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A Thing of Beauty...

"...Is a Joy For ever...". Am not the most ardent fan of this version of veritas by Keats, Am more fond of - "Beauty is just Skin Deep", but many a time, it is a little Deeper than you may expect, especially if you have frequented a beauty salon. The obscure truth that beauty lies in the twitching and twirling of the brows, waxing and waning of the limbs, thumping and thudding of the body (aka massaging), colouring and camouflaging the hair, becomes blatant, the moment you enter a salon.



Beauty salons are pervasive these days. You can't miss the Godforsaken parlour on your street or the branded salon round the corner. Its just a slight variation in the cost. Or a slighter mutation of species accosting you - the rather indistinguishable petite salon-hosts..The pain is painfully, the same. It is the same body afterall. The question is, is the pain justified? Wasn't Cleopatra far more beautiful (or atleast equally beautiful) than Aishwarya Rai with far fewer salons and artificial dyes around?

Beauty is a rat race today. If you are not a part of it, you are out by default.

I refused to enter a beauty salon for a considerably long time. Raised in a traditional suburb, I was led to believe that lipsticks and mascaras were for those underprivileged creatures who were not bestowed with "natural beauty". Wasn't I one of the "naturally" most beautiful of the race?...And I continued to look quite natural, and normal...until, I succumbed to the rat race as well..

Today, I can't exist without an eyeliner. Perceptibly, my connotations of beauty have undergone mammoth changes. I frequent a salon atleast once a month for the various routines .And I know not of a single female acquaintance who dosen't. And I know quite many male acquaintances who do. Well, it is extremely appreciable that males are learning to endure pain these days, though the pain is largely unwarranted, If only nature had contrived this when it had to choose between the genders for the ultimate endurance........

So, with all the endurance and encumberance, am I beautiful?? Not sure, it is best left to the beholder, (or beerholder, to quote my semantic teammate ). Though I cant help wishing that I had kept my distance from the beauty salons and stayed "naturally normal". It would have saved me a fortune if not anything else..

A thing of beauty is certainly a pain for a while, physical and fiscal, if not a joy for ever..
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Comments

Anonymous said…
lets c whether u bring home a beautician for ur wedding/reception or not !!!
June 25, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Anonymous said…
I think it's all perception.

Going the extra mile to make oneself presentable is definitely not bad and gives a boost of confidence in many a case. Its only a question of doing it all by oneself at home vs visiting a salon.

Again, which products belongs to "mandatory/necessary" category and which ones belong to the "beauty category" largely varies ... Should we consider oil, soap etc as beauty products? :-)
June 25, 2008 at 3:41 PM
Venkat said…
The problem with the beauty is its like being born as rich and getting poorer.
June 27, 2008 at 8:24 AM
Anonymous said…
As long as it is not "over appified" it is ok.. As always beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Even if a girl/boy looks pretty/handsome and if their character "sux" beauty does not mean anything!
June 29, 2008 at 7:50 AM
gayatri SWAMINATHAN said…
Beauty comes from with in. If you are gorgeous on the inside then that's all you need on the outside. Where something nice that makes you feel good and let the beauty from within shine through.so i would suggest definatlty stop all cosmetics testing, that are just un necessary cruelty. medical testing is only ok if ther is no other alternative..

Good write-up!!Every post of yours is a good piece of creative work.Keep going!
June 30, 2008 at 5:20 AM
Unknown said…
The key is to feel good, whether or not one visits the beauty parlour. Every human being needs to feel good about them selves, as it boosts self esteem and confidence.
July 4, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Deepti Dani said…
A thing of beauty may be a pain for a while, but it sure is worth and goes some way in making you feel good about yourself. You just wrote my blog post! :)

Anyway, you have been tagged. For more details, visit my blog!
July 23, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Anand said…
Hmm! I always thought nature conspired against the male species by endowing them with a abundance of facial hair. Well, the conjurers would not have tasted success in the sweetest form, if someone, who should be donned with the mantle of being the first barber/coiffeur(se) had not invented the art of shaving. An overwhelming majority of men on the globe dont sport a beard. Is it really necessary to nip them in the bud itself just to look good or rather to feel that you look good to others?

Its debatable whether you look better without beard or not. Jesus was extremely handsome with his beard. So, was Bhishma. So, is the bearded Adrien Brody in 'The Pianist' when he is on the run from the Nazis. A lot of footballers had beard about 20 years ago. But in this consumerist world, where looks are more important than the soccer skills, beard lost its position from the visages. But, is it not that true that if you look truly good, you look good with or without the beard!

I am trying to connect the idea of freedom of action between the male activity of shaving with the somewhat but distantly related female activity of "beauty-parlouring". There are no eyebrows raised when a man shaves. But, there are many families in India still, where women dont have the freedom to choose to look/feel good. Times are changing. About 50 years ago, the number of liberated women was miniscule. The freedom to choose and to do is very very important. Nobody expressed it better than the French - "laissez-faire".

Definition of beauty too varies. It can be looks for someone; deeds, habits, activities for someone else or you yourself. Ultimately, you have to be happy. If you can augment the beauty of your skills or cultivate new ones, you will feel better than anything else after a few years when you look back into life to review your past, to evaluate what you have done and what you have not. If the TBD list is longer than the DONE list, ...
August 7, 2008 at 11:17 AM
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