How Beauty Ties Into Your Power
As we go further into January of 2025 and the words “Make America Great Again” get increasingly louder, this is the time to remind ourselves that we never have to abide by trends if they don’t sit right with our being.
Regardless of your political status, it is undeniable that the incoming societal landscape will prioritize simple makeup, straightened and neat hairstyling, and elegant clothing with only the “correct” amount of sex appeal. While there is nothing inherently wrong with classic looks, prioritizing it over beauty ideals from non-white, non-heterosexual, and non-Christian values is harmful.
So much progress has been made in our embrace of new looks and new ideals. There doesn’t have to be an “other” population. You CAN wear your natural hair, you CAN embrace your natural skin tone, and you CAN dress as masculine or as feminine as you desire.
But change is frightening to some populations, and it can seem easier to hold on to the past with a white-knuckle grip than to welcome those who differ from the standards of your upbringing and question what you see as the correct way to live.
When some think of the “ideal woman” they envision a female with perfectly coiffed hair, ample bosom, pouty lips, a fertile womb, a small waist, and only naturally colored hair and makeup. She keeps an impeccable home. Her recipes are unmatched. She looks ready for the public eye at all moments of the day. If she is sick, she hides it. If she is depressed, she hides it. If she feels angry and under-appreciated, she hides it. She will have a baby in one arm, a skillet in another, and somehow touch up her lipstick, massage her husband’s feet, and make the perfect cup of coffee with the other ten arms she hides under her perfectly flounced skirt. At the end of the day, She. Is. Perfect.
Some view this as the perfect era for women to recreate. Just ignore the lack of rights women had or the absence of escape routes for women in abusive households. Never mind the rampant pill and alcohol addictions to cope with an isolated existence. Don’t look at the “husband-stitches,” unchecked sexual harassment, or the requirement to pop out at least 2.5 children to be seen as a real woman. And DEFINITELY don’t open that closet where we keep the bodies of women who fell victim to a world that saw them as nothing more than sex objects and household appliances.
It feels impossible not to panic about a return to the dark ages, considering much of what is to come in the next few months will be out of our control. However, we have to avoid giving up. You can’t control Congress, but you can control how you run your household. You hold power in how you spend or do not spend your money, how you dress and style yourself, and in the company you keep.
With that being said, not every aspect of the past is regrettable. There are some practices our grandmothers maintained that would be of great use to us now. As an example, we can look to beauty routines of the past to hold onto our power today.
Think of the phrase “Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” A popular slogan that arose from the Great Depression. This was simply an ideology to inspire people to make the most of what they had during times of economic strife.
It can be fun to buy beauty products, follow trends, try new routines, and see all the different versions of ourselves. In fact, creativity and individualism are more important now than it ever has been. But, our approach to individualism has to adapt if we want to maintain the control we have over our individuality.
Our grandmothers had a vanity with only a handful of beauty products. They would utilize items that had more than one purpose. Items would be well taken care of and every last drop of those creams and serums would be used. A new hairbrush wouldn’t be purchased unless the old one fell apart. Hairstyles would be chosen carefully and maintained. There is a lot of power in a signature look, the perfect red lip, and a hairstyle that suits your features and feels precisely like you.
One thing beauty routines of the past got right was avoiding waste. Products lasted longer, they were loved, effective, and frequently repurchased. Going into a beauty store now feels like being a kid in a candy shop. So many bright and colorful products to try with so many possibilities and promises on how to create the most perfect version of you. At the same time, however, it can be overwhelming and overly expensive. The products keep getting smaller while the price tags keep getting larger. We are told we NEED products for jobs that can easily be done with our own hands. There is an individual product for every single purpose rather than multi-use goods. Overall, companies are not out to make beloved products. They are out to make as many products as possible and ensure that you have to purchase often.
When was the last time you stopped yourself from buying a new eye shadow palette because you remembered it takes ages to finish one? Do you often buy little luxury products like lip glosses and hand lotions because “It’s only $5!”? How often do you fall victim to the latest trending looks on social media and purchase a product for that one specific look? Will you wear that look often? Will you ever finish that product?
The purpose of these questions is not to be a downer but to help be a guiding tool for making more intentional purchases. We all need a treat from time to time, but do you need a treat every few days? Do you need products that will be used one or two times before being lost in a drawer until they expire? Is the purchase of this product keeping you from a larger goal in your life because you frequently spend small amounts that lead to big credit card bills?
It’s not that you shouldn’t buy products, it’s that you should make your products work for you. Use everything until it’s gone or give it to someone else that can use it. Hold off on purchases unless you know you will really use it and enjoy it. If you have a product at home that works, don’t buy a slightly different version of that same product.
Keep your individualism and creativity, but leave the product waste and credit card debt in the past. The difference between you and your grandma is that you have your own money to spend on what you want. But with power also comes responsibility. Your money and your individuality is what gives you power. You can rock pink mascara and shimmery lipsticks and also be fiscally responsible. You can have a different hair color every month and a thriving investment portfolio. You have the benefit of old-time wisdom AND modern-day possibilities.
It wasn’t always an individual choice to be conservative with your beauty spending. Often times it was a result of economic turmoil, but the benefits of spending your money intentionally still ring true, regardless of what is going on in the world.
Embrace the beauty values of the past that serve you and abandon the ones that don’t. Encourage your friends to be themselves and not follow every trend. Pursue your own identity and vote with your dollars. There is a lot of power in having your own money, rights, and choices to make for yourself. How you choose to decorate yourself is your right. Make your grandmas proud and be yourself while also protecting yourself.
