Moisture wiser
I love beauty products and am a sucker for a good advertising campaign. If there’s a new product that promises to make my hair softer, my skin brighter or my pores smaller… I’m buying it.
What’s worse, I can quite happily spend hours walking through Boots, Priceline or Superdrug testing foundations, smudging eye shadow on the back of my hand and smelling all manner of creams, serums and scrubs. It’s an addiction that I’m not too keen to curb.
If you go into a centrally based Boots or Priceline at midday you’re certain to find scores of women on their lunch break doing the same thing as I am. They are reading the back of boxes, staring at shiny packaging and wondering if they should just get the three for two deal because really, who doesn’t need three litres of hand sanitizer?
On occasion I’ve been known to do a clean out of my bathroom cupboard, or more accurately Matt starts cleaning it out and I scurry in desperate to save my collection of half-empty bottles and jars. When this happens, I become very aware of just how much money I actually spend on beauty products that I use for a few weeks or months then banish to the bathroom cupboard.
It is not uncommon for me to be in possession of 12 different kinds of moisturiser at any one time, each for a different part of my body. It is safe to say that if my hands, feet, elbows, calves, knees, thighs, retinas or larynx ever become less than moist, I’ve got the appropriate cream to resolve the issue.
But does owning every type of moisturiser ever made stop me from buying more? No, of course not. If for some reason Nivea, Dove, Olay and Garnier are all swept away in an apocalyptic tidal wave and only myself and a handful of others survive, I will be able to repopulate the worlds moisturiser supplies and single-handedly ensure all man-kind remain soft and supple. Why? Because I stockpiled at the three for two sale and it’s paying off dividends.
This addiction does not just end at moisturiser though, as I mentioned earlier I’m a fiend for any and all beauty products. There’s something exciting about purchasing a new concealer, blush or mascara, taking it home and testing it out immediately.
Indulging in this never-ending assortment of beauty products is part of being a woman and definitely one of the parts I enjoy the most.
When Matt wakes up in the morning he showers, shaves and, if it feels like his face may crack and fall off, moisturises. That’s it. His whole routine may take 15 minutes if he really stretches it out.
My routine is vastly different and involves a cavalcade of face wash, body wash, loofah gloves, toner, de-frizz, heat-protecting and sun-defending products all topped off with, you guessed it, a visit to my moisturiser archive.
All of this occurs before I even start to style my hair and put on my make-up. I love the endless number of choices I have each day when it comes to how I look. There are so many things I can do with my hair and make-up to reflect how I feel in the way that I look that day.
Matt, who is currently sporting a number one blade all over, has no choice. He either embraces how he looks that particular day or hides his face behind a paper bag. I’ve never seen him choose the latter but sincerely hope that one day he does just so I can watch him walk around with a paper bag on his head.
It is no wonder men have moved forward and now crave the same number of options women have. There was a time when it was a sin for a man to even think about using any beauty product outside of shaving cream. Not anymore! Men now have a huge range of options and it’s no longer considered taboo to indulge in a spot of manpering (that’s man-pampering).
I like to imagine that, after a long day of roasting rats on an open flame and sleeping inside horse bellies, Bear Grylls likes to unwind in a hot bubble bath complete with Jodie Picoult novel, face mask and a cheeky glass of Prosecco.
Whether you’re a man, woman or Bear Grylls I think finding a little bit of time and indulgence for yourself is a big part of feeling good. If buying that new lipstick, eyeliner or hair gel makes you feel special and walk that little bit taller or smile that little bit wider, then don’t hold back.
littlegreybox.
6 Comments on “Moisture wiser”
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What is littlegreybox?
littlegreybox is a meeting point of humorous perspective, food and travel experiences and my life journey. It's my outlet, a source of inspiration and a way to share and connect with people around the world.
I’ll take a “hot bubble bath complete with Jodie Picoult novel, face mask and a cheeky glass of Prosecco,” please?
I could wander through Ulta for hours. It never stops being fun. Ever.
hahaha completely agree :)
I visited the UK in December and fell madly in love with Boots. I think my other half was relieved when he had me safely through customs and away from the dangers of Boots browsing!
Boots is the best hey! There’s nothing they don’t sell. I think I’m going to get a job there haha
I do agree with the assesment that one should not feel guilty spending a little on things that make one feel better. I do it to, even though I am a man. Nothing wrong with that.
I love that little bit of happiness that buying a new beauty product gives you! definitely justifies spending most of my money in Boots!