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The Arts of Beauty, or Secrets of a Lady's Toilet, with Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating
Written by an Irish adventuress and courtesan who became the official mistress of Ludwig I of Bavaria, this beauty book, originally published a century ago, contains her recipes and suggestions for natural cosmetics
- GenresNonfictionHistory
111 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1858
About the author
Lola Montez
62 books7 followersMarie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert was born in Ireland but lived in India until the age of eight, when she returned to Britain to complete her education. There she remained, living with various relations, until her mother deemed her of age to marry. To escape the planned marriage to a wealthy man in his sixties, she eloped with a young Irish officer.
Their marriage was short lived and soon Lola found herself alone, divorced—in an age where divorce was both rare and scandalous—and needing to support herself. After an unsuccessful attempt at acting, she attended a dancing school in Spain. She then returned to London, reinventing herself as Maria Dolores Porres Montez—born at Seville in 1833, daughter of a Spanish officer.
Then followed a series of escapades as she travelled throughout Europe—where she became mistress and power behind the throne of Ludwig I of Bavaria—America and, eventually, Australia. Wherever she went, scandal was never far behind.
A collection of her lectures, including an autobiography of sorts, can be found for free here. While vaguely autobiographical, bear in mind that they do contain substantial "embellishments"! What else could be expected, after all, from the young Irish divorcee who took the world by storm posing as a Spanish dancer?
Their marriage was short lived and soon Lola found herself alone, divorced—in an age where divorce was both rare and scandalous—and needing to support herself. After an unsuccessful attempt at acting, she attended a dancing school in Spain. She then returned to London, reinventing herself as Maria Dolores Porres Montez—born at Seville in 1833, daughter of a Spanish officer.
Then followed a series of escapades as she travelled throughout Europe—where she became mistress and power behind the throne of Ludwig I of Bavaria—America and, eventually, Australia. Wherever she went, scandal was never far behind.
A collection of her lectures, including an autobiography of sorts, can be found for free here. While vaguely autobiographical, bear in mind that they do contain substantial "embellishments"! What else could be expected, after all, from the young Irish divorcee who took the world by storm posing as a Spanish dancer?
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 28, 2021
Funny book, Lola Montez is quite entertaining and it's fascinating to learn a history of beauty techniques and methods that were most of the time super dangerous and fatal.
May 21, 2015
The book is available for free in Google Books.
Oh Lola Montez, what an interesting femme fatale who were in relationships with famous figures such as Franz Liszt and also kings (which lead to riots and might have been a catalyst to a revolution).
I came to know her from the beautiful film, Max Ophlus' Lola Montez (1955), which is not very accurate historically.
Yet here, what an intellect! I could've never guessed she will start her book by discussing Aristotle and Plato. Throughout the book you find quote from Shakespeare, Dante, Virgil, Hafez and many other poets. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez)
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Quotes from Introductory Remarks that will sell you on the book:
"If, however, a lady wishes to use such helps to beauty, I must advice her, by all means, to become her own manufacturer -not only as a matter of economy, but of safety- as many of the patent cosmetics have ruined the finest complexions, and induced diseases of the skin and of the nervous system, which have embittered the life, and prematurely ended the days of their victims... It is to guard women against these monstrous impositions, and to save them from such needless and useless expenditures, that I have encumbered this work with so many recipes."
"The Baroness de Stael confessed that she would exchange half her knowledge for personal charms, and there is not much doubt that most women of genius, to whom nature has denied the talismanic power of beauty, would consider it cheaply bought at that price. And let not man deride her sacrifice, and call it vanity, until he becomes himself so morally purified and intellectually elevated; that he would prefer the society of an ugly woman of genius to that of a great and matchless beauty of less intellectual acquirement. All women know that it is beauty, rather than genius, which all generations of men have worshiped in our sex. Can it be wondered at, then, that so much of our attention should be directed to the means of developing and preserving our charms? When men speak of the intellect of woman, they speak critically, tamely, coldly; but when they come to speak of the charms of a beautiful woman, both their language and their eyes kindle with the glow of an enthusiasm, which shows them to be profoundly, if not, indeed, ridiculously in earnest. It is a part of our natural sagacity to perceive all this, and we should be enemies to ourselves if we did not employ every allowable art to become the goddesses of that adoration."
