Self-Care Days, Expectations vs. Reality
By
Alex Lerner
Don't interrupt a work in progress
I do this thing whenever I am at a store, usually Sephora, Ulta or Target, where I stand in line and play a very dangerous game of investigating all the last minute cart stuffers strategically placed by retailers to turn my frugal trip to Target into a treat-yo-self shopping spree - flirty shopping montage music included.
As a lover of all things self-pampering and as someone who has a low-key spending problem, I am the target market for these so-called ‘guilt free’ purchases. So I decided to put my vices to good use, I took the plunge and treated myself to all of the last minute (and a few intentional) beauty stuffers that you’ve probably been tempted by. I hoped I tried, I researched, and I conquered (ish). And it turns out a self-pampering day is not always all it’s cracked up to be. Here are some expectations vs reality of what at home spa days with beauty cart stuffers looks like.
Sheet Masks
I was super excited when my best friend gifted me a bunch of fun beauty products for my birthday. One of which included these Sheet Masks that turn your face into an animal! I was stoked to transform myself into my favorite creature (the koala bear) until I opened the package and was horrified with the outcome.
As if Sheet Masks weren’t scary looking enough, I am sad to report that this one by SNP took it to nightmarish levels. While I give props to SNP for trying to improve the look of the already terrifying KKK inspired look a Sheet Mask gives off, this one really missed the mark. I will say however that the mask itself was quite refreshing and gave my skin a nice radiant look. Am I satisfied with the results? Sure. Did the results outweigh the trauma? Let's put it like this, I may need to seek mental counseling.
Expectations
“Oh my god this is adorable! I am going to look as cute as I do in the dog SnapChat filter, could be a great Insta moment!”
Reality
"I just ate some bath salts and skinned the face off of a poor innocent animal."
Manicures
Here's the thing, for years I thought Nail Salons only moisturized and massaged your hands to add another value to the price of a manicure. After years of attempting to paint my nails, I realized that moisturizing your hands (especially around your cuticles) is SO important. Moisturising prevents the polish from sticking to your skin. Now you can paint like a pro. You're welcome.
Expectations
“Psh I don’t need to pay $20. I went a little hard at brunch last weekend, I'm going to save so much money by doing them myself.”
Reality
Photo by Simply Nailogical
“How did more of the polish get on my skin than my actual nail?”
Bath Bombs
The childlike feeling of getting your hands on a bath bomb just to drop it in a tub of warm water is unmatched. However, five minutes into a bath bomb bath the water gets lukewarm and then you have to bleach your tub ergo canceling all the relaxing benefits of the bath bomb and your self-pampering day.
Expectations
“I am going to drift away into this magical colorful lagoon where my stresses and flaws will melt away. I will emerge feeling refreshed and reborn.”
Reality
“What have I done? My tub looks like someone spilled 20 Starbucks Unicorn Frappucinos."
The moral of the story is - beauty is not always pretty. And that's fine we don't have to all be beauty gurus to practice self-care. The only expectation you should have on your self-pampering day is relaxation.