Beauty Tips

I Imposed a 15-Minute Mirror Rule on Myself for One Week. Here's What I Learned

Trust me, this story is not going where you think it's going

by Katie McCarthy | COMMENT

PHOTO 7/8

Day 7: Screw the Patriarchy. Forget Zadie Smith. Do What You Want I hate first-person beauty stories that reach an obvious, "OMG-this-is-amazing-and-you-need-to-do-it-too" conclusion. And, at the beginning of this exercise, I was prepared to wrap up this article with a metaphorical middle finger. I felt I had a pretty good handle on how I like to style my makeup and hair,and how much time I'm willing to spend doing that.

That said, I'm glad I tried this 15-minute rule. Getting ready under that artificial constraint forced me to get creative with a couple new techniques that save time on a busy day. And what is doing makeup and styling your hair about, if not expressing creativity?

I learned that using fewer brushes and multitasking beauty products really do save a hot second. (Did you know that Cloud Paint makes a pretty good matte lip color?)

I learned that if your hair still looks pretty decent by the time you'd normally wash it, dry shampoo that shit and move on, baby. I also learned that Netflixing while applying makeup takes twice as long as applying makeup without Netflixing.

Don't misunderstand me, though. I'm not going to limit myself to 15 minutes of mirror time in the future.

There may be a part of me that spends time making myself pretty in order to please other people. And the system may be rigged against women who don't make that effort.

The point is, I like getting ready at a languid pace, in a detail-oriented manner. After 32 years of parents and men trying to exert control over my beauty routine, I'm done trying to please others by rushing through it.

So I'm spending as much time as I want on my beauty routine, and I would never judge another woman for doing the same thing.

Image courtesy of Katie McCarthy

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