It started as a casual interest. Scrolling Instagram, I’d stop to watch some celebrity or influencer put on makeup. They’d have their products lined up on the bathroom counter and perch their phone against the mirror — that way, they’re facing the camera as they trace each eye with liner, slick on lipstick, and narrate application techniques. The viewer and the mirror become one, the line between audience and self blurs.
Then it turned into a bedtime ritual. After crawling under the sheets and shutting off the light, I’d pull my phone close to my face, open YouTube and search for a “Get Ready With Me” video.
The Vogue ones were my favorite.They’d usually feature a young actress — Sydney Sweeney, Hailee Steinfeld, or the latest “Bridgerton” lead — in her bathroom, dripping alluring serums onto her forehead, applying soppy dabs of moisturizer to her neck and cheeks, and swiping on an invisible SPF. Then, she’d add a touch of foundation, apply a cream eyeshadow with her finger, brush bronzer along her jawline, and glide a highlighter stick above her cheekbones.
Vogue would link to the products the celebrities used underneath the videos, and sometimes I’d click through them: $80 for 0.5 ounces of a vitamin C serum, $115 for an eye cream, $73 for a collection of chemicals I’d never heard of. Once I opened all the links, I’d usually come to the realization I didn’t need any of the products and quickly close each tab. I’ll admit I wasn’t always successful.
