There’s something undeniably powerful about nostalgia. It’s a time machine, transporting us back to moments when certain things felt safe and predictable. We remember the scent of a loved one’s perfume, the way the sun hit our face on a carefree summer day, or the exact shade of lipstick we wore when we felt invincible. Makeup, like these memories, has the ability to root us in a place where the world made sense, where we felt like we had everything figured out. The routine—the same mascara, the familiar swipe of blush—becomes a ritual of comfort, a small act of reclaiming control over the present by holding on to what worked in the past.
But just like those old photographs, the makeup routine you cling to may be keeping you locked in a version of yourself that no longer fits. You see, nostalgia is comforting, yes, but it can also deceive us. It whispers that staying the same is safer than growing. It tells us that those past moments of beauty were the best we’ll ever feel, so why change? But the truth is, just as we evolve as people, so too should our approach to how we present ourselves to the world.
Makeup is not just about looking the way you once did; it’s about expressing who you are now. What if that dusty pink you’ve worn for years no longer speaks to who you’ve become? What if those familiar strokes are keeping you from experimenting with the boldness and vibrancy that now defines you? Yes, the comfort of familiarity is hard to resist, but it can also prevent you from embracing the new, the exciting, and the unexpected.
Sometimes, to grow, you must be willing to let go. To try that daring shade you’ve always thought wasn’t for you. To embrace the uncertainty of change and trust that your reflection will still feel like home, only better. Nostalgia is sweet, but it should inspire growth, not chain us to the past. Makeup, like life, is meant to evolve. So ask yourself: is your routine still serving you, or are you serving it?
Photos: Glenn Hall Photography
