Makeup Can Lift Your Spirits
May 20, 2007 by Shannon Nelson
Filed under About Me, makeup, tarte cosmetics
This week sure has felt like an eternity and was quite a struggle. After Brody was born, I found that I was experiencing some pain that on a scale of 1-10, was an 11. I blew it off, as I absolutely hate doctors. However, by Friday I was to the point of sobbing and made my way to the doctors…who then sent me directly to the hospital for a 2 day stay on some heavy IV antibiotics.
I was a complete mess, as Brody couldn’t be with me in the hospital and the potent antibiotics meant no nursing. Depressed that my son may only want a bottle after the weekend was over and being away from my husband and children that I adore, I sat in my hospital bed lonely and sad.
After a few visits from my family, my boss (and friend) Steve from PMPR called me at the hospital and then graciously bought me an Avent pump system (so that if Brody only wanted the bottle he could still have breastmilk). I swear I adore Steve and his generousity prompted me to think of a way to lift my spirits. My husband happened to pack me some of my favorite beauty and makeup products that I took along with me to the hospital when Brody was born and I decided a nice shower and some makeup would do the trick.
Let me tell you, after using some great beauty products in the shower, then doing my hair and putting on some makeup really boosted my mood. I certainly didn’t look like a glamour doll, but put on enough makeup to no longer look like I was trying out for a part in Night of the Living Dead. Suddenly I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, I felt less stressed and definitely more beautiful. It made me wonder why there isn’t a program at hospitals for long term patients to get pampered. I think something like this would really do a world of good to lift the spirits of those depressed by hospitalization.
Has there been a time in your life when just the simple act of putting on makeup really made a difference in your mood? Tell me your story in the comments.
The makeup products that made all the difference:
Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer
Lumiere Mineral Cosmetics Loose Powder
Urban Apothecary Supernatural Sheer Radiance (review to come)
Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush
Tarte Cosmetics Inside Out Lip Gloss
Tarte Cosmetics Lights, Camera, Lashes
First off, congratulations on your beautiful baby! He is gorgeous and you have my best wishes. Hope you are feeling better now that you are out of the hospital.
Some days when I am really down, I will not wash my hair or put on makeup, and I’ll stay in the apartment all day. I find that it helps immensely to pull myself together, get cleaned up and put on my favorite makeup. I’m glad you found this to be a pick-me-up too – I think it makes a huge difference! :)
I’d like to offer my congrats on your baby too and am also sorry to hear you weren’t feeling well. I hope you are on your way to a complete recovery.
When I just turned 17, I was admitted into the hospital for a sudden half-collapsed lung. I had to have a chest tube and subsequent surgery to repair what turned out to be a small hole in my lung. As a teen, I was super skinny to the point where I couldn’t put on weight even though I wanted to and while in the hospital, I dropped down to 96 lbs. (On a 5′7 frame, that isn’t attractive.) Anyway, my family was remarking how gray and sickly I looked, so I had my dad bring my makeup bag. My concealer (to cover blemishes) alone made me feel better. A little lipstick and eye makeup made me feel like a new person. I couldn’t shower or wash my hair normally because I was attached to this chest tube machine, so a little makeup really helped.
I’ve often wondered if there is some sort of program I could participate in to help women who are ill feel better about themselves with beauty products. It would really make good use of all of my useless beauty knowledge that I’ve absorbed over the years!
Hi Shannon,
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had medical complications, but I hope you feel 100% soon and I wish you and your family the best as you welcome your beautiful new baby into the world.
I read somewhere that the act of putting on makeup is an inherently optimistic one. I love that idea and I think of it almost every morning when I’m in front of my bathroom mirror getting ready for the day. I kind of feel like putting on makeup is an indulgent little investment that I make in myself and it gives me an extra boost of confidence when tackling whatever challenges my day may bring.
And by the way, there are some great organizations and hospitals that provide makeovers to help lift the spirits of women and children who are hospitalized. I’ll send you the links!
Hang in there and get well soon!
Congrats on your beautiful little boy!!
