In the name of vanity: Broke for beauty

Hey Peeps!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, beauty is subjective, beauty is skin deep... There are countless one liners on the subject but what is beauty? Since the beginning of mankind trends come and go, some stranger than others. we judge ourselves and others based on these trends but who sets them and we do we follow them? I have always been a strong believer in freedom of self expression and do enjoy some of the less harmful trends but across history, some of the trends are just bizarre all the way to down right dangerous in ancient times all the way to today's standards.

Looking at social media, entertainment and all things mainstream has left me thinking on the subject. All the videos on strange useless hacks many are willing to try but are probably more destructive than anything. make up tutorials where I'm not sure if they are doing make-up or getting ready to patch a wall with plaster. Fake videos of products producing unrealistic results with manipulation like adding chia or poppy seeds to exaggerate their results, using filters. Is anything real anymore?

We look back at the ancients all the way to Egypt with their toxic dark eyes made from led based and other minerals that are known today to be deadly or spreading animal feces on their scalps to make male pattern baldness disappear hoping for re-growth. The Greeks fashionable unibrow, medieval era's women's plucking of ALL eyelashes, eyebrows and hairlines for a more prominent forehead let alone the strange and painful looking thing-a-majigs filled with animal grease lice and rat infestations, highly flammable I might add. Bone crushing corsets, led based whitening make-up, arsenic concoction made to look paler even going as far as purposely infecting themselves with tuberculosis to achieve that pale thin look with red lips. What?

It's easy to say what was wrong with these people to go so far to achieve "beauty standards" but are we any different in today's society? Lately my facebook feed has been filled with botched plastic surgeries, chemical peels and Botox injections gone wrong, experiencing severe health repercussion, disfiguration, some even loosing their lives as a result. The sad part is, they were more beautiful before they tried all of the shenanigans. Facelifts until their eyes disappears or the faces looking all distorted. Others going into debt taking out hefty loans they struggle to pay back to make themselves look like "Barbie" or whatever else they want to look like all with all kind of cosmetic surgeries in the name of social media likes or a popular Instagram account and endorsements or attention. Where do we draw the line between vanity and common sense? Where is the morality standards in those cashing in legally or illegally performing these procedures?

Some less harmful but equally strange like excessive use of filters, landscape or wall-bending photoshop to enhance certain body parts to exaggerated unnatural looking proportions. Being part of various photography and travel groups, one that is popular for some reason is brown men paying a service to photoshop their brown skin to some strange paper white sickly color. People here in North-America go to tanning beds and absorb to much sun to the point they put themselves at risk for skin cancer and premature aging to get that same beautiful brown skin.

None of this even looks real or appealing to be honest, are they even fooling anyone? Most of us can see thru the fakery anyway...Just my opinion tho. If you ever disappear and all they have is photos that are altered beyond recognition to find you, how can anyone even recognize you?

Once upon a time being plump was a sign of wealth and beauty, in today's age, the skinnier the better. Why? Impossible beauty standards promoted in the fashion industry with skinny starving models, in the name of "Who wears it better"? I suppose thinner bodies are easier to dress perhaps? Anyhow such standards are harmful promoting body complexes and eating disorders like anorexia to anyone who dare try to compare. Is skin and bones so beautiful the we must starve ourselves of daily sustenance needed to survive? Even at my height and size of 2-4, I would be considered "too fat". What are we teaching young girls?

I can appreciate companies like the "Dove" brand or any other that are making efforts to include diversity in their advertisement campaigns, showcasing natural beauty of all shapes and sizes, young and old, the gray haired or the colorful, dark skinned or pale skinned and everything in between, stretch marks and all. Representing beauty standards that are real, natural and probably a more accurate picture most of us in society looks like. Representing values that we are all beautiful in our own way, no need to go to great lengths to comply to the impossible to be able to look in the mirror and be satisfied with ourselves. Showcasing health and cleanliness is beauty, nothing more and nothing less. Life is hard enough as it is.

