for the love of rouge

There are moments in life that imprint themselves upon us, not immediately visible but certainly felt.

Rewinding to my little years, I remember tip toeing into my parents bedroom in the morning and watching my mother apply her makeup. Some days I was allowed to sit on the toilet and watch, this all depended on her internal weather.

She was a beauty,
born in Northern Ireland,
a yearning for travel
a love of the paint brush,
and desire for reinvention.

She gave me the gift of witnessing ritual.

It’s something most of us do in some way each day. Interesting that skincare brands so often talk about ritual; cleansing, moisturising and more. But I cant recall any makeup brands that hypes up the ritual of applying makeup. Can you? If yes, please let me know so I can take a peek.

My mother would get dressed first.
And always dressed up.
Beautiful dresses,
velvet pantsuits,
leather pants and knits,
with cute sandals or boots
a spritz of eau du parfum.

Then she’d return to her ensuite, tuck tissues into the neckline of her top or dress to prevent the makeup staining her clothes, smart lady.

Then the ritual began.

The part of this ritual I love most, is the application of her rouge ~ or blush as we now call it. I remember loving this part so much as I could see the appearance of happiness. It was palpable, I could feel the lift in her mood, the rise of colour in her cheeks (some natural some applied) and a skip in her step.

Ritual isn’t just about incense and meditation.

It’s woven into the day to day of our lives,

ritual can take the mundane and make it magical.

How can you make your morning makeup a ritual?

You’ll need one very important ingredient: intention.

And this is so because the ‘mood’ that you bring will coat the action in ritual. To ritualise something is to bring purpose and meaning to action, so come with a sense of clarity and confidence.

Think about how you can make your morning routine into a morning ritual. Start small, no need to completely overhaul your life.

Can you say a mantra to yourself to start the day? Have a great day you.

Could you play your favourite song? From Dean Martin to Dua Lipa, anything that makes your feel happy.

Adorn & anoint yourself with perfume? Rose Oil, Chanel No 5. Your favourite perfume is the go.

Step outside and take some full deep yogic breaths in the sunshine.

Its not trite, its not boring, its enlivening to live each day with a sense of purpose and ritual.