Paris, produces, without
doubt, the finest article; singular enough, however, the principal
operative in the establishment is an old Englishman.

"The preparation of the finest carmine is still a mystery, because, on
the one hand, its consumption being very limited, few persons are
engaged in its manufacture, and, upon the other, the raw material being
costly, extensive experiments on it cannot be conveniently
made."--DR. URE.

In the _Encyclopedie Roret_ will be found no less than a dozen recipes
for preparing carmine; the number of formulae will convince the most
superficial reader that the true form is yet withheld.

Analysis has taught us its exact composition; but a certain dexterity of
manipulation and proper temperature are indispensable to complete
success.

Most of the recipes given by Dr. Ure, and others, are from this source;
but as they possess no practical value we refrain from reprinting them.

TOILET ROUGES.

Are prepared of different shades by mixing fine carmine with talc
powder, in different proportions, say, one drachm of carmine to two
ounces of talc, or one of carmine to three of talc, and so on. These
rouges are sold in powder, and also in cake or china pots; for the
latter the rouge is mixed with a minute portion of solution of gum
tragacanth. M. Titard prepares a great variety of rouges. In some
instances the coloring-matter of the cochineal is spread upon thick
paper and dried very gradually; it then assumes a beautiful green tint.
This curious optical effect is also observed in "pink saucers." What is
known as Chinese book rouge is evidently made in the same way, and has
been imported into this country for many years.

When the bronze green cards are moistened with a piece of damp cotton
wool, and applied to the lips or cheeks, the color assumes a beautiful
rosy hue. Common sorts of rouge, called "theatre rouge," are made from
the Brazil-wood lake; another kind is derived from the safflower
(_Carthamus tinctorius_); from this plant also is made

PINK SAUCERS.

The safflower is washed in water until the yellow coloring-matter is
removed; the carthamine or color principle is then dissolved out by a
weak solution of carbonate of soda; the coloring is then precipitated
into the saucers by the addition of sulphuric acid to the solution.

Cotton wool and crape being colored in the same way are used for the
same purpose, the former being sold as Spanish wool, the latter as
Crepon rouge.