“It is a most difficult task to fix upon any general and satisfactory standard of female beauty, since forms and qualities the most opposite and contradictory are looked upon by different nations, and by different individuals, as the perfection of beauty.” 

The theme of beauty ideals and imperfections is at the heart of “The Arts of Beauty, Or, Secrets of a Lady’s Toilet, With Hints to the Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating”, as the text explicitly illustrates what the “ideal” woman looks like.

These ideals, as stated by Montez, include having soft hands, a charming voice, and firm bosom, however the list goes on and on. Any characteristic which deviates from what women “should be”, according to the manual, therefore may be interpreted as an imperfection.The text directly supports this idea since in addition to indirectly defining flaws of women’s appearances, Montez offers suggestions on how to be rid of, or fix, these imperfections such as how to make thick ankles appear small, color grey hair, and remove freckles from the face. 

One research question that was central to understanding this text was “What determines our beauty standards?” 

In Chapter One, titled “Female Beauty”, Montez explains the idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or that each person has their own specific taste when it comes to what they believe is beautiful. Montez offers that while people all over the world have different beauty standards, having the right “color and form” is of the utmost importance. Of course, what the ideal “color and form” is different in every county and is largely influenced by habits and culture.

Montez identifies that her opinion on what an ideal woman looks like aligns best with the definition provided by Andre Felibien. Felibien was a male, French historian who lived in the 1600s.

While his classification of the ideal woman is relatively broad, this statement raises another question: How do “ideals” define what should be important to women? 

Montez’s text suggests that for women, appealing to the male gaze should be the main objective.