Posted 9:57 AM by DUH

Shameless Indulgence

Even in beauty products, I love the journey rather than the destination.

Who cares if the cream doesn't REALLY transform you into Heidi Klum or Elizabeth Hurley? It's just the idea of you taking care of you that matters. Where did I read that study that says the level of one's self-esteem is directly proportional to the amount of time you spend taking care of how you look? I don't remember, but you don't need a psychology degree to know that this is true. One hospital in the US found surprising improvements in their depressed patients after they set-up a beauty parlor inside their hospital grounds.

So I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't like going out late. I don't hang out at bars. I pride myself in being a very simple person. My clothes are never out-there expensive. I don't obssess over designer labels. I wear the bare minimum of make-up. I hate pretentious, shallow handsome men. I hate it when my good friend classifies me as one of those "frou-frou" girls. I would rather people never thought I was obssessed over something so (gulp) insignificant.

But *blush* okay (standing up), I admit it, my name's Unica Hija, and I'm a Beauty Product-holic.

Blame it on my mom who, from the time I was young, brought me up to understand that women were made to look good for their husbands. My mom often had a personal beautician come over at home and do her nails, her hair, give her a massage, a facial, hair color, the works. Her dresser was filled to the rafters with creams and eyeshadows and blushes and brushes and perfumes and lotions. My fondest memories of childhood were of my ex-town beauty mommy preening in front of the dresser mirror while I watched in awe the way she transformed into a vision before a party. Or how she went through her laborious beauty ritual before going to sleep. It was so fascinating for a young girl like me because my mom was really beautiful--and somehow, I made the connection that taking care of oneself meant you were beautiful. She's old now, but she's still regal and elegant. You still have a hint of the beauty she had when she was still a single girl who made a lot of boy's heads turn. I could never be as beautiful as my mom--my dad's genes got in the way. Hehehe, sorry dad. : )

But despite growing up with three boys and my dad thinking I'd turn out a tomboy (I grew up climbing trees and wrestling with boys), I have my mom to thank for keeping my feminine side alive. I spend ridiculously large amounts of money for my creams, spa treatments, facial washes, shower gels, soaps, vitamins and beauty parlor bills. I spend hours at Beauty Bar, Watson's and Essenses. I'd rather spend money on an Estee Lauder eye gel than buy new shoes, for example.

Of course, I'd rather concentrate on work than worry about whether my blush on has faded or my lipstick has disappeared--that's where me and my mom differ. I don't like make-up. But I do love the pure delight of investing on beauty products to mantain my skin and my hair. That way, you'd hardly need make-up at all.

People, especially men, who think beautiful people don't need to work for it too much are terribly mistaken. It takes a bit of effort to make oneself look good. Okay, supermodels are different but then again, there must be a conspiracy happening when they all insist the only thing they do to look nice is wash their face and use lip gloss. Gimme a break! Am in the ad biz, and believe me, these models still use expensive beauty products and go to their dermatologists and spas often to maintain themselves. And it takes hours of set-up time during photo shoots to get that flawless supposedly natural incandescent look. Add to that, there's the magic of great lighting and the erase tool of Adobe Photoshop to come up with that "effortless" cover girl look.

But I digress. I love beauty products not for the end effect but because it reminds me of the one thing that bonds my mom and I. We are so different (I'd rather join the Peace Corps and she'd rather be Princess Diana; I love my short hair but she'd rather I kept it long) yet we connect and get all excited when we talk about retinol and AHAs, or the latest Seaweed Wrap treatment at Discovery Spa. And for that alone, I have beauty products to thank. : )

All hail, Estee Lauder!