"My design in this volume is to discuss the various Arts employed by my sex in the pursuit of this paramount object of woman's life. I have aimed to make a useful as well as an entertaining and amusing book. The fortunes of life have given to my own experience, or observation, nearly all the materials of which it is composed."
"The HINTS TO GENTLEMEN ON THE ART OF FASCINATING, I am sure, will prove amusing to the ladies. And I shall be disappointed if it fails to be a useful and instructive lesson to the other gender. The men have been laughing, I know not how many thousands of years, at the vanity of women, and if the women have not been able to return the compliment, and laugh at the vanity on the other side of the house, it is only be cause they have been wanting in a proper knowledge of the bearded gender. If my 'Hints' shall prove to be a looking-glass in which the men can 'see themselves as others see them,' they will, I hope, not be unthankful for the favor I hare done them. And if my own sex receives this book in the same spirit with which I have addressed myself to its subject, I shall be happy in the conviction that I have rendered my experience serviceable to them and honorable to myself."
-----
"Many women who can lay no claims to a beautiful face have carried captive the hearts of plenty of men by the beauty of their form... You will often hear men say of such and such a girl, 'to be sure she has not a beautiful face, but then she has a most exquisite form;'", but men of the past are always portrayed as enchanted by the beautiful-face lady (especially in fairytales) and fighting and killing over her. It is not accurate it seems; "dat ass" is not of 21st century only.
She emphasizes on exercising out in the open air and to walk for hours. Also to avoid sleeping late or having bad diet of only strong coffee and hot bread and butter. You see, this is never shown in movies. They always show women just putting makeup and cloths to take care of their beauty.
"When I was last in Paris (1857) I was shown a recent invention of ready-made masks for the face", so this is how advanced cosmetics were in her time.
On the care of bosom she is recommending not to wear what put pressure on the bosom (modern example is bra) which she claims it leads to cancer. This was actually proved medically.
"well-chosen dress so harmonizes with the figure and the general natural style of the lady as to leave the dress itself measurably unobserved. The object of dress should be to show off an elegant woman, and not an elegantly dressed woman."
Most topic of beauty she talked about is hair. She is warning many times from the dangers of using ammonia. Unfortunately many hair products today still use ammonia as I learned from helping my mom shopping in Amazon lol.
-----
In the last chapter, HINTS TO GENTLEMEN, she is so sarcastic as promised in INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
"Women like men of courage, therefore you should entertain the lady you would win with a narration of the number of men you have knocked down, at balls and bar-rooms, who had the temerity to cross your path... ladies will readily know that you are telling lies all the time, yet you show that you have a taste for fighting, and that you really possess all the attributes of a hero but the more brutal part of it,—courage."
"Remember that we do not like men for the merit we may discover in them, so much as for that they can find in us... For instance, you may ask her if she is always particular to shut her eyes on retiring to bed? She will ask why? And you will answer, Because if you do not, I fear that the brightness of your eyes will burn holes in the blanket, or set the house afire ! This kind of compliment is of the most delicate nature, and will be certain to impress the lady."
"If you are wise, you will not fail to impress upon a lady's mind the idea that you are a great deal more particular about your clothes than your mind, for your mind, being always out of sight, can never offend her taste, whereas your clothes are constantly before her eyes."
"If you invite a lady to go to the theatre, neglect not to leave her, and go out to drink with your male friends between each act, as this will show her that you have confidence that she can protect herself ; and if you can fall asleep during the play, it will be a great thing for you. as it will show that you are too much interested in her to take any interest in the play; and, besides, she has the sweet privilege of imagining that you are dreaming of her.
Oh Lola Montez, what an interesting femme fatale who were in relationships with famous figures such as Franz Liszt and also kings (which lead to riots and might have been a catalyst to a revolution).
I came to know her from the beautiful film, Max Ophlus' Lola Montez (1955), which is not very accurate historically.
Yet here, what an intellect! I could've never guessed she will start her book by discussing Aristotle and Plato. Throughout the book you find quote from Shakespeare, Dante, Virgil, Hafez and many other poets. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez)
-----
Quotes from Introductory Remarks that will sell you on the book:
"If, however, a lady wishes to use such helps to beauty, I must advice her, by all means, to become her own manufacturer -not only as a matter of economy, but of safety- as many of the patent cosmetics have ruined the finest complexions, and induced diseases of the skin and of the nervous system, which have embittered the life, and prematurely ended the days of their victims... It is to guard women against these monstrous impositions, and to save them from such needless and useless expenditures, that I have encumbered this work with so many recipes."
