My Love for Aunty BB and Beauty

Last month I lost my auntie BB. I didn’t take it very well. No disrespect to my mom but she provided a whole lot for me when mom couldn’t. She was there when I was having a hard time finishing college and she and her daughter were there when I didn’t have anyone else to turn to in loaning money for mom’s hospital bills when she had a stroke back in 2015. Man that sentence was a mouthful. I broke down at the airport when I learned of the bad news. Still in denial that she’s now with our creator.

Auntie BB knew how much I loved makeup. I remember those days when I barely could afford to buy lunch during college. A P150 ($3) eyeliner was a huge deal for me. I’m looking over at my makeup collection now and I don’t even want to calculate dollar for dollar how much all of this cost me (it’s ridiculous, I’m not proud of it either).  I remember her coming home from Malaysia almost a decade ago and brought me a bagful of makeup. They were drugstore, but even American drugstore brands are overpriced at the Philippines. It was a lot. I couldn’t sleep for few nights since I got them because I was busy playing with my new eyeshadows and lipsticks.

Men and women who are not into cosmetics may roll their eyes over how we go crazy when a new palette drops or when our hearts skip a beat when we pass by Sephora. It’s a feel-good remedy to a bad day when we put bright lipstick on, a sense of relief especially when your winged liner turned out perfect or when you’ve done a full face in under 20 minutes (lies) because you have to catch the CTA just so you’d be on time for that dreaded job interview. For me, a close family member is a part of why I love makeup.