Passed Down
Passed down is an ongoing collection of beauty practices I recall from adolescence and young adulthood. In some cases, I was given these instructions directly from my mother, aunt, grandmother(s), or some Southern woman I may not have known very well. In other cases I overheard these things while hiding in the school restroom and eavesdropping on the conversations of girls I so desperately wanted to be. In some cases these practices came from glossy magazines or were scribbled in my notebooks while watching celebrity interviews.
Regardless of where they came from they are burrowed into my brain, and even those I disagree with, I keep close:
Add mascara to your lower lashes
I love doing this when I’m in the mood for a “low drama” look. Wearing mascara on the bottom lash gives your eye look a little more drama, even if you’re not wearing lash extensions. It’s also very Twiggy.
No red nail polish for little girls
This is the perfect example of a practice I recall but don’t agree with. I’ve heard from other Black Southern women that there were some colors they weren’t allowed to wear because they were “too grown,” or age inappropriate. I hated these kinds of rules growing up because they always felt so random and harsh. I understand now that these arbritary rules were attempts to stomp out any "fast tailedness," or the adultification of Black Girlhood.
Vaseline as an afforable makeup remover
I have not actually tried this since high school, but I definitely used Vaseline to remove my makeup after big events (I was only allowed to wear makeup to events like prom, homecoming, etc.) Now there is a lot of easily accessible information about what Vaseline is useful for. But in the early 2000s, I was taking recommendations that someone got from someone else, much like the telephone game, but with skincare. Of course we also have greater access to information about the environmental consequences of using products like Vaseline.
What has been passed down to you? What were you taught, directly or indirectly, about beauty? Let me know in the comments or my dms. Both are open 💘
