Now that I’ve wasted far too much time putting that collage together, I think I’ll write a post on cosmetics. Makeup. The sort of thing that girls are supposed to live for, and not want to let anyone see them without.
I wore makeup to work the other day, which is a rarity for me. My sleep is far too valuable to me to give up in the name of mascara. But the other day I noticed a zit just under my nose, in that tender divet that goes from the nose to the upper lip. It was red and ugly, so I dug around my makeup drawer and found the concealer. Then, as these things go, I had to powder the area to set the concealer, which led to putting powder foundation on my entire face. Which was then too pale, since I evened out all the redness. So then I had to put on some eye makeup. Mascara and carefully selected shadows to make it look like I hadn’t put too much effort into my look. I ended up looking like a circus clown.
At least, it felt that way. What I really looked like was a way too pale redhead with minimal eye makeup on and no color to the lips, since I chose basic chapstick instead of lipstick. I felt like the lipstick would have been too much.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with makeup. I generally like the way it makes me look. I love buying the shit, for some odd reason. Throw in some free samples and I’m a bit of a sucker. I’m not particularly fond of wearing it, since I can’t rub my eyes. I’m not all that great at putting it on – anything beyond the basic shadow/mascara combo and I just can’t get it right. Well, it comes out nice on one eye, but I can’t replicate that on the other eye. And I hate the fact that I can’t just crash without washing it off, lest I wake with a faceful of zits and major raccoon eyes.
I started out like most other girls. When I started having a bit of pocket money and the independence to be at the mall unsupervised, my friends and I would carefully select what we wanted from the Wet N Wild display at the drugstore. At 99 cents, we got the most bang for our buck – not that it went far, since that stuff was utter crap. When we had a bit more earning power, we moved on to Bonne Belle, especially the coveted Lip Smackers roll-on lip gloss. And who could forget those ginormous compacts with 101 eye colors in them? Ah, memories. I think makeup was most fun when we were in middle school, not that we knew much what we were doing with it at that point.
As I went through high school, college, and my early working years, I’d mostly wear makeup, choosing a simple, neutral look for everyday and the same makeup applied with a heavier hand for evening. I learned pretty quickly what worked on me (variations of flesh and taupe tones) and shunned all else – unless it came in a free sample, of course. Anything with too much red made me look tired, and anything with too much blue/gray seemed to make the bags under my eyes worse. I didn’t experiment much.
Eventually, I stopped wearing makeup every day. I didn’t have the stamina to put it on every morning, and I didn’t feel pretty enough to want to wear it. I still have quite a bit of it, with my most recent makeup buying spree happening before my wedding. I still don’t have the skillz to apply it like a professional, at least not so both eyes look the same. Sometimes I think I’d like to wear makeup if Mister and I go out in the evening, but then I remember that there’s the whole routine of taking it off before bed, which stops me from wearing it (out of sheer laziness, or efficiency, if you will. I’m saving myself steps and time both before and after going out). I still love playing with the testers at the makeup counter, still covet a whole cosmetic tackle box full of product, and still get giddy at the thought of a free gift with purchase.
What’s a girl to do?
LOL. Glad I’m not the only one with a penchant for buying make up. I have a great big drawer full of the stuff!!!! And if it comes with freebies??? Sheesh, I’m a total pushover!!! :) Or is that “sucker”? :)
I wear it most days when I go out but here’s a confession – I rarely take it off again when I get home. Too lazy!!!
I think the funniest thing is that I have quite a bit of makeup for someone who hardly ever wears it. As far as taking it off, I’m most concerned about eye makeup. The foundation I like is Bare Minerals, which is supposed to be good enough for your skin to sleep in. But it still feels weird if I do forget/neglect to take it off.
I too do not like wearing makeup. However, given the demands of my work, I have to at least not look scary..which is my self-assessment of my unmadeup face. Therefore, a minimal amount of makeup (read as full face–looking like no effort is required) is needed on a day to day basis.
