I have loved beauty products since I was first mesmerized by a pot of Clinique lip gloss in my mom’s cosmetic drawer back in the late 70’s. I learned, very early on, that the glory of cosmetics comes from an internal process of enjoyment, much like cuisine. I think it has a lot to do with rituals; the process of selection, application, and wear…even the packaging itself is a part of the overall aesthetic for me. It’s an anchor against life’s past, present and future.
Scents or textures can carry me back to my childhood, the anxious and rebellious days of teenagedom, the independence of college, or the deliciously exotic and exhilirating times in Brazil…beauty products connect me with so much more than beauty alone.
I am always on a search for products that give me joy. I am also very much a beauty do-it-yourself-er…I am fearless when it comes to home hair color, self-tanning, skincare, nails and so forth. Being in charge of my own experience is part of the fun, part of the process. And, I can’t count the times that I have been so obsessed with a product (seen in a magazine, a blog, or murmured via beauty-grapevine) that I have driven to every store in the city until the wonder item has been located.
I lean towards the natural side of things, in that I do not like products that are overly synthetic nor do I try to make myself someone that I am not. For me, it’s about making yourself the best YOU that you can possibly be! Isn’t that what beauty is all about?
For reference, I am 34 years old, light olive-complexion and breakout prone. I have long hair which I color myself and long natural nails, but I do love the sun…so, a lot of my product focus is on skincare, haircare, sunscreen, and things that make it easier to maintain my active lifestyle without a lot of fuss. Fragrance plays a big role in my product selections, as well as responsible packaging, price, accessiblility and overall enjoyment or performance.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sheila and Taryn for allowing me to be a part of the Painted Ladies!
I would love to see you review natural hair color, like natural body art quality henna. I know that it isn’t super popular, but since you are a home dye girl, I think it would be awesome if you tried it and posted about it.
great suggestion, Adriana! Funnily enough, I used to toy with henna designs on skin a few years back…it’s fun! I will certainly search for a good product to play with and share my results. One thing that I like about natural henna body art is that you can still rock some tattoo-like designs without the lifelong commitment. When I did the henna, I couldn’t get over how relatively easy it is, for a big payoff…long wear, fades well (not blotchy or piecy) and gets lots of positive comments from curious bystanders. Thanks for the suggestion!
[...] Save Me! 13 09 2009 By Abby [...]
[...] Abby [...]
[...] Abby [...]