It turned out that my new little brother loved shopping, and not just for himself. It was so much fun going clothes shopping, finding all these nice things that fit me properly, and having the benefit of his opinion. He was extremely patient and had a good eye for this stuff. This was getting to be very... infectious.
It got better – or worse, perhaps? I’d be accompanying my adopted mother into town and one day I stumbled upon my future holy grail: behold... the lipgloss.
I still remember it – it was BeneFit’s 'She Shells', a white compact made to look like a seashell. You flipped the top open to reveal the gloss and on the other side a (fake) black pearl.
“Wow...Nanay, come see this!” I showed her my new find (‘Nanay’ being the Filipino/Tagalog word for ‘mother’). “Look at that packaging, it’s amazing!!!” At least, I’d never seen anything like it.
“D’you want it?”
“Er...no, I was just – “
“No no no, let me get it for you – “
“Um, but really I don’t need it I was just – “
“Be quiet child, you can try it, alright?”
It was out of my hands and you can’t argue with these diminutive Asian mothers – best just to shut up and do as you’re told. I could hear my mother’s disapproval in my mind though she was in a different hemisphere. Secretly... I was ecstatic! From that moment on, trips into Croydon town became a happy occurrence, as did the acquiring of similar such indulgences.
It gradually became clear to me that wearing makeup or paying attention to one’s appearance didn’t necessarily make you vain or shallow – it was another method of self-expression, just like when I played my musical instruments or wrote my silly poetry. It is nice to look good, or feel that you look "passable" but what I fill my brain with will always be of primary importance.
Thus, I come to the aim of this column: a "brainy" person's guide to beauty. It isn’t going to just be discussion on products, but other issues too like the testing of ingredients and/or products on animals (which I personally abhor), what to avoid if you value your health or have sensitive skin, and so on.
I suspect, however, that there will be a good deal of gushing on the best lipglosses ever, or bath salts. Like I said at the beginning, I’m not immune to the marketing ploys of the industry, and I’m willing to admit it. That dratted arts degree was wasted on me after all.
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