Tuesday, June 10, 2008

In pursuit of beauty.



I don’t remember where I read or heard that women when they get older become more concerned about their looks and appearance. During the menopausal years(usually from their late forties to late fifties) there is a tendency for women to feel unsexy and unattractive. Some totally let themselves go and begin to really look old while others make conscious efforts to retain their attractiveness and youth.

My mum falls into the second category.

You see for someone in her mid-fifties, the way mumsy is going about her ‘ichomma’(beauty pursuit) is really funny. I like her spirit sha, the spirit of ‘I no wan old’, lol! The funny thing about it is not her wanting to retain her youthfulness but it is the fact that for someone who previously didn’t care much for stuff like fashion, make-up and other beauty enhancers when she was much younger, she seems to be outdoing herself lately.

I remember when I was younger and she was also younger. There were times I would have to chase Mumsy with a hair brush in hand to the car as she left the house just to help her brush her hair. She just didn’t care too much about such details. Sometimes, when we were out together, I’d have to take off my earrings and force her to wear them cos she probably had forgotten to put hers on before we left home and I didn’t want my mum looking like a ‘gbagada’ woman,lol! Or is it the time when I would beg her to let me apply a dash of lip gloss to her lips since they were looking too chapped and she would retort “this girl leave me alone, I don’t have time for that abeg!”

So when/how did she now change? I didn’t even realize when/how the transition from ‘I don’t care too much about my looks’ to ‘I care very much about my looks’ took place. I have always been the ‘vain’ one-the one who bothered too much how her hair, her outfit and her make-up looked. Mumsy used to actually tease me on the amount of time I took dressing up. For her, it was usually just rub cream all over, then apply white face powder and she was ready while I would take my time fixing my hair and make-up.
Now these days, the reverse is the case when we have to go out together. Now, I get ready and have to patiently wait while Mumsy applies her make-up and pimps herself all up,lol!

Now her make-up is another gist o!

I remember when she just started experimenting with make-up. She‘d rub some of her lipstick on her eyebrows and I would beg her to clean them off. “Mummy which kain ashawo make up is this now?” She would laugh and insist that I don’t clean them off. Even when I succeeded cleaning the lipstick off her eyes, she would still go back and apply it again, I soon learnt to give up and let her be.


Then she bought her eye shadow palette and now she doesn’t do the 'lipstick on the eyes' thing again but meeen, the way she packs on the eyeshadow, you go wonder whether no only eye shadow be dis or something else,lol! She particularly favours the gold colour. According to her, it makes her look sharp. I tell her “dis one don pass sharp o, you are looking over-sharp sef!”lol!


Some time back, we had to attend a wedding together. I was shocked when mumsy brought out her make-up bag. Chei! Her make-up bag is almost as big or if not bigger than mine. What did I not find in there? She had three different compact powders-there was MAC Studio Fix (even me wey don dey rub make-up since no dey use MAC o!), Black Opal and Fashion fair. There were also various shades of lipstick, eye shadow and lip-gloss (there was even one with all those shiny shiny stuff in it). I couldn’t believe my dear mumsy could go to the market to buy all those stuff, Since when ke?!!

Last Saturday, I was downstairs cleaning my car when she came out of the house. She was on her way out. She had on my favourite silver and black earrings- dangling earrings that almost reached my chin when I wore it. It looked good on her, made her look younger and I complimented her. What it meant was that I had to look for an alternative sinec i had planned to wear that pair out later in the day.

Then on Sunday, as I was preparing for church she came into my room. I didn’t realize what she was doing until I wanted to check myself out in the standing mirror and she was blocking my view.
“Mum! What are you doing? You are applying foundation on your face when you haven’t taken your bath yet?!!”
She continued rubbing the foundation on her face as she said “I have washed my face”
“But you’ll soon have your bath now and you’ll wash it off, that’s wasting the foundation now”
I whined.
She turned to look at me and said “who says I have to wash my face when I bath?”
I couldn’t help smiling. This my mama can be funny sha.
She went on to lecture me on how to apply foundation. I was like, see mumsy o, teaching me how to make-up, this is serious o,lol!