Fast fashion, another harmful trend, perhaps not to our bodies but to our wallets and our planet. Why must we have a new wardrobe of cheaply made garbage clothing that is only wearable a handful of times just to litter our planet and landfills for a quarterly change in the closet. Not only are we burring ourselves in garbage but keeping in mind the toxic emissions released in the air for the production of such items along with the terrible working conditions of "sweat shops" employees are subjected to just because we want everything somewhat cheaply priced so we can "be fashionable" and not have to wear the same thing twice. Isn't it more costly in the end to change one's wardrobe seasonally?

Don't get me wrong, I like to look fashionable like the next person but do I need to follow every trend? Frankly with a full wardrobe of quality clothing that are well cared for, I think I do just fine. I haven't bought much clothing in the last decade yet my wardrobe is far from outdated with enough accessories and swap options to keep up with my look as the seasons change, up-cycling outfits with a solid base of quality made clothing with timeless designs. Yes I paid more than $30 for any my jeans but I have been wearing the same ones for almost 20 years and they still look fabulous and always complimented. Being fashionable doesn't have to be costly in the long term or destroy our planet along with the human rights disaster these fast fashion values promote. Many of them aren't even cheaper options on the wallet. I have seen shirts that look like a tradesmen welded with it for a decade sell for $300 CAD or jeans that rip and come apart at the seams the moment one bends down in them.

More less destructive but expensive habits, hair do's, professional nails and caterpillar looking lash extensions. Yo, what's that creature living on your eyelid, can you even see? Does it fly? When I got my hair done, I cringed as I paid the over $200 tab, it was a one off as a treat to myself since it had been 2 years and not something I plan to upkeep for very long because I see it as a money drain long term but how many do this monthly to keep up? In my age range, we went to buy a $15 box of hair dye and a $3 bottle of nail polish that lasted a long time and did our own hair and nails, nowa days, so many spend astronomical amounts monthly to get all of the above and more done professionally.

You would think that's only rich folks doing that...Nope broke AF chicks and teens do it too. My other half informed me that he sends $60 per month to each of his teenage daughters to get their nails done. Nice of him but what kind of lesson is that teaching? when they should be concerned about paying for university soon. One gets her hair done every month too. So working entry level job spending $300 per month on hair and nails alone or $3600 per year let alone the additional cost of everything else fashion and beauty related.

No wonder everybody is broke, that's a lot of money spent for a teenager young adult on 2 things. I have a decent income and even that's over the top for myself. That's the message we promote to our youth as they get ready to get out into the world and spread their wings tho for some reason when they should be learning to manage money. whatever tho, it's their money but what a drain, some people need to learn the hard way.

the last beauty standard I feel the need to pick on, is make-up. Not that there is anything wrong with a little bit to enhance our natural features but once again, where do we draw the line? I don't wear much make-up but was interested in trying a few looks and tried looking at a few tutorial on how to achieve certain looks. WOW was I ever surprised and unimpressed. One after an other was a series of wall patching demos? Perhaps it's a dual skill? What's good for the wall is good for the face? Are we painting a mural? Many of the host weren't even recognizable, like they built themselves a new face entirely.

Many wear make-up to cover up acne and scars, perhaps the excessive make-up IS THE CAUSE of these so called unsightly things we dislike on ourselves, I promise you that is just the plain truth. Ever think of that? Each of them when they started had horrible damaged looking skin most likely due to all the crap they clog their pores with. No shade on those with real medical conditions, it must be unfortunate and traumatizing to have to go thru that but why are people giving themselves medical conditions in the name of beauty? Doesn't it get expensive too?

I used to work as a bartender and in my younger years, I was guilty of a lesser degree of wearing too much. Not like today but everyday use of it, yes it left my skin to be less than what I desired. Luckily, I stopped in my early 20's before too much damage was done. Realizing every time I wore make-up, I had to add more to cover-up the effects of make-up. Not properly washing the face and sleeping in it is also a terrible thing for the skin. That shit is real. Tips for the younger crowd. With proper diet, skin care and adequate moisture, yes the "bad skin" eventually goes away if it is caused by make0up, today I wear it once in a while and just once it bothers my skin enough to not want to wear any for a while.

