By Alexus Hunt
Senior, Africana Studies/English, IUPUI
During the COVID-19 pandemic, life has been far from normal. Among other changes, businesses deemed non-essential have been forced to shut their doors until the pandemic is under control, and these businesses include salons, barbershops, and spas.
One would think the world would take a breather from the sometimes overly suffocating beauty standards. Do we all have to have a full face of makeup? Perfect nails and hair 24/7?
Personally, my appearance has changed since the quarantine. I no longer have the privilege of going to a professional to get my nails and hair down. So I, like many others, decided to enroll in “YouTube University” after the first week and a half of quarantine.
If you’re wondering what “YouTube University” is, it’s a place that many professionals in the personal care industry likely dislike since it makes the average person feel like that can do anything by simply watching a couple of tutorials. Since enrolling, I’ve been doing my own hair, nails, and spa routines, which has been interesting, to say the least. And the videos have kept me from having to reach for the box of cheap hair dye that has been disappearing from grocery store shelves.
My mom always told me that you dress how you feel, and since the COVID-19 outbreak, I most certainly can attest to her statement. Growing up, I always felt that appearance was important. One should look appropriate for whatever the occasion requires. As a college senior, I take pride in my appearance. I love to look nice meaning that I love to indulge in professional hair, skin, and nail treatments so I look and feel my best. Since I have natural hair, my hair routine has pretty much been the same - wash, deep condition, and style to my desire. When I was attending college on campus, I typically wore a nice blouse, jeans, and flats to class. Looking nice makes me feel important and beautiful, but since the quarantine, I can honestly say that my idea of beauty has changed.
The more I am forced to embrace who I am naturally, the more I embrace what’s on the inside.
Besides, trying to keep up with the beauty standards I had become familiar with through human interactions was tough so I am no longer worried about chipped nails and split ends. My time has been spent wondering about my character flaws; I guess you learn how beautiful you really are when you aren’t focused on presenting a beautiful outside to others.
I know it sounds cliché, but practicing self-care in quarantine has changed my idea of beauty. Ironically, self-care is something I practiced and mastered throughout college, but my shallow thinking made me think it was something you did to prepare you to be beautiful. I used to do a facial to get ready to put on makeup. I bought a facial steamer off of Amazon, a facial mask, and nail polish. But I’ve stopped wearing makeup and am embracing who I am. My usual routine with makeup has been shortened significantly; I longer load on foundation and bronzer. Instead, I reach for my rose water and mascara, which I'm sure my skin thanks me for.
I do, however, still keep to my usual routine of dressing up in a pair of jeans, a nice blouse, and flats. I don’t polish my nails anymore, but I continue to style my hair to my desire. These beauty routines for my online courses makes me feel like not too much has changed in my life.
With each passing day, I can’t help but notice the changes to my daily life that my beauty-related changes have sparked. For one, I use my new-found time in the morning to do yoga and take my two dogs, Bella and Glen Coco, on longer walks.
I’m not the only one who has experienced this shift in our personal sense of beauty and appearance. Darius, a senior at IUPUI, says he is also having to adjust to new standards and isn’t feeling like himself because of it. Just like me, Darius has been trying to make the days of quarantine feel as normal as possible by getting dressed up for the day.
He has come to an understanding that many people are going through the same dilemma. Sticking as closely as possible to his former beauty routines, Darius has gotten dressed in a nice pair of jeans, button-down shirt, and a pair of loafers from Monday-Friday to make his day feel as normal as possible. He styles his hair to his desire, but unlike me, he has not caved into enrolling in YouTube University. He has mostly kept up with his old beauty standards but realizes they’re not the most important aspect of himself anymore.
Changes are happening within my family world also. We joke about our lack of upkeep in our personal appearances. My dad is counting the days since his last haircut, and my sister insists that she should order a gel nail kit from Amazon. As we live together in quarantine, nights filled with family games have replaced the need to point out minor appearance flaws.
We all hope that family is a no-judgment zone, but society is almost never that way. Walking outside and embracing my most natural self was a bit intimidating at first. But as I walked around my neighborhood, I noticed one of my neighbors was long overdue for a haircut. I'm not sure if he noticed my nails, but I sensed solidarity between us in that moment.
My hope is that once the quarantine is lifted, those nonjudgmental moments of solidarity in appearance will become the new normal. I hope we all come to the understanding that beauty is more than a physical sight; it is a feeling.
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