Shock of the old

<p>Iknow we are supposed to be rejecting everything we stood for last year, sloughing off our desiccated, used-up 2023 selves to emerge sparkling fresh, dewy and morally superior, but, I don&rsquo;t know, seasonal self-loathing seems so &hellip; vigorous. If you are anything like me (I pray you aren&rsquo;t), you feel listless, lumpen and broke. Plus, have you looked outside?</p> <p>Before today&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2019/jan/17/victoria-beckhams-eternal-youth-stars-who-after-your-blood" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>vampire facials</strong></a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/mar/11/what-happens-if-you-put-fresh-snail-slime-on-your-face" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>snail-mucous moisturisers</strong></a>, there were arsenic &ldquo;<a href="https://www.si.edu/object/dr-james-p-campbells-safe-arsenic-complexion-wafers%3Anmah_1339217" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>complexion wafer</strong></a><a href="https://www.si.edu/object/dr-james-p-campbells-safe-arsenic-complexion-wafers%3Anmah_1339217" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">s</a>&rdquo; promising a &ldquo;deliciously clear complexion&rdquo;. Renaissance women used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/deadly-nightshade-botanical-biography#:~:text=Belladonna%20means%20'beautiful%20woman'%20in,to%20name%20just%20a%20few" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>deadly nightshade</strong></a>&nbsp;to make their eyes look bigger, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/jul/16/crumbs-and-cat-poo-revival-of-renaissance-womens-beauty-tips" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>cat poo to remove hair</strong></a>. One&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3290598?mag=recipe-for-an-ancient-roman-glow-up&amp;seq=4" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Roman remedy</a>&nbsp;for blemishes involved grinding up the intestines &ldquo;of a small land crocodile which feeds only on the most fragrant flowers&rdquo;, which does sound like something you might now find for sale on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/30/gwyneth-paltrow-is-her-life-a-work-of-performance-art" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Goop</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@ihaseeb_1/shock-of-the-old-2fd177155a3d"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>
Tags: Shock