I was 23 when my 50-year-old mum told me doctors had found cancerous cells in her ovaries spree, my mum had a glint in her eye.At that moment, I realised the power of makeup was more than just a superficial thing. For my mother withMy mum has always been the strongest person I know and I’m not just saying that because of how she’s handled her cancer diagnosis.
She always smelt of glamour too. You always knew when Mum was near because you could smell Jean Paul Gaultier. This was a strange occurrence because I had only seen her cry two times my entire life before this. She waited until we arrived home from the hospital to say what was wrong and that was when the flood gates of tears burst open.
One of the hardest parts of the cancer diagnosis was watching my fiercely tenacious mum – a woman who took pride in her appearance – not want to go into the shop because she was self-conscious about her thinning hair. She let my mum trial boxes and boxes of wigs, different styles, colours, and the occasional Rod Stewart-esque one. Mum took her time to make sure she felt confident.
When it was all put together, she beamed. It filled my heart with joy to see her so self-assured and comfortable in her skin.