It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when my beauty routine was little more than a rushed morning habit — just something I had to get through before facing the day. I didn’t think much about it. Cleanser, maybe a quick moisturizer, a dab of concealer, and off I went. There was no meaning, no pause, no sense of connection. It felt more like maintenance than care. But then the world changed. In 2020, when the pandemic brought everything to a standstill, I found myself with something I hadn’t had in years: time. Time to breathe. Time to notice. Time to finally look at myself — not just…