Mirror in the Room
Have you ever noticed how many films and TV shows have a scene where women are talking in the bathroom? Vital plot lines are disseminated while lipstick is applied and hair is fluffed. Standing in front of the mirror allows the women to share intimate information while looking at themselves or each other through the glass. Not having eye to eye contact seems to lead to freedom of speech.
Our guard is down in these circumstances, where we can reveal our real selves, behind the façade, the real us that may be kept, for many reasons, from the people waiting for us back at the bar or at the table.
We go through the door to a world where confidences are exchanged, forums are opened up and opinions expressed by total strangers.
Tears may be shed, there may be raucous laughter or intense discussion on a number of subjects ranging from something as meaningless as which is the best mascara to how to remove a stain to heavier topics like politics, financial worries and relationships. Subjects that you may never dare to open up in other situations are readily aired and secrets of great magnitude shared over a spritz of perfume and a mint.
The powder room is a place to reset your appearance, take a break, chat with friends and in the old days have a cigarette. This is a place where you can emerge newly educated and maybe even with a new friend or two who supports you whole-heartedly even though she has only known you for ten minutes.
If two men are alone in a bathroom in a movie then one of them inevitably seems to have a gun!
Men are vain but do a good job of covering it up. They will look at themselves in the mirror, shrug, pat their hair and move on. Women will look at themselves in the mirror, or indeed any shiny reflective surface, often during the day. Serious attention is paid to hair, teeth, lips, rear views and underwear placement. Adjustments and touch up’s are made as required.
In the home the average man has 6 items for grooming in the bathroom. I won’t get into the amount the average woman has.
Another common theme in films and TV is the time it takes a woman to get ready. The man, immaculately groomed, paces the hall, tssking, checking his watch and rolling his eyes at the camera if another actor is not in the scene. Oh yes, it’s hilarious is it not, fellow males, here I am waiting for my woman AGAIN.
Possibly the woman has had other things to do in this All Achieving World we now inhabit without staff to help us. Having it all actually takes a lot of effort and time and is quite frankly not all it’s cracked up to be.
If, it’s a serious issue that you get ready in record time then you need multi tasking products. Two bottles in the shower? Not me.
Start by making everything you do count. If you wash your hair then don’t be fooled by the cosmetics companies saying that you need to condition it every time – most of us simply don’t. A hair pack once a week that you leave on for roughly ten minutes will do a better job than bad temperedly rubbing conditioner into the ends every day then washing it out immediately. After you have washed your hair, squeeze out the excess water and wrap your hair in a towel to blot up the rest. Rubbing your hair like you are putting out a fire will not be helpful. This ruffles up the cuticles and gives the impression of rough, coarse hair with split ends. Dry your hair using a round brush to straighten the ends and lift the roots of the hair away from the scalp. Aim the dryer down the hair shaft to flatten the cuticles following the brush as you go. This kind of blow dry will last a few days if necessary and give you a more finished appearance.
The second multi purpose product for your shower (O.K. so we do have two bottles after all, you got me), is a shower gel with exfoliator built in. These are available in high street chemists and supermarkets. They promise to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise all in one. Gentle enough to be used everyday if you like. Don’t forget that the heels, the knees, the elbows and the shins probably need more massaging than other areas. The shins are notoriously dry as they have few fat cells and the skin is right on top of the bone without a nice layer of fat to hold it up.
If you are mad keen on your current shower gel then just add a few teaspoons of baking soda to the bottle for an exfoliating effect – its also deodorising. Save up the major exfoliating with one of your super home made scrubs for a less stressful time.
You can add the baking soda to your shampoo as well to get rid of product build up.
So here we are clean as a whistle now just a slather of a good moisturiser all over, deodorant, perfume and then to the face.
If you are going to be wearing a tightly fitting ‘over the head’ garment then it’s worth putting it on before you get started. Smearing mascara all over your cheeks as you shimmy into to your dress means starting all over again which would lead to eye rolling of comedic proportions in the hall.
Tuck tissues into your neck-line if you intend using a loose powder. I suggest you do this anyway just to be safe.
As soon as you step out of the shower or bath and are wrapping your hair in the towel, put on your facial moisturiser so it has time to sink in while you moisturise your body and get partly dressed.
With your make-up safely applied, your hair brushed out and sprayed then you can put on your jewellery. Most jewellery does not get along with hairspray, especially pearls, if you should be so lucky to have some real ones.
Emerge from the bathroom, glide down the stairs and wait for the gentleman in your life to compliment you and help you with your coat. Or wake up from this delightful dream of yours, rush down the stairs, grab your coat and run to the car where Mr. Smooth is gunning the engine.
Have a good evening.
Happy Trails, Readers, Happy Trails.
First Published February 2011 By The Dart
