We were once very stubborn in the lessons our matriarchs taught us. We have an aunt who took great pride in her bath rituals. A mother who always wore sunscreen. A great aunt who added a simple accessory to make even the blandest outfit look chic. And a grandmother who knew the power of a trademark perfume. Often, we hear stories about aunts, grandmothers, and mothers who took self-care to the next level. Their hair was always done. Their makeup was effortlessly put on in such a natural yet glamourous way. Their nails were neat and clean. Their skin was dewy and youthful with a bright glow.
How did they do it? With raising kids and no internet to act as a babysitter, how did our matriarchs look so well put together? And how’d they make us look so cute, too?
When we were little girls, we borrowed our mother’s Avon samples and practiced our own makeup during playtime. Of course, blue eyeshadow smudged on your lips doesn’t look good unless it’s Halloween, but we didn’t care. We felt beautiful and we did our best mimicking what our own mother did in the mirror.
That aunt who loved baths? She had creams for years on her vanity for every part of her body. When we visited around Christmas time, the youngest of us girls would go and doll ourselves up with her secret potions hoping to get skin as dewy as our aunt’s. When our aunt came to check on us, she smiled and taught us a few lessons on how to appropriately apply her skincare products. As teenagers, we soaked the knowledge up. As adults surrounded by social media trends, we seemed to throw out all our matriarch’s advice.
Hundreds of dollars later and products filling every cabinet and drawer, we still aren’t achieving the same appearance as the women in our family. Our makeup still can’t look as good as our mother’s Avon products. We’ve been tricked and wasted so much money trying to achieve what our matriarch’s already locked in. Why? Because marketing and filters make us believe that today’s products can perform miracles compared to back in the day.
This couldn’t be far from the truth. One lesson we learned recently was when we got Rosacea. We tried every name brand formula to help heal our skin concerns, and they were expensive. Then we saw a Dermatologist, and they said a gentle natural cleanser at night with a splash of tepid water only for the morning. What? You mean we aren’t supposed to put on ten different serums morning and night? Nope. And believe it or not, our skin is less dry and inflamed.
It took a Dermatologist to remind us of what our matriarchs taught us those years ago. Do less, achieve more and get better results. It’s not about the cost of products. Much of it has to do with application. And looking at our matriarchs today, we can see that all those efforts worked. Now, in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, we are still jealous of how well they aged and how great their skin and hair look.
Never ignore the beauty advice from the women in your family. They know more than social media. Believe us, this will save you so much time and money.