I have a love/hate relationship with makeup. Actually I don’t. I have a hate relationship with it. It derives itself from two main places:
A. Hallowe’en. I don’t like Hallowe’en. I loathe dressing up and I don’t really like a candy so it was sort of a lost ‘holiday’ for me. I especially didn’t like lipstick being used on me in any capacity. Not as cute red clown cheeks or as a little red bunny nose. The smell, the consistency. To this day – I can’t do it. I will forever be a Blistex covered in lip gloss girl.
B. My grandmother. For the last 14 years or so of her life, my grandmother couldn’t see a whole lot. This was a bit of an issue since she insisted on wearing liquid makeup, lipstick and nail polish until the day she died at 103 years old. I spent many days scrubbing mounds of liquid makeup from the phone, from the walls, from the tv converter. The lipstick? Well. There were days that she gave Ronald McDonald a run for his money. The nail polish? If I didn’t get in to give her her weekly mani/pedi in time, she took it upon herself to do her nails. Have you seen a 100 year old person’s nails? They look like corduroy and have the thickness of an onion skin. Try removing old nail polish from those nails AND the skin up to her knuckle because that’s about where it would get to. Again, just so many sensory issues related to makeup stemmed from these years. The smell of the makeup and the texture of that lipstick.
I’ve always been happy that I thought I had great skin and could just avoid makeup for the rest of my life. Last year, I had a facial with my friend KD in NY. The woman said, ‘Wow your skin.’ I said ‘I know right? Pretty good for a 40 year-old?’ That was not exactly what she had to say. She pointed out all my broken capillaries and the redness in my cheeks and nose. She wasn’t lying. KD confirmed that she wasn’t just trying to sell me product (I like my friends to be honest!).
So, continuing on my little self-improvement kick that started this summer, I decided it was time for me to learn how to put on makeup properly and become a grown-up. I booked something at a known makeup counter but my friend warned me that I’d come out looking like Ru-Paul. We were wandering around a new Shoppers a few weeks ago and it was quiet, and clean, and I booked an appointment there instead.
Last Friday, I spent an hour and a half and a crap load of money getting all made over. I prepared! I brought in pictures from magazines to reiterate NATURAL. And, gulp, I really like it!** I was shocked! Look, I’m not all of a sudden Heidi Klum – I just mean I’m shocked at how it doesn’t feel like clown makeup. My red crap is hidden but I don’t look like my granny. And maybe after 43 years, my girlie side is coming out because it’s kind of fun! Eye shadow? Who knew!!!
At some point soon I will stop recognizing myself. I cook? I decorate my house for holidays? I exercise fairly regularly? I wear makeup? Who the hell is this girl?
What about you? Am I the only one that took so long to use a little colour??
**I did NOT however cave to the lipstick. She put some on and I immediately was like, ‘Yeah, no. I’ve got that.’ Those Hallowe’en shakes are hard to kick!!
How I love to tell the skin care ladies that I love my look the way it is! And honestly I am your friend and I think you have GORGEOUS skin and hair. Anyway good for you for having funxoxoxo
I’m so with you Alice on the concealer and the full makeup – but I swear…she gave me this makeup that I use instead of my moisturizer – it’s got spf…and i don’t even feel it. I was amazed! And the concealer…goodbye purple/black rings…
the ‘primpcess’ thing is truly making me laugh every time I think about it! LOVE!
I’m not a real makeup girl, but I do have some broken capillaries as well, and some patches along the top of my cheekbones that came out when i was pregnant and never went away. i give those a little concealer, since I’m not quite up to full makeup all over my face, which makes me feel like my skin can’t breathe or something, and then dust a bit of powder to try to make it stay longer. On the occasional day, a touch of mascara to wake me up.
Much more than that, and I don’t feel like I look like me, though I do have an eye kit called “primpcess” that my sister gave me that turns out quite nice and natural when you follow directions. I don’t do it often, though, my mornings are usually more about prodding my children out the door with a pointy stick.
i can’t do face makeup. i don’t get it! but i don’t have red patches or anything. i’m mostly just mascara and love lipstick! i rocked the 90’s with the dark lips 🙂
Good for you, lady… I can’t WAIT to see you!!
Sara, I only really started wearinG it regularly
at 45 or so! It tool watching my daughter
and all her friend’s doing it so well to
give it a shot! I mean I grew up in the early
seventies! It wasn’t cool to look girlie!
What a pile of crap! It’s fun to embrace
the girlie side!! Took my daughter saying
I should bring out my beautiful eyes!!