Note 162 — Chapter XI · COSMETICS, ETC.

This making up of complexions was an art, and would not bear trifling with. 'Madam, who dress'd you? Here's this Tooth set in the wrong way, and your Face so besmear'd! What Complection do you use? This is worse than they daub Sign posts with; I never saw any thing so frightful.'[162] Naturally, with such an ingredient as white lead in their composition, these wash balls were injurious to the skin—vide a letter in Spectator, No. 41. 'Her skin is so tarnished with this Practice, that when she first wakes in a Morning, she scarce seems young enough to be the Mother of her whom I carried to bed the night before.' No wonder, for they used carmine, French red, Portuguese dishes, Spanish wool and papers, Chinese wool, and they had, also, pretty little lacquered boxes of paints for the toilette sent over from China. There was a wonderful 'bloom' advertised, 'The famous Bavarian Red Liquor, which gives such a blushing Colour to the Cheeks of those that are white or pale, that it is not to be distinguished from a natural fine Complection, nor perceived to be Artificial by the nearest Friend, is nothing of Paint, or in the least hurtful, but good in many Cases to be taken inwardly; it renders the Face delightfully handsome and beautiful, is not subject to be rub'd off like Paint, therefore cannot be discovered by any one.' There were also pearl and bismuth powders for the face.