Day of Hope #22

Monday October 13, 2014

Goal: Make shopping fun for a day

Quote: “The minute you learn to love yourself you won’t want to be anyone else.”  – Rihanna

Another speed bump for me has been shopping. Yes, shopping in general. I am not a fan. I know some people really enjoy it. Malls and shopping centers might bring you joy, but I want to get in and get out as soon as possible. It does not matter what the store is or how much money I have or don’t have. Even exciting things that one would think might be fun reasons to go shopping are not for me. Shopping for a new house, appliances, or a new car—it’s not for me. 

So, one month, I decided to do a makeover day. I needed new clothes, so I decided that if I was going to go shopping at the mall, I was going to go all out. I took the day off work, took a deep breath, and went to the mall and shopped. I made a promise to myself that I would not leave until all the items on my list were crossed off. I am my own best friend, but I can sometimes be extremely strict, or dedicated, whatever you want to call it. Once I put my mind to something, I am relentless. 

Usually, I buy clothes in the store or online, try them on at home, and then return them if they don’t fit. But not that day. I had thirteen hours for shopping, and I planned to get new bras, new fancy underwear (not for anyone specific, just for me), new jeans, new shirts, and my makeup and hair done. I did a lot of research online beforehand to reduce any potential shopping stress. 

I researched what my perfect colors were to wear, colors that match your skin color, eye color, and hair color. To this day, shopping for clothes is still much easier and gives me less stress because of that research. Once you find the colors that make you look awesome, you end up with about four colors to stick to. I can go through a whole clothing section in a mall and know in minutes what I would buy. I only look at the colors that work for me. 

I also watched several YouTube videos on how to apply makeup. No one had ever shown me how to wear makeup correctly. That day I also took a makeup class at Sephora, which was great. I am still working on improving my skills with makeup, as trends and age take a toll. But once you have your colors down, the makeup is easier to match. 

I went to the mall and tried on bras. Yes, bras. I got measured and fitted. I had been putting off this chore for so long, it just couldn’t be avoided any longer. You know that moment where the safety pin holding the back of your bra together breaks while you’re in a meeting at work with other people and oh crap… there’s that moment of freedom and panic all in one. Yes, I had to go shopping. I had no excuses left, so I made the most of it. 

I also wanted at the time what I could not have, which was long thick hair. I Googled how to buy and attach clip-in hair extensions, how to style them and make them work. Lots of trial and error went into those. I purchased clip-in extensions online and went to my hairdresser to have them cut to fit my style. Extensions were fun, and I eventually upgraded to the ones that attach to your real hair. It was a fun phase, but it was just that. It’s funny, once you really start to find out what you like and don’t like and you start to honestly love yourself, you don’t need certain things.

I don’t have extensions now. I have learned to love my hair the way it is. For those with long, beautiful hair and those who use extensions, you go, girl—rock it! That’s the beauty of it. If it brings you joy, do it. My thin, short, wavy hair takes like thirty seconds to dry versus my extension hair, which was a half hour. I ended up putting it up all the time. I had them for several years, but it was too much work for me. I chose more sleep instead. But had I not tried it, I would not know I did not care for it. They might come back someday when I have a personal hair stylist who will fix them for me. For now, I will leave it on the list of items accomplished. 

Although I did not like the idea of shopping and the makeover at first, it was one of my most informative days of hope. What I learned still helps me today. If you love shopping, keep going. Go visit The Mall of America if it’s on your list. 

My lesson of hope: Even though I set out to tackle something I did not like, it turned out great. It was a lot of fun planning it, and it has saved me from future stress. That in my book is a win win!