A Little Makeup Story

Makeup is fun. But I didn't always think so. I didn't start wearing it until I was thirteen, and that was only after some well-intentioned prodding from my mother. I was a bit of a late bloomer, and something about makeup seemed too grown-up to my shrinking violet self. Yet I decided to try a few neutral shades. I still remember carefully picking them out in CVS at the mall. (I was so nervous you'd have thought I was trying to buy cigarettes.) Once purchased, I tentatively used the lightest shade of eyeshadow in the quad before graduating on to the darkest. (I didn't know I was supposed to use all of the colors at once.) Little by little, my fear subsided. I liked playing with the colors.

Before long my hesitation melted completely. The collector and artist in me conspired to create a makeup monster. Soon I was buying every shade of eyeshadow, lipstick, and nail polish imaginable, gleefully lining them up on my bedroom floor each time I made an acquisition. I reveled in the scent of a new product; even now a whiff of brand new Cover Girl blush takes me back to freshman year. Yet as with most lovefests, mine with cosmetics ran hot before meeting its crash and burn demise. I can't say exactly what happened. I guess I just I realized that it was the buying of the products I liked more than the makeup itself. So, I settled on the shades that looked best and tossed the rest. This meant hanging onto my black Cover Girl eyeliner, black Maybelline Great Lash mascara, and Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick. This was probably around the same time my shoe obsession (also, interestingly, spurred by my mother), was born.

Anyway, I'd been studiously abstaining from makeup splurges ever since this revelation. And then this past Sunday I took advantage of the sunshine to walk to my local CVS for some razors. On my way to the shaving aisle I became transfixed by a dazzling display of Milani cosmetics. I'd never bought that brand before, which seemed only to heighten its appeal. Excitedly, I examined the glittery eye shadows, neon nail polishes, and lush lip glosses encased in glamorous gold-toned containers. Should I? I wondered, eyeing the bright green glittery eyeshadow compact, hot pink nail polish, and almost luridly bright magenta lip gloss nestled in my palm. Would I actually wear this stuff? But somehow the answer didn't seem to matter. All thoughts of my tried-and-true Cherries in the Snow were blocked, eclipsed by the allure of getting something new. Foolhardy or not, I decided to take the plunge. (Psychologically, that is. Financially, I was parting with just $20.) Now, I must admit that I haven't worn them yet. I'm reluctant to bust them out of their pristine packaging. And to stray from my beloved red lipstick. Nevertheless, I sense their debut is impending.

So, what's your makeup MO? Love it? Hate it? And if it's love, can it be found in a department store or a drugstore? Be expressed in tranquil neutrals or blazing brights? Whatever your story, I want to hear it. :)