"The Baroness de Stael confessed that she would exchange half her knowledge for personal charms, and there is not much doubt that most women of genius, to whom nature has denied the talismanic power of beauty, would consider it cheaply bought at that price. And let not man deride her sacrifice, and call it vanity, until he becomes himself so morally purified and intellectually elevated; that he would prefer the society of an ugly woman of genius to that of a great and matchless beauty of less intellectual acquirement. All women know that it is beauty, rather than genius, which all generations of men have worshiped in our sex. Can it be wondered at, then, that so much of our attention should be directed to the means of developing and preserving our charms? When men speak of the intellect of woman, they speak critically, tamely, coldly; but when they come to speak of the charms of a beautiful woman, both their language and their eyes kindle with the glow of an enthusiasm, which shows them to be profoundly, if not, indeed, ridiculously in earnest. It is a part of our natural sagacity to perceive all this, and we should be enemies to ourselves if we did not employ every allowable art to become the goddesses of that adoration."
"My design in this volume is to discuss the various Arts employed by my sex in the pursuit of this paramount object of woman's life. I have aimed to make a useful as well as an entertaining and amusing book. The fortunes of life have given to my own experience, or observation, nearly all the materials of which it is composed."
"The HINTS TO GENTLEMEN ON THE ART OF FASCINATING, I am sure, will prove amusing to the ladies. And I shall be disappointed if it fails to be a useful and instructive lesson to the other gender. The men have been laughing, I know not how many thousands of years, at the vanity of women, and if the women have not been able to return the compliment, and laugh at the vanity on the other side of the house, it is only be cause they have been wanting in a proper knowledge of the bearded gender. If my 'Hints' shall prove to be a looking-glass in which the men can 'see themselves as others see them,' they will, I hope, not be unthankful for the favor I hare done them. And if my own sex receives this book in the same spirit with which I have addressed myself to its subject, I shall be happy in the conviction that I have rendered my experience serviceable to them and honorable to myself."
-----
"Many women who can lay no claims to a beautiful face have carried captive the hearts of plenty of men by the beauty of their form... You will often hear men say of such and such a girl, 'to be sure she has not a beautiful face, but then she has a most exquisite form;'", but men of the past are always portrayed as enchanted by the beautiful-face lady (especially in fairytales) and fighting and killing over her. It is not accurate it seems; "dat ass" is not of 21st century only.
She emphasizes on exercising out in the open air and to walk for hours. Also to avoid sleeping late or having bad diet of only strong coffee and hot bread and butter. You see, this is never shown in movies. They always show women just putting makeup and cloths to take care of their beauty.
"When I was last in Paris (1857) I was shown a recent invention of ready-made masks for the face", so this is how advanced cosmetics were in her time.
On the care of bosom she is recommending not to wear what put pressure on the bosom (modern example is bra) which she claims it leads to cancer. This was actually proved medically.
"well-chosen dress so harmonizes with the figure and the general natural style of the lady as to leave the dress itself measurably unobserved. The object of dress should be to show off an elegant woman, and not an elegantly dressed woman."
Most topic of beauty she talked about is hair. She is warning many times from the dangers of using ammonia. Unfortunately many hair products today still use ammonia as I learned from helping my mom shopping in Amazon lol.
-----
In the last chapter, HINTS TO GENTLEMEN, she is so sarcastic as promised in INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
"Women like men of courage, therefore you should entertain the lady you would win with a narration of the number of men you have knocked down, at balls and bar-rooms, who had the temerity to cross your path... ladies will readily know that you are telling lies all the time, yet you show that you have a taste for fighting, and that you really possess all the attributes of a hero but the more brutal part of it,—courage."
"Remember that we do not like men for the merit we may discover in them, so much as for that they can find in us... For instance, you may ask her if she is always particular to shut her eyes on retiring to bed? She will ask why? And you will answer, Because if you do not, I fear that the brightness of your eyes will burn holes in the blanket, or set the house afire ! This kind of compliment is of the most delicate nature, and will be certain to impress the lady."
