I have always loved playing with makeup and skin care products. People teased me about being a “girly girl.” I felt a little embarrassed and thought my huge stash of beauty products were frivolous and maybe even an exercise in vanity.
However, in my study of what makes for good mental health and happiness, I realized this love was actually smart self-care that helped me over the years reduce stress, regulate my emotions, perform better in everything I do, including my work, and even helped my relationships.
Why? Because being present and feeling joy and peace are important for good mental health and happiness.
- The Power of Now and Mindfulness. It’s important for us to ground ourselves in the present at the start of the day and throughout the day. It helps us unwind and reduce destructive stress levels and think more clearly. The sensory act of applying beauty products – feeling the textures, smelling the scents, savoring the colors – gets us grounded in the present moment, which is where we are most powerful and we can tap into our wisest self (e.g., ever get your best ideas in the shower?).. We lose our power and get mired in monkey mind when we get stuck mourning over the past or worrying about the future.
- Elevated Joyful Energy. All work and no play makes us miserable. Beauty products give us an opportunity to play and have fun each day. While I may not have time to bust out some watercolors, I can play with a makeup palette or lip colors quite easily in the morning and on breaks in the middle of the day. When we feel joy, we are in an elevated state energetically. We get into the flow of life. Mind chatter falls away. Wise ideas bubble up that help us with whatever we need to do.
- The Ripple Effect. The way each of us feels has an impact on everyone around us. When we feel peaceful and joyful, this peace and joy emanates from us and impacts the way others feel. We are role models for our children and the people we work with. If we run ourselves into the ground, it sets an example for those around us.
Today I talked about this and the spring beauty trends on Fox 2 News. Here are the interview, details on the trends and spring trend events coming up.
This spring is all about radiant skin and high-definition lips.
You Glow Girl! Exfoliating and detoxifying the skin are ways to reveal your inner glow that may have gotten hidden by dry, dead skin cells brought on by winter’s cold weather. There are also lots of highlighters and glow-boosting creams you can play with.