Summary

The author expresses frustration with the time-consuming and monotonous daily routine of personal grooming and beautification, questioning societal standards of beauty.

Abstract

The article "Why Can’t We Just Wake Up Beautiful?" delves into the author's exasperation with the daily ritual of getting ready, which includes showering, hair styling, makeup application, and choosing attire. The author contrasts the monotony of these tasks with the dynamic nature of work and interactions with others, highlighting the repetitive and solitary nature of the beauty routine. Despite acknowledging the appeal of looking "fancy" and the social expectations surrounding beauty, the author admits to preferring a simpler approach to grooming, valuing personality and inner qualities over extensive beautification efforts. The piece also touches on the author's upcoming vacation and the contrasting preparation styles between her and her travel partner, further emphasizing individual perspectives on beauty and self-presentation.

Opinions

The author finds the daily routine of getting ready to be an overrated and monotonous task that consumes valuable time.
There is a sense of irony in the effort spent on beauty routines, such as styling hair only to revert it to its natural state or adding hair extensions that require special care.
The author appreciates her own simple grooming habits and questions the necessity of more complex and time-consuming beauty practices like applying full makeup or straightening/curling hair.
The article suggests that societal standards of beauty often dictate how individuals are accepted publicly, yet true beauty is subjective and varies from person to person.
The author values her mother's perspective on inner beauty and the importance of a lively personality over external appearances.
There is a recognition that while outward appearances can influence first impressions, a person's true character and personality are what truly make them stand out.
The author humorously reflects on the idea that a simple smile might be the most effective tool in one's beauty arsenal, potentially rendering extensive grooming unnecessary.

Why Can’t We Just Wake Up Beautiful?

The arduous task of “getting ready” for life.

Is it just me or is the monotony of being presentable overrated?

I’m SO over it. I’m over the process of getting ready.

It’s an entire hour out of my day that could be spent doing literally anything other than taking a shower, blow drying my hair, putting on makeup, choosing a work outfit.

It’s the same shit, day in and day out.

People think jobs are monotonous? Not compared to getting ready. At least a job puts us in contact with different people. Different tasks. Different screen tabs on a computer. But getting ready? I only come in contact with ONE thing — myself in the mirror.

I’m a pretty simple woman. I can’t imagine what UN-simple humans of this earth go through!

For me, what comes after the shower is a pretty simple process. I dust my face with powder, put on a mute shade of eye shadow, a little mascara and voila.

Imagine how long it takes to attach eyelashes? Paint on eyebrows? Apply primer, foundation, and concealer before you dust with the powder? Then spray it with some finishing spray to set it and forget it?

And that’s just the face. There’s still hair to contend with.

My hair is basically wash and go. I cut it all off to make it this way, but even when I kept it long, I was always “the girl with the bun” so it never took much time. Yet I am still exhausted with the fact that I even have to DO something with it.

Can you imagine having extensions? There must be some special care requirements that come with hair extensions. Who in the hell purposely gets more hair? That just adds time to the routine!

People with curly hair straighten it. People with straight hair curl it. And everyone blow dries. It’s like being on a hamster wheel…we get it wet just to dry it again.

Why do we even have hair, anyway?

Don’t even get me started on shaving legs. And other parts.

Just today I’m getting ready to go on vacation. Packing kind of sucks because we have to remember to bring all the tools we use for this getting ready crap.

I thank the heavens for being a simple woman. For me, packing includes the necessities. For my travel partner, getting ready for this trip means she had to go tanning, get her Botox updated, stretch out her sparkly shoes in the freezer (that was a new one on me), get her hair done, etc.

We both got our nails done but I can guarantee she has jewels and sparkles on her nails. I just picked a color.

It sounds exhausting and she always looks fancier than I do. But even at the risk of being un-fancy next to her, I just can’t. I could never put that much effort into it. I don’t feel like it.

My idea of fancy is adding an extra layer of mascara. Isn’t that enough?

The other day she sent me a text message saying that she’d gone all out and trimmed her nose hairs. So did I! Maybe I’m not that far from fancy after all.

Note: Carmen, if you’re reading this, you know I love your fanciness AND your inner soul. I just needed writing material!

Sometimes I WISH I was more into the process. It really does look great getting all bedazzled up. Even a little silver necklace can add to a person’s bedazzle factor but I just don’t want to start, because once you start you have to finish.

You can’t just have ONE little necklace. You have to wear a different one each day and before you know it, you have a collection. I don’t have the wherewithal to start collections.

My collection of earrings consists of quick buys I’ve picked up at beach vendors over a span of decades. They all look the same except for the accent colored bead in the center.

It’s mind blowing sometimes, to think about what is socially acceptable. Beauty has always been a factor in how we’re accepted in the public eye. But at the same time, beauty is also in the eye of the beholder.

Just last night I went for dinner with my mother and confided in her about my lack of self confidence being a single female at my age, and she nearly fell out of her chair wondering how on earth I could feel that way.

She said my lively personality has all the sparkle it needs, and that my gorgeous blue eyes show up long before I do. Moms are awesome.

It was also my mom who, when she met my travel partner for the first time, remarked, “Wow, aren’t you gorgeous!”

And she IS gorgeous, inside and out.

Let’s face it, she and I are going to KILL New Orleans on this vacation, gorgeous or not….because we have killer personalities.

I just wish people could see our personalities when we walk into a room. But instead they see all the tools we use to introduce the personality. We want to be noticed for outward appearances, because if it doesn’t look good enough we won’t even get the opportunity to present our personalities.

Maybe our smiles are the best “getting ready” tool we own. Won’t we feel like fools if we discover we could have packed lighter?