In this blog post, I’ll share my experience collecting and analyzing consumer reviews, and how I’ve used my market understanding and sense of trends to create a compelling personal statement.
Growing up
Growing up, I was the kind of kid who would always follow my mother whenever she was sitting at her dressing table and gaze in fascination. Watching her perform a mysterious magical process with a myriad of cosmetics, many of which I can’t even memorize the names or functions of, as they came and went, revealing their dazzling features and presence, only to be locked away again and pulled out again, was enough to make me realize that painting isn’t just something that happens in a sketchbook or on a piece of drawing paper. Her makeup application, where she would even out skin tone, deepen the lines of the brow, and add color and dimension here and there to create a 3D texture on the smooth canvas she had laid out, taught me to be fascinated by the function of so many materials.
From a time when I wasn’t interested in looking good, much less smearing cosmetics on my face, I learned the functions of different creams, lipsticks, pencils, and other products out of pure curiosity, just as I learned the uses of paints, colored pencils, and crayons, identifying their features and building up a body of knowledge in my head. My mother’s habit of poring over the text on cosmetics after she left the house and reading it over and over again was also a big help, as I loved to read and grasp information from the original print. I never thought that I would be able to use my face as a canvas as freely as she did, but rather that I would be able to see them as mysterious magical art items, and build up knowledge about them in my head.
School days
This was a time when I didn’t think much about applying cosmetics to my face, but was fascinated by the world of functions and applications, and would actively seek out information about them. I used to pore over posts and videos from beauty bloggers or people who actively reviewed them, but it was more of a spectator’s satisfaction, like getting a glimpse into the daily lives of people who drive fancy cars and getting vicarious satisfaction, because I never thought I’d be in a position to use it myself. Just like a super car enthusiast who can’t afford to drive a car of that price range himself, but feels fulfilled by looking at the rows and rows of luxury cars in the parking lots of the rich.
Maybe I was never satisfied with the way I looked, and I had a sense of entitlement that said, “You can’t make a watermelon out of a pumpkin. To me, cosmetics were magical items that enhanced the charms and advantages of people who already had natural beauty, so I had a sense of entitlement that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to make a difference, just like in fairy tale romances, where only the noble princesses are able to regain their original beauty through magic. As such, despite my early interest in and collection of cosmetics, I have long maintained a strictly bystander/observer stance when it comes to their practical application, often giving away large quantities of my purchases to my younger cousins, with little inclination to try them out in real life. This was due to a lack of overt self-assurance about my appearance.
About personality
I am an imperfect personality, but one that strives to maximize my strengths and minimize my weaknesses, believing that true value lies in the process of striving to become a better person. I used to be somewhat pessimistic about my life, believing that unless I was born perfect and amazing, I was just a helpless struggle to overcome my imperfections, but once I realized that even the most seemingly perfect people have their own problems and shortcomings, and that we are all struggling to hide them from the eyes of others and to shine more brightly in our areas of excellence, I was able to move forward with the history of self-struggle that is natural to human beings. Recognizing and actively embracing my own shortcomings and building a realistic plan to overcome them is the most fundamental process, and one that I had to embrace.
While some would argue that a strong sense of self-confidence that is untouched by the standards of those around you will allow you to live your life more fully each day, I found it much easier to take a point-by-point approach and develop a full-fledged plan of inquiry into “why is this so, and how do I overcome it?” rather than blindly turning a blind eye to my obvious shortcomings and moving on to a posture of lax tolerance.
Values
I believe that the human progression of overcoming inadequate realities and moving toward more glorious ideals is a great step forward for human civilization, and we’ve been able to do so because of the countless efforts of individuals who have tried to escape from the problems they face, find better answers, and become more advanced human beings, which ultimately leads to the advancement of humanity, where personal achievements are often linked to achievements for the greater good.
I hope that my personal efforts to grow into a better person will be in line with your company’s will, and that we can achieve good results in a more advanced direction, and I am always convinced that if I can achieve results that convince myself that I am a better person, there will be no greater joy for me.
Motivation and post-employment aspirations
As a child, every time I watched my mother work the magic of makeup to cover up imperfections and accentuate the best features, I was exposed to the essence of the science behind humanity’s long pursuit of beauty. While I’ve always been somewhat hesitant to use cosmetics because I don’t think I look good enough to benefit from their magic, I’ve always had a keen interest in their capabilities and the advancement of technology in the pursuit of beauty. I’ve observed, tested, and explored the properties of many cosmetic brands, and I’m confident that your company has many of the most dramatic and magical products, which is why I’m applying.
If I am given the opportunity to work with your company, I will always be at the forefront of the industry, with a wealth of knowledge about the ingredients and products that people are interested in and excited about, and I will do my best to utilize that knowledge in the design and promotion of new products, because it is my hope that by following the paths that people prefer, are interested in, and are buzzing about, you will gradually get a sense of what they are ultimately striving for, and that you will be able to harness that essence to produce products that will stimulate their inherent desires.
