Friday, August 29, 2008

Who are you?

That's what my sister asked me two weeks ago after reading about my blind date and hearing that I'd joined Facebook. Well, Wednesday night I did another thing completely out of character for me.

I bought make up. Real make up. Grown up make up. Expensive make up.

The last time I went make up shoping like this was 11 1/2 years ago, about a month before my wedding. My mom didn't want me to walk down the aisle without anything on my face, so she dragged me to the Clinique counter and had the women there gussy me up. She then bought the whole lot to make sure that I'd have it on hand on the big day. Before the wedding she and my sister supervised me while I put it on.

I'm not anti make up; I just never got in the habit of wearing it.

Sure, I went through an unfortunate phase in my teens, which were in the lovely mid-80s. I had those eye shadow sets with three different colors that had complicated application instructions. And I had the colored mascara - honestly, who thought blue eyelashes were a good idea?

Wearing make up got to be a hassle with my swimming. If I didn't want to look like a drowned racoon, I'd have to take all the make up off in the grimy locker room before practice. And once I started swimming twice a day, I'd have to lug everything to the pool and put it all on in the same grimy locker room. It was just too much trouble.

So why now? Because I'm feeling drab and washed out and tired looking. And because I feel that age 38 I ought to at least own enough make up to look nice on a rare night out.

I went out with B's cousin's wife, otherwise known as Aunt A to the kids, Wednesday night. She always looks stylish and put together, so I figured she'd be a good person to chaperone me - both to make sure I didn't end up looking like a tramp and to make sure I didn't run from the store in terror.

Aunt A was the perfect choice. We went to Nordstrom, where I had a birthday gift card to spend, and she steered me to the right counter and asked all the right questions of the make up lady. I think she did get a bit frustrated with me when I said I didn't want any pencils or liners or shapers. I also vetoed multiple eyeshadow colors.

I ended up with exactly what I'd hoped for - a mineral powder, some blush, some eyeshadow and some lip stick. I did suffer a little sticker shock when I heard the total, but I reminded myself about the gift certificate. Also, when I consider how rarely I buy make up, the cost will average out over the next year or two.

Yesterday I wore the make up all day - putting it all on took exactly two minutes - and B kept referring to me as a "painted lady." I kept threatening to kick him in his bad foot.

Now when I drop the girls off at school and go to the grocery store, I won't feel quite so drab.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

photo please

hokgardner said...

Not likely. I've deleted just about every picture taken of me lately because my face looks like a big old moon pie thanks to pregnancy.

Anonymous said...

I never leave the house without makeup, and haven't since I was 9. I go for the natural look though, just use it to balance out my skin tone and play up my eyes and play down my huge lips. I must do a good job because people always seem surprised when they find out I use the stuff.

Anonymous said...

I think I own eye shadow.

I know I have some tinted lip gloss.

Um.

That's about it.

But I have really great hair, so if I need to look nonsloblike, I focus on the hair and the rest seems to go unnoticed. Or at least, my husband is still interested and no one else openly points and giggles.

Keeffer said...

i'm curious to know what brand you went with, and what exactly you bought.

and pencils aren't that bad, and eyeliner can make all the difference. maybe once you get used to wearing this you'll let an eyeliner creep in. and multiple eyeshadow colors- just two. i'm not talking the crazy stuff you used to wear.

i only wear makeup on days where i have meetings. which unfortunately is now 80% of the time. oh well.