Life — December 3, 1898 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be an early 20th-century advertisement for a cosmetic or beauty product, likely cold cream or face powder. The image shows a woman holding a jar labeled "SEARS" (partially visible), with the caption "This only is the witchcraft I have us'd." The satire plays on contemporary anxieties about women's cosmetics: the term "witchcraft" humorously references the idea that makeup works like magic to transform appearance. The quote suggests that beauty products—not actual sorcery—are the "secret" to a woman's attractiveness. This reflects the era's tension between traditional views of "natural" beauty and growing acceptance of cosmetics as respectable beauty aids, transforming what was once considered deceptive into normalized self-improvement. The decorative fleur-de-lis border suggests the product's aspirational, elegant positioning.