There are a lot of lessons our mums, grandmas, step mums, and motherly figures teach us in life. They might teach us to cook, navigate relationships, or put the laundry out on the line without causing creases (this is still a work in progress for me). Aside from the basics of life, these women are usually the people that also introduce us to the world of beauty.
When it comes to growing up and discovering beauty, the lessons we're taught are special and often shape how we approach it. From foundation shade matching [1] to solid skincare advice [2] to getting our first manicure [3], there is a lot to learn. But most importantly, the motherly figures in our lives teach us to love ourselves.
Keep reading to hear some of the heartwarming lessons our editors' mums, grandmothers, and more, have taught them about beauty.
"My mum might not have been into beauty as much as I was, but not once did she make me feel like my love of it was frivolous and I always did, and still do, appreciate this. After an accident in 2012 that left me not feeling my best self for a short while, I stopped painting my nails, putting makeup on, and fake tanning (my true love). I'll never forget feeling down and my mum taking me to get a spray tan to perk me up. We weren't going out anywhere but she knew it would lift my mood. I learned that beauty doesn't always have to be for a special occasion or even need to be seen. If it helps contribute to mood and well-being, I'm all for it." — Tori Crowther, assistant editor, UK
"My mother moulded my beauty ideals. One of the biggest beauty lessons she taught me was that it is important to get to know my hair texture. 'Not everyone's hair texture is the same, and how you care for your hair will be different from your classmates,' she would remind me. For my medium-coarse waves, she always emphasised the importance of masking and making sure they were hydrated." — Jesa Calaor, assistant beauty editor, Beauty
"My Nan consistently told me, over and over again, to not touch my eyebrows. I mostly listened, which is why my brows managed to get through the '90s and early '00s without disappearing completely, so I'm hugely grateful to her for that." — Gemma Cartwright, senior editor, UK
"My mum always tells me to apply skincare in an upward motion. I'm not sure if this actually staves off premature ageing, but hey, I do it every time." — Kara Kia, assistant editor, UK
"Maybe it's because my mum was always cutting my hair into a bowl cut or mullet growing up, but I learned early on that hair is just hair — it always grows back. It's this laissez-faire approach that's encouraged me to try multiple different hairstyles, from blunt bobs and A-line cuts to XL extensions, and I wouldn't have it any other way." — Kelsey Castañon, senior beauty editor
"Neither my mum nor I wear very much makeup, but I'll never forget how she helped me use foundation to cover up the enormous zit I got right before a middle school dance. It made me feel so much more confident, even though it was her foundation and I doubt it matched my skin tone in the slightest." — Maggie Ryan, assistant fitness editor
"For as long as I can remember, my mother has been reminding me about the dangers of the sun. As a small child, my brother and I would be chalky-white from sunscreen residue and barely get a tan, and my mum would send us off to camp with six bottles each. As an adult, I'm super thankful to her that I don't have damaged skin and continue to wear SPF every single day. I'm even reaching an age where I'm okay when people mistake me as a high school student, and hope to have skin as nice as my mum's when I'm her age." – Sarah Siegel, assistant editor, Beauty
"Relationships with stepparents can, at times, be complicated and perhaps a little awkward. When I was younger, my stepmum's treat when I'd visit in the Summer, was getting a manicure. And it wasn't just any regular manicure, she'd treat me to fancy nail art. From intricate flowers to teeny snowmen, 7-year-old me thought it was the coolest and most beautiful thing, and I was in love. This sparked my passion for nail art and I learned that bonding over beauty treatments is the best kind of bonding." — Tori Crowther, assistant editor, UK