Steel magnolias

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of “getting ready” with my mother and grandmother. I vividly remember sitting cross-legged at my mothers feet as she methodically applied her lotions and potions while we chatted and giggled about things I can’t remember now. I have similar memories of being seated squarely in my beloved meme’s lap, watching her twist the tops from her ceramide capsules in her baby pink tiled bathroom. Their makeup drawers were my most favorite creative play spaces and certainly where I fell in love with makeup as wearable art, and a deeply personal expression of feminine beauty. This was self-care in a time where there was no need for the term, because caring for one’s self was woven as deeply into women’s daily lives as caring for others. My momma and meme and that time they spent with me teaching me the intricate secrets of the southern lady are the inspiration behind the lavender magnolia.