Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

There are plenty of beauty, fashion/travel blogs out there. I’m not even going presume I know enough about it to advise people on it. It is something I occasionally think an absurd amount about though!! When you have to pack art materials, Instagram worthy outfits for different locations AND war paint into one bag; it can plague your mind.
What I can advise though is that you don’t NEED those hair straighteners, mascara, nail polish, lipstick or whatever. But if you want it take it with you, take it. *shrugs*
It may seem like the biggest decision in your life at the time but it really isn’t.

And let’s face it, if you take one thing you almost always need the other thing to go with it.

Wise words from the Irishman.

I’m sure the “natural” look takes about 18 products.

You have to be honest with yourself though.
Are you fretting over it taking up precious space in your backpack suitcase because you think you need it? Are you going to trek a full arsenal of hair styling tools because you couldn’t possibly live if people saw you without those casual beach waves that take an hour to create?

If you’re taking these kinds of things because you think mirrors will break and children will run away screaming.
I’m sorry but you maybe you need to do a bit of soul searching.
I definitely did.

My mother is a beautician and has been since before I was born.
She used to give me facials before I went to bed and I’d collect/steal those little perfume vials out of her beauty bag. (sorry mum.)
To me, make up and skin care is fun! I love playing with it!

But when I started university I met so many girls who were so self conscious, it must have rubbed off on me.
Their eyeliner was (gawd I don’t want to say it) on point. *sigh*
Then enter social media and everyone’s Photoshop perfect skin and well, hello! Body image issues galore!
I wouldn’t leave the house without;

• Primer
• Foundation
• Concealer
• Blush
• Eyeshadow
• Eyeliner
• Mascara
• Tinted eyebrow gel
• Tinted lipbalm

And don’t even get me started on my goddamn hair!

What I’m trying to say is, that it was so LIMITING!
I felt like I had to do all of this to be accepted.
One day, I’m not sure what happened, laziness I think. I just couldn’t be bothered to apply it all. I went outside and nothing happened. The world didn’t end. Hmm, interesting.
Still I wasn’t completely convinced.

Then when I went traveling, I realized it wasn’t practical to wear mascara and eyeliner whilst working in the sunshine on a construction site in a third world country. Who’d have known?
The spell was broken! I was free!

Even so. When we left for our working holiday in Australia I still wanted to pack my GHD’s. They are one of my favourite beauty toys and I knew I’d love doing my hair up for fancy nights out around Sydney or wherever.
Then I was reminded I have to trek the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal before we got to Australia. I wasn’t going to carry them. Nope. No way.

Just remember…

You trade one set of problems for another.

Anyway!
If you want to take *insert item(s) here* just because you want to, well that’s a different story.
Don’t let anybody tell you you’re daft for bringing 10 different lipsticks if you just like playing with them! It’s your bag! Did you analyze what was in their bag? NO! Tell ’em to back off!

Take what you like, just be a bit logical and practical about it.
You only have so much space in that bag ! You need to work out what’s important to you!
I took my GHD’s out and replaced them with another sketchbook.
Wise choice in my opinion.