Makeup as Meditation

I’ve always been more of a morning person. Sleeping in for me is waking up at 7am. And on the rare occasion that happens, I get a little stressed out about how fast the day is going. Even now that I don’t have a corporate life and I don’t need to be anywhere specific in the morning, I’m ready to get my day started by 7:30. Its when my brain is at its best.

I’ve had too much coffee, a shower, and now I want to complete my entire “to-do” list by 11am. But…why? I don’t need to put that much pressure on myself. Yet somehow I always feel rushed. Perhaps the lingering memory of corporate life. Running to get out the door so I could have my morning quiet time on the “L” train with a good book.

Makeup was always optional. Sometimes I wore it, sometimes I didn’t. Playing around with it is fun, and I do enjoy getting dolled up for weddings and special occasions. But I don’t do a lot of experimenting. In fact, I still use the basic techniques the Clinique makeup lady showed me when I was about 12. If anyone has good tutorials for hooded eyes, please send them my way.

All this to say, I’ve decided to start incorporating makeup into my morning routine. It doesn’t need to be super involved, but it does force me to slow down. And its a simple ritual for gathering myself for the day, even if the day only involves meal prep and a target pickup order.