Yesterday, someone asked me why I started my blog. I told her that I started it because I am one of those people who like to try everything, so I figured rather than having all my friends go through the same pain of having to try every product and gadget out there, they can just see what I’ve done.

One product that I’ve been looking for is the perfect eyeliner — in particular, one with a felt tip that is matte and doesn’t flake. Over the last few years, I’ve tried over 30 different eyeliners (see photo of some of them), but I’ve FINALLY found the perfect one. It is from Sisley and it is called “So Intense Eyeliner”. It has the perfect texture — not too soft and not too thin. If it is too soft, then you don’t have enough control, so I like this eyeliner because it is stiffer than others and it is quick drying and doesn’t fake. Also, according to the website, it has vitamin peptide, wild rose extract and arginine so it helps build stronger, fuller and longer lashes. WOW, how great is that?

Getting back to the question about my blog, I also told her that I want to share my views on various products to other ladies because I want to help them as much as I can — “I want to pass the baton”. My view is that before the age of 38-40, most of us are pretty selfish. We only think about ourselves (what we want, what makes us happy, our careers, etc) and because we are so busy with these things, we don’t have the time to think of others. I think that we only really become more empathetic and less focused on ourselves as we grow older. I am not saying that everyone is like that but I think a lot of us are. As get older, we realise that life is short and we need to give back. This is the turning point and at that point, we need to decide — will we continue to be selfish or do we start thinking about how we pass our wisdom by helping others, providing guidance and support to the next generation (i.e., “do we start to pass the baton”)? My view is that those who decide to provide mentorship and assistance to those who need it, end up being happier and will have a more meaningful life.

I know some people (I won’t name who) who will never do that. For example, I’ve asked a senior fund manager whether I can introduce her to a young lady who would love to get some advice from her because she wants to enter that profession. I asked her if she would have coffee with her. This senior person was very successful at what she did so I thought she would be more than willing to help. But incredulously she said, “No, I won’t have coffee with her. Do you know how many people ask me for coffee? I worked really hard to get to where I am so why should I help her?”

WHAT?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I was pretty shocked. We are all very busy, but WHY can’t someone have one cup of coffee with a young lady just looking for some guidance? I told my husband what happened and he said, why are you so surprised? Not everyone is nice and helpful. He is right. But I ask you — how many times have we asked ourselves, geez, I wish I had known that when I was younger? Or, I would have done things differently if I had known better. Well, isn’t this our chance? It may not giving advice to our younger self, but we can make a difference by passing our knowledge (“baton”) to someone younger than us.

I’ll end by quoting Winston Churchill — “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”