2020 reflections of a beauty addict
ASIDE from the obvious railroading of 2020 by Covid-19, this has been a year of thoughtful spending for me.
It started when my 12-year-old GHD straighteners broke and I realised how much of an investment they were. Having just turned 30, I wanted to spend my birthday money on an investment piece that would be used and made the most of. Enter the Dyson Hair Airwrap and Corrale hair straighteners. They come in at just under £400 each, but I believe they are my best investment to date and top purchase of 2020. Both use less electricity and heat, which is great for your hair, and we all know how renowned Dyson are for the quality of their products. These two great buys set the tone for other purchases I have made this year.
Firstly, I learned to ‘shop my stash’ of things I already have, unopened, to ensure I hadn’t got lots of products just lying around, so that I actually used things up. I made a list of things I need and things I want, and only buying if I actually really need it, not just because it is a good deal (this stops my stash from growing further).
I looked for key things with most of my purchases. They either had to be sustainable (made from renewable products and recyclable) and/or a smaller, independent businesses, particularly with the start of a recession. And for the most part, smaller businesses tend to use sustainable packaging. They have to be ethical, diverse, inclusive and transparent (for me those last four points are so important).
Some (and I have many) of my favourite beauty or lifestyle brands that tick some of those boxes for me are Apothaka, Deviant, Shaan & Co, Spirabobble, Beki Beauty, It’s The Thought UK, Murad, Dyson and Bini Chohan.
These great buys made sense in a strange year for us all. For me, I turned 30 (luckily just before Covid kicked in), worked from home full time, locked down for 12 weeks alone and then did the second lockdown, bubbling with my parents in the home I grew up in.
The time I’ve been able to spend with my parents like this is something that would never have happened if the rat race chain hadn’t broken due to (or thanks to) Covid. It’s taught me that I am stronger than I knew and that everything is adaptable and works out just fine. I know many people have lost loved ones and for that I am so sorry. Many have been alone and haven’t left their homes since March, but imagine the peace and time we are having, to reset and refocus, which will only benefit us going forward.
Stay strong, stay safe and look forward to being with loved ones when things start getting back to normal. Sending you all lots of light and positivity to end this rather strange year.