Introduction - What Beauty Means to Me

I’ve always been a beauty lover since I was in primary school, but I only recently discovered why I love it so much, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to coherently verbalise it. This epiphany dawned upon me on a Friday evening no different to any other, as I zoned out eating dinner binging the seventh season of Selling Sunset. I’ve always had an appreciation for art and beautiful objects—I could pander around galleries and exhibitions with the accompanying audio guide blaring into my headphones for hours. On the other hand, I also value science and empiricism, particularly the research behind skincare and cosmetic chemistry. I’m captivated by beauty because it’s a perfectly meticulously crafted combination of art and science, somehow intertwined yet separate at the same time. I also view beauty as an art and science of self-care and self-actualisation. Perhaps one discovers that they can express themselves through colourful eyeshadow, or they simply discover a new ritual that calms them down after a stressful day. The possibilities are endless.