Our skin is the largest detoxifying organ in our body, eating too much sugar, high fat content meat ,too many carbs, alcohol, not drinking enough water or too much coffee and pop, too much sun amongst other things are extremely detrimental for the skin and cause long term damage. Simply taking care of the God given natural beauty has a lasting effect as we age rather than trading off temporary beauty at the cost of longevity in attention seeking carelessness.

I'm going to turn 40 this year so I come with 25 years experience on the topic. Not an expert but my own experiences and observing what works and what doesn't or aggravates my complexes, analyzing my own aging process, I'm the proof. Never mind the time it takes to apply 100 layers of face paint everyday! Do your dates get scared waking up next to a totally different face than what they went to bed with or thought they were dating? Why is it so hard to accept and present our natural selves?

Posted in my last post but my real intention behind this comparison picture was also for skin health and mindfulness. Both pictures taken 12 years apart with the same shirt to prove a point and no photoshop or filter. My skincare routine, eating better and make-up minimalist with the results with no over the top procedures. They say the proof is in the pudding, there's the pudding! Only wearing a light coat of powder foundation, a bit of blush and mascara. Who has the balls to go out almost barefaced nowa days in western society? I know, I look whiter than Casper the ghost but I do my best to avoid the sun and prefer shaded exposure. Once I was done experimenting with cheap Walmart routine, tanning beds and daily make-up and been using the routine below for a decade has actually improved my skin substantially 27 vs 39 (I turn 40 in a couple of months)

I do have my own somewhat costly beauty vice, my skin care. My routine is pretty basic for the most part, yes I'm guilty of using high end products to achieve what looks like immortality and slow down my own aging aesthetically but nothing drastic. No botox, no chemical peals and no facelifts. Just basic skincare. Instead of turning your kitchen ingredients upside down to try all of these make-believe faux miracle homemade Tik-Tok elixirs, some of them are actually correct but majority are just sensationalized garbage for likes and attention and don't even work. for the face, why not leave it to the experts? The ones that have spent decades in perfecting the science and ingredients to healthy youthful skin?

Department store anything is probably as crappy as the homemade tik-tok fake miracle cures and probably leave your skin just as clogged and damaged as wearing excessive make-up. Perhaps cheaper than the high end products at first glance based on pricing but is actually more expensive in the long term since it requires more of it for less or unsatisfying results made with cheaper ingredients that often tend to just aggravate the skin more than it helps. Who are the experts? Leave it to the French, they know skincare like nobody else does. /much of he fashion industry look up to them anyway, perhaps there is a reason. Rose water being and important ingredients that promote healthy skin and feeds it at surface level.

For any good skin care routine, a good face wash is important. My skin is pretty sensitive and finding one that was soft enough for my sensitive skin yet strong enough to wash man-dirt out with my career in construction and maintenance in powerplants and oil industry. That's like asking for the impossible. Lancôme is always up to the task in that regards, my one and only.

Lancôme's Creme Radiance comes out as a paste then turns into a gentle foam cleanser when added to water and applied. Leaves the face soft and clean without disrupting the ph balance or the natural oil production of the skin, too harsh of a cleanser strips the natural oil causing the skin to become unbalanced creating oilier skin to compensate that eventually clogs the pores that turn into unwanted blackheads and pimples. Too mild of a cleanser, well doesn't clean the dirt and oil adequately that accumulate in the pores leading to the same unwanted results.

Free with purchase often include these types of items during promotions, I can't say I have ever paid for make-up. Samples of fragrances and other products are often available on demand.

As we age and dirt accumulates, it leaves us with enlarged pores and most of us ladies may get a little self conscious about it. Lancôme rose sorbet cryo mask is a great product to help minimize enlarged pores and other acne related skin damage. With a combination of salicylic acid and rose water, not only does it minimize, a small amount of salicylic acid is medicine to kill bacteria within the skin so it doesn't get trapped and cause further acne along with the rose water that leaves the skin feeling smooth and brightened complexion. At $55 CAD, using it once a week is sufficient and one jar will last a long time.

