Thursday 9 July 2015

In pursuit of perfection...

Lately I have been coming across lots of statements advising to stop chasing perfection, that it is something unattainable and only leads to misery. We should be more content, focus on the things that we have and be grateful. It is so important to be happy with what you already have, not to neglect things that already work in your life, but why should I give up on perfection? After all, everything I have, everything I am so grateful for, it did not come about because I was content with things at the time, if you are so happy with the status quo where will progress come from? Wanting to perfect things is what drives incredible inventions, the first brick of a mobile phone was groundbreaking at the time, maybe everyone should have been grateful and content with that. Rethinking perfection however, is not such a bad idea. Just like beauty, perfection is in the eyes of the beholder. It's not something that is constant, it is fluid. What seemed to me perfect ten years ago is something entirely different than what it would be now. My perfect night out used to be dancing all night, and competing with my girlfriend as to who could collect more numbers from the boys. Now it is an evening spent catching up over delicious food and a bottle of wine. To me something perfect, doesn't mean it is flawless. A string of man made pearls, that are completely identical, might look perfect to the eye, but to me this is not the kind of perfection that I am looking for. I like seeing some irregularities between the pearls, then I know they are unique and real.

 

I am not aiming to be perfect, I am not looking to achieve flawless skin, I am searching for skincare that will suit my skin perfectly, for things that fit my personality like a glove. This doesn't mean that I spend every second of every day, obsessing about having those perfect products, those perfect moments, creating perfect memories. That's just unhealthy, and like those flawless fake pearls: not real, and not for me. Sometimes (actually a lot of the times) perfection finds you when you are not looking. It could be an unexpected gift, something that you would never think of getting yourself, but it turns out to be the best thing ever. It could be an unplanned day out, or being dragged along to some place you don't want to go, and it ends up being an absolutely fabulous experience.

 

 

I was not planning on getting Lina Hanson global face serum. I thought it sounded interesting but I did not feel like I simply had to try it. In fact, I spent hours looking at ingredients list for a different product, which I ordered, and when that oil arrived, I was reading ingredients again and spotted jojoba oil, which I am sensitive to on my face, and try to avoid as much as possible (especially in something I'm planning on using daily). So while on the phone, arranging to send it back, I was asked if I wanted to get something else instead. At the time I actually genuinely needed a face oil (I know shocking, I wasn't always surrounded by bottles of beauty products), and I just said Lina Hanson, as that was the one I was sure didn't have any ingredients that did not agree with me. If you find yourself browsing beauty pages of a magazine, you will more than likely come across advice of using your skincare products on neck and chest area. I remember my mom always saying that you often can not tell a woman's age by looking at her face, but you can by looking at her neck. Yet a few years ago we were having a conversation along those lines, and she said that since everyone started using beauty products on their necklines she rarely can tell any more. Well everything I have tried to put on my neck and chest was making my skin on that area itchy and blotchy, be it body or face products. I was resigned to the fact that my décolleté would tell the true story, let the skin on my face and neck not match. Global serum came out of nowhere and sorted that for me, I can happily use it on this part of my body. I'm not sure if I found this serum or it found me, but I know perfection when it lands on my lap. This oil is a permanent part of my collection, luckily a bottle lasts ages so I don't have to repurchase too often.

 

When I saw Lotus Wei for the very first time I was very intrigued by the concept, I had great success with Neals Yard study kit that had herbal tea and aromatherapy remedies inside it, so I was curious to explore this type of products. Just to save myself a big headache of choosing, I wanted to get the mini selection, it was out of stock. I can't remember what made me choose Infinite Love, it was not the name, I remember thinking it sounded a bit like a name of a potion you would get from a fortune teller's tent. It was not because of the flower test on their website, it recommended a different mist. It could have been something as ridiculous as the fact that the label for this bottle is red (yeah I am that person that chooses a book based on the cover, don't pretend like you don't, and you know a lot of the times the outside matches the inside too). The point is, I had no idea if I would even like it, and it turned out to be not only a brilliant aromatherapy mist but also that illusive perfume I have been looking for. It smells of real flowers, has a sweetness, but is also fresh.

