Coming Back To Makeup After Years Away

All through high school I wore full makeup almost daily.  Living with my father, I was left to my own devices regarding what I used, but I had to buy it myself and in stores we were already going to. In a small town, and on a teen babysitter's budget in the 80s, that left me with the very limited choices available in our grocery store or at CVS the few times a year we had to go there for prescriptions.

I wanted to insert a picture of the current version of this store's selection, but they don't even have a makeup section any more.  :(

There really isn't much decision making involved when your choices are so limited: maybe 4 foundations, 4 colors of eyeliner, 2 or 3 (all black) mascaras, probably less than ten eye shadow colors, and a pink or brown blush. I think there were only 2 brands. (Wet-N-Wild and Cover Girl?)   It really is kind of a miracle I didn't look like a clown.

I tried to pay attention to what other girls did that I didn't like (oh, the mountains of blue eye shadow!).
I got a couple books on how to apply makeup, and did the best I could with what I had. Most importantly, I understood that less is more.

I think I was about a decade ahead of the girls I grew up with in learning how to properly apply multiple shades of eye shadow. Honestly, some of them are still just slapping on a pile of dark color on the eye lid and thinking its attractive and done.  They're likely to be the ones still using Baby Soft perfume and Aqua Net.

Anyhow, I wore those drugstore makeups all through high school and part of college.  I really just didn't know there were more choices aside from Avon until a friend became a Mary Kay consultant. I let her do her whole skin care and makeover presentation on me, and although I didn't like her application style, I actually DID like the products themselves.
I dropped what was, for a 20 year old in their first apartment, a small fortune on the complete kit. The complete skin care line (face and body), the full face worth of makeup (concealer, foundation, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick, and lip gloss), and even the hot pink hanging travel bag with the clear zip pockets to keep it all organized in.

 This is the current version of the bag, though I think my larger flat pink one was much cuter. I think it all cost me about $250, and back then they allowed it to be split into 3 payments though I didn't. 

By that time I was working a rather physical, very dirty, outdoor job in the summer; so, I mostly only wore makeup if I went out in the evening or on my weekends.  That was the beginning of the end of makeup for me... a job that made makeup impractical and somewhat unnecessary with the tan.  Eventually makeup became a "winter thing", and then a "date night" thing, and over the years it dwindled down to a "weddings and funerals" thing.

After my third child and escaping an abusive relationship, I was very unhappy with how I looked.  I didn't feel pretty. I didn't even feel feminine. So, I started doing my nails and growing my hair out, and even bought some new (cheap) makeup.  Anything I could to find that confident part of myself again.

It's been six years and I still don't wear full makeup often.  Usually I'm just sporting some mascara and lipstick. I don't always do my nails because I prefer to only do that when they are long enough for my taste, but I still do them pretty often.

Due to medical issues (I'll save that for another post), I have become increasingly unhappy with my appearance but have found that I am similarly increasingly more pleased when I do something for myself, something to make me feel more feminine.

I started doing cute pedicures and wearing eyeliner.  I recently cut off my waist length hair into a shoulder length bob and had it frosted to mask my grays. (Wow, what a difference between the 2 cameras on my phone! I swear my haircut isn't lopsided even though it appears so in this pic for some reason.)

 I bought 3 or 4 cute tops that actually fit in a relatively flattering way. And, I started playing with the new to me MUCH wider world of makeup available on a budget.

This is actually the smallest makeup section nearby now!  It's one entire wall of the store! Wow!

Experimenting in a somewhat random manner with all the new inexpensive options is something I really look forward to.  I will enjoy sharing my successes, failures, disappointments, and surprises with you!!