Monday, August 21, 2006

The Colour Splash

Cosmetics are important kits of women in the past which dates back to the Egyptian times. They were also commonplace in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire which till date the idea of using cosmetics to enhance the appearance has not changed globally. Cosmetics having a common application for all classes and for the upper classes in nearly all societies have not only found a place in metropolitan cities but also captured our remotest state Meghalaya and the whole of North East.
Travelling a bumpy road of acceptance, these make-up tools like lipstick, compact powder, eye-liner, nail polish and others have become a household name for most women and girls in the urban Khasi-society flooding the markets. However, for some using cosmetics it’s just “wastage of money.”
Melarika Tham, an MSc. student feels that, “habitual use of cosmetics destroys the natural beauty that women possess, once it becomes a habit it’s difficult to break it.”
But for all, college students prefer to have in their cosmetic kit nail polish and lipstick. For Cherry Lyngwa, Lipstick is her favourite. She says, “Choosing a colour and especially a brand is what I usually keep in mind, adding, “I'm reading every lipstick label before I purchase and with a greater appreciation for that colour in a tube.” So lipstick which has been around for a long time and has always been a part of the fashion statement for long in this part of the state.
Dr. M. Wahlang, a skin specialist commenting on the popularity of cosmetics in the city says, “Cosmetics are women’s passion. With the advancement of science, good brands of cosmetics are flooding the city market. There is no harm in using make-up, unless and until one cleanses them at night.” However, she said there are different types of skin that are not suited for make-up paving a way for rashes and darkening lips in the case of lipstick, Dr. Wahlang said.
On whether she has treated patients with skin disease developing out of cosmetics and make-up, Dr. Wahlang said that most of the cases she came across are chapped lips and itches which develop due to low quality lipstick.
Perfumes with strong smell and neck spray also pose a threat to women here, Dr. Wahlang said, as most of them have gone with ‘a black neck.’
However, high quality with reputed brand names capture the fashion crave city of Shillong. As Cecilia Jyrwa, a housewife puts it “using cosmetics is designed to capture the appearance of youth in perfect health. Colourful cosmetics hide the appearance of pale cheeks, pale lips and fingernails and dull hair.”
So women of Shillong, let your goal at beauty, make-up and cosmetics be smart. Let a skin specialist or a beautician deliver us tips and beauty information that is well researched, experienced, conscientious and reliable for whether you are looking for quick beauty and makeup tips, whether you are a low key beauty or a diva, whether you are a novice or very knowledgeable experience a beautician or skin specialist to obtain helpful results and information.