Don't make faces when you talk or listen. 
Don't drink much wine. The less the better. 
Don't neglect to bathe your feet every night.
Don't sit on the last three bones of your spine.


Don't be afraid to yawn or stretch when alone. 
Don't thrust the hips far backward as you walk. 
Don't sit with one shoulder higher than the other.
Don't stand with one hip higher than the other.
Don't fail to sleep as many hours as you require.
Don't wear too light weight clothing in winter. 
Don't sleep in a room crowded with draperies and rugs. 
Don't forget to visit your dentist once every three months.
Don't let the chin bury itself in the neck. Keep it high.
Don't wear tight shoes or tight gloves or tight corsets.


Don't brush or comb the hair roughly. The scalp is tender.
Don't go into the outer air directly after washing the face.
Don't be afraid of rain or snow. They are tonics and beautifiers.
Don't be discontented. Discontent engraves ugly lines in the face.
Don't fall asleep with the features drawn in anger, worry or fatigue.
Don't forget that the warm bath is a sedative; the cool bath a stimulant.
Don't use every new cosmetic you see advertised or hear recommended.
Don't wear clothing so heavy that its weight drags upon the vital organs.
Don't dwell upon unpleasant things. Dismiss them if you value your beauty.
Don't allow the skin to grow dry. A dry skin is the parent of many wrinkles.


Don't rest upon large pillows. They cause round shoulders and double chins.
Don't lie down for rest with your nerves and muscles tied in small, hard knots.
Don't forget that the reclining posture is a storehouse of strength and beauty.
Don't let the muscles grow flabby. Firm muscles give the appearance of youth.
Don't lead a too regular life. A varied programme is better than an unvarying one.
Don't keep your rooms either too hot or cold, but at an even, moderate temperature.
Don't be afraid to work, and to work hard. It is only worry mingled with work that kills.
Don't allow yourself to become ill. Every illness subtracts from vitality and adds to apparent age.
Don't think that when you have brushed your hair your duty to your head is done. The scalp must be massaged.
Don't wriggle the feet or fingers or hunch the shoulders. Find other and less ugly outlets for your nervous energy.


Don't moisten the lips with the tongue to make them red. It will only cause them to roughen and chap.
Don't forget that the eye bath, the nasal douche and the mouth bath are part of the daily ceremonial of cleanliness.
Don't forget for one moment that health is the basis of beauty. And build your beauty upon that only sure foundation.
Don't neglect the protection for your skin when you go out or the care for it when you come in from out of doors.
Don't think that to keep the teeth beautiful they must be continually brushed. After the daily brushing remember the mouth bath.
Don't think you are ever too tired for the night toilet. The face must always be washed and cold creamed at night if you value your complexion.
Don't, especially if you are slenderly built, permit the shoulders and chest to sink. If you are too tired to hold them up take a nap, or at least recline for a time.


2 comments:

  1. I love this. I plan to take all of this into consideration. Especially the part where she says to take naps.

    ReplyDelete