Not all beauty has to cost an arm and a leg, sometimes keeping it simple is just as beneficial. White clay does wonders for that little extra deep clean and attracting excess oil out of pores. This $2 pouch of white clay mixed with tea tree oil is not only refreshing and relaxing but tea tree oil is a natural anti bacterial medicine that also help shrink the appearance of pores along with removing excess dirt and oil while killing any acne causing bacteria.

Each pouch is enough for about 3 faces, using once a week if paired with Lancôme's cryo mask, twice a week if it's the only go-to mask. Powerful stuff. Using it to often is counter productive and can irritate the skin. It burns a little when you first begin to use it, that's the tea tree oil and means it's actually doing it's job and killing bacteria. The slight burning effects eventually go away with repetitive use and the skin also progressively looks better even tho results are noticeable after the first try.

$160 for a jar of face cream seems like a lot at first but if it last 6 months because it's so powerful that it only needs to be used 3 times a week allowing the skin to breathe a few days while keeping it's moisture compared to the average department store anti aging creams at $30 monthly to a total of $180 for 6 months. Cost more for less drastic results in the end. Dior is a fabulous brand skin care, luxury for the skin yet if you do the math, high-end is the cheaper option after all.

Dior snow is great for reducing color imperfection, age spots and redness for a more even skin tone. Paired with an anti-aging serum is an asset for deep skin nourishment and even skin tone and tighten pores all at the same time. Dior One runs about $100 CAD per bottle but like the cream last a long time and using 3 times per week has been the magic number for my skin.

Especially around the holidays, many of these high end brands offer free gift sets or an offer at much reduced prices with a minimum $$ purchase especially Lancôme that contain other high end skincare products and expensive make-up pallets with the seasonal trending colors. That's right, free high end make-up. In the end making a healthy skin care routine actually cheaper than a Walmart routine. Both Dior and Lancôme counters always have various samples on hand, you jut need to ask and they will gladly give them out with any purchase and every product can be tested at location to check for skin compatibility with their products and avoid skin reactions or rashes.

Since we are rolling in on the Holiday season for much of the Western world, why not dig into Dior's fabulous fragrances. Their blend of lotions, body milk and Eau de toilette made from once again, the best of ingredients and essential oils are not overwhelming and quite pleasant are offered in beautiful gift sets containing a full size and a purse size bottle of fragrance along with the matching body milk for luxurious smelling and feeling skin contained in really fancy boxes, who needs to even wrap it for presentation. These run for around $160 per set. If any men have read this far (fat chance 😅), any products on this list make for great gift ideas for your special lady in case you are unsure what to get.

CONCLUSION

Will society ever stop chasing the latest trend and impossible standards being set? At the end of the day, each of us set the standard for ourselves by following all the newest ridiculous thing on social media in the hope for society's acceptance and beauty or a bunch of "likes". We are all beautiful to someone yet will never be beautiful to everyone, that's just the law of the land and how life goes.

It's ok to have a few costly beauty vices but must we own them all? After all, the Kardashians and all other stars that so call set these impossible trends are rich AF and can afford it, most of us are not, why are we trying to keep up with them? Why go thru costly process and pain while filling our world with excess garbage to comply to what society says you should look like when sometimes simplicity with intent with a little self care is the actual solution to timeless beauty and good for mental health?

Learning to accept ourselves as we are, all individual and unique? Can we bring back natural beauty without starving ourselves, without useless surgeries, without layers upon layers of toxic make-up, breaking the bank or photoshoping into oblivion, bring back realistic standards? Teach the next generation they are perfect just the way they are, already born a masterpiece how nature intended? Simply enhancing our favorite features. Social media is destroying our youth and body image, why don't we teach them better by doing better ourselves? Make natural the trend again!

All images are my own, some are ladies across various murals around Edmonton, some posted under my ladybug account. First half taken with Nikon D-7000 paired with 18-55mm lens. Second half product photos taken with Nikon Z6 paired with the same Nikkor lens stated above.

I'm starving I want my left over lasagna. YUMMY fuck that skinny bs, besides the lycopene found in processed tomatoes is a skin superfood, maybe I'll make a post on skin superfoods tomorrow or something. (I know I'm so random and I like it!)

Stay beautiful in your natural glory!! xox