Obsession Vs. Passion

Watch any beauty video or read the captions on posts that contain

immaculate flatlays and you’ll see the word “obsessed” almost everywhere. Whether it be tossed in front of a blogger’s monthly favourites, or a written piece in an article.

As a ‘beauty junkie’ myself, I’ve questioned my own obsession, which has also been brought up by my family and friends. Is it okay to be obsessed with beauty?

Firstly, the definition of obsession is ‘an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind’. Through this, a person’s time can be eaten up. I know this problem personally as I’ve been a beauty-obsessive for about a decade. My vice is YouTube. I can’t tell you how many makeup videos I’ve watched, though recently I discovered the beauty community on Instagram as well.

For me, beauty was a way to enhance or re-invent myself, mostly because I wasn’t looking at it deeper. This obsession slowly took over my life by me closeting away in my room to watch videos instead of living my life. This changed when I got my first job. I had no time to watch videos as obsessively, but I had an income, which was dangerous for my mindset at the time. I started spending the majority of my wage on makeup that I couldn’t afford previously. My family questioned if this was the wisest decision, but I thought this obsession was a good thing, like a hobby.

Why do I love beauty, makeup specifically? It’s hard to define in one paragraph as it’s changed so much over the years, so it’s more relevant to examine my current approach; I’ve always been an admirer of nature and the colours and finishes you can find there. Whether it be the subdued hue of purple on a lilac or the diaphanous wing of a Dragonfly. I love finding ways to incorporate this into my style and, increasingly, I find plants are an inspiration to my look. But ultimately, I wear makeup to boost my confidence as I struggle with my image and skin issues.

So, do I now think being obsessed with beauty is a bad thing? Yes. Should we just boycott beauty as a whole? Absolutely not. Beauty still brings me joy, and why get rid of a good thing? It’s about how I approach beauty in my life, and taking a different perspective. I needed to turn ‘obsession’ into ‘passion’. Passion is defined as ‘an extreme interest in or wish for doing something, such as a hobby, activity etc’.

A passion can benefit someone’s life in many ways. So how could I turn my obsession into a passion? Firstly, I looked at other passionate individuals in the beauty community. From makeup artists so discontent at the current offering of products that they decided to create their own companies, to that of YouTuber Matilda, who changed the ‘beauty video’ game by talking about her favourite products in detail without telling you to go and buy – a refreshing approach to the norm.

The best place to start is by looking a little deeper and starting small. Asking, are we obsessing over the wrong things? Do I need to be so obsessed with beauty especially as it’s something I wash off at the end of the day? My personal goal is to get a skincare routine that works for me, so instead of a temporary fix, I can be happy and comfortable in my own skin.

At the end of the day, makeup should complement your life, not dominate it. Living your life traveling, nurturing relationships, starting a family, growing your career, developing a skill, finding a purpose, even listening to music, is what makes you up as a person and the life you live. These are not material things and not necessarily available instantaneously. But true passion is about commitment, enjoyment and improvement, not simply an immediate buzz.

Beauty is subjective. This causes many of us grief as it’s wrongly used as a measure of a person instead of what’s on the inside. There’s also an unattainable standard of beauty perpetuated by the media, society and many brands. I think the way you should look at yourself should not be through the media, society, or a company’s eyes, but your own.

You should define what makes you beautiful. Obviously, this is easier said than done but there are ways to find and define what makes you beautiful. To be able to accept who you are will take time, but don’t rush a good thing.

Ultimately, I think it’s bad to be obsessed with beauty as a material thing, but it can be extremely rewarding if it’s a passion that complements and enhances other aspects of your life.