The Shower That Helped Me Feel Like Myself Again
How slowing down, caring for my skin, and saying yes to one invitation reminded me what everyday luxury really feels like.
Paid partnership with Dove.
There are moments in life that don’t seem like they should matter that much.
Getting ready to leave the house is one of them.
Most days, you don’t think twice about taking a shower, putting on your skincare, picking out an outfit, or walking out the front door.
You just do it.
But there was a time when I realized those ordinary rituals weren’t so ordinary after all.
They were little reminders that I was still showing up for myself.
I just hadn’t noticed until they disappeared.
Then one morning, a phone call turned into a concert ticket, and before I knew it, I was standing in my bathroom getting ready for my first night out in months.
Looking back, I thought I was getting ready for a concert.
What I was really doing was slowly finding my way back to myself.
A Reason to Leave the House
At the end of 2025, my oldest childhood friend passed away from cancer less than six months after he was diagnosed.
Around the same time, I was also coming out of a relationship where my boyfriend had become extremely sick.
It all happened within a relatively short period of time, and for a while, my world got really small.
Outside of work, I mostly stayed home.
I have a treadmill desk that I’d loved using for years, but I couldn’t even bring myself to stand at it anymore.
I stopped saying yes to things.
Then one morning, my friend Tom called.
He asked if I was going to a concert that night.
I remember laughing and saying, “What are you talking about? I didn’t even know this concert was happening!”
Apparently everyone else in my city had been excited about it for weeks, and I’d somehow missed the entire thing.
I kept telling him I wasn’t going to come.
He wouldn’t let me off the phone.
“Come on, Fawn. You need this. If anybody needs a break, it’s you.”
About twenty minutes later, he’d convinced me to buy a ticket.
The moment I bought it, I felt the excitement come rushing back.
I could feel the energy buzzing around me again.
I remember thinking, “Oh yeah... I’m gonna have a great freaking night.”
Then it hit me.
I had to get ready.
Getting Ready Again
I decided to give myself an everything shower.
You know the kind.
For the first time in months, I let myself slow down and enjoy it.
I washed my skin, shaved my body, and reached for the new Dove Serum+ Radiance Oil Body Wash.
It glided over my skin effortlessly, creating a rich, silky lather that made the whole shower feel a little more indulgent.
The 50% glycerin serum left my skin feeling soft, hydrated, and never greasy, with that healthy-looking radiance that comes from taking your time instead of rushing through your routine.
I have a terrible sense of smell, but even I could tell it smelled amazing.
The notes of jojoba oil and monoi flower made the whole experience feel like I was staying at the Four Seasons for the weekend.
I also appreciated that the fragrance didn’t irritate my skin, which can sometimes happen for me.
That’s saying something.
When I got out, I wasn’t in a hurry anymore.
My skin still felt fresh, neither heavy nor greasy, so I took my time with everything that came next.
I put on body serum, lotion, and a little bit of body oil, gently massaging everything into my skin.
I’d been carrying so much tension in my back, shoulders, and neck that being gentle with myself felt important.
It wasn’t something I’d thought much about before, but that afternoon I found myself slowing down instead of rushing through every step.
I even turned off the bathroom lights and left only the hallway light on.
Everything felt calmer that way.
Peaceful.
I stood there for a few minutes, taking slow, deep breaths.
I was still nervous about being in a crowd again, but I knew I needed this.
Then I stood in front of the mirror to do my makeup.
My bathroom mirror spans the entire back wall above the sink, so I could watch every step as I got ready.
I blended my foundation, added my contour, then brushed on my blush.
With every step, I watched myself come alive in the mirror.
It wasn’t that the makeup changed me.
It was that I was remembering who I was.
It felt like life had returned to my face.
The more time I spent getting ready, the more I felt like I was coming home to myself.
I took one last look in the mirror, grabbed my keys, and walked out the front door.
Coming Home to Myself
When I met Tom that night, I could tell he was relieved that I’d actually shown up.
The concert ended up being exactly what I needed.
Looking back, I don’t remember every song that was played or every conversation we had.
What I remember is laughing more than I had in months and walking home, realizing I’d gone an entire evening without thinking about grief every second.
Tom still jokes that all he did was convince me to go to a concert, but I don’t think he realizes how much that phone call changed things for me.
He brought joy back into my life that weekend, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
That night reminded me that healing isn’t about waiting until everything feels okay.
Sometimes it’s about letting yourself experience joy again, even while you’re still healing.
I stopped waiting to feel okay before I started living again.
Saying yes to that concert didn’t mean I’d moved on.
It meant I was finally ready to stop putting my life on hold.
Looking back, I thought I was saying yes to a concert.
What I was really saying yes to was myself.
Final Thoughts
If you’re still waiting for your own first outing, I want you to know that there isn’t going to be a perfect time.
You don’t wake up one morning and suddenly feel ready.
Sometimes you just have to get out the front door and hope for the best.
The hardest part is often just saying yes.
One thing this experience taught me is that you have to keep showing up for yourself, especially when it’s the last thing you feel like doing.
Rest is important, but real rest isn’t spending hours scrolling on your phone or hiding from the world.
Sometimes it means putting everything down, sitting with your thoughts, getting some sleep, and giving yourself permission to slow down.
Then, when you’re ready, say yes to something.
Say yes to dinner with a friend.
Say yes to a walk.
Say yes to a concert.
Or maybe it starts with something even smaller.
An everything shower.
Taking your time with your skincare.
Putting on your favorite outfit, even if you’re not going anywhere special.
Sometimes those ordinary moments are the ones that remind you you’re worth taking care of.
Looking back, I thought I was getting ready for a concert.
What I was really doing was taking the first step toward coming home to myself.
If you’d like to try the Dove Serum+ Radiance Oil Body Wash, you can find it on Amazon.
Cheers,