The beauty of 2020

During twenty-twenty, nothing has gone the way we expected it to go. People at work wished they could stay at home, people at home wished they could work, people working from home baked, people homing from work stressed.

We learned that when we feel like we can’t communicate with others, it’s because we’re on mute.

We learned the true value of online shopping discount codes and the power of stacking.

This year, I also learned that some workplaces provide ‘Transformation day’ as a personal leave reason. This is a great idea and would put anyone in the right mind frame to accomplish something useful instead of binging a whole TV show on Netflix.

I would consider that time I put my finances in order an example of ‘transformation day’. I applied for a new everyday account with a new bank with fewer fees, worked out my spending habit, goals, and my budget for expenses, saving, and investing.

Being mindful about my finances made me more conscious about the value of what I purchase, and reflecting on what I do spend money on, namely my ‘beauty and skincare’ collection, I realised in twenty-twenty I focused on skincare more than makeup.

The reason must be because we wore masks all the time, and eyeshadow doesn’t translate well on zoom under fluorescent lights.

I proudly bought only one mascara this year. I reached a point where I have a very streamlined makeup routine so I know what I actually use on a regular basis, what I always end up ‘saving for special occasions’ that never come, and what I value as a treat that makes me happy every time I apply it.

I have so much makeup I know I won’t need to buy any more for decades. Although I probably will, because shelf life and expiry date are real things.

Hence the mascara.

Just to gather some more accurate makeup data to use as a scientific foundation for this article I checked my drugstore and high-end purchase history. As you probably guessed, evidence came up to debunk my version of the story.

Exhibit A: 10/03/2020 – drugstore order status ‘complete’

But your honour, my client must have needed just one or two items as a planned expense. It must have been that one mascara!

Exhibit B: $86 spent for a total value of $135 – SALES!

To the jury, my client had to go to work and had to face the beginning of a pandemic, it must have been all the vitamins my client keeps rambling about!

Exhibit C: 2 eyebrow pencils that are not my colours, 1 pair of false lashes that I don’t wear, 1 lip gloss that I can’t wear, 1 gel liner that I can’t recall ever using nor find anywhere, 1 eyebrow gel that I don’t use

Your honour, my client would like to plead guilty! Sentenced to spend next year looking at mismatched eyebrow products with the full knowledge that was an impulse purchase guided by sales and not need.



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