A Beauty Oasis

Close your eyes and think of something that makes you feel good inside.

Perhaps an adorable puppy or someone you love

your favorite music

a wonderful meal

the scent of freshly cut grass or sound of the ocean

a place you've always wanted to visit

a favorite activity, like painting, singing, or walking in the woods

or simply a peaceful, uncluttered environment.

Whatever thoughts or images bring you joy, there's a good chance that beauty--broadly defined--is involved. Beauty offers respite from life's ills, giving us a chance to catch our breath before facing the next challenge.

Years ago, during an especially difficult time in my life, I was introduced to the simple concept of gratitude journaling. Each night before bed, I wrote down 5 things I was grateful for. Initially, the exercise was something of a chore because I was struggling and depressed. Over time, however, the magic of a gratitude practice is that it re-programs your mind to watch for things to be grateful for each day, a subtle yet profound shift that can be genuinely life-changing.

With that positive experience as background, I recently decided to create a Facebook Group that will focus on noticing beauty in the world in much the same way my gratitude practice has encouraged me to focus on gratitude. As an Avon Representative, I also want a place to share occasional Avon updates and recommendations, but it is important to me that the central focus be on beauty more broadly.

Admittedly, this is a slightly awkward marriage of two related yet different beauty goals, but I think it can work. I'm not the least bit interested in putting together another sales-y page full of products and hype. I already have an Avon website where you can get plenty of product and pricing information. At the same time, it seems to me that the surge in makeup videos on YouTube these days is rooted in the same creative impulse that inspires people to learn to paint, cook, sculpt, quilt, or write poetry. People who are interested in makeup artistry or Avon products will likely also be interested in other expressions of beauty.

As a realist, I recognize that some things in life are anything but beautiful, and I'd never suggest that people pretend problems don't exist or can simply be ignored. These are challenging times, and we all have work to do. What I do believe is that beauty exists even amidst those challenges and is worth seeking out. Sometimes we need a beauty break to inspire and refresh us for the work ahead.

After only a few days of periodically posting beautiful things in Beauty Oasis with Lenora--before I ever invited a single person to join the group--just the act of scrolling through all the lovely pictures immediately made me feel a little calmer. Honestly, even if no one joins, I may keep this little oasis going for myself. But imagine how much nicer it would be if others were adding their own beautiful contributions!

So this is your invitation to do just that. The idea is for Beauty Oasis to be a kind, supportive, and politics-free zone where I will post things that I consider beautiful along with occasional Avon updates. I'd love for you to add more photographs, stories, and articles that you consider beautiful. (Of course, if you prefer to just watch without posting, that's fine, too.) You certainly don't need to be an Avon customer to participate, as long as you are okay with my Avon updates being in the mix. Together, we can create a little oasis to dip into when we feel the need for more beauty in our lives.

As for this new Avon beauty blog? Well, I just started it today, so it's even newer than the Beauty Oasis group. Figuring out the best way to use it may take a little trial and error. If you have ideas about what you'd like to see here, please let me know in the comments! Avon used to include a space for blogging on representative websites, but they have made quite a few changes recently, so now the blog link on my Avon website is to the official Avon Insider blog, which is nice and very polished, but I have no input or control over the content, so it's not exactly personal. I may do most of my Avon updates here and just post a link to those blog posts in the Beauty Oasis FB group. That way, the updates will also be available to folks who aren't on Facebook, and Beauty Oasis with Lenora can stay focused on featuring beautiful things without being overrun with lengthy Avon posts.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read about this new project. I hope you will check out the Beauty Oasis Facebook Group. (Click this link and request to join). If you know others who might also be interested, please invite them, as well.

In the meantime, have a beautiful day!