Australian Beauty - Things I love & hate
I will soon be completing a year living in Sydney. When I moved here, I carried all my MAC & Revlon lipsticks, and some makeup from Lakme & Colorbar, essentially Indian brands. But not too much. After all I wanted to try out the brands here, including Sephora! Over time I have come to love certain aspects of the beauty market here, but there are some things which honestly India does better.
Let's start off with the things I love:
1. You can wear makeup. Or not wear makeup. Without Judgement! There is no beauty standard.
If you were to visit Sydney from India, you would probably leave with the impression that girls here wear a lot of makeup.They are too overdone! I too felt like that when I first came here but honestly, that's not correct. Women here wear makeup without being judged for it by society. Makeup does not carry a moral judgment with it and grooming is seen as a part of self-care. In a lot of parts of India, unmarried girls are discouraged from wearing makeup and red lipstick is seen as an invitation for the wrong kind of attention. Add to that the various myths that float around skincare amongst Indian girls, the Aussie girls here will seem more "made-up". When I visited India after six months here, I felt the girls in India weren't as groomed. Maybe my perspective has changed. I personally love this freedom in Australia and have never ever felt pressured into doing makeup I wasn't comfortable in. Thanks to the diverse population here, on any given day you will see a lot of different kinds of makeup and it is all good. That just means you can do what you feel best in!
2. They copy USA trends
Whatever US does, they want to do it here. A lot of makeup trends originate in the states, and they filter down to the market here pretty quickly. Kylie Jenner's eyeshadow palettes? The dupes are out here at 20 AUD (Approx 1000 INR)!
3. The sales!
Almost all drugstore brands here go on sale of upto 50%. And that happens quite frequently!
4. The sunscreen section is awesome
Australia has the highest UV index in the world, and consequently, I had to stop faffing around with sunscreen and really commit to using it every day. The market has you covered here with a wide variety of formulations at different price points, and some of the products are really good. I am currently using a liposomal sunscreen.
5. The Ordinary has its own stores here
Not only do most drugstores carry The Ordinary, they also have their own retail stores here! I'm sure you have heard of "The Ordinary", after all, its been sweeping beauty awards globally!
6. If you have fine hair, you will love the haircare section
Volumising products were so hard to come by in India. I have fine hair with an oily scalp and struggled to find products that didn't weight it down or turn it frizzy. But here all brands, from Garnier to high-end salon ranges have a dedicated line for fine hair. Hydrating oil products are very economical here. My hair has never looked or felt better.
7. Korean Makeup
There is a sizeable Korean population here and for a month I was living in a suburb that was mostly Korean. Etude House and Innisfree is quite easily available in Korean beauty stores. My sister is a big fan and I always think of her when I see these stores.
Things I hate:
1. The eyeliner section
They are more into mascara here. And I am not a fan of mascara, to be honest. The eyeliner selection here in most drugstore brands is very basic. Lakme & Colorbar are eons ahead!
2. The face-pack section
They don't do a lot of face packs here. The few I can find are mostly clay based and not worth the prices charged!
3. Salons are expensive
Needless to say, I am my own beautician.
Overall I love the Australian beauty market. I think it's about having fun and doing what you love!
Let's start off with the things I love:
1. You can wear makeup. Or not wear makeup. Without Judgement! There is no beauty standard.
If you were to visit Sydney from India, you would probably leave with the impression that girls here wear a lot of makeup.They are too overdone! I too felt like that when I first came here but honestly, that's not correct. Women here wear makeup without being judged for it by society. Makeup does not carry a moral judgment with it and grooming is seen as a part of self-care. In a lot of parts of India, unmarried girls are discouraged from wearing makeup and red lipstick is seen as an invitation for the wrong kind of attention. Add to that the various myths that float around skincare amongst Indian girls, the Aussie girls here will seem more "made-up". When I visited India after six months here, I felt the girls in India weren't as groomed. Maybe my perspective has changed. I personally love this freedom in Australia and have never ever felt pressured into doing makeup I wasn't comfortable in. Thanks to the diverse population here, on any given day you will see a lot of different kinds of makeup and it is all good. That just means you can do what you feel best in!
2. They copy USA trends
Whatever US does, they want to do it here. A lot of makeup trends originate in the states, and they filter down to the market here pretty quickly. Kylie Jenner's eyeshadow palettes? The dupes are out here at 20 AUD (Approx 1000 INR)!
3. The sales!
Almost all drugstore brands here go on sale of upto 50%. And that happens quite frequently!
4. The sunscreen section is awesome
Australia has the highest UV index in the world, and consequently, I had to stop faffing around with sunscreen and really commit to using it every day. The market has you covered here with a wide variety of formulations at different price points, and some of the products are really good. I am currently using a liposomal sunscreen.
5. The Ordinary has its own stores here
Not only do most drugstores carry The Ordinary, they also have their own retail stores here! I'm sure you have heard of "The Ordinary", after all, its been sweeping beauty awards globally!
6. If you have fine hair, you will love the haircare section
Volumising products were so hard to come by in India. I have fine hair with an oily scalp and struggled to find products that didn't weight it down or turn it frizzy. But here all brands, from Garnier to high-end salon ranges have a dedicated line for fine hair. Hydrating oil products are very economical here. My hair has never looked or felt better.
7. Korean Makeup
There is a sizeable Korean population here and for a month I was living in a suburb that was mostly Korean. Etude House and Innisfree is quite easily available in Korean beauty stores. My sister is a big fan and I always think of her when I see these stores.
Things I hate:
1. The eyeliner section
They are more into mascara here. And I am not a fan of mascara, to be honest. The eyeliner selection here in most drugstore brands is very basic. Lakme & Colorbar are eons ahead!
2. The face-pack section
They don't do a lot of face packs here. The few I can find are mostly clay based and not worth the prices charged!
3. Salons are expensive
Needless to say, I am my own beautician.
Overall I love the Australian beauty market. I think it's about having fun and doing what you love!
Great post! Agree with all comments. Makeup is judged a lot in India. Its great that you have so much variety in stores. The diversity seems to really flow into retail markets. Thanks for the shout-out! Wish I had access to Korean brands! I think Indian brands do face masks and hair care really well and for good prices as well!
ReplyDeleteCan you please write an article on basic grooming for those of us who were brought up in conservative families and also difference you felt when u visited India again ?
ReplyDeleteSo good to be reading your posts again! Hats off to you for being your own beautician. If my brows were in my hand, I'd be a disaster!
ReplyDeleteYour post is amazing !! I am agree with all your points :)
ReplyDelete