Beauty Enigma

What on earth is BB cream and why is there a sudden explosion of advertising and “celebs” endorsing it all over my television.  Even after googling it, I’m really none the wiser.  Actresses etc claiming that they have known the secret for years and have been using it for years – of course you have.  They parade around screen looking flawless, totally made up by a professional make up artist and enhanced to the enth degree by clever lighting and camera trickery.  Right at the bottom of the screen in miniscule print there will be some lame disclaimer about how the actress is wearing a combination of products – No, really, honestly, I thought she naturally looked like that.  I thought she woke in the morning, stepped out of bed without a hair out-of-place and looked amazing, I never realised it took an entire team of people and a bucket of industrial strength polyfilla to make her look like that.

These companies really get on my nerves, pedalling their wares by making us “ordinary” women feel inadequate, or feel as though we can’t just be natural.  Is it any wonder that young girls feel pressurised into wearing make up, fake tan and hair extensions before they even reach their late teens.

We now have a world of BB creams, Body Butters, Lash extending mascaras, lip plumping stain (stain, is that not something you spray paint your fence with).  A million and one magazine articles about your beauty regime.  Regime – I’m lucky to get 2 minutes to slap on some moisturiser, never mind have the time to exfoliate, cleanse, tone, moisturise,BB Cream, anti fatigue spray, Eye serum, colour correct, then clabber ( good Irish term, meaning to plaster, slather, spread) with foundation, loose powder, bronzer, eyeliner, mascara – the white stuff first, then the colour, brush eye lashes, curl eye lashes, lip liner, then plump and stain, wax, shave or epilate, exfoliate again, fake tan, cheese grate the feet, add heel repair cream, paint toe nails, paint finger nails, unwrap hair from heat conditioning treatment, add some serum – or “product” as hairdressers call everything in a bottle or spray can nowadays, dry hair, add anti frizz stuff, straighten my already straight hair, add more product, then step elegantly into a fine mist of perfume and we’re done!  Phew, if I had the time in a day to even do a third of that stuff, I’d have either chained my children up to a radiator (off of course) or hired them out to sweep chimneys.

I know I’m 40, but I don’t think I look that bad for my age.  So what is wrong with just washing my face and hair, adding some moisturiser and drying my hair with a normal hairdryer. Why is it that everywhere I turn something tells me I should have a Regime.  History would dictate that Regimes are generally not very nice things to be a part of and they normally end up eventually being crushed by outside forces.  So which force is going to crush the BB Regime, the next miracle lotion or potion no doubt!