Rituals of beauty, wellbeing and self-care permeate cultures across history, encompassing ideas of identity and expression, transformation and restoration, cleansing and healing, culture and worth. From a nurturing new face cream to online meditation, beauty and wellbeing provide survival mechanisms, opportunities to take stock and rebalance during anxiety-filled times.
More like this:
- How rest and relaxation became an art
- Inside the homes of remarkable artists
- Why buying vintage is 'the new luxury'
The pandemic has seen a spike in mental health issues – with 76 million more cases of anxiety, and 53 million more cases of depressive disorder, according to Unicef and Gallup. In troubled times, some beauty professionals have responded imaginatively. When A-list makeup artist Lee Pycroft noticed rising stress levels among her clients, she retrained as a psychotherapist. She now offers combined makeovers and therapy. "Makeupfulness" is where makeup and mindfulness merge. "Certain language techniques, active listening, reframes and questioning help a person calm down while I do their makeup, enabling them to think more clearly," Pycroft told Glamour. "I have witnessed women going through severe life challenges start to behave differently after a makeover and a chat. It might be that they go and do something kind for themselves, or are able to see their challenges from a different perspective as they have achieved some emotional flexibility around an issue."