Bemba Beauty

September 17th is a special day. Since 2005, this day has been spent celebrating the birth of one of my closest friends, Elizabeth. By now, you can tell that I am BIG on birthdays. This year and last, however, we have not been able to celebrate this momentous occasion in our usual way (which typically involves shopping and primping for the theme bash of Eliz's choice) as she is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, Africa. I can't tell you how proud I am of her.

Elizabeth is one of the most stylish people I know. Throughout college, she managed to make even her gym outfits chic and perfectly accessorized. She taught me how to layer and even introduced me to Benefit's Benetint. I recently wrote her to ask her about how her experience has changed her views of beauty and style.


CG: What is your daily beauty regimen in Zambia?

EO: I start my day by writing in my journal, getting fire and water boiling. Once these things are completed, I do about 15-30min of yoga as i wait for my coffee/tea water. After that, I wash my face with tea tree oil on a cotten swab and moisturize. Then I put on an SPF 50 sunscreen (or higher), brush my teeth and floss.


Eliz, doing yoga with a pint-sized admirer at her side.


CG: Has your time in the Peace Corps changed your self image/the way you
feel about needing to apply makeup/to do your hair/dress?

EO: Yes! I feel like so much more of a girlie girl now. It has abled me to embrase my feminine side a lot more. I wear more nail polish and when in a city, I wear makeup because it's fun and something that I don't/ can't often do. Also I live in an enviornment were curves are considered beautiful and being fat is sought after! Here, a compliment you'd pay to someone after not seeing them for a while is telling them "Bamaayo! You have grown VERY fat!" I don't like this very much but I'm starting to get used to it.

I only have a very small mirror that is nailed to my wall at a height were I have to really try to see myself when I want to. This has caused me to have more confidence in just being me and to care less about what I look like. It's interesting because when I am around mirrors again, the self-consciousness returns bit more than I would like. As for my hair...it is very short and head bands are my best friend.

CG: What surprises the people from Zambia most about you, being an American girl?

EO: That I want my skin to be darker, that I'm not fat (nor do i want to become fat) and that I chose/wanted to come to a place where I had to give up modern day conveniences.

CG: What is a typical days outfit?

EO: I do a lot of biking and walking,so I find it best to wear things that I can easily move around it. It's also really easy to get filthy fast, so sometimes I wear the same thing for a few days straight. I have night clothes to wear when I get home and after I clean up, then day clothes that put on again in the morning. This also helps me to fit in - a Zambian can go a week without changing their clothes once (which is understandable when you only have a few sets).

I wear either dresses or skirts that have been made for me out of chitenge, the traditional cloth that is worn by all women, or lose fitting pants. In the village it is very inappropriate to wear tight clothes or show off more than a bit of your calf.

CG: What do people who are native to Zambia do to get ready/primp that may
be different from Americans?

EO: People primp themselves here in ways that we may think is over the top or gaudy. To them, this is beautiful. They only know fashion from the over the top ads or in movies.

They try to express status through the way they dress when going out. At a special event, they will wear everything nice thing they have all at once, even if it does not match.

CG: How much do you miss your BFF, Cait?

EO: More than she can imagine. I miss drinking diet coke, going shopping, talking about boys, and having her support. [Editor's note: I agree on all counts and you always have my support.]


Elizabeth continues to be stylish and maintains her ability to accessorize while entering her final year with the Peace Corps with red wayfarers and a key necklace that Tiffany & Co. made ever so popular this year. Perfection. You go girl.