Livin' La Vida Lockdown Day 21: Beauty School Drop out
What will be revealed as lockdown continues? You. You - without the artifice, without the bells and whistles and without the detailed beauty regimes - the layers of armour we put on to conduct our selves in this world are now being shed. You will put on one mask but lose many others.
With no access to mani-pedis, hair salons, beauticians, eyebrow shapers, eyelash technicians, Botox clinics, blow dry bars, spas, waxers, tanning salons, detox massages blah blah blah - women are now left staring at themselves. In all their unpolished glory and wondering - now what? Looks like we all have to just look into a mirror and start liking ourselves as is. We won’t have a choice.
This is the time - whether you like it or not - that you will see what you really need to exist and survive. And it ends up being not that much at all.
Your family or lover may not recognise you - but that's OK because they are shedding too. Remember - no one is getting out of this unchanged. No one. This is the perfect time to have a break from all of it - and actually remember what your body, mind and face feels like without all 'the stuff'.
After countless weeks of mask-wearing I have learnt this:
- Makeup becomes meaningless at a certain point. No one cares what you look like when you are only allowed to walk outside to get a delivery. Or to go to the supermarket and stand in a queue with all the other masked humans.
- People don't even notice - they have more important things to focus on now - like not getting infected, staying healthy, sanitising and.... staying alive.
- As long as you are clean and clothed - that's all that is required. Remember Maslow’s? We are in the pyramid.
- You certainly won’t need your Mac Ruby Woo lipstick for a temp check at the letterbox. The security guards do not care, nor do the police nor does the army. And for someone that wore lipstick every day of my life - seeing a mask replace my signature red smile - was very disconcerting. So I own a red one. And a blue one and a purple one and a denim one and white ones...dozens and dozens of white ones. I mix it up. But it is still depressing as hell.
- If you are on full lockdown - most of your wardrobe will no longer be worn - try 98% of it. Get used to that. You will stare at the sheer volume of clothes, accessories and shoes you own and ask why you even need them? Then you have to remind yourself that life isn't always going to be like this. You will go out and drink beer and dance again. Other humans will see you in public again one day. Keep the clothes.
- Your nails will be cactus and your hands will feel reptilian after constant hand washing and bleaching - hand cream is life, so are gloves - stock up.
- Hair masks and facial masks and 'the sit around for an hour with a towel on your head' rituals - are a go-to in times like this. Relish them.
So the message here is - this is the time to nourish your self from the inside out instead - yes - with real food, good mental habits, self compassion, exercise, meditation and rest.
And all the other crap will have to wait - until the world starts caring about that stuff again. From where I am sitting that could be quite a while. So ladies relax.
