Waking up on a dark morning in January 2019, everything pointed towards a normal day ahead. By normal, I mean tolerating the morning traffic and being reminded of the bitterly cold weather every time my hands touched the steering wheel. Despite this, I was optimistic for the day ahead. I knew that I had packed a delicious lunch and at least my place of work would be somewhere warm.
Striding into work, I greeted my colleagues with the usual enthusiasm which was reciprocated with the same friendliness as always. However, within the return greeting, there contained a small but yet detectable hint of concern which was unlike any other day.
A few seconds later a brave colleague remarked: “Your under-eye area is looking a little puffy this morning!” I describe her as brave because comments about an individual’s appearance that lack flattery could very well cause tears. You’ll be pleased to know, that there were no tears on this occasion, however I did respond with honest surprise. My colleague then carefully tried to understate her initial observations to avoid causing panic: “Just slightly, you can barely notice it!” Although I didn’t know it then, this was the first warning sign of what was to come.
After finding a mirror and much careful prodding of the under-eye area, my colleague’s comments were indeed confirmed. There was a noticeable puffiness that resembled a borderline swelling under the eyes. My first thought was not one of alarm but of genuine intrigue. My inner dialogue was as follows: “I probably should have gone to bed earlier last night.” I ended my internal conversation with the assurance that by tomorrow the swelling would be resolved. However, as it turned out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Waking up on the following morning, the swelling had worsened to the extent of sealing my eyes almost shut. Looking in the mirror, I felt as though I had become a bizarre caricature of myself that somehow had been stung by a swarm of bees strategically around the eyes.
A trip to the doctors revealed a diagnosis of an allergic reaction, although the cause of which was unknown. I was told it would go away on its own; however my expectations of the swelling returning to normal within days didn’t match reality. Days became weeks and weeks became months. During this period, I was bombarded with comments from people I interact with daily, telling me that I looked tired and confidently pointing out the obvious bags under my eyes. In doing so, my own confidence was gradually fading and my self-consciousness was gradually growing.
The motivation and drive for starting Sons of Adonis (www.sonsofadonis.com) came from the raw vulnerability I felt after a severe allergic reaction left me with visible bags under the eyes. As a direct result of my experiences, I wanted to build a colour cosmetics company that men would be proud to use. This is where the idea for Sons Of Adonis was born.