Refining the Body Beautiful

There is beauty to be had from the smallest of objects. In the 18th century, tweezers, toothpicks and clippers became the signs of a polite, and beautiful, society.

Alun Withey | Published in History Today Volume 67 Issue 11 November 2017

Resembling a snuffbox but smaller in size, this boîte à mouches contains two closed compartments—one to hold rouge and the other for black taffeta patches. A tiny brush and mirror were placed in the larger compartment.

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