Life is all about making priorities. Our priorities change from time to time, depending on what is important to us at any moment in our lives. But there are some priorities that are here to stay, either for the next 10 days or the next 10 years.
Here are my current top 5 beauty priorities.
1. Good Skin
Good skin has always been a great concern of mine. I used to be a sufferer of really bad acne, some of which was cystic, while growing up. Even when I grew into adulthood, they never truly went away. If not for hormone regulating pills, I wouldn’t have the skin that I do today. And for me, that’s OK. Not everyone is born with flawless-skin genetics, so we just have to deal with it in our own ways.
I foresee that sometime in the near future, I’m going to have to slowly wean myself off this medication for specific periods of time, and a part of me is quite worried about what things are going to be like when that happens. I suppose with the invention of beauty cleansing tools (I currently use the Clarisonic Mia and am totally smitten by what it has done for me), good skincare products, a good diet, a regular skincare routine, enough rest and optimism, I can continue to have the skin that I wish for.
2. Brows
Oh dear me, wherever my brows went after I was born is a mystery. Actually, I’m not sure I actually had them proper. My brows are the finest you can get out there, never mind the fact that my hair is typically Asian-dark.
Brows can make or break a look, and I learnt this quite the hard way. Looking back at some of my very first beauty looks, where my brows were completely unfilled, I still cringe today. Nowadays, my daily look includes filling them in with some soft brow powder, so I feel somewhat better that people sitting at the far end of the lecture theatre can tell I have some sort of brows when I give my lectures. In a way, it’s kind of like stage makeup.
3. Hair
You know those beauty self-help books where the author tells you that the women who always look great in the office take care of themselves in the very minute details from day to day? Yes, that’s true and hair is one of those details. Whether it is the hair colour, cut or style, you should know that hair is one of the first things that people notice about you.
I don’t spend tons on getting a haircut. Instead, I usually go for the $12 basic ones for a trim from time to time, and only to prevent split ends from going all the way to my roots. As for hair colour, I generally stick to my natural hair or one of those L’Oreal DIY packs. Oh yes, and also – dry shampoo.
4.Lips
My lips have always been dry by default. I can drink a hundred glasses of water a day and they would still be dry. To make things worse, I developed eczema a few years back while testing out some lip products. This means that now, not only are my lips a paradise for camels, they are also reactive and fragile like snails.
To deal with this, I carry with me a lip balm or moisturising lip gloss at all times, no matter where I go. When I’m travelling long distances, you bet I’m never without one. My current favourite product is the Sara Happ One Luxe Gloss, which has saved me from harsh winter conditions in the French Alps. You can read my review of it here. But if you don’t: If I ever choose death by wingsuit, this would be the one thing I’d take with me.
5. Fitness
You can lament about the lack of time or energy (whatever’s left after family, work, sample sales and coffee runs), but if you never make exercise a priority, you will never be fit. I’ve experienced how crazy amounts of stress and lack of rest can wreak havoc to my body, and after a period where I didn’t fully recover from sickness for about a year, I decided that enough was enough. I was going to start being fitter and stronger, first by eliminating or reducing unnecessary stress and second by picking up some forms of exercise.
I’m sure there are other parts that I could have made a priority, and maybe I subconsciously already have. But if you’ll ask me, I think these 5 are here to stay for the long run. What about you? What are your top 5 beauty priorities?
Sleep well, eat well & live well,
Roxanne
Image credit: Between the Lenses