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Hairdressing Both for Men and Women: Irish

Bandoline. These preparations are employed to adjust the hair and keep it in place. Hence they are based upon substances which have a slightly adhesive character, including gum tragacanth, paste of quince seed, isinglass, Irish moss, and the like.

Bring to a boil in a double boiler pint of soft or distilled water; stir in 1 tablespoonful of cold-drawn linseed oil, and boil for 5 minutes. Let cool, add any desired perfume, and put in a glass fruit jar until required for use.

Or place in a quart fruit jar 1½ ounces of gum tragacanth, and add 1 quart of rose water. Let stand 2 or 3 days, shaking frequently, and squeeze through a coarse white linen cloth. Let stand 2 or 3 days more and repeat. Finally add 10 or 12 drops of attar of rose, and tint with an infusion of alkanet wood, cochineal, or other red coloring matter. Or boil ounce of clean Irish moss in 1 quart of water until it thickens; add 4 ounces of 95 per cent alcohol as a preservative.

Or boil ounce of quince seed until it thickens. Strain through a piece of cheese cloth, put in a double boiler; add 1 pint of soft water, bring to a boil, and stir in 1 tablespoonful of linseed oil. Let boil 5 minutes, remove, and add 10 drops of the oil of bitter almonds or other essential oil to perfume.

Brilliantine. - These preparations are employed to give luster to the hair and beard when the natural oils are deficient or are temporarily removed by shampooing. Put in a glass bottle 2 ounces of alcohol, 1 ounce of pure honey, and ounce of glycerin. Shake well and perfume with any of the essential oils or essences.

Or dissolve ounce of castor oil in 2 ounces of cologne. Or mix equal parts of cologne and glycerin. Or dissolve 1 ounce of honey and 2 ounces of alcohol.

Or put in a glass bottle 6 ounces of castor oil; add 2 ounces of 95 per cent alcohol, and ounce of ammonia. Shake well and perfume with any essential oil according to taste. This is the celebrated French "lustral."

Compounding Brilliantine and Bandoline. - Such substances as gum tragacanth, quince seed, isinglass, and Irish moss may be dissolved by boiling in hot water until sufficiently thick. They should be allowed to stand on the dregs from twentyfour to forty-eight hours, squeezed through a coarse linen cloth, melted, and perfumed after cooling but before they have finally set. Boil linseed oil in water for five or six minutes. Perfume when cool, Melt Burgundy pitch with white wax, cool slightly, mix in the spirits, replace on the fire, and bring to a boil. Remove, and strain through linen.

Eyebrows and Eyelashes. In general the less attention paid to these features the better. The practice of attempting to deepen the color of the eyes by darkening the lids or lashes is a dangerous one, and many of the preparations advertised for sale for this purpose contain lead or other poisonous ingredients. Any preparation which is good for the hair is also good for the eyebrows and may be applied to them at the same time.

A simple lotion consists of sulphate of quinine, 5 grains; alcohol, 1 ounce.

Preparations containing cantharides are also of assistance.

Clipping the eyelashes is, on the whole, a dangerous practice, as it tends to thicken them and cause them to become stiff like bristles.

The presence of superfluous hairs causing the eyebrows to run together calls for remedies given elsewhere.

A stick of India ink is perhaps the best method of darkening the eyelashes if that is thought desirable. Or burnt cork is sometimes employed.

Or cloves charred to a crisp in an open flame.