Being the thrifty individual I am (read skinflint) is shrink at paying for my makeup…..try out the Christmas sets offered by Estee Lauder. You get the most bang for the buck…lots of stuff! I can’t wait to see this year’s loot.
Ooh, I’ll have to check them out. And I should at least wear mascara, sometimes, so that people know I actually have eyelashes.
For some reason, I love trying on make up and playing with the colors. I also find the boxes super cute (have you checked out Urban Decay? Love it!).
Yet, I’m way to lazy to wear make up every day.
Exactly! I think it’s a variation of playing dress-up, but with a drawerful of makeup rather than a boxful of clothes. And yes, shiny packaging helps!
I thought I would chime in on this one . First KL4W is pretty enough without any make up, I know you are thinking right now you better think that way Mr!! In all honesty she doesn’t need cosmetics to paint her face on each day so she doesn’t look like something from a 1950′s B grade sci fi / horror film. That being said, when K does apply make up and then proclaims that she looks like bozo’s little sister I assure her (and you) that she doesn’t. she says she cant get her eyes to match, the only one that would notice it by looking at her is me when I kiss her because that’s how close you have to be to see the imperfection between the two. what K doesn’t tell you is that above all else she is a perfectionist and if she cant make it perfect well than its just grotesquely wrong in her opinion. I tell her she looks nice and very attractive but what do I know I am just the guy who married her, think she would believe me, nope! She tells me that its too much hassle to do every morning to go to work and that she just woks with a bunch of women anyway so who cares? Its been my experience that you women are far more brutal about each others looks that guys are towards a womens looks.
For me I don’t care all that much, I think she is beautiful no matter what, though I can remember my grandmother giving this advise to my mom when I was a little kid and it was one time when my mom was feeling a bit down she said ” MrL4W’s mom go put on some eyeliner and lipstick and pull your self together.” What she was telling my mom was hey go spend a couple minutes making yourself look better and you will feel better about yourself. or $35 dollars worth of mascara and lipstick is cheaper then $200 Therapy session and $80 worth of some mind melting antidepressant yet just as effective.
I think the reason I like to see K wear a little makeup is because, I see it as her doing something nice fer her and I hope that she gets a pick me from it. Either way I love her all the same.
And now you all know why I married him. <3
Holy crap!!! I know he’s real but a spouse that pays attention???!! I want one of those! (Actually, I have quite a wonderful spouse. He just needs to divert his focus from work to “other things” once in awhile).
My favorite makeup was a tinted self tanner for the face from Estee’ Lauder. That’s all I’d wear just for a little color and maybe a light mauve lipstick (over my Neutrogena lip balm). But when I ran out and finally got around to renewing my supply, I found they don’t have it anymore. Rats!! I hate wearing all kinds of stuff on my face, especially eye make-up because I have enough trouble not rubbing my eyes when I wear my contacts. And no, it never seems to go on each eye the same.
And I never get the free make-over at the beauty counter. Then you’re stuck looking like Bozo for sure all while having to walk through the mall like that!
Like mother, like daughter??
Yes, Mommy, he’s very real and very attentive. And Da does pay attention to something other than work – it’s called The Lawn ;-)
When Sis and I were little, we got into your makeup a lot when you were napping. We also had a blast when we were in our pre-teen and early teen years and Uncle N Period worked for Lancome. That was the best.
Have you ever seen the movie The Other Sister? There’s a scene in there where one character gets a free mall makeover and they only did one half of her face.
You should try the Bare Minerals makeup. It feels like nothing on and has great coverage. That’s what I got for my wedding and I really like it (I mean, if I MUST wear makeup).
Those makeup remover wipes sound like just the ticket. Just remove a wipe from the package, rub it all over your face, amuse yourself by observing the makeup colors all smeared together on the wipe, and throw away. Easy-peasy. My favorite brand of these are the Neutrogena wipes.
I get the travel “facial cleanser” wipes mostly for travel, but I’ll have to keep those in mind. I haven’t tried the Neutrogena wipes, only Pond’s, but they do work pretty well. Except I still end up with a slight case of raccoon eye in the morning.