Style & Leisure
BEAUTY
A New Age of Self Care We are in the throes of the 2020 Christmas holiday season and I must say it’s unlike any other I have ever experienced. This particular season will not see the traditional hustle and bustle of big crowds, lined counters and all the trappings we’ve come to associate with the season. Online shopping will no doubt go off the rails, as it has been gaining in previous years anyway. (Side note: Please shop local as much as possible). Wow, how the world can change in such a short span of months — yet here we are. We all have had the rare opportunity to slow down, take a minute and hit the pause button. This pandemic has given us time, something we previously complained that we never had. We have adapted to doing things in a different way and very quickly at that. We are a resilient people, and quite stubborn still. We have discovered in short time, folks, that we can actually do stuff. Yes, we are learning to tap into those internal resources. Those who once thought they could not survive without a visit to the hair salon, nail salon, 28 | November-December 2020
shopping mall, (for me, thrift store) — we did it. I believe pandemic-age self care may be here to stay. We definitely want to patronize our salons, spas, etc. when that’s all back online. Meanwhile though, it feels pretty good to be self-sufficient. This is a great time to research and try new skin care, beauty products and experiment with eye color, since your mask covers the rest of your face. Stats reveal that more women are trying more at-home beauty treatments, managing their own hair — ponytails, buns, air drying, wearing hair natural, doing their own mani/pedi, etc. For the first time ever, skin care is outpacing makeup. I personally am focused on listening to what my body is speaking to me. I feel this pandemic has sort of stripped away the powder and the paint and caused us to look at our bare selves as we really are. Being in the midst of the worst we can find a positive, but sometimes you really have to dig deep. We are a resilient people with faith that “this too shall pass.”
My encouragement to you during this Christmas season is that you be rooted and grounded in love, and that your feet stay firmly planted on the Rock and your focus riveted like a laser on the real beauty in this life — God, family, friends, all of humanity — that’s a big order, but we can do it. A Beautiful Christmas to All of You! P.S. Great stocking stuffers and essential tools of the mask wearers (that would be all of us): • Skin care • Eye shadow palette • Mascara • Tinted moisturizer • Brow pencil • Lip gloss Marion Edwards Marion Edwards is a Licensed Esthetician, Professional Makeup Artist and Certified Trainer for Motives Cosmetics. She can be contacted at 828.773.1500. aawmag.com
