Make-Up

If you have not noticed, I enjoy make up.  I have a relationship with cosmetics.  I remember the first cosmetics that I bought for myself.  I had loved this red lipstick that my mother owned.  It had a certain smell and it was in a metal lipstick case.  My mother loved fancy red lipstick.  My mother didn't own a lot of make up; not the way I have in my bathroom or in the little make up kits that I  have in my room.  It was in 8th grade and for the first time ever, we were allowed to wear make up.  I had been experimenting with make up but didn't own any.  I had an idea of what would work for me.  I remember going to Woolworth's.  There was one that was not far from Bay Plaza in the Bronx.  I bought a navy/purple eyeliner and a jumbo shimmer light blue eye shadow pencil with a sharpener. I know I bought a lipstick. I remember the morning of graduation pictures, the pencil was harder than I was used to and I struggled to put on the eyeliner and the eye shadow went everywhere.  I bought that particular shade of eye shadow to match my light blue graduation gown.  My father looked at me as I was leaving and in his broken, accented English he said, "My Beauty."  Just thinking back on this memory brings a warm feeling to my heart and a tear to my eye.

Back then, there was this Chinese store.  They sold the rubber bracelets that we would buy and wear in different colors like Madonna.  They sold electric blue soft kohl eye pencils for a dollar.  They would sell cheap lipstick in differing colors that I would buy whenever I got a dollar in my hand. I would wear the eyeliner on my water line as was the fashion. My friend, Diana, she had a fancy eye shadow palette.  We would layer on different colors like fuchsia, royal blue and purple.  When I went to her house, we would experiment with eye shadows and with eyeliner.  We didn't even need to put on concealer or foundation.

I went through a non-make up period in Junior and Senior year of high school.  I liked to wear a red cheek gel and this gold glitter lipstick that smelled and tasted like candy.  I laid off of the make up because of Walter De La Vega.  He made a comment about how I didn't need make up and so I took a break.  My first fancy lipstick was L'Oreal.  I don't know if you ever bought a L'Oreal lipstick but its just so fancy.  It has a smell that reminds me of my mother.

Make up is such a part of my life.  I would involve my husband and my father in my love of cosmetics.  I know that my father could care less about make up yet he would come with me to Bergdorf Goodman to buy my setting powder from Guerlain.  My husband never minded coming with me to Sephora and Ulta to buy my cosmetics.  Anything shimmery, metallic or glittery was what I liked.  Now I go to the stores with my little girl.  My son can't be coerced to come with me no matter what I do.  I'm afraid that Janet will be just like me.  She is known to take the lip stuff that I no longer want.  She has her own style that isn't quite like mine.

I'm not a fan of foundation.  I'm experimenting with serums and primers.  My routine includes Maybelline's concealer, a gold highlighter and blush.  On a daily basis, I will put on eye shadow, mascara and lipstick or lip gloss but I like to keep it to a minimum.  Concealer and mascara is Maybelline.  I like fancy brands but I don't need to buy fancy brands.  I buy what I like and I limit my trips to the expensive stores.  However, cosmetics will always have a part in my life.