Not sure why, but the month of March really knows how to serve up the misery. Last year my father had a severe stroke from which he is not recovered and left him incredibly vulnerable to this year's global health crisis. Let's hope the coming months are better.
– Every industry is being impacted by the coronavirus, but the beauty sector is getting hit particularly hard. If you're feeling useless like I am, here are some ways to help.
– Maybe don't shop at Sephora until they rehire or at least apologize for laying off their employees after assuring them they would keep their jobs and benefits. I always held out hope that Sephora would one day sponsor the Museum somehow, but if a company that recently had record-breaking profits fires employees who need income at an especially critical time, obviously they're not exactly charitable enough to support a museum.
– It's not all bad behavior though: Ulta is still retaining all employees until at least mid-April (hopefully longer if needed), and a slew of beauty brands are giving back.
– The biopic on Madam C.J. Walker is finally here! I also need to check out Little Fires Everywhere, since it's set in the '90s and I want to see if the looks are accurate.
The random:
– "We should fully prepare for the reality that digital experiences, content, and channels will become even more vital for museums": Museums are another industry getting decimated by the virus's impact. Nearly 1/3 will not re-open when the quarantine is over, thousands of people are losing jobs, and there is very little government aid available. While I feel awful about these losses, at the same time I must admit feeling a little annoyed and even a tiny bit of schauenfraude at the mad dash every museum is making for the internet. The Makeup Museum never had the privilege of a physical space, and the tools and skills needed for online exhibitions and digitizing collections are rather costly. I find it irritating that it took a pandemic for both museum professionals and visitors to really see the value in virtual museums and exhibitions. And admittedly I'm gloating a bit at the fact that museums are fully experiencing what I've been struggling with – putting collections and exhibitions online with very limited resources – for over a decade. But maybe now people will finally understand that online-only museums are just as valid and important as physical spaces, and maybe more free or low-cost tools will be available to help museums build their digital presence.
– Have you baked any bread recently? I'm sticking to desserts, but I find it interesting that bread is trending.
– How plushies are helping during the pandemic.
– Here's some proof that memes help us cope.
How are you all holding up? Are you wearing more or less makeup or the same? I discovered that I hate working from home, but at least I still have a job…and I'm actually enjoying being bare-faced most of the time.