Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: 19 tips for cheering yourself up — from two hundred years ago.

I’ve posted this list before, but I love it, so am supplying it again. I read it in a biography of the English writer Sydney Smith, in Hesketh Pearson’s The Smith of Smiths. In 1820, Smith wrote a letter to an unhappy friend, Lady Morpeth, in which he offered her tips for cheering up.

I have my own variety of tips lists for cheering up, and I was interested to hear what someone from two centuries ago would recommend. Most of Smith’s suggestions are as sound now as they were almost 200 years ago — “attend to the effects tea and coffee produce upon you” for example, is thoroughly modern. A few, though, are amusingly odd. It might be tougher today to work “good blazing fires” into everyday life.

My favorites are #1, 3, 6, 13, 15, 16, and 17.

“1st. Live as well as you dare.
2nd. Go into the shower-bath with a small quantity of water at a temperature low enough to give you a slight sensation of cold, 75 or 80 degrees.
3rd. Amusing books.
4th. Short views of human life—not further than dinner or tea.
5th. Be as busy as you can.
6th. See as much as you can of those friends who respect and like you.
7th. And of those acquaintances who amuse you.
8th. Make no secret of low spirits to your friends, but talk of them freely—they are always worse for dignified concealment.
9th. Attend to the effects tea and coffee produce upon you.
10th. Compare your lot with that of other people.
11th. Don’t expect too much from human life—a sorry business at the best.
12th. Avoid poetry, dramatic representations (except comedy), music, serious novels, melancholy, sentimental people, and everything likely to excite feeling or emotion, not ending in active benevolence.
13th. Do good, and endeavour to please everybody of every degree.
14th Be as much as you can in the open air without fatigue.
15th. Make the room where you commonly sit gay and pleasant.
16th. Struggle by little and little against idleness.
17th. Don’t be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.
18th. Keep good blazing fires.
19th. Be firm and constant in the exercise of rational religion.
20th. Believe me, dear Lady Georgiana.”

What rings true for you?

Read the artile here.

The Karina

Just visit their site and let them know which Blush accessory is your favorite.

Extra entries if you fan Prom Mafia on facebook, follow Prom Mafia on Twitter, or tweet the contest on Twitter. Contest ends on Sunday, October 4th. Visit Prom Mafia for details.

Rich autumnal hues for lips and plush mascaras complete the season’s look

1. Correcteur Perfection by Chanel, $40; chanel.com.

2. Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara by Nars, $25; narscosmetics.com.

3. Ideal Light Brush-on Illuminator by Estée Lauder, $24.50; estee-lauder.com.

4. Nail Touch Nail Lacquer Pen Brush by Yves Saint Laurent, $26; ysl.com.

5. Select Moisturecover by Mac, $15.50; maccosmetics.com.

6. Crayon Contour Lèvres Lip Liner by Dior, $26; dior.com.

7. Plush Lash Mascara by Mac, $12; maccosmetics.com.

8. Ultra-Gloss Reflect in burgundy by Dior, $25; dior.com.

9. Addict lipcolor in plum by Dior, $26; dior.com.

10. Bright Lime Technakohl Liner by Mac, $14.50; maccosmetics.com.

11. Fast Ride Lipstick by Nars, $24; narscosmetics.com.

What beauty products are you craving this season?

Images by hotze eisma.

Visit our facebook page today.

Menswear look from Shopbop.com

New from Blush, The Penelope Pin.

Get your dose of red with this firey little number, The Christy.

We hope you love this new one from Blush…

The first thing that comes to mind as the weather cools down is plaid, which is still in this season – Yeah! Mixing feminine cuts and accessories with such a manly print is what makes these looks so craveable.

Curb your craving for plaid with The Blake. Order it as a pin, headband or hair clip. Super cute!