Aubree Bee Travel Edition: Beauty Lessons from India
1. You are never too young to start wearing eyeliner.
Gosh, if the 5 year old version of myself could see this, she would be outrageously jealous! As a girl who asked her Kindergarden teacher why it was not acceptable to wear lipstick to elementary school, I am particularly envious of the smokey eyeliner and henna hands these girls are rocking. These children are most likely wearing this eye-defining look to ward off the evil eye, a tradition in certain Indian cultures. I am in full support of any evil eye warding, and will likely continue this tradition for myself almost every day from here on out.
2. Taking photos of your hands is hard.
You can't imagine how difficult it is getting a shot, of your entire hand, that doesn't look like a salute of the third reich or an air high-five to absolutely NO-one. I did have to capture the amazing henna going on in some capacity so hope you do not mind looking at the floor of the Taj Mahal instead of the actual structure. The floor is almost as amazing as you might think the Taj Mahal is. Almost.
On a different note, henna is absolutely beautiful and intricate art that definitely mirrored the intricate beauty seen all over India. Once I stopped getting peripheral glances and thinking that my hands were dirty, it was so fun and had me wishing it was not as temporary as I had planned.
3. Flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.
One thing I noticed all over this country is the amazing number of flower and flower vendors. Petals were strewn all over, all the hotels had amazing arrangements in every crevice. Although I'm not sure I could afford to re-create the effect at home, the vibrant oranges of the marigolds, the smell of plumeria (I thought these were only in Hawaii!) and the lovely lilies inspired me to embrace florals in all ways. On my budget, that probably means a spritz of Gardenia perfume and farmer's market flowers for special occasions.
4. If you are having a bad hair day, throw on a scarf.
Just kidding. But it would be nice if cultural norms in the US let you just walk around with a scarf on your head? Obviously, many around the world cover their heads for religious purposes, and as long as you do it of your own free will, and not due to gender oppressive regimes, I’m down with it. Not to mention how this woman is absolutely rocking all those bright colors. I love love love it.
5. Inspiration is everywhere.
Our tour leader's wife was one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, and if I lived in India, she would seriously have been my shopping guru because her style was effortless and elegant. On the first night I met her she was wearing this amazing teal eyeliner. So what did I do the next morning? Copy her. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and I am sincerely obsessed with how beautiful this woman is!
Another woman I met was a flight attendant on one of our flights. She had just gotten married and her photos from her wedding day were so stunning, I wish I had had whipped out my phone to take a picture of the picture on her phone. Despite not capturing her wedding look, she had already intrigued me and inspired me with her makeup she was wearing. Her eyelids were literally the color of marigolds and her orange-red lipstick complimented her skin tone perfectly. (Sorry about the lighting, these were taken in the 2 seconds I had between getting off the plane and onto a bus)
This is a group of pilgrims visiting Varanasi, the holiest city for Hindus, to bathe in the river Ganges. There are many reasons these ladies are bold. One, it was literally the butt-crack of dawn, and they had to have traveled from far and wide to bathe in a river that contains holy properties as well and a lot of mysterious properties (think chemical pollution from upstream and pieces of people's partially cremated bodies). Two, just look at their outfits! These women choose to dress in these amazing bold colors pretty much every day. Three, if you look around at the male company they are keeping, I would say that's pretty bold. Especially the man up the stairs...talk about getting caught with you pants down! But, all worth it for the pilgrimage.
I hope you all enjoyed this, and I am so excited to share my travels with you guys! Despite the many jokes I make, I had such an incredible adventure in a place that is unlike any I have ever seen! I saw so much beauty in this country and am so excited to integrate it into my own life.