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Home » Monday Morning Giveaway: How to be Pretty, Though Plain

Monday Morning Giveaway: How to be Pretty, Though Plain

It’s been a while since I found a book I thought worthy of you all, but FINALLY…

by “Mrs Humphrey.” That tells us so much about the era…

It’s amusing, if painfully dated. But the thing that I have to say I liked most about it is the ongoing emphasis that the author places on health and good attitude as the true keys to an appealing appearance. It resonates so much with what I see on the streets of Chicago every day – unhealthy, scowling, slouching… No WONDER you’re not turning heads, eh?

A good attitude is worth thousands of dollars in cosmetic surgery, at least according to Alexander Smith!

So leave me a comment about the best beauty advice you’ve ever received, and next Monday I’ll draw a random number and send out this little gem to the winner.

The best beauty advice I ever received?

 “Stand up straight!!!!” 

lifting my head, even as I type…
love,
Janice

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08.24.15 71 Comments

Tags: books, Monday Morning Giveaway
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Comments

  1. Virginia says

    August 24, 2015 at 7:44 am

    "Feel beautiful and you will be beautiful".

    Reply
  2. Jessica says

    August 24, 2015 at 9:41 am

    The best advice I ever got was to smile when looking in the mirror.

    Reply
  3. Jazz says

    August 24, 2015 at 9:41 am

    My Mum taught me to cleanse and moisturise my face morning and night starting age 12 to keep good care of your skin.

    Reply
    • Jazz says

      August 24, 2015 at 10:38 am

      And at a deeper level I remeber as a child being tantalised by the imported red delicious apples on the shop shelves- the most beautiful apple that I had ever seen, only to be disappointed by the powdery texture on the inside. It's what's on the inside that really matters…….

      Reply
  4. Pam @ over50feeling40 says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:08 am

    YES!! Completely agree with her quote. I want to read the book now!

    Reply
  5. Philippa says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:40 am

    Moisturize, moisturize!! Still use the same lotion 40 years on (Oil of Ulay/Olay).. Also, wearing sunglasses when driving, all year round, to stop the tendency to frown.

    Reply
  6. Susan says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:47 am

    The best beauty advice I've ever received—Stay out of the sun AND use sunscreen everyday!

    Reply
    • Marlaina says

      August 24, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      This was the best-ever advice given to me. It came from a doctor I met, who had his nose shaved in half by skin cancer. Wear sunscreen everyday — especially make sure your nose is covered.

      Reply
  7. Beckie says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:47 am

    Never sleep in make up and drink lots of water.

    Reply
  8. Terry A. says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:54 am

    I was told to stand straight, too, but I always thought I already was. ;)

    Take makeup off every night before bedtime.

    Reply
  9. Kimberly says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:57 am

    Do whatever you damn well please, with confidence! (As long as you're not mean or unfair to other people).
    -Kaci

    Reply
  10. Gramspearls says

    August 24, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Graciousness and kindness will shine through…..and a little bit of make up on a pleasant face (which sometimes requires some thought) seems to have people respond in they way we hope. If not, then I always think, perhaps, something is not well in their lives (said Miss Clavel).

    Thank your for the give away….I love those vintage advice books. They usually have the best tried and true advice.

    Reply
  11. Gramspearls says

    August 24, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Graciousness and kindness will shine through…..and a little bit of make up on a pleasant face (which sometimes requires some thought) seems to have people respond in they way we hope. If not, then I always think, perhaps, something is not well in their lives (said Miss Clavel).

    Thank your for the give away….I love those vintage advice books. They usually have the best tried and true advice.

    Reply
  12. Linda Becker says

    August 24, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    My Nan always said "Chin up, shoulders back, and leave your worries in your pocket."

    Reply
  13. Rhonda Buss says

    August 24, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Smile :)
    When I smile, others smile. It's not only great for me, but for all those around me.
    Thanks for the give away!

    Reply
  14. Nadya says

    August 24, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    Ooh! I have a small collection of vintage beauty and fashion advice books, but nothing from this era. It looks fascinating.

    Reply
  15. Wendy Thomas says

    August 24, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    My mother told me to never wear a hat that has more personality than I did. Probably good advice for all clothes.

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    My mother always told me to work with my hair not against it and to always have strong eyebrows. She still does her hair and eyes at 99+.
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  17. Unknown says

    August 24, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    More great, creative, and fearless advice!! Cannot wait to read her book!!

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    "If you have to choose between underwear and mascara, always choose mascara."

    Reply
  19. Gail Finke says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Don't let your mouth hang open!

    Reply
  20. Gail Finke says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Don't let your mouth hang open!

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    Stand up straight and smile!

    Reply
  22. Beatriz Fortes says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    Turn your features and quirks into your beauty, don't try to copy somebody else's looks.

