Making It Up, Part 1

Making It Up, Part 1

May 25th, 2009 @ 10:26 am by Mrs. Swan
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Things have been heating up here as I’ve definitely felt that the details of the day keep jumping up in my face like, “WHAT! Yeah, I’m here! Whatcha gonna do about it?!” Maybe I just have a very hardcore inner voice.

Moving on… this weekend will be the first of a few makeup trials. Makeup and I are not particularly good friends, or should I say, we don’t know each other well. I NEVER wear makeup. Essentially, that trip to the MAC counter a few months ago with Special K was my first time even buying something like foundation. I only really wear lip gloss or lipstick, but nothing else… nothing. Sometimes I feel like I should, but I’ve been scarred. Yes, that’s right, scarred!!!

I’ll tell you a story about a little girl who once had Clown Day at her day camp. She had to put on this awful white face makeup and by the end of the day, all the little girl wanted to do was scratch it all off. It felt like aliens were trying to take over her skin. From that day forward, the little girl never wanted to put anything on her face again… THE END.

Well I’m sure you guessed that that little girl was me. It took another 23 years to essentially get me to put anything akin to a foundation on my face. Of the few times I’ve had my makeup done, it’s been done in a way that I felt made me look… well… ugly. Often it was done by people who clearly know nothing about Black women’s skin tones and what colors look best on them. Also, even when I wasn’t getting my makeup done, I hated makeup shopping because I found it hard to find items that would even look good on me.

The makeup industry has changed drastically to the point where even Queen Latifah hawks makeup.

source

She looks fabulous, by the way.

I think the situation has changed for the better since I was a teenager, and now there are many options from a variety of lines that will complement Black women’s skin. I finally found MAC several years ago and have been a devotee for quite some time (as are many of the Black women I know).

Now that I am staring down my first makeup trial, I’ve had to psyche myself up for wearing makeup for a whole day and trying to figure out what I like and what I don’t.

Perhaps I’ll start with a few possible celebrity lookalikes (if you can call them that… I don’t really know if I have one… yikes!!!) as a source of inspiration.

Stay tuned for more as the saga (or trauma… at least in my head, anyway) continues…

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9 Responses to “Making It Up, Part 1”

Bee

Miss Bear Cub (message) 1,566 posts, Bumble bee

haha your clown story is hilarious!

Where have you found these illustrious MAC “counters” - any department store in particular? Do you know if you have to set up an appt in advance, like for makeup consultation?

(I’m a no-makeup chica too - sportin’ the tinted lipgloss right now!)

5/25/09 @ 10:42 am (reply)

Member

BunnyBlue (message) 528 posts, Busy bee

I have a similar experience with a bad hair cut in 5th grade. i do get my hair “trimmed” but having it “styled” scares the #$%^ outta me! have you thought of airbrushed make up?? I haven’t tried it but I hear it’s super light and looks great! I’m also a “don’t get near my face with that” girl. I have a friend who’s a really good make up artist , she’s the only one i trust.

5/25/09 @ 11:25 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Swan (message) 1,046 posts, Bumble bee

Hey Miss Bear Cub - MAC has both stores and counters in major department stores. Technically if you are having “wedding” makeup done you’re supposed to set up an appointment (check out my W Word post), but if you’re planning on just doing it yourself I say just roll up to the counter and ask to see some stuff. It’s nice to buy something if you can. The counter folks will be much nicer.

5/25/09 @ 1:27 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Pinot Noir (message) 799 posts, Busy bee

Makeup scares me too! Plus, as a woman I feel like I should just know all these things (like how to wear eyeliner and make eye shadow look cool and not overpowering). But I don’t. I started buying makeup from E.L.F. because it is really cheap (most items are $1) so I could experiment and if I didn’t like a color I could toss it without feeling bad!

5/25/09 @ 1:50 pm (reply)

Guest

kim

one line - bare minerals! i could never find a color that matched with other brands. i’m a kind of fair skined black woman, and everything else was too light or too dark. bare minerals not only had the perfect color foundation, but their other items were a great fit for my complexion as well. if you schedule an appt at the store (or walk in, if it’s a week day and they aren’t busy) they will hook you up with a free consultation and get you all the right colors.

5/25/09 @ 2:47 pm (reply)

Member

markyk (message) 227 posts, Helper bee

Don’t be afraid of makeup! It can really bring out your features. Just find a makeup artist that deals with darker skin tones. You may not be able to find a perfect celebrity look alike, but woman of darker skin tones whose makeup always looks good to me are: Kelly Roland, Angela Bassett, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, Mary J. I can go on and on! Good luck!

5/26/09 @ 11:02 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Onion (message) 710 posts, Busy bee

Good luck with your trials. If you don’t love your first trial, do another one or two! This was the best thing I did because I was so unhappy with my first.

A good friend of mine from high school is a make-up artist now in NYC. You might take a look at her website too: http://www.tarataylor.net

5/26/09 @ 7:05 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Labrador (message) 1,805 posts, Buzzing bee

I feel ya. I wish I didn’t have to wear foundation, but my skin is just too ick without it. I do like to get dolled up for a night out every once in a while, but generally I like to look as if I don’t have makeup on even when I do. Good luck with the trials!

5/27/09 @ 1:05 am (reply)

Member

mlindsey (message) 348 posts, Helper bee

I’m sure that you will find a look that you love and are comfortable with. Even if you really aren’t a make-up girl, just remember that it’s just for that one special day…and keep in mind that when you see yourself after your trials and think your makeup is too heavy, it’s probably not. I don’t know what the deal is, but it seems like the makeup disappears in pictures….especially pro-pics.

5/29/09 @ 7:34 pm (reply)