Peculiar Beauty: Three Centuries of Charmingly Absurd Advice [Paperback]

Bonnie Downing (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2004

Bonnie Downing has assembled these and hundreds of other absurdly misguided real-life beauty secrets into a comical collection aimed at every woman who has experienced the occasional pain and agony of trying to look her best. Culled from over fifty different manuals dating from as far back as 1890 to Morgan Fairchild’s recent guide Super Looks, Peculiar Beauty is for anyone who’s ever been subjected to the tyranny of an Epilady or had an unfortunate run-in with Sun-In. Filled not only with hilarious beauty advice, but insightful glances into beauty zeitgeists throughout the ages, Peculiar Beauty is a refreshing reminder to us all that despite incessant claims to the contrary, there is no easy path to the fountain of youth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This compilation of personal beauty advice dating from the late 1700s to today, though entertaining, fails to amount to anything greater than its superficial parts. Editor Downing gleans random bits from years of tracking what she calls an "underappreciated genre" and packages them into short chapters with witty titles like "Meat, Grease, and Booze" and "Near Death Experiences." In a slim introduction, she writes, "I hope you'll laugh out loud when you read suggestions to wash your hair in gasoline, or to add spinach leaves to the bath—but really, is any of it stranger than Botox?" From inspirational writing by familiar beauty icons like Elizabeth Taylor ("If you think a picture of me as Miss Lard will inspire you, go ahead and put it on your refrigerator") to vintage avowals by lesser-knowns ("We might as well admit there's a dash of hussy in all ladies"), readers are bombarded with the timeless notion that a woman's goal should be to look her best at all times and under all circumstances. But with few insightful cultural observations or historical explanations (one sidebar notes that the "raw food" fad dates to the 1800s; another tells the origin of Vaseline), this assemblage is little more than amusing—except when it's just plain disturbing. Photos.
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From the Publisher

For hair with that soft gleam, gasoline works wonders! Want to get rid of that cellulite? Just squeeze the fat off your thighs with your own hands! Contemplating breast reduction? Try the buttermilk method instead! Bonnie Downing has assembled these and hundreds of other absurdly misguided real-life beauty secrets into a comical collection aimed at every woman who has experienced the pain and agony of trying to look her best. Culled from over one hundred different manuals dating from as far back as the mid-18th century to 1980s treatises on "glamazon" chic, Peculiar Beauty is for anyone who’s ever been subjected to the tyranny of an Epilady or had an unfortunate run-in with Sun-In. Filled with not only hilarious beauty advice, but insightful glances into beauty zeitgeists throughout the ages, Peculiar Beauty is a refreshing reminder to us all that despite incessant claims to the contrary, there is no honest path to the fountain of youth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf (November 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786714506
• ISBN-13: 978-0786714506
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,337,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)