I was perusing the internet this weekend and found an article that made me smile. The article covers all sorts of cosmetic tricks women used during the War and Austerity years. I smiled throughout the article, because my grandmother, who used to model during the Forties, still uses many of these tricks, especially if it involves Vaseline. She used to tell me about using Max Factor pancake make-up and an eyebrow pencil in place of stockings and how she and her best friend used to spend ages drawing the stocking lines on each other to make sure they were straight. The one thing the article doesn’t mention that my grandmother used to do is dusting greasy roots with cornstarch, which apparently only works if you have straight hair. By the way, I know from my mother’s merciless hand that you can iron curly hair straight, as long as it’s on a low setting and you can sit with your head on the ironing board (I don’t recommend it much).
So, here is the article, which is full of Home Front beauty remedies that are easy on body and budget. Enjoy, and let me know what you try out, but please don’t try to iron your hair.
Austerity and Prosperity 