I’m 25 years old and as I’ve become more passionate about cosmetics as a hobby I’ve come to realize that fascination with makeup goes hand in hand, whether you’re willing to admit it or not, with a painful obsession with youth and beauty.  I’m not going to even pretend that I’m one of those individuals that blames the media and celebrities for presenting an “unrealisitic standard” for everyone to live up to.  I know I’ll never look like a walking airbrushed magazine cover, however, I’m not going to lie to myself and say that stumbling out of bed is good enough for me every morning, because frankly, it’s not.  I want to look as good as I can, as long as I can.  I know that it comes with routines, discipline, and of course, money. But it’s worth it… To ME.

Mmm… Let me clarify.  Worth it…  dollar wise…  to a point.  For example, I’ve been on a hunt for a good eye cream and I was doing some perusing on Sephora last night.  A Dr. Perricone eye serum came up on my search that cost $195!!!  Ok, ladies, there are sacrifices, and then there is literally starving yourself too afford a good eye cream.  That being said, I am currently sampling a $65 eye cream – that’s $65 for .5 oz.  However I am completely convinced that this product is capable of solving all the world’s problems, so that’s ok.  If 20 year old me met current me, she would probably be disgusted and shocked.  Then again, current me would be too busy laughing at 20 year old me’s makeup to even notice…

The way I see it, there are two major ways you can go about this…  First there’s the typical approach to anti-aging which occurs in middle-aged women when they realize all the sins they’ve committed are coming back to haunt them on the outside (cigarettes, late nights, tanning, lack of basic skincare): throwing everything they can at their face – anti-aging creams, serums, masks, products that are designed to tighten, lift, and firm, and lest we forget… Plastic surgery.

The second way of thinking, one I find more logical, is more of a prophylactic approach to anti-aging.  Meaning, not only do I practice good skincare, but I also try to use a few quality anti-aging products as part of my routine, including of course, sunscreen.  People like to ask me something along the lines of, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” and the reason why is as a preventative measure to slow the aging process and keep the skin healthy.  I’ve even considered “baby botox” based on this same principle (if I could afford it of course!).

I guess you could consider a third school of thought on skin care/anti-aging, and one I’d rather not even acknowledge…  I see it all the time and it annoys the crap out of me.  People that just never do give a damn – I just don’t understand it!  Looks aren’t everything but they are the way you present yourself to the world so I can’t comprehend why you would neglect them entirely.

For the most part, I’ve learned in the majority, you get what you pay for.  Comparing drug store brands to higher end… there just really is no fair comparison.  When I first began browsing in Sephoras, the sticker shock was monumental, but once I began using the higher end brands and realized what a huge difference there was in the quality of the ingredients and effectiveness, it became easier to overlook the cost.

In conclusion, whether or not you agree with spending high dollar for your products, the way I see things…  We only get one face, and it’s the first thing people notice about us and our outlet to the world; we have every reason to take care of it, and hopefully, it will return the favor.

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