The fate of Cinderella offers hope to all of us who have occasionally felt that life is passing us by. Still, when you think about it, a kitchenmaid is better placed in the beauty stakes than your average princess, anyway. She has access to oatmeal, honey, lemon juice, garlic ... and if any wicked queen upsets her, she can soothe her eyes with cold tea, or use a poultice of mashed potato to combat puffiness.