I Learned it from my Mom: Celebrating Beauty Secrets from Generations of Women
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I still remember the first time I wore a full face of makeup: I was a freshman in high school, and my first homecoming dance was hours away. I had to be at the park for pictures soon, and I wanted to walk onto the field looking like a glitzy Grecian princess. There was one last step to take before I could complete my look.
My mom hurried into the bathroom with a stack of palettes in her hands. She sat me down on the toilet and began the process of patting foundation under my eyes and painting my eyelids with a plum shade of purple. At the time, I thought it was a work of art. I left the bathroom feeling like a full-fledged woman, ready to shock and amaze every 15-year-old boy at the dance.
When I look back on those pictures now, my face is abnormally pale, the blush is violently pink on the apples of my cheeks, and the purple around my eyes looks like I was double punched in the face. Despite this makeup disaster, my mom was the first person to introduce me to makeup and all things skincare. She was there with me as the Mary Kay saleswoman laid out a spread of over-priced bottles that promised to alleviate my oily, acne-prone skin, and she listened to me whine every day after school about how greasy my forehead was.
For many of us, our mothers and grandmothers usher us into the vast world of makeup and skincare. We learn beauty hacks and long -treasured secrets from them, whether it’s advice passed down from generations, or something they saw on Google two days ago. Either way, these women deserve some recognition for the hacks, tips, and tricks they teach us.
Tara Torossian, a third-year consumer journalism major, divulged some of her beauty secrets.
“My mom is from Istanbul, and she always kept this bottle of rose water and made me put it on when I was little in the morning at night, before school ,and before bed, and I think it just stuck with me and I still do it.”
Rosewater is known for its many skincare benefits. According to Healthline, it helps to clarify your skin, creating a refreshed appearance. It soothes skin irritation, temporary redness, and rose oil contains antioxidants to help repair damaged cells!
Another beauty hack Torossian swears by comes from celebrity mother, Kris Jenner. Her interview in Poosh recommends that you “Wash your face every night using a hot terry washcloth. It acts as a natural exfoliant by loosening dead skin cells, opens up the pores, and softens the skin, prepping it for your night treatments.”
“Every time I do it, it saves my skin. I just get a hot little rag and scrub my face and it’s the best thing ever,” said Torossian.
Photo Courtesy: Live Simply
Nazneen Husain is a sophomore accounting student, and her mother passed along plenty of beauty tips.
“My mom grew up in central India-- she went to school there, and then she came to America when she got married. My mom and my grandma used to always make this face mask out of turmeric because turmeric is supposed to help brighten your complexion and acne scars. We also use a lot of yogurt in our masks because it’s supposed to be hydrating.”
Turmeric’s skincare benefits are extensive, from helping with skin issues like eczema to slowing down the aging process. After asking about a specific face mask recipe, Husain said she doesn’t have a recipe with specific measurements; instead, she just uses her judgment when making the mask and ensures that it has a paste-like consistency. She recommended adding honey and yogurt due to their moisturizing properties, and she suggested using a small amount of turmeric since it’s so potent.
“We also do this thing to kids where, when kids are young before we give them a bath we make this paste out of chickpea flour and yogurt and a lot of other natural ingredients and we put it all over their body and we let it sit for 30 minutes until we wash them. It’s nourishing and moisturizing, which is how a baby’s skin stays healthy,” said Husain.
Image Courtesy: Insider
Vivi Ngo, a sophomore marketing student, shared her mother’s classic but time-worn skincare tips.
“For beauty and skincare, my mom mostly told me not to wear makeup unless needed and to often keep my skin moisturized as my skin is naturally dry. I think she learned that from my grandma because my mom doesn’t wear makeup that much and neither does my grandma.”
Image Courtesy: bluemercury
Aria Brewer is a fashion merchandising senior at the University of Georgia. Her grandmother’s advice is sure to keep her skin healthy and free from sun damage.
“I learned to wash your face for 60 seconds from my grandmother to let the wash ‘do its work’, and to ‘wear sunscreen every day the sun shines on earth.’”
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
No matter how old we get or how many years have passed since living at home, the advice we learn from our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and family friends can stick with us. They are our first teachers and our first examples of how to respond and behave in this world. They give us strength by showing us how to be strong, and they do whatever is necessary to give us a chance at succeeding.
Despite the questionable makeup recommendations my mom gave me, I can thank her for teaching and showing me some of the most important skills I took to college. Besides taking care of my skin, she taught me kindness and empathy, and she showed me how to stand up for myself and work hard at everything I do. As we continue to celebrate women’s history month, don’t forget to celebrate the women who are closest to us and who support us every step of the way.
I know I won’t hesitate to say that I learned it from my mom.
Strike Out,
Olivia Wakim
Athens
