What's Your Vanity?

Like that oil change that your car requires every three months or so, our bodies (mind and spirit too) often need some maintenance work. What is your vanity? What do you crave to do yourself to make you feel rejuvenated again?

Mine is quite simple really - I like my eyebrows to be neat and waxed every so often. About as frequent as that oil change actually. That's it, really. As long as I prevent myself from looking like Eddie Munster, I don't beat myself up over my looks (well, occasionally but for the most part, no).



Now I'll usually visit a nail studio place to have my eyebrows trimmed and plucked. I could do it myself. Yet for some reason, using tweezers on my own brows is like running my fingernails down a chalkboard. I just despise it and shudder at it. So I gladly pay that sweet, oriental woman to do it for me. Her tenderness during the act always alludes later to "You want me to wax lip too?" To which I kindly reply "No thank you," because (a) I don't think my upper lip is that hairy and (b) I'm too chicken to do it. Seems too painful! (Plus my husband says I don't need it and I trust his judgment).

Other than my obsession with trimmed brows, I'm not real into beauty, bath and body products. Sure, I want to look nice and clean. Sure, I'd like to lose a few pounds (doesn't everyone?) and tone up but I'm not going to stress over things like that on a day to day basis. Just when it's time to go up a size in clothing or buy a new outfit for some special occasion like a wedding or reunion. (Or a 31st birthday when you get a little bit dolled up for a few photos to commemorate the occasion).

I do get my hair cut a few times a year, but not every six to eight weeks like many women do (colored maybe twice a year). I haven't had a manicure since the day before my wedding (seven years ago). I may get a pedicure once or twice a summer, depending on how many gift certificates I receive.

Generally I wear makeup more than I don't, at least to work, but on weekends and outings, my made-up face is almost nonexistent. I don't tan or go to those tanning salons. I'm about as pale as they come - just call me Mrs. Elmer's glue, I'm pastey white. That really doesn't bother me much though since avoiding the sun has helped me from receiving any wrinkles or those awful sun spots.

I wouldn't call myself Bohemian but I wouldn't call myself high maintenance either. I won't be signing up to be on Survivor and I won't be on America's Next Top Model either. Like with most things in my life, I'm somewhere in the middle when it comes to vanity.

To me, there is nothing wrong if you do any of the above things to look and feel your best. Personally, I just haven't made these sort of regimens a priority in my life.

This may change as I become an old hag though (I'm half-way there). I won a free spa day not too long ago and had the opportunity to have a facial, only the second time I've had one in my 31 years of age. The specialist explained to me how as we grow older, our skin becomes less elastic and less new skin cells produce, causing our skin to look like a worn out tire. But having regular facials can help with aging (Imagine that? A facial technician promoting having regular facials?) Have her cautionary words caused me to arrange appointments to have them done every month? No, not yet.

Will I grow old gracefully or will I just grow old? Time will tell, I guess. I want to look my best, but on my own terms. If I had people around pushing me to do more, I might be more adamant about these things. But I don't have a personal trainer, a personal chef or a nanny to give me more hours in the day so I can focus on being beautiful. (Is there a place where I can sign up for that?)

So since I'm not as focused on my outter beauty at the present time, I'm working more on my inner beauty. Therefore my true vanities are perhaps currently writing, music, dancing and exchanging ideas.

Writing is how I invigorate my senses. Also reading other people's work can liven my soul. Both allow me to scrub away the pores of my innermost thoughts. (Whoa, that was deep, huh? You see what I mean.)

(Side note: I had such a wonderful birthday yesterday because my husband really went over the moon for me and he gave me some thoughtful, practical gifts that fit right in line with my writing passions and how I want to pursue my goals. But more on that will come in a later post because right now I'm sick of my birthday.)

Music and dancing help fuel my energy and allow me to get a little exercise into my day. Acting like a fool with my daughter is a great way to unwind my work stress. We spin around, jump up and down and wave our hands like we just don't care. When I'm in my car, I often turn up the tunes and become lost in the lyrics I'm hearing. Music is so freeing and empowering.

Sharing ideas, thoughts and just having conversations with people I like and admire is a daily must for me. I belong to some great social networking groups. With these people, I get my daily reality check and my comic relief. I cannot imagine not having these great folks in my life now. I love being engaged in discussions, asking questions and thinking deeply with a group of people. Exchanging information is so key to my growth.

That being said, I do enjoy a vacation or a good escape into nature for a week (or two) without my computer or internet access. But could I give that up forever? Hell to the No! Those are tools that I could not wait every three months for a checkup in the manner that my car can.

I can't go without having some connection to my internet friends and my online resources. I'll gladly hand over my mirror and my hair brush in a heartbeat but don't you dare ask me to give up this way of virtual life, as vain as that may sound.



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And since I often think in song, I had to add these lyrics here at the bottom. They popped into my head as I wrote this post:
"I know what I want and I want it now! I want you' cause I'm Mr(s). Vain". Sing with me now....