Last year I started taking some new medication that triggered a seizure. In the hospital, I spent forever in the emergency room, being poked and tested. It was almost 2 am before they admitted me- and I was not allowed to shower. During the time in the hospital, I felt so miserable and just wanted to go home, but finally getting to get up and wash my face and put on moisturizer and eye cream made all the difference- didn’t even have to put on makeup, just taking care of my skin helped me feel like a person again.
Congratulations on Brody! I’m sorry to hear that you are in the hospital, but try to relax and recover. Everything will work out and you have a healthy, happy baby! Take care of yourself.
hi shannon!
sorry to hear about the complications after beautiful baby brody…. but i’m glad with support *and beauty* that you were able to get thru this hurdle of sorts…
when i’m at work and have to make a social outting, lunch with the boss, whatever and i’m not feeling up to it, i try to take a few minutes and put on some “face” and that usually perks me up, especially using a fav gloss. this is also a chance to perfect the good 5 minute routine!
Shannon-
I couldn’t agree more. Glossing up certainly helped lift my spirits right after I gave birth! Cosmetics can help you to feel “normal”, even if your life is anything but!
-Jen
CONGRATULATIONS! =D =D =D I hope you feel much better soon, god knows you deserve to feel better after your honorable battle with child birthing. =) *HUGG*
i guess my makeup story would be the one when i was battling my depression after a horrible ex cheated on me. i didn’t want anyone to know so in my mindset that time i wanted my makeup to sort of ’shield’ me? it was a long battle & i almost lost many times but along the way i fell in love with my chanel rouge allure lippie in ‘lover’, this gorgeous red & my makeup bag, and i wore it EVERDAY. to uni. & everywhere. XD and when i went home for a visit, i can tell you it made so many things happen – men stopping me in the mall to ask for my number, a waitress sending me a phone number from a man at a different table, and it even got me a marriage proposal from someone i only went on a date with 3 times! =/ so many things happened, and now i am with the loveliest man ever (not the one that proposed marriage but i am unofficially engaged to this one =p) who i have been very close with for 6 years now and the best bit? i know he loves me without my makeup too =) i still wear my red when i feel like it but no longer to shield me, but to just simply have fun & i’m going to try those neon pinks next! ;p mac’s collection is driving me insane.. now if only i had someone to sponsor me to try them XD
hope my story didn’t confuse you but to make it simple: MAKEUP ROCKS! XD
+x&o’s!
Great stories everyone. I really liked reading through every one of them.
I hardly ever get sick, but when I do, it knocks me out, bad. In November, I was out cold for four days. On the first day I was able, I got out of bed, took a really hot shower, and did my hair and makeup. I was still too tired to actually go to work, but psychologically it really made me feel a lot better.
As soon as I read the title on this blog, I remembered one of the most touching moments in my life.
My mother had just gotten through her first round of chemo and for the first time in her life, experienced hair loss. She tried to keep a strong face but I knew it was killing her inside. First to lose both her breasts and then to lose her hair? She told me she didn’t feel like a women anymore. That was the part that hit me the most.
The next day, we had a family gathering to attend. My mother and I were getting ready together and I told her I was going to do her makeup (she usually just does her eyebrows and lipstick). As I was doing it, I told her that what made her a woman was her spirit. I told her she was a woman because she gave birth to me and my two sisters, because she was a fantastic mother and because that was how God had made her. By this time, the makeup was done and we were both pretty teary eyed.
She looked in the mirror and saw how glowy I made her and she just smiled so widely. Gosh, I get choked up everytime I think of this memory!
But yes, makeup can lift the spirits and it did for my mother and I. :)
Ugh, I have such a bad head cold today and have been feeling blah for a week. As soon as I get home I’m gonna take a long bath and completely pamper myself…it always makes me feel better too.
These comments are so inspiring, and so true. My grandmother just celebrated her 88th birthday despite numerous health complications. She is still sharp as a tack. She has always appreciated beautiful things and loves it whenever I bring her something pretty whether it be a bouquet of flowers, a new lipstick, or perfume. It really boosts her spirits, but she never suffers from being lonely – she is beloved I often have to “wait my turn” before I get a chance to talk to her whenever I spend time @ her house, she’s always got so many visitors.