Where Instinct Came to Die
I don't know squat about makeup. The only purchases I make with any kind of authority are ivory face powder and brown/black mascara. Everything else in my makeup kit got their by chance or thievery. I found my favorite lipstick (an now only lipstick) in a bathroom of my college dorm 7 years ago. My eyeshadows were found in the bathroom drawer over 10 years ago of a sister who had left for college. My concealer was stolen from my mom long back and a small blush compact was a stocking stuffer from Santa (or more likely his sympathetic wife, bless her soul). As a result I have a bizarre color palate available for my makeup routine and often leave the house on Sundays looking like a hussy in training.It's not that I'm too cheap to buy my own - I read any helpful tidbits about "my colors" or shades that are "in" this season. But it doesn't stick and when I arrive at the Target makeup section I freeze. The other women carefully compare and select products from the walls of colors and consistencies like they've been programed for glamour. But there are too many shades, too many products, and too many chances to end up looking like a Jon Benet so I just grab my trusty old Maybelline brown/black mascara and run.
It's the same with perfumes. They say that every scent smells different on people and that everyone perceives odor differently. So even though I may think I smell like heavenly rosewater, the poor guy sitting next to me on a long metro-ride could very easily smell guano. As a result I'm afraid to wear any scent at all. My deodorant has to be non-scented and I keep my shampoos as neutral as possible. I don't want to be the person who is making everyone else gag into their morning newspapers.
What is the secret? I see women wearing very lovely shades of makeup daily and I know that people will pay top dollar for a "good" scent. I can't help but feel like they all got some lesson I missed back in the day. I've read lots of makeup books and try and keep myself fresh stylish, but when it comes to putting on a face for a night out my S.O.P. is to just layer the powder a little heavier, put on an extra coat of mascara and smudge whatever lipstick color my baby hasn't eaten on my checks and mouth. I do have somewhat of a collection of sparkly eyeshadows but I've heard that sparkles are out of fashion this year so they are useless to me.
What's everyone's secret? How do you pick a "good" scent or choose the perfect lipcolor? I try all the tricks like putting lipstick on your wrist to see what it would look like on your skin but I always end up looking like I've just attempted suicide and leave empty handed with red gashes of color up and down my wrists. One day I went shopping for perfume and decided I wouldn't come home without my perfect scent. I spent about two hours inhaling perfumes at a fancy department store and my poor nose hasn't been the same since. I was unable to find a scent and unable to get the stink of essential oils out of my nose for days. I've even had a makeover before a dance once but the beautician decided to make it her personal Everest to conceal my thousands of teenage blemishes. My face felt like it had been cemented and I spent most of the dance in the bathroom trying to scrape the stuff off and find myself underneath.
We give instinct too much credit. There is no little voice inside of me telling me how to make myself more attractive to the opposite sex, no strong urge to clean and manage my household and reproduction is just plain scary. My instincts when I arrive at a make-up counter are just to run. I see the beautifully coifed and painted women standing idly behind them sizing up my clumpy mascara with bored expressions and I rush nervously by before they can realize that I'm a make-up failure.
So tell me, is this something I need to be continually pursing or can I just get by on my "I'm-a-stay-at-hom-mom-so-deal-with-it" mentality?
Comments
But yes, Adam would definitly (and has in the past) let me know when I look like a clown. As far as the stink, I'm pretty good at staying neutral scented so he's not had to "go there." Gotta love the guy.
as for the makeup thing: it's not that i don't like you in make up. it's just that i like you just as well without, so why bother? unless it's not me you are trying to impress. wait a second...
I stopped wearing a lot of make up when I started dating my husband. He hates lipstick and eyeliner. And I hate the feel of anything more than facial lotion covering my face. Plus it's sooo much cheaper when you're not having to buy make up and lip glosses and stuff all the time.
I generally think that most women err when they use too much make up rather than too little. Same with perfume. If I want a "smell" I'll use scented hand lotion rather than a perfume. I don't know if I've ever smelled a perfume perfume that wasn't offensive. Body spray is ok. I guess that's my 2 cents on the subject.
I tend to go neutral. I use make up that is as close to skin tone as possible--only eyeshadow and mascara. Sometimes lipstick & pressed powder--no blush or foundation. I might not even wear mascara if my eyelashes weren't blonde.
But, occasionaly, I feel like I need to look like the career girl I am supposed to be and go for a "smart" look (it cracks me up when fashion is described as smart). Since I use Clinique skin care, I pretty much only have make-up that was part of a "gift with purchase". That way I get the really trendy stuff :) Oh, and I have some fancy lip gloss that I got when I was a part of the Dr. Phil studio audience (my mom was in town and has a special relationship with the man).
I am with "torchness" on the clinique/ lancomme suggestion. I always go to the Lancomme counter when they have their good gift offers. I can tell a huge difference in the quality (look and feel) of Lancomme over the grocery store makeup section stuff, and it is nice because you can get everything in the same color and it all matches really well (I like their "plum" line). Now I at least have good makeup for Sundays and special occasions. And I won my mom over to Lancomme when she saw that my makeup still looked "fresh" after a long labor and delivery with my last baby.
I don't wear any makeup on my face; I've been blessed with a good complexion. But you'll find that for everyday, 5 minutes to slap on some coordinated eyeshadow and mascara (drugstore for mascara, Loreal Full 'n' Soft in Black/Brown is my standby-- makes the lashes not clumpy) and you look ever so much better (also my eyelashes are red so I need lots of help). It's just for nights that I enjoy more professional advice.
Maybe you could go get your makeup done before the wedding you are going to? It's always fun to get it done for an event, and you could schedule appointments with sisters or friends as a bonding thing that really is pretty cheap-- most places only want you to buy one or two things.
Then again, Northpark on a Saturday... aish.
Adam, there is no other guy. It's worse - I'm trying to impress ME!!
Once I dated this boy who would occasionally tell me I had body odor (am I REALLY posting this on a blog??) Anyway, I would SWEAR that I JUST took a shower and that I was wearing deodorant and clean clothes and what was his problem? It turns out that he couldn't stand the smell of my deodorant itself (powderfresh secret). He thought the deodorant smelled like body odor. Anyway... I switched. And sometimes, I still stink.
I missed the make-up class long ago too. A few years ago my aunt finally got me to get something from Lancome (hello, free gift!) and I have been with that ever since. But I have to go when the counter is empty and no one is looking. I am sure they wonder who let the little girl ditch school.
Anyway, most of my tips since then have been from the gay guys I work with. Do they have some secret school that we need to go to? They always give the BEST advice.
Good luck at the make-over! We want pictures :)