For every girl who has ever smeared mascara on the ceiling of her car, because she’s trying to put it on before the light changes.
Over the weekend I tweeted about getting makeup advice from trannies in a Bare Escentuals in the mall. I implied that, because they were overly made-up, with bright eyeshadows and fake lashes, their advice was no good to me. But one of them has changed my life.
I hesitantly struck up a conversation about eyeshadow, something that has been intriguing me from a distance, and she asked what I wore. I told her I’ve been wearing some BeneFit thing, in pinks and light browns, but that I felt something was missing from my life. She asked if I wore eyeshadow primer. I said I do not.
The Bare Escentuals girls have tried to sell me on primer before. As a rule I’ve been uninterested in it, especially all over my face. I don’t feel like I need or want a thick layer of something on my skin – that’s why I like Bare Escentuals, it’s light and powdery and doesn’t feel cakey. But if I scrub primer all over, doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?
The salesgirl slicked some primer along the base of her thumb, where you try all makeup. (Something about doing that makes me feel so grown up and sophis. I love it.) She let it dry for a second, and then buffed a shiny, shiny purpley eyeshadow into it. It popped like you wouldn’t believe.
“How much is that?” I asked, never one to let a good thing pass me by.
Besides, this was girls’ shopping weekend with Megan, and on my list of things to find were a good moisturizer, and eyeshadow. So it’s not like an impulse buy or something.
When I started adding up the costs of the things that I would need to start my own experimenting, I opted for a “starter kit” type of deal – which would include the primer (which I LOVE), a brush (I only had a cheapie Target brush), a neutral color to use as a base, an eyeliner (which I never wear, but maybe I could start? if a tranny would advise me?), and a tiny mascara with a wand so small it’s hard to do my left eye with my right hand. For $23, wouldn’t you have bought it also?
Bare Escentuals, I do love you so. Partly because of just how pretty all the jars are. I am now the proud owner of a small array of BE products, and I am also now one of those girls who puts on makeup at home every day! (Instead of doing it in the car at stoplights on my way to work.)
My next experiment: more eye colors. I’ve been confused about what colors I’m supposed to wear – aren’t blue and green weird? But now I get it. It’s not powder blue and bright green…I need the dark jewel toned stuff.
Makeup, like any 13-year-old girl could tell me, most likely while rolling her eyes, is super fun.
The Cameraphone Diaries 