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Tawanda Matanhire and Bornwise Mtonzi
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the saying goes. And the most important beholder appears to be the one to be found in the mirror.

Zimbabweans of both gender are spending increasing amounts of money each month on various beauty aids including but not limited to cosmetics, hairdos, body shape enhancing underwear and skin bleachers. Other hair products like shampoos, hairspray, synthetic fibre eyebrows and eye lashes are amongst the top imports in the country.

Millions are being spent each year on various legal and illegal beauty enhancers of every description. Most of the money is going to support industries in other countries. A couple of years ago newspapers carried headlines of women spending $13 million on imported weaves in a single financial year.

Harare now has at least two weave manufacturers owned by Chinese and Korean nationals. But there is not much of local skin care production with a few products to be found on supermarket shelves and absolutely none in the small shops dotted all over the CBD which have become the centres of the beauty trade.

The legal and illegal retailers are thriving on the various products which promise to make one beautiful in whatever form that the individual perceives beauty to be in.

“For some it is a lighter skin, for others it is longer and straighter hair, for others it is a smooth complexion, for yet others it is more or less weight. It is hard to define beauty as it varies from individual to individual, that is why we stock products that seem to contradict the effects of each other,” said a CBD entrepreneur whose shop sells some of the illegal skin lighteners like the banned Pure Skin range.

He said while young to middle-aged women constitute his largest clientele base, men are also becoming more conscious of their appearance and spending more on their looks each month.

“On average women between 20 and 40 spend quite a bit each month. They will buy weaves, lotions, creams, soaps, serums and make up which includes blush, eye shadow, powder, lip stick and lip gloss, eye liner and mascara. Those are just the basics. I would say they spend at least $30 with others going up to $50 each month.”

In a country where incomes average around $300 a month this constitutes about 10 percent of a woman’s earnings if she is gainfully employed.

“What is money when it comes to my looks? A woman cannot just move around looking shabby so I don’t mind how much I spend on my wardrobe,” said Mai Sean from a salon in the CBD.

“You know I can’t go out without wearing my make up, it makes me feel good and attractive and I don’t mind spending a lot of my money on anything that makes me look beautiful. Men of today look for beauty in us so there is competition and we have to look beautiful,” said one woman who appears to be in her late twenties who identified herself as Millicent

So are women now also looking for this elusive beauty in men as the less fairer sex are also coming to the party to follow international and local celebrity trends? The pattern has been especially noted in church leaders, including the leader of United Family International Church Emmanuel Makandiwa who is now sporting a stylised hair do.

“The men generally want something to take away the shaving bumps and make their skins smooth. They want particular products and those cost more than the usual soap and petroleum jelly. Some also want some hair grooming products so they will spend about $5 each month,” the retailer said.

A man will most probably visit the barber twice or thrice a month to maintain his look.

“These days, looks are not only for ladies alone. Now we have models and they are both men and women so why should it be only for women,” said Farai Mwenda, a barber from Belvedere.

He added that these days he is also increasingly into hair dressing beyond haircuts for his male clientele unlike in the past when it was only for the ladies.

“I visit a salon nearly every week to have my hair done so that I keep up with the trend, it’s a thing of the past that only girls were the ones who had their hair done. Move around and see, go into salons you will see that I’m telling the truth. Men are now in to beauty and they also want to look good,” said Simbarashe from Kuwadzana

More and more men are getting plaited while others get their hair relaxed.

While some may argue that we define ourselves from the perceptions of the society that we are in and this is reflected in what we consider physically and morally attractive, at the end of the day the individual chooses what they do with their body.

Solfie Joanna Jijita, born 21 years ago, has worked in the beauty industry for the past five years doing manicures, pedicures, hair treatment and facials and says business is good.

“I’ve worked on many clients who wear make up for different reasons. Some just like to follow fashion trends from around the world and some want to have a good appeal for an occasion or meeting and many other reasons one can think of,” Jijita Said.

“Beauty identifies a woman, that is why every woman wants to look gorgeous. It gives them value and appreciation,” she added.

Drawing inspiration from Nollyhood and Hollyhood show business, especially the red carpet events, Jijita says she brings those elements in her work on local celebrities.

“Women can go out of their way just to make sure they look gorgeous and more appealing visiting the salon on a weekly basis or depending on the function to be attended,” said Jijita.

But others say that people should learn to differentiate between showbiz costumes and day to day street looks.

“Models and actors are trend-setters so yes it is ok for the people to copy from them. The problem is when they dress for the wrong occasions,” said Pamela from Ebony Hair Salon in the Harare CBD.

“I personally think that as women we spend a lot on beauty care because we want to gain confidence and that is the thing that really makes us look different and attractive.

For example, I always look at the transformation in my clients after they have had their treatments.

A woman walks in here looking ordinary and we do their hair and nails and she walks out like a queen. She would have changed even the way she carries herself because she now feels beautiful. So yes, I would say that the money spent is worth it,” said a beautician from another CBD salon.

She says generally women pay about $25 to get their hair and nails done with the weave costing extra depending on its style and quality. The cheapest weaves are about $5 for a pack with the most expensive being alleged genuine Brazilian and Indian hair full head pieces which can go up to $500.

A dermatologist at a beauty spa said many of her clients make the mistake of thinking that beauty is only skin deep and try to do everything from the outside.

“No amount of powder or concealer is going to help you if your skin is not healthy. And to achieve that it is more than buying expensive skincare products. You have to eat right, exercise, drink lots of water. So in other words, looking good is about your health first. Almost all athletes have lovely skin because of that.