Food for thought ?

So it has been a while! I apologies profusely for that.

I’ve been trying to find a subject worthy of you bootiful bloggers, so as not to blog for blog sake...

I don't know about you but I been seeing adverts on Clinique’s new products, which helps lighten darks spots. Now I've heard first hand from a dear friend that the products really do work and also there has been rave reviews's. As a dark skin chocolate hue lady, this product however does leave a nasty taste in my mouth, its not disputing that the product actually seems to work. A product that claims to even out uneven skin tones, has for me always been assoiciated with skin lightening/bleaching ... for generations Asian and African women have for so long chased after a ‘dream’, or look which they perceive to be acceptable and desirable in the view of a western world. Now I'm not a historian so please forgive me if the following is not totally accurate... So here goes the Mullato women were the ones that seemed to be more sought after, they were the ones that the white fellows chased, I suspect this was because the caramel skin was closest to what they were and in their ignorant warped mind thought it would be more acceptable to be with. In my younger years I had been surrounded by people including my chocolate brothers and sister who had the mind that the darker you were the more 'black' you were, absolute foolishness, albeit this was their attempt at having more pride for who they were as a black person... In the early to mid 90's films like 'Jungle Fever' and 'School Dayz' written and directed by Spike Lee commented on the culture of light/'red' skin, being more attractive or desirable than dark skin / blue black tones.

I understand that places in India, Pakistan have also had a battle with these conceptions... The caste system which seem to have originated from the Hindhu’s, during the British colonial administration were primarily based on professions however I think there was a reflection of the is that inevitably darker skin Asians were considered, as it were, lower caste – an eventual effect on its modern society, Bollywood - why is it that the leading woman and man are also so very often so fair skin ??

I struggled with this perception whilst in my early to mid teens, the expectation that the lightest skin girl out of the group of my friends would be approached by the cutest boy of an oncoming group because of course she would be the most beautiful for that reason.

Eastern Asia I have observed, historically object of beauty were its Geisha girls/women. They significantly made up there selves to literally have the whitest skin, and in my opinion this I would think comes from the same thinking that to be pale equates to beauty. Currently brands such as Givenchy has a Whitening line of products which cater to this market, I really don't think these brands are that ignorant. Instead are catering to peoples weaknesses and making it their business. Monopolising on the desperation of women who purchase banned under the counter chemicals which bleach and therefore damages their skin – now (the likes of Givenchy) bleaching agents come in a more acceptable package. My friend who purchased the Clinique product, had the unfortunate experience that the therapist made the assumption that my friend was purchasing the product to lighten her skin/ keep her skin her fair because she herself has fair skin .. however by birth nor by force!

Mmmm I think a moral judgement needs to be made, it has been brought to my attention there are people who are unaware of these situation. The free Stylist magazine distributed every Wednesday had a whole segment the materialisation of Whitening / lightening products - maybe assuming that this might be a good thing... but maybe (call me naive) this might be from their view that too many Caucasian women are obsessed with achieving the perfect tan and in doing so running the risk of getting cancer with the ever increasing use of sun-beds, in an effect that whole segment may have had to do with embracing the paleness / whiteness of skin ?

It was Coco Chanel who started the trend of the tan, as during the Victorian era, the Victorians deemed that to have a tan was associated with the working class, as class that was look down upon. Now I have my issues with Coco Chanel as she had been linked with anti-semantics (but that is whole other blog - ultimately a subject I think you yourselves should research into, I don't like to crush anyone idealism but sometimes the truth IS painful !).

We all have our cross to bear, when considering using products such as Clinique Dark Spot Corrector ask yourself are you GENUINELY using this product to treat problem areas or are you disguising a problem area that exist only in your mind?