Some days we do and somedays we don’t but rest assured when depression hits our cuticles go to hell. As defined in the Oxford Dictionary pamper means indulge with every attention, comfort, and kindness; spoil. Those were all my reasons why I entered Beauty School. We all associate pampering with the rich and famous but truth be told we are all worthy of it. Knowing all that I know now these types of basic services are not all appreciated but should be required. At least to scrub the negativity away and make yourself a better day.

In the beginning I loved the attention that came when one noticed the care and pride you took in oneself. The biggest compliment I ever received was when my crush told me that I had the softest legs he ever felt. You best believed anytime I went to the Pool Hall that summer I was in shorts, freshly shaved legs and my holy grail from St Ives ( which they soon after discontinued). A girl has got to do what she has got to do and it’s all fair in love and war, especially when it comes to feeling her best!

Throughout the years I experimented with different treatments. Waxing, facials, massages, you name it in my early years I gave it a try. Nothing was ever set in stone, similiar to any daily routines, and as life got busier I let my pride and love for self slip away. Well not entirely but even so there is so much more than a pretty face and good hair. Being kind and gentle to the body we have been given is the biggest gift you can be given.  Is self care being selfish or are you taking the best care of your most prized possesion. You!

Of course I am human and some days will be consummed by running a household instead of brushing my hair or scrubbing my face but rest assured I will make up for it. Even at my lowest point when my friend passed, my Grandmother passed, and my then live in boyfriend went back to prison, all in one week, I would pamper myself instead of going out. While girls I knew were putting out for drugs and alcohol I was at home ripping lines and nipping cuticles like it was no big deal. Hell my life maybe going to hell but I would be damned if anybody could tell by my appearance. All this was a decade before I got my beautician license.

Somedays the toughest thing we can do is get out of bed. Our bodies are sore, our minds exhausted who has time or the energy to indulge in self care or vanity? Taking care of the only body we will ever know has nothing to do about vanity and ego’s but everything to do with how we perceive ourselves and the lifes we want to live. “Fake it to you make it!” Or “Dress for the life you want.” The life I want to live is one of a lady and a true lady is soft, kind and a breath of fresh air to all that comes across. Pampering to me is similiar to hygiene. There are so many things I like to do on a day. I try to emulate those that I adore and choose to indulge in similar ways that they do. How can you not? They have made the guessing work easy by laying out what they did to achieve success in their own lives. Thank you Diva’s!!

I am guilty of giving myself a mini foot massage after a fresh scrub with peppermint lotion. I leave various lotions from room to room so I can keep my dryest spots moisturized (which includes the elbows and knees). I pluck, wax and tweeze as hairs arise and can be found with a face mask one maybe two times a week. And moisturizer? I love it! But there is always a place for serums and oils. Now in hindsight I think what my muscles need most is a warm bath with epsom salts to rejuvenate my tired body. Who knew that as a stay at home mom I would be busier now than ever. I think it is because I know prying eyes are on me and I want to set him up for success. We all want our children to live better than we do but some of us fail at putting in any work. Self care and self love are so important and so is coping with the struggles that arise from day to day.

We should love our bodies as there is nothing wrong with putting ourselves first. The only people who will say otherwise are those that have little respect with themselves. When you see the best in yourself it is so easy to see the best in others or at least get them to a place where they can see the value in them too. Pampering yourself (and if you are lucky) is the greatest reward in life we can ever hope for. There is no better feeling then having somebody reduced to jelly at just your touch as they receive your undivided attention. We all live at such a pace where it is nice to feel the center of somebody’s world even if it is just your own. Pampering is so much more than immediate gratification. The power we have in each one of us to make ourselves a greater day is huge. We do only live once and no amount of hardships or heart aches will change that. We can choose to be kind and scrub up to attract others to us just like they do in the wild or we can sit back all washed up and broken. There are those that are out there waiting to be kind they are just waiting for the right opportunity to find you.