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Recipe for cosmetic water

1709

Recipe for cosmetic water

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  • Intro

    This cookery book, first published in 1709, contains a wide variety of basic culinary recipes, including instructions for preserves, candies, cosmetics and 'beautifying waters.' It is one of a number of books claiming to reveal the secrets of the royal kitchens; a highly fashionable subject during the 17th and 18th centuries. Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, was a rich source of gossip, and the public seemed to have an endless fascination for any information gleaned from beyond the palace walls. This page shows a recipe for a cosmetic water. The ingredients include powdered egg shell, powdered sugar-candy, borax, and white poppy seeds.

     

    The production of art and literature prospered during the reign of Queen Anne. Throughout this period booksellers churned out popular recipe books, fully aware of the commercial viability of recipes linked to prestigious chefs. Unfortunately many of the books were thrown together by money-making charlatans who had simply filched their material from existing publications. Forty of T. Hall's recipes were taken directly from 'The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelm Digby' (1669).

     

    Shelfmark: C.115.aa.7

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  • Transcript

    Queen's Royal Cookery book

    Bread, steeped in Milk, an Ounce, Frankincense and Gum-Arabick, of each two Drams, Borax and feather'd Allom, of each two Drams, the white of an Egg, Camphire, a Dram and a half, infuse them four and twenty hours in a sufficient quantity of Rose and Bean-flower water, equal part; then distil it in B.M.

     

    This Water smooths, whitens, beautifies and preserves the Complexion of Ladies. They may wash their Faces with it at any time, but especially Moring and Evening.

     

    A Cosmetic Water used by the Queen.

     

    Take the Whites of two new-laid Eggs, beat the Shells of them to Powder, and put them in a quart Bottle, with the whites, and let them be beaten together for three hours; then put into it four Ounces of burnt Allom, in fine Powder, beat it two hours longer, then put into it three ounces of white Sugar-candy in Powder, and beat it also two hours; then put in it four ounces of Borax also into Powder, and beat it also; then take a pint of water that runs from under the Wheel of a Mill, and put into it four ounces of white Poppy seeds well beaten, mix them well together so that it be like Milk; then pour that into the quart Bottle with other Things, at four several times, beating it every time the

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