Please Ma'am, I want some more!

 I have a confession to make. I do not like "parties". You know, the kind that sell stuff; jewelry, food products, make-up, home decor items and so on. Where you end up downing several alcoholic beverages and then get suckered into buying several hundreds of dollars of crap, that then ends up taking more space in my already cluttered home. The kind where you have a manicured consultant telling you that for a fraction of the cost you could build your own little empire and end up vacationing in the Bahamas or driving the fully loaded Lexus you've always wanted. 

Now, here's the best part. I sat down with the consultant the other night at a cosmetic party to talk about my skin care regime, which at the moment consists of 2 steps - wash with soap, and wipe with towel. I asked what hers was, and she unabashedly declared that she used no less than 90 products in the morning before she headed out. 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

I mean, what happened to the whole "less is more" philosophy, and how we need to love our selves for what we are, etc, etc?

I agree that as we age, we need to pay more attention to our skin care needs, but aren't we going over the top with so many products, and is all that stuff necessary? Now, many of you would argue that appearances are important and the more we pay attention to our skin now, the more it will pay off later. When everyone is walking around looking like a wrinkled prune, you would be showing off that ever so smooth, plump as a ripe grape skin! But at what cost?

I'm trying not to sound judgmental ladies, but I'm confused. We are battling a world of very conflicting views and ideas. On the one hand, we are attempting to raise our children to love themselves for who they are on the inside and reminding them to never judge a book by its cover. And then, on the flip side we're scrambling to stores to buy the latest serum or anti-aging cream to put an end to that dreadful process called "aging".  At what point do we stop and realize that it's a vicious cycle tht we're sucked into when we begin to think of getting rid of that first wrinkle? 

I want my life to be simple and uncomplicated. The thought of waking up in the morning to a counter filled with numerous lotions and potions seems like an exhausting one. I want to be able to not worry about running out of serum X because God forbid anyone sees that I'm a real person under all that goop with blemishes and dark circles! And I want to be able to sleep peacefully without obsessing about those lines around my eyes, which only prove that I'm a happy person and love to smile. 

Having said all the above, I did end up making a minimum purchase. No, I wasn't inebriated and nor was I coerced by the host. I think there was a little curiosity that compelled me to want to try something new. I'm not sure if I will be consistent in using the products or if I notice any miraculous changes in my appearance. But for now, I'm content with it and I hope it stays like that for as long as possible!