My Makeup Confession

At the young age of 12 my mother decided it was high time her tomboy daughter learn to wear some makeup. I wasn’t opposed to trying it on, but neither was I in any way excited to wear “the mask”. My Mom had grown up as the oldest of 3 very girly girls. From what I hear there was more than enough makeup and nail polish to go around! Anyway, we were on a fall camping trip down in Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas. I was ready to go hiking and hoping my Dad might go with us in one or two of the caves. Mom put some makeup on me and off we went. By the end of the day I had zero desire to wear the stuff ever again. It felt like I had a mask on, though surely she must have applied it sparingly. If you rubbed your eyes at all (which I am known to do since I have dry eyes) you get mascara around or in your eyes. In the years since then I have been perfectly content to go on without wearing anymore than some blush and lipstick. About a month ago I was sitting in mechanic shop waiting for my tires to be rotated and balanced. I was quite bored and they had very few read worthy magazines. Between a car magazine and a lady’s magazine I decided to read an article on “How to Know your Makeup Colors”. It could pass as mildly interesting. I took painting lessons from my adopted Grandma for several years after high school. I have very definite ideas about the colors I think match well for painting. Colors for painting my face? I have not the slightest clue!
After reading this article I thought about how many woman I knew who wear makeup. The list was quite long. Was I really missing out on something I needed to know as a woman? Soon I was thinking, “maybe I should know what colors of makeup I should wear and use a bit of the stuff.” My Mom had always bought Clinique so I headed into the local Dillard’s. I brought with me a chubby stick from some time back hoping they had more of this same color. I have worn this lipstick on rare occasions. How rare those occasions were I soon found out. After asking the saleslady if they still had this color chubby stick she informed me it had been discontinued several years ago! I told her I didn’t wear makeup and had no clue what colors I should wear and asked her advice. I only intended to have help with my now extinct chubby stick color and eye shadow. She was more than happy to oblige. By the time I left she had covered my face with some new in fashion all over face powder shine, tried several shades of a neutral eye shadow, and a lip gloss. When I looked in the mirror at one of the eye shadows she put on I told her it looked like I had a black eye. She assured me it didn’t look like that. I did buy a lip stick and eye shadow. As I left she was promising when I came back she would help me pick out a foundation, eye liner, lip gloss, and mascara.
On the way home that shiny all over face stuff felt like a mask and was itching. Did I mention this face powder shine has a sparkle to it? I walked in the door and asked Caroline what she thought. She said the powder made me look like I was sweating after working out, and one of the eye shadows made me look like I had a black eye. (See my eyes were not deceiving me!) Enough was enough. I had to go scrub my face several times to get all that stuff off. Can you only get makeup off with makeup remover? Soap and water can’t do huh?
The next morning I was happy to get up, get ready for my day, and not worry about putting “the mask” on. There is no harm to it in moderation but count me out! One evening as a Clinique customer was one evening too many for me. I may look awful to someone else but I certainly look like me whatever the case.
So to my short lived makeup day, farewell, I bid you goodbye in peace.

Signed,
The woman with a face but no mask