I discovered skincare by accident. My whole life I had basically ignored my face: not because I was, like, naturally gorgeous or whatever. It was just that 1) my skin was basically fine, 2) I worked from home, and 3) the last time I tried to wear makeup, which was probably in the 80s, makeup companies hadn’t discovered black women yet, and finding foundation in my shade was not a thing.
I have a picture around here somewhere of me in accidental white face. I should look for that.
Anyway, fast-forward to present day, and my teenage daughter started getting really interested in skincare. She has sensitive, acne-prone skin, and somehow she stumbled on the k-beauty rage. Before I knew what was what, I found myself ordering her a shit ton of products off Amazon. And I started to realize something.
This seemed…kinda fun.
K-Beauty Takes My Wallet by Storm
I mean, I wasn’t sold on the whole k-beauty thing right away. I assumed from the get-go that it was a lot of stuff and nonsense. But then I stumbled onto this life-changing post by Jude Chao of Fifty Shades of Snail, and I started to wonder if she might be onto something. That even if these products weren’t he magic pills they claimed to be, was there something to gain in the whole “love yourself, dammit” sense that might, I don’t know, not be total bullshit?
So, I figured, what the hell. I’ll give it a go. Best case scenario, my skin will look better and glowier and I’ll have a hobby in common with my daughter. Worst case…my daughter would inherit an assload of anti-aging products.
I started off reading what turned out to be super-shitty buying guides from trendy websites and buying their recommended products. The good news was, most of that stuff wasn’t expensive and could be found on Amazon. But then I also discovered that those articles were likely written by darlings in their 20s, and the stuff they recommended was just not up my street. (Pro tip: If you’re in your 40s and the article you’re reading recommends multiple products by Etude House, jump ship. Which is not to say they don’t have some good stuff. But. You are not their target demo.)
Anyway, I gave most of that stuff away and started getting serious. Doing real research and stuff. And ended up replacing every single item I bought right out the gate.
You live and learn.
OK, But Were the Results Worth It?
To be frank, I didn’t expect much. I’d long considered the entire beauty industry to be a sham. And some of it is. But there is good stuff out there once you learn what to look for. (Coming soon to a blog post near you!) I mixed it up by combining Korean products with American/European products and learning what my skin likes and needs. Long story short? My skin has definitely improved. But almost more importantly, I’m having so much fun caring for myself. I feel like as I get older, I don’t feel as beautiful as I was when I was younger, so what’s the point of trying to be my best? But that’s bullshit. I feel better when I care for my skin. Happier. More responsible. And I tell you what, that ain’t nothing.
