By BR Kellie
Clearly at Beauty Review we’re a bit beauty obsessed. We don’t have makeup bags, we have makeup drawers, and makeup closets, and makeup shelves. All overflowing. We don’t stick to the same skincare routine; we’re always trying out new products, resulting in our showers and bathrooms looking like skincare shrines.
So where did this beauty loving attitude come from? Was it from watching our mother or sisters that we learnt to love beauty in all its shapes, forms and colours? Or was it a path we took ourselves? What or who were our influencers?
I remember watching my mother putting on makeup when she was heading out to a party, but I don’t remember her ever putting it on me, and the only reason I started using makeup was to help hide my pimples as a teenager. Oh and because I needed a Body Shop lip gloss because it was cool and I wanted to fit in with the rest of the girls in the entire world. It would be fair to say my obsession though is skincare (the joys of having horrible skin for most of my life), and I still remember buying pimple-killing cleansers (which actually exacerbated the situation, if only I knew then what I know now) and my first pink bottle of Oil of Ulan and feeling rather grown up. I asked my mother the other day if it were she who put me onto skincare (because I always thought it was). Turns out I did it myself. And I was probably encouraged by Dolly magazine. Thanks, Dolly! You taught me how to pash a boy and use skincare. High five!
From an early age Nat’s ‘The Mummy’ impressed upon her the importance of using skincare and moisturising twice a day, and the moment teenage acne decided to take up residence on Nat’s face her mum sorted her out with a routine. To this day Nat rarely gets spots and has skin so good she has little to no need for foundation. On the flipside The Mummy wasn’t a huge wearer of makeup, only popping it on for parties, so makeup for her was a journey of self discovery, with her love of makeup flourishing during university years, where she tells me she’d have a fab face by night at the pub and then rock last night’s eyeliner as a smokey eye the next day in lectures.
It’s interesting to learn how and why people are introduced to skincare and makeup, everyone seems to have a different story. And everyone’s story comes with different attitudes to makeup and skincare. Of course being curious types, we want to know what your influencers are or were? When did you start using beauty products? How old were you? What’s a good age to start wearing makeup or using skincare, and what’s appropriate when?
Of course, we’re going to give a little something away to thank you for sating our curiosity - take our survey and you’ll be in to win one of five $50 beauty packs!
Great topic as its very topical and discussed a lot recently