 

I remember finally deciding to start swapping all my makeup to natural. Of course that is when Clinique decides to release their chubby stick crayons. Oh how I wanted one, I was having internal debates with myself, I came so close to getting it. In the end I stuck to my guns, and what do you know soon enough Ilia had crayons too. I don't know what it is about this product that was making me feel like I had to have it. There was no doubt in my mind that it would be perfect, and no doubt what colour was the one for me, Karma Chameleon. And it was. It is. Perfect. I like to have a lot of options when it comes to lipstick, yet if I couldn't, this would be my one and only. I often get compliments on my choice of lip colour, but when I'm wearing Karma Chameleon, I get more than ever. Corals suit me, they work with my complexion and make my blue eyes pop, this particular shade does it better than others. Even if my lips are a bit on the dry side, and I can't find a lip balm for the life of me, it works without it. A little bit of the colour lingers after a meal, so when I don't get a chance to a reapply, my lips have a touch of coral tint. You think it doesn't get better, but it does, it looks beautiful on cheeks too.

 

I feel like ever since I have decided to give up those weekly visits to a department store makeup counters, I have been searching for that perfect gold powder. Not that it was easy to find there, but I did, and then I had to give it up. There is gold, and than there is gold that works for me. It has to have a glow, a pearlescent sheen, it can't be glittery, it can't be overly pale or too yellow. It has to be something I can use as an eyeshadow and as a highlighter. You see, I don't want much. One of my birthday presents from my parents was Alima pearluster eyeshadow in Camel (they might have been given a nudge in the right direction by yours truly). It is not that perfect gold I was searching for, yet it is a perfect caramel bronze that I didn't know I was missing. It looks so unbelievably good that I even forget that I hate loose powder (Alima is one of very few brands that does that for me). Rest assured this is not the last mention of it on this blog.

 

I like to have a representation of each type of cleanser on my bathroom shelf. A cream, an oil, a clay based powder, lightly foaming gel and a balm. They all serve different purposes and which one I will use depends on weather, how my skin is and time of day. I have to say that balms are generally my least favourite type. I don't like using face cloths, hate having them hanging around as they are drying after each use (I guess if we had more space it wouldn't be an issue), and it took me forever to come across the ones that wouldn't irritate my skin (most muslin cloths are far to abrasive for me). I mostly use balm cleansers in the shower, I give myself a quick face massage with a small amount of balm prior to jumping in, and then let it protect my skin from hot water while I'm washing my hair. I had a balm that I really liked and was planning on repurchasing (I still might at some point). So why did you see De Mamiel botaniques restorative cleansing balm in the photo above? Because I was curious. I adore De Mamiel seasonal oils, in particular the summer blend. When Botaniques range was released I couldn't afford to get everything, so I bought the Cleanse and Exfoliate. When I had a bit more cash I added this balm to my collection. And it set there unopened, for ages. I did open it of course, and it blew me away, no other cleansing balm compares to this. This is the one that made me not want to try anymore. I cannot stress how rare that is. You see for me skincare is like dating. Sometimes you go on a date and within the first hour you know it isn't going to work. Other times you need to have a few more to see where it is going. Occasionally you have it good, and even though you are not sure if it is ideal, it works and feels safe, and well better than not having anything at all. Yet once in a blue moon it's like that mythical unicorn, love at first sight, when every fibre of your being screams that it is for you, and you just know that this is it, your holy grail.

 

 

I am most definitely never giving up on pursuing perfection, to me it is part of feeling alive. When I don't find it or achieve it, I don't feel defeated because of it. It is about the journey. I set the bar high, for my beauty products and for everything I do. It's something to aim for. When you don't get perfection, you either move on to something else or try harder. Perfection, like so many other things, is subjective, but that doesn't make it unattainable, just unique to each individual. Maybe overall perfection is impossible, but there are plenty of little things that are perfect. Like when the bath water is just right, watching the sunset with someone that you love, and yes that lipstick that brings out your eyes.

 

2 comments:

  1. Lovely post. Nothing wrong with striving for more.......also perfection for yourself not what other people consider perfection....X

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  2. The Global Face Serum is amazing...and actually, I found it was especially great on my neck and chest too! Once I start to run low on my current oils, it's at the top of my list to snap up.


    Mayah x

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