    Reply
  23. webbygee says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    Smile! It will make people wonder what you've been up to.

    Reply
  24. SRSly NOLA says

    August 24, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    A signature lipstick and a signature fragrance is all you need!!

    Reply
  25. Susan Gosman says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.

    Reply
  26. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:07 pm

    "If someone can see your (insert obsessed over flaw here) they are standing too close." said my mother on numerous occasions.

    Reply
  27. Deborah Montgomery says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    I love books like this!
    The best advice? Be kind. That's always beautiful.

    Reply
  28. natruss r says

    August 24, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    Outer beauty fades, but inner beauty shines for a lifetime!

    Reply
  29. bettina says

    August 24, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Always wear protective gloves while cleaning. No, seriously, every single time: washing a single dish, wiping down the kitchen, scrubbing the bathtub. Wear gloves. My hands have aged, but they don't look "old". And my nails are strong and healthy, too.

    Reply
  30. Susan in NC says

    August 24, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    The best accessory is a smile

    Reply
  31. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    My mother always said, "Pretty is as pretty does."

    Reply
  32. Teri Brilhart says

    August 24, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Use a satin pillowcase. :)

    Reply
  33. Candacis says

    August 24, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Using the towel to push my cuticles back after showering.

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    August 24, 2015 at 10:18 pm

    My Mom was beautiful, elegant, and slim. And sh loved fashion and always had a beautiful wardrobe. I have never been slim, being from a much sturdier forebearer! But she always encouraged me, telling me I had a pretty smile and beautiful, expressive eyes. Her best advice to me was to mind my manners and to be a woman of integrity. And to smile. Laura.

    Reply
  35. Elbe says

    August 25, 2015 at 12:34 am

    I find that people I like are attractive, no matter what they physically look like. I assume they see me the same way.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 25, 2015 at 4:53 am

      I know exactly what you mean

      Reply
  36. Sue says

    August 25, 2015 at 1:45 am

    My Aunt Flo would always poke me in the back and tell me to stand up straight. I did have a problem with that having grown to 5'11" by the age of 14 and not being comfortable in my own skin. Not wanting to be poked cured me.

    Reply
  37. sydney85 says

    August 25, 2015 at 1:47 am

    Drink lots and lots of water. It is great for your skin and keeps your weight down.

    Reply
  38. celkalee says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:25 am

    One of my favorites came from a friend right before I was to give an important presentation. "No matter where you are… Walk In Like You Own the Place!"

    Reply
  39. Anonymous says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:50 am

    My father always told me and my sisters if we complained we were not dressed quite right, 'Don't worry what others think, they are probably only thinking of themselves anyway'. Later in life, I now dress in what I am comfortable in and don't worry too much about others. My style is comfort driven and my style is my very own. Daggy! As for beauty, no point trying. I just watched one of those nip & tuck programs and I think it is society that drives perfectly ordinary ladies to think they are less ordinary. (I am not talking about large disfigurations here.) Nose too big, liposuction here we go… I actually found the program to be very sad. We are not super models. Carol S

    Reply
  40. Ema N says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:51 am

    Bob Marley's quote helps keep me look great everyday: "The most beautiful curve on a woman's body is her smile"

    Reply
  41. Anonymous says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:24 am

    Accessories are essential! The book sounds very intriguing!
    Laura Kaye

    Reply
  42. Arts Doc says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:45 am

    Perhaps the best beauty advise was/is "wear sunscreen everyday – rain or shine." Which I do. Maybe next was/is "remove your make-up every single night." I mostly do that, too. I love old books on fashion and beauty – so I hope I win! :)

    Reply
  43. SimplyFy54 says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:37 am

    (from a 60-year old who highlights her blonde hair) Tone down the make-up and the "blonde-ness" of the highlights as you age…a more natural appearance is better as you grow older! And, show a sincere interest in others – you will instantly become more attractive!

    Reply
  44. Anonymous says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:43 am

    The best advice I received was to always use a moisturizer with sub screen as otherwise my face would look like a saddle (my female relatives have a flair for the dramatic!) Susan from Northern VA

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      August 25, 2015 at 9:44 am

      That is–sun screen! Sub screen sounds like mayo! Susan from Northern VA (again)

      Reply
  45. Linda says

    August 25, 2015 at 10:48 am

    My mom always told me to hold in my stomach all the time and that would give me strong stomach muscles.

    Reply
  46. Coco Colmani says

    August 25, 2015 at 7:59 am

    A good haircut will give you the confidence to smile and feel good any where, any time. Even at a high school reunion ;)

    Reply
  47. Anonymous says

    August 25, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    Dear Janice,

    This looks like such an interesting book. I would love to win / read it.

