The Occasional Woman: Makeup! Part 1

Lorraine (L) with a satisfied customer.

Dearest Readers,

I hope you are having a fat and sassy New Year so far. Well, maybe not so much the fat part, but it is my strong wish that we all keep our sassy going!

Today I want to begin a discussion about a subject upon which I am NOT an expert — Makeup. When I