The Art of Indulgence
Indulgence is a lost art form that should make a glamorous comeback. When consumerism is at an all time high, it can strip the beauty away from living a sensual life. Before the age of social media, there was a beautiful side to treating yourself to nice things and actually enjoying the practice of using them. Nowadays it’s easy to overlook the value in our everyday items, and fall into the trap of wanting the next best thing without even enjoying what we already have. Cultivating a sensual lifestyle not only helps you to connect deeply with yourself, but it helps you to appreciate all of the little things in life. It serves as a visual reminder of your interests and personality, and can help you reach the highest version of yourself.
I like to think of my personal world as a movie. Who do I want to be? What do I want my world to look like? Obviously, I cannot change real life events, but I can change my personal life to reflect the beauty I want to see on a daily basis. It’s good to gather inspiration from people you admire, but be careful about completely copying someone else. The second you start trying to fit a lifestyle that isn’t true to who you are, is when you lose yourself completely. You lose the essence of YOU! This journey should be unique and catered to your experience. If you don’t know who you are this can be quite a difficult challenge. Which is why getting to know yourself is so important. Find out exactly what you like and don’t like on paper. Analyze your patterns, and what your soul craves. Then create a divine plan to become the best version of yourself.
If you don’t have a routine, or a sensual one, this is your time to start creating a beautiful life. The best part is you don’t even need “aesthetic” things to do this. (Although I do love investing in myself. I will touch on this more later. ) morning and night routines can turn your mundane life into something exciting, and that makes you want to invest in yourself. For example, I used to just wake up and not put any thought into my routines, or in anything. But now I try to incorporate cute, unique things that give me bits of happiness. For example, waking up with gratitude and journaling right away. Along with indulging in my skincare routine; getting into the present moment. Drying my products with this cute little fan I got from the dollar store. Repackaging my everyday items into something more chic. Thrifting a beautiful tea set, and wearing a silk robe to start my morning off with elegance. Even if I’m just drinking warm lemon water. Romanticizing little details of your life helps to get in touch with your creativity and with yourself.
Like I mentioned before, you don’t need to get new things to cultivate this new life. If you can’t appreciate what you already have, getting new things will be pointless. You should look at your surroundings in a different way. This will help you manifest whatever you would like to change. When you appreciate your current circumstances, it leaves space for new things to come. You are telling the universe that you already have everything you need. Act as if you already have the things you want. Look up glamorous routines (you can find vintage routines on YouTube) and try to incorporate the actions and the FEELINGS. Even if you have the cerave moisturizer (which I use everyday lol) apply that shit like it’s La Mer. If you’re a baddie on a budget you could even buy high end products during a sale, (Sephora has the best sales ever) and refill it with something more affordable when you’re done. Even if you’re routine is only seen by you, on a daily basis, you can still create your experience into something meaningful. I mentioned before that I want my life to resemble a movie. I want to feel like the main character. And by changing my perspective on how I view life, it helps me to create these beautiful moments that a lot of people have forgotten about. Instead of scrolling and watching someone else’s routine, I found that creating my own has been a fun experience. It’s something I truly enjoy now, and I feel that way because it’s true to me.
Using this method in other areas of life is so beneficial to remaining in the present moment. Which sort of feels like a luxury these days. Indulging is almost the same thing as gratitude. You can indulge in anything if you shift your focus. For example, I’m getting my morning bev, a thing I do everyday. Instead of letting my mind wander I start to feel the current moment. How does the cup feel in my hands? How does the taste feel? Perhaps I’m in a warm shop. What about the current moment is bringing me cozy vibes? Asking yourself questions like these helps you to really connect with what’s going on right now. Truly indulging in whatever is happening, and being grateful for the moment. Now when I do my makeup, I make time to really indulge in the practice. I listen to my favorite songs, and appreciate the beauty in every little thing. I take my time with my makeup as if I’m going to a glamorous event. I try new styles and techniques. I experiment with different looks. But most importantly, not feeling pressured to do things a certain way just because someone told me to.
This next part is a bit optional, but it’s actually very beneficial in many ways. Investing in yourself enhances your ability to feel luxurious, and your overall experience. When I buy something expensive, I take a lot of time researching every detail about the item. I compare it to other items, and come to a decision based on performance, quality, and the overall “luxurious” feeling. This is all apart of the process. And investing in high end products not only benefits your mindset, but it can also be great physically. Blindly buying products just for the sake of the name, or whatever the reason, is not only bad for the environment, but it creates a loss of value in our everyday items. Waiting to buy a quality made product, compared to quickly buying something with lower quality just because, will help you to appreciate your investments more. It’s not a secret that most high-end items are a million times better than lower end items, but what is the point of having them if you treat them like any other item? Respecting your personal items goes a long way. Whether it’s high end or low end. I truly believe it helps you to cultivate more gratitude for the simple pleasures in life.
By using these techniques I’ve been seeing improvement on my mental health, and in my creativity. It is helping me to connect with my femininity and my personal aesthetic. I love the feeling of leading each day with sensuality, and remaining in the present moment.
-with love, m <3