    As always, thank you so much for all you do for your devoted fans.

    Louise P

    Reply
  48. Janet says

    August 25, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    So your mother must have known my mother. My mom was a fiend about good posture. I heard "stand up straight — put your shoulders back" about a thousand times a year. And her greatest annoyance: people (especially women) who walk down the street round shouldered & hunched in with their eyes down. She used to say: "stand up straight and look people in the eye when you walk down the street, don't scuttle along as though you're ashamed of something." She believed that woman who didn't walk with confidence looked like — and risked being treated as — victims. One of the best compliments I ever received was from a man at work who, after I'd come back to the office after having been out for lunch one day, said: "I can always tell you from everyone else down there — " he pointed to the office windows, 24 floors above street level — "because you're the one who walks as though she's got somewhere to go and something to do when she gets there." Decades later, I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling the slouchers on the street to stand up straight, put their shoulders back and look life in the eye. Thanks, mom! [I dread to think of what she'd have to say about all the robots wandering the streets with eyes glued to their phone screens these days.]

    Reply
  49. Anonymous says

    August 25, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    The best eye makeup remover is a bit of baby shampoo on a soft cloth.

    Reply
  50. lrlincks says

    August 25, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    A smile goes a long way and drink more water. I have added sun screen for my daughters.

    Reply
  51. Anne says

    August 26, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Not slouching. Smile (frowning uses more muscles than a smile). Who's going to be looking at you? Others are more modern – sunscreen, water etc. I love the Bob Marley quote (EmaN)

    Reply
  52. Anne says

    August 26, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Not slouching. Smile (frowning uses more muscles than a smile). Who's going to be looking at you? Others are more modern – sunscreen, water etc. I love the Bob Marley quote (EmaN)

    Reply
  53. Anonymous says

    August 27, 2015 at 1:18 am

    "Walk as if you have three men walking behind you"–thank you Oscar de la Renta! I always feel more confident when I remember this, especially since my large behind has always been a bit of a confidence-killer for me.
    Cortney

    Reply
  54. Gina Smith says

    August 26, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    I was about 6 years old when my beautiful aunt told me her secret to beauty was to look in the mirror every day and sing "I'm so pretty, oh so pretty…."

    Reply
  55. Sheila says

    August 27, 2015 at 1:49 am

    Wear sunglasses every time you go outside. This was advice given to me when I had just turned 20 and 40 years later I have no lines around my eyes!

    Reply
  56. Kelly says

    August 27, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Wear sunscreen every day and don't forget to smile :)

    Reply
  57. Araminta says

    August 27, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    I went to a school in England that gave colours for "deportment" as well as for sports. So standing tall is still ingrained more than 50 years later. I also like to walk briskly with the head up and looking alertly ahead. My husband tells me that he was first attracted to me by my "take-no-prisoners" walk! I feel that a pleasant expression and a smile helps to erase lines around the mouth – as well as showing that the ones around the eyes are laughter lines rather than frown lines. SO much more pleasant and charming.

    Reply
  58. L Gunderson says

    August 27, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    The best advice comes from a little red headed girl "You are never fully dressed without a smile" that may be cheesy; but Annie was right!

    Reply
  59. kaybee says

    August 28, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    The best advice: Always listen to people with your heart — it's makes you the most beautiful person.

    Reply
  60. kaybee says

    August 28, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    The best advice: Always listen to people with your heart — it's makes you the most beautiful person.

    Reply
  61. Anon (I) says

    August 29, 2015 at 6:18 pm

    Don't pull faces – one day the wind will change and you'll be stuck like that! (My grandmother.) Apart from that, having been a child with bubble curls, I often had the rhyme "There was a little girl and she had a little curl" recited to me (not exactly beauty, well, except of the inner kind…..!)

    Reply
  62. Zala Letnar says

    August 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    To look and feel beautiful always wear your smile.

    Reply
  63. Zala Letnar says

    August 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    To look and feel beautiful always wear your smile.

    Reply
  64. Keri says

    August 30, 2015 at 3:29 am

    In junior high this boy I liked stopped me in the hall and asked me why I always walked with my head down. I never did so again. And that appearance of confidence, the ability to look every person and situation in the eye, has been a hallmark for me since that day.

    Reply
  65. Keri says

    August 30, 2015 at 3:29 am

    In junior high this boy I liked stopped me in the hall and asked me why I always walked with my head down. I never did so again. And that appearance of confidence, the ability to look every person and situation in the eye, has been a hallmark for me since that day.

    Reply
  66. helen f says

    August 30, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Good foundation garments. Always wear a good bra, helps the posture too

    Reply
  67. Brenda Guardado says

    October 24, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    A smile is the best accessory.

    Reply

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