"If you are wise, you will not fail to impress upon a lady's mind the idea that you are a great deal more particular about your clothes than your mind, for your mind, being always out of sight, can never offend her taste, whereas your clothes are constantly before her eyes."
"If you invite a lady to go to the theatre, neglect not to leave her, and go out to drink with your male friends between each act, as this will show her that you have confidence that she can protect herself ; and if you can fall asleep during the play, it will be a great thing for you. as it will show that you are too much interested in her to take any interest in the play; and, besides, she has the sweet privilege of imagining that you are dreaming of her.
July 7, 2014
Found this one while wandering from book to book in archive.org via advertisements in the back of this publisher's volumes.
Most of this is beauty advice that tends to strike the "you're doing it wrong" self-esteem-lowering tone of a modern women's mag, but there's a section in the back, "Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating" that gives sardonic, dare I say it, snarky advice to men on how to treat women. A good deal of it reflects the mores of its time, but there are some gems that feel very anti-PUA/anti-street harassment. I liked these in particular:
"Rule the Thirty-First: Always have some joke ready which is intended to be a hit at woman. For instance, if you see a lady eating a piece of tongue, you can remark that you are surprised to see her doing that, as you thought the ladies already had *tongue* enough. Some such original joke as this will impress a lady greatly in your favor, by convincing her that you are one of those commonplace, insipid creatures, whose intellect is down to the low level of woman's, and that you will not, therefore, be likely ever to startle and annoy her, by propositions beyond the reach of her comprehension."
"Rule the Fortieth: If you have made up your mind to strike a woman quite *dead in love* with you, fix your eyes amorously upon hers, and gaze fixedly and burningly into them, as though you were mesmerizing her. If you perceive that it is with difficulty she keeps from laughing in your face, or if she turns away her face in scorn, as though she felt insulted, you must, by no means, relax your gaze, for these are clear signs that you are having your effect on her. And if she sends for her father, or brother, to kick you out of hte house, you may know that it is because she dare not longer trust herself in your fascinating presence."
Most of this is beauty advice that tends to strike the "you're doing it wrong" self-esteem-lowering tone of a modern women's mag, but there's a section in the back, "Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating" that gives sardonic, dare I say it, snarky advice to men on how to treat women. A good deal of it reflects the mores of its time, but there are some gems that feel very anti-PUA/anti-street harassment. I liked these in particular:
"Rule the Thirty-First: Always have some joke ready which is intended to be a hit at woman. For instance, if you see a lady eating a piece of tongue, you can remark that you are surprised to see her doing that, as you thought the ladies already had *tongue* enough. Some such original joke as this will impress a lady greatly in your favor, by convincing her that you are one of those commonplace, insipid creatures, whose intellect is down to the low level of woman's, and that you will not, therefore, be likely ever to startle and annoy her, by propositions beyond the reach of her comprehension."
"Rule the Fortieth: If you have made up your mind to strike a woman quite *dead in love* with you, fix your eyes amorously upon hers, and gaze fixedly and burningly into them, as though you were mesmerizing her. If you perceive that it is with difficulty she keeps from laughing in your face, or if she turns away her face in scorn, as though she felt insulted, you must, by no means, relax your gaze, for these are clear signs that you are having your effect on her. And if she sends for her father, or brother, to kick you out of hte house, you may know that it is because she dare not longer trust herself in your fascinating presence."
August 13, 2012
Fascinating!
December 27, 2025
It's difficult to rate books such as this, as I read it for a historical outlook, not to actually take any of the many outdated recipes and pieces of advice within seriously. Many of which are utterly preposterous, even for its time. Yet I found amusement in how ridiculous much of it is.
August 17, 2015
Sometimes I like to wander around the library and find random books that look like they have been overlooked for a decade. This was one of those finds.
The book was clearly written for a different generation. I was very thankful when I read it that women are no longer just 'for decoration.' And that I now have a purpose other than attracting a man and making his home comfortable. But it was actually an interesting look into what used to be considered proper and the beauty tips were a bit horrifying and fascinating all at once.
The book was clearly written for a different generation. I was very thankful when I read it that women are no longer just 'for decoration.' And that I now have a purpose other than attracting a man and making his home comfortable. But it was actually an interesting look into what used to be considered proper and the beauty tips were a bit horrifying and fascinating all at once.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews