The Art of Beauty~ Ovid

"Prolonging our charms" with a little help from the Ancients. Well worth a read for the recipes it contains and also for the timeless wisdom that a cheerful countenance is the most beautiful of all...
The recipes contain ingredients commonly used in cosmetic preparations such as honey, egg white, frankincense and spelt(wheat germ oil?).  Other ingredients include hartshorn(the horns, or antlers, of the male red deer), narcissus bulb, vetch and lupine... a quick search on narcissus tells me that an extract of the bulb is being used in anti-aging preparations. I can't find anything on the use of deer antler in cosmetic preparations...!
Gosh, I wish I had some servants to assist me at my toilet! Then I could lay the blame elsewhere...:)


From "The Toilet and Cosmetic Arts in Ancient and Modern Times", by Arnold James Cooley, 1866:


"The fashionable ladies of Rome carried artificial styles of dress and ornament to an excess which has no parallel in modern times. They spent large sums of money and a considerable portion of their time in the articles and operations of their toilet, and particularly in their baths, as hereafter noticed.* Lengthy descriptions of the details connected with them have been given by several ancient authors, which exhibit a degree of folly, vanity, and voluptuousness, scarcely compatible with the commonly-received opinion of the Roman character. Among the higher classes each department of the toilet had its particular operations. Each portion of the body, even each limb, separately commanded attention; and to every one of these duties was assigned a separate servant or slave. The capriciousness of the female taste and temper were, perhaps, never exhibited in a more unfavourable light than in the person of a Roman lady of distinction and fashion at her toilet."


                                                                                                   The Art of Beauty~ Ovid

Relief of Roman woman at her morning toilette

Once more, if fair, attend your master's song 

And learn what method will your charms prolong;

What happy art best recommends the race;
What heightens beauty; what preserves a grace. Art improves nature ; 'twas by art we found The vast advantage of the furrow'd ground; The soil raanur'd, a fruitful harvest bore,
Where thorns and hungry brambles grew before;
By art the gard'ner grafts his trees, to bear
A kinder fruit, and recompense his care. 10
A gilded roof delights our captive eyes,
And stately monuments the sight surprise, The sordid earth beneath the polis'd marble lies. The fleece may be with royal purple dy'd,
And India precious ivory provide,
To please your fancies, and supply your pride,

When Tatis rul'd the ancient Sabine race, Then, rough, and careless of a handsome face, The women took more pains to earn their bread
At plough and cart, than how to dress their head;
All day their task the busy matrons ply'd,
Or spinning sat, as to their distalfs ty'd. The mother then at night would fold the sheep
Her little daughter us'd by day to keep:
And, when at home, would cleave out logs of wood,
Or kindle up a tire to boil their food.

But you, by nature form'd in finer moulds,

 Must wrap your tender limbs in silken folds;

 Wear lawns and tissue, sleep in damask bet .,,

 And with gay knots and wires adorn your heads,

Your cars with pendents, lockets on your arms,
Besides a thousand other nameless charms;
Nor need this care to please a blush create : The men themselves have learn'd to dress of late.
You are not now particular in clothes, The husband and the bridegroom both are beaux,
Dress then, (and 'tis no sin to dress with art,)
For that's the way to wound the lover's heart.

Ev'n those that live remote in country town
Will dress their hair with flow'rs, and daisy crowns.
And deck and prank themselves to please the clowns.
Besides, all women take a secret pride
In being fine, (or else they are bely'd;)
For when the concious maid her glass explores,
And finds she's handsome, she herself adores.
Thus Juno's bird with silent pride will raise praise.
And spread his starry plumes, when e'er he meets with

This method will oblige our sex to love, 

And more that magic herbs their passion move.

 Trust not to philters, all such stuns forbear, 

 Nor try the venom of the lustful mare; 

'Tis all a jest—no snakes by such a force Enchanted burst,

 no rivers change their course:

 Nor can they make the moon from heaven descend

 Whate'er some superstitious fools pretend.

First learn good breeding, that I first advise; 

Good carriage oft the other wants supplies.

 For when ill-natur'd age shall rudely plough Injurious furrows on your wrinkl'd brow, 

You then perhaps may chide the tell-tale glass, 

 That shows the frightful ruins of your face:

 But if good humour to the last remain, 

Ev'en age may please, and love his force retain.

 Now on, my muse; and tell them, when they raife, 

When downy sleep forsakes their tender eyes,

 Mow they may look as fair as morning skies. 

Vetches and beaten barley let them take,

 And with the whites of eggs a mixture make, 

Then dry the precious paste with sun and wind,

 And into powder very gently grinds.

 Get hartshorn next, (but let it bethe first That creature sheds,)

 and beat it well to dust.

Six pounds in all; then mix and sift them well,
Aud think the while how fond Narcissus fell;
Six roots to you that pensive flower must yield, [peel'd.
To mingle with the rest, well bruis'd, and cleanly
Two ounces next of gum and thural seed,
That for the gracious gods does incense breed,
And let a double share of honey last succeed.
With this whatever damsel paints her face,
Will need no flatt'ring glass to show a grace.

Nor fear to break the lupine shell in vain,
Take out the seeds, then close it up again,
But do it quick, and grind both shell and grain.
Six pounds of each; take finest ceruse next,
With fleur-de-lis, and snow of nitre mix'd:
These let some brawny beater strongly pound
That makes the mortar with loud strokes resound,
Till just an ounce the composition's found.
Add next the froth of which the Halcyon builds
Her floating nest: a precious balm it yields,
That clears the face from freckles in a trice: Of this about three ounces may suffice.
But ere you use it, rob the lab'ring bee,
To fix the mass, and make the parts agree.
Then add your nitre, but with special care,
And take of frankincense an equal share :
Though frankincense the angry gods appease,
We must not waste it all their luxury to please.
To this put a small quantity of gum,
With so much myrrh as may the rest perfume.
Let these, well beat, be through a searce refin'd,
And see you keep the honey ail behind.

A handful too of well dry'd rose-leaves take,

 With frankincense and sal ammoniac; 

Of frankincense a double portion use; 

Then into these the oil of malt infuse.

 Thus in short time a rosy blush will grace, 

And with a thousand charms supply the face;

 Some too, in water, leaves of poppies bruise, 

And spread upon their cheeks the purple juice.