THE MAKING OF MANON BY "ESTELLE."

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16418, 11 January 1919, Page 2

THE MAKING OF MANON BY "ESTELLE."

I had a note from Maiion this morn- . ing. asking ir.o round to spend tnc :tir_rnoon at licr microscopic flat. - had news, her note informed mo hurriedly. she had three whole days leave from the hospital, and si certain lirst Lieutenant in the R.A.F. h fl d wired to her that he had arrived in London, «nd would call for lier at six o clock. Moreover, she wanted mu to help licr to finish a frock. 1 went. I am fond of Manon, a.* p though 1 considor her unnccessaruy good-looking. Her features arc not extraordinarily fine, but the whole •>:- feet is dangerously charming. 1 looked forward to seeing her arming for eonquest. By four o'clock we wore in her little bedroom. '"Sit down, there's a dear," she said, "and while you are finishing that sash. I will reveal to you my horrid secrets." "While she was examining herself critically in tho glass, I had time 10 observe she was not looking her best. She looked pale, and little lines were visible round the eyes and mouth. V.A.D. work is tiring, and it had left its mark on her. There were two little blackheads on her chin, her hair was lank and straight, and her hands 1 and nails needed attention. "Yes, I am ugiy. am I not-''' she said gaily as if in answer to my un- I spoken thoughts. "Do you think Sidney wili get an awful lright when he sees me?"' '"It doesn't seem to worry you anyway." I said, biting off a thread. ; "It doesn't," she said, "because t am goine to make myself pretty hero i and now." [ "Paint and powder," I said acidly. * "will not banish those spots on your face. Tf you don't want to frighten | your fiance, you'd better take ia" few days' rest and keep severely to yourself." "lou dear old puss,'' said Manon, who was washing. "You don't use soap on your face!" 1 exclaimed, as she a creamy lather into her skin. "Not ordinary soap," she explained, as she rinsed and dried it, "Pilenta. You wouldn't call my skin so bad, would you? I can't- use anything but a neutral soap, and my chemist tells me this is the nearest to neutral you can get." Her next movement interested nie. Beforo her skin was quite drv, sho rubbed some white stuff, liko * rather solid cold cream, on her face and neck, and then wiped it off with a clean towel. "What's that?" J asked. "Mercolised Wax," said Manon, "I never use cold cream, they clog your skin up and make it muddy. 'Whenever I get tired of my old skin I just put some of this on, which removes tic outer cuticle, leaving a nico new sk:u underneath. No, you can't see ■ t peeling silly. Look!" I examined her closely and certainly her skin' looked wonderfully fresh and cloar, . and there was no sign of roughness. J>ow for these hateful blackheads," sho exclaimed. By this time I was getting interested. She took a small tablet and dis"TM« c+ m a , ,? Ia 1 SS of Ilot "-ate;-, iff btynio1 ' , s]le explained. When £th«,l til" e8 M nc i e . ha . d subs 'ded she bathed the blackheads with the water, towel carefully on a "Now look! ' she said triumphantly, turning her faco to me. 1 I °, ok . ed ' , anc ?, to lily astonishment saw that the .blemishes had entiroly disappeared. While she was brushing her hair, I remarked, "aren't you going to have any sleeves at all in this frock?" "Of course-not j it would ruin it. Ono must have one decent dance-frock, even if it is only for leave-hops with six couplea and a gramophone. That's what Sidney and I are doing to-night. Sleeves would ruin that frock." "But, Manon," I expostulated. She smiled, "I'll tell you another little secrot. Pheminol for removing superfluous hair—is sold in powder form at any decent chemists, .and you mix it with water j;ourself so as to make a pasto. Its simply wonderful, and the process isn't a bit painful, and doesn't leave any red marks or irritation." Manon was still brushing her thick and pretty hair. It is fairly ordinary in colour, darkest hrown, but there are soft lights in it and it is beautifully glossy." You wash your hair with stellax, don't you? she asked me. I "" replied in the negative. "Oh, but, my dear, you should, thero's nothing like it. It's a bit expensive at first, as you can only get it in Jib packets, but they last for ages, and it works out very cheaply in tho end. I washed mine last nig"ht." - "Good gracious," said I, "I could never do mine up properly so soon after a shampoo," She smiled absently. Now sho was brushing a few drops of some liquid into her hair, and fussing about with a comb. When I 6aw her clearly, two deep and becoming waves were risible over her forehead. "All done by kindness and silmevinc," she laughed. "If I'd put it on last night, my hair would have been a mass of curls today. But it doesn't suit me so, and I just comb a little in before I do it up." And she nodded a charmingly dressed head at my reflection in tho glass. ''Hot to-night,'' I remarked. "Very," sho said. "If don't put some cleminite on I shall be a pink and shiny fright by tho end of the first dance." She was covering her face with some lotion. "Practically homemade," she said, "most chemists keep cleminito, and you make it up at home. Don't you think the effect's rflther good?" It was. There was a soft bloom on her face and neck which had no look of "make-up," but which had removed all unbecoming ''shine." "And the beauty of it is,"' said she, "I am sure of looking tho same all the evening. No rushes . for a looking-glass and a powder pu« for me. I say, Estelle, I'm rather palo though: 'Just for once.!" She rubbed a trifle of powdered colliandum. on her cheeks. It gave her a tiny soft flush which was most becoming, and brought ; out the colour of her eyes. "What glorious eyelashes you have, Manon," I sighed enviously. "Don't you over touch them up?V "Never," sho said. "I rub a little mennaline in now and then to make them grow, bufthat's all. Now give mo my frock, there's a dear. Where's my nail polish. Liquid, you see, saves lots of trouble, and looks twice as nice. I've run "out of bicrolium jelly, so my hands look a bit rough. Still I must have some proofs to show Sid how hard I work. Oh, there's a taxi. ~ I'm sure that's Slimy gloves and cloak, there's a dear." Sho brushed her lips with a stick of prolactum, leaving them with a soft tint that was liealtlfy but not too bright . , . "Am I pretty?" with an enchanting smile. ... "Horribly," I said, with a pang of jealousy. 1 "Bye—Bye, Estelle—Tell you socio I more another day." And she was gone. - 1