Yesterday morning, my car was at the mechanic’s so I had to hitch a ride to work with her and my dad. Mumsy taps me and asks me to clasp her bracelet on. It’s a charm bracelet with some funny looking charms like dat. It was cool o, I liked it but it just didn’t seem like the kind of stuff a fifty five year old woman would wear. As I clasped it on. My dad commented “Which one is this again? Is that a medal or what?”. I waited to hear what she would say but she just smiled this knowing smile as she looked at him and then me. If I interpreted that smile correctly, it said “see this old school man, he no know wetin dey on board”
I held back the laughter and looked closely at her face, she had on her favourite gold eyeshadow and the lip gloss with shimmers.

Now she has this facial cleanser that she uses diligently every day. This morning while doing her daily cleansing routine, she said to me.
“Hmmm…this thing is working o…my face is looking younger now, abi?”
I looked up from what I was doing. Her face was indeed looking fresher.
“Yes, it is working, you look like a sweet sixteen”.
She smiled and i thought to myself "This woman really mean business o!"

I hope when i get to her age, i'll still be interested in retaining my beauty like she is now,lol!
Ps: What do you guys think of a Summer Blogger Reunion?



48 comments:

darkelcee said...

please leave your mum.

I'm sure she is loving her new look and Ur dad is secretly falling all over again with her.

bawo?

LG said...

First!!!!

LG said...

chei D,how marrage, i was 1st o, lol!!

buhahahahahahahaha@....Hmmm…this thing is working o…my face is looking younger now, abi?”
abefi lef ur mumsy jare , she soji nor be small, lol!!!

howz wrk?

bumight said...

free the woman,abeg! she's making up for lost time, lol!

THERE WILL BE NO SUMMER BLOGGER REUNION!

Aphrodite said...

Lol...
Your mum sounds like real fun. Let her be joo.

I updated.

Thirty + said...

Abeg let her enjoy and pamper herself jare she don try now.

flawsandall said...

hehehe... love your mother..i think my mum is experiencin the same thing..

when i turned 21 i was like let me buy mac make up..so i went to their stand in the mall..i spent like $100..the brush cost more than the foundation...see my life..i have been hooked ever since

Remi, United Kingdom said...

lol.. this post is too funny! :-))))
ah mama wants to look young now eh? My mum is exactly the same, especially with jewellery, when she sees me with any new ones, she promptly takes them off and wears them, and her eye shadows? can't even comment! lovely post.. Thanks

Jennifer A. said...

LOLLLLLLL @ how did ur mum change???? Maybe when she was younger she really didn't have time jo, amidst her running around the whole place in pursuit of business! Maybe now, the peace and serenity of less activity is making making up more exciting...

I can't even say I understand, my mum has always been in pursuit of BEAUTY!!! LOLL. There's never been a period (young or old) in my mum's life where she hasn't tried to get the perfect make-up or lipstick...she even joined the foundation trend when it became popular...ROTFL....(and my dad loves it).

Chari said...

gbagada woman? I dnt get it

lol @ "She‘d rub some of her lipstick on her eyebrows and I would beg her to clean them off"

my mother, nehh she aint pursuing beauty buh she's getting more fashion and jewellery concious...it scares me...

princesa YES TO THE SUMMER BLOGGER REUNION!!! AUGUST 1ST!!!

Chari said...

bumight stop am o...

O'Dee said...

I so love ur mums spirit.
Mumc must not grow old o.

Girl hope u r good.

Queen of My Castle said...

OMG! I haven't laughed this hard reading a post in heaven knows how long! I swear my mom is going through the SAME thing. Wearin foundation, wanting to borrow my earrings, wanting me to take her shopping for clothes, etc. This post was too cute!

*Pouting* I so NO to a bloggers summer reunion because it will be in Naija and I won't be there. *Sulking like a 3 YO*

I would LOVE to see pics, though.

Smooches!!!!!

onydchic said...

While, I THINK i understand her quest, I think as you get older, the need for fifteen layers of makeup should reduce. Trust me, I've seen not one older woman that looks really good with heavy make-up. I know its hard, and its probably hard for me to relate cos im still very young, but i think she should embrace her old age. Or maybe I'm saying that cos I barely wear makeup and shudder at the thought of doing so.
I dunno.

Jayn Sean said...

Hey girl..long time no talk ehh?
I'm back and back for good i gues.
How you doing?
Just let your mum be Princess, we are still gonna tell your daughter to let you be in the near future when you still put on and try all that make-up up. So no vex my sis, but let her be...

Missed you though...

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Shit girl..I hope your mom doesn't EVER get to read your page..why'd you get her business all out in the open like this..
Anyway, it's natural for people to want to think they still "got it" when they're getting older...it's called a mid-life crisis..happens to both men AND women..
Kinda makes it easier to seduce older women or take older men to the cleaners...
Even old lions sometimes like to remind themselves that they can still roar..(and the cosmetics companies make a killing)!!

Duchess said...

MAMA ONIGBA(mama no go gree)!!!....abeg leave maale alone ooo..who says fashion has an age limit.

i concur..summer bloggers reunion

NikkiSab said...

Ur mom is living her life like its GOLDEN!!!!Ur dad is tripping!!! Trust me all her effort na for whom e concern..lol!!!!!!!

classybabe said...

My mom is the same,it's even worse that i don't even wear make-up so i always get on her case.
Summer reunion will be cool-Hopefully i am still around then.

Jay said...

I am so with your mum....beauty has no age limit. She sounds like a real babe.....lol

LOL at “Which one is this again? Is that a medal or what?”"

Unknown said...

Your mum rocks

Unknown said...

Who doesn't want to be the centre of attraction? Abeg leave your Dad, I guess he doesn't want to shower compliments on your Mum in your presence! He sure likes it. Lol!

It is really funny the things women do to look attractive just for us (what am I feeling like?lol) But as much as I am not against the idea of using cosmetics, I would advise that ladies shouldn't go the Micheal Jackson way or follow the Stella OBJ path...sssshhhhhhhhh! I didn't say that right?

Se o wa pa?

Mommy said...

Hey babes! How you doing? Abegi leave the woman alone jor. I'd see how you'd do yours when you are fifty (lol)

Reunion??!!! :0(

princesa said...

@darkel, yes o, I see popsie giving her ‘the look’ at times,lol! Am good , ope you are too.

@lg, work’s fine dear. Sorry darkel was faster,lol!

@bumight, hmmm…why now? What do u have against the bloggers reunion??

@aphro, I don let her be o, actually I like it, her wanting to look young.

@30+, yes o she don try well well… to born person like me no easy,lol!

@zephi, am yet to see anyone who doesn’t speak well of MAC. Have fun babes, you are a BIG girl now!

@remi UK, lol! Your mum sounds like mine too. You are welcome.

@Jaycee, lol! Your mum’s cool too. I guess they all cant be late starters right?

@chari, ‘gbagada’ woman as per deeper life now. The summer reunion? Lets see what others think too dude and august 1st ke? That’s a Friday na and am working o! Aug 2nd is not bad na…that’s a Saturday and we can hang out at the beach…ooops did I just say beach?!!! Where is afrobabe,lol!

@oluwadee, I love her spirit too. Am good babes.

@castlequeen, glad it made you laugh babes. Wish you could be there for the reunion too.

@onydchic, hmmm…I really love the way she is getting more conscious of her looks. I don’t like heavy make-up too and I tell her when it gets too much cos she’s just learnig the ropes. Embrace her old age? I’ll say she is doing that quite well and I don’t think 55years is that old,no!

@jaybabe, good to have you back sweets. Am letting her be o, lol@telling my daughter in the near future

@obi, sheesh dude! Am sure mumsy won’t mind at all so don’t cry for her ,lol!

@duchess, abi o…fashion had no age limit at all. You concur with the bloggers reunion, okay.

@nikkisab, lol! Nne all the efforts na for the old man o and mheeen,,,it sure is paying off!

@classybabe, another person for the SBR(Summer bloggers Reunion). Hope you are around then.

@jarrai, she is a real diva o
@olamild, thanks babe.

@dammy, lol@MJ’s way! Mumsy’s own never reach that level sha,lol!

@mommy, i ope to do just like her,lol! You can come down for the reunion now:)

Smaragd said...

I swear it's thesame thing with my mum o! lmao. "kosarugbonighana" meaning, there is no old woman in ghana.

the bloggers summer "union" not reunion (lol) isnt a bad idea, but that afro's dream has me hesitating gan...lol

keep us posted princessima

bumight said...

I say No because of Queen's comment. we cant have a reunion and we wont be there!

@charizard: stop what? free me jor!

Anonymous said...

lol!!!ur mommy is funny..she put make up on b4 she go baff!!!lol

Allied said...

My mum started wearing jeans last year... I was suprised.

Summer blogger reunion? please i dont want to hear anything that is not happening in the stares ( i am seriously vexing)

NaijaBabe said...

Ehn mummy no wan 'kere'....she's not leaving it for the young uns o!

princesa said...

@smaragd,so its not only my mum,lol! On the SBR, charizard is chief organizer o!

@bumight,lol! okay so we call it teh Naija bloggers reunion?? We can always have another one when you are around:)

@pinky, yes o

@allied, lol! Reminds me too, mumsy just bought 3 pairs of Knickers, this is someone who hated anything trousers before o,lol!

@naijababe, she no want kere at all,lol! I guess that we young ones need to buckle up,lol!

Nigerian Drama Queen said...

I am loving your mumsi's spirit sha! She no wan gree..nothing do her!

Afrobabe said...

Ok…my comment was going to be about mumsy and her make up antics before I saw the last line..

Hmmm bloggers reunion…I think it will be lovely as usual…everybody come alone oh…you have been warned..
My mum has always liked make up though moderately, as kids they would yell at us girls and say we wanted to be prostitutes if we experimented with makeup..before I left naija my mum would ask me if I don’t see how nice lipstick and stuff look on my friends faces..I was the white powder one..Now I actually go to mac to have it professionally done and buy what they use…guess what goes around comes around…be ready!!!

bighead said...

Lipstick on the eye ke? I gat to be observing my mum more carefully o - cos she has come of age too

desperate lady said...

Lmao girl its me ur callin josephine d dreamer??? Take ur time o b4 I tear ma pant on ur page.....

Abeg leave ur mom, d woman doesn't want to age n trust me ur dad is enjoyin it.
U misunderstood momsie.s smile, it meant..............*coughs* shud I say?

NaijaScorpio said...

Too cute.

princesa said...

@NDQ, nothing do her at all!

@afro, which one is come alone o? lol!So now you follow for the MAC loyalists?
You used white powder then cos you never sabi bad thing,lol!

@bighead, yea do that dude!

@Dl, abeg, biko, ejoo, puleaseeee...tear ur pant i ee!!!
lol! What do u want to say, bad gal??

@sting, thanks.

Jayjazzy said...

Well, sweetie u re not the only one experiencing theses things, but am guessing mine is kinda bad 2, my moms has restocked her wardrobe with nothing other than hugging tops and jeans,Funny her husband is on transfer , not in lag anymore. I guess its just the craze to feel young. Do visit my blog pls, i no dey shame am begging, and welcome me to blogsville cos am new here. lol

Straight from the heart said...

mumsy wants to look young now, rock on mum, this is very funny to read....

Babawilly said...

I like your mum. Making up and generally acting 'young' etc improves the mood, so long may it continue.
Some people start aging at 20 years! No new ideas , nothing. Just old stale attitudes.
Take blogging for instance. Relatively new, but some people no go ever try am.
We must keep all things fresh (I think).

Joy Akut said...

lol' i love your mother.
my moms always being the makeup type, except this days shes taken to obtaining my lipsticks from me with muscles if she loves the shades.

let them look fine in their old age jare. soon your toasters would start shuning you and asking her out on dates.tell the popsie to beware. LMAO!

Unknown said...

You guys should consider we Corpers who are temporarily out of civilization in picking a date for the bloggers reunion oooo!

Princessa, don't leave us out o!

WeirdGurl said...

Happy father's day
http://weirdbabe.blogspot.com/

WeirdGurl said...

Happy father's day
http://weirdbabe.blogspot.com/

Aphrodite said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
princesa said...

@jayjazzy, lol! Am guessing its some new menopausal behaviour or something. Been at urs already , will visit again dear.

@debbie, thanks

@babawilly, lol! I agree with you, feeling young has a lot to do with one’s attitude.

@FT, lol@ur mum obtaining ur lipsticks with muscle. Popsie is loving it o!

@dammy, so when will be okay for you corpers? Let us know, we want everyone to be a part of this ok.

@weirdgurl, thanks.

Chris Ogunlowo said...

Na wa for this your mum O.

I just dey laff...

Unknown said...

U dey jealous ya mama or the serious competition wey she dey give u? Siddon there! LOL!!