SIX THINGS I WISH I KNEW AT 18 – PART II – Ladies who online

CLICK ME to read Part I of this article.

I have spent hours and hours scouring the Internet, reading reviews on varied products, and trying to find the best one in the market. But it has been an impossible task to accomplish. I found out the hard way that finding an answer for the simplest question like, “what’s the best foundation for oily skin?” was a herculean task.

A lot of questions still came into mind, like the coverage that should be done, or the foundation type to use (liquid or stick). Any sane human would have just given up. But what can I say, I love myself some research. 

Even after all those endless hours, the makeup community couldn’t give me a universal answer because there wasn’t one. So I did what seemed to me like the next logical thing. I copied what others did. Whenever I saw a relative, a friend or even a co-worker wearing cosmetics, I’d ask about the brands they used, and once they confirmed how good it was, I would buy it blindly.

Here’s a moment of silence for all the money I wasted.

I spent a crazy amount of money buying cosmetics, which did nothing for me, on the simple basis, that if it looked nice on her, it’ll look good on me. I used to beat myself up about it, and think that maybe I wasn’t applying the product right, or maybe I was using it with the wrong stuff. I should have just accepted that the product probably wasn’t fitting for me. 

This leads me to part two of the six things I wish I knew at 18: What works for her won’t always work for me.

Often, I get approached and asked about what products I use and if I would recommend them. This is a tricky situation for me. I’d love to be the torchbearer that takes women to the land of quality makeup. But I’m very conscious that what might work for me, might not always work for other ladies.  

We are all unique. Even within siblings, each one is different. If we accepted this, then why would we believe that makeup companies created cosmetics and skincare products in a Made To Fit All model?

I have oily skin, and the cosmetics and skincare items I use will do nothing for someone who has dry shave. It might only make things worse.

Now, my cousin has oily skin too. Despite having the same skin type, there are still many products that work for me, but not for her and vice versa. We all have our personal preferences. For example, she prefers liquid contouring while I like powder. 

So, ladies, let’s understand and accept the fact that what works for someone else, might not work for you, and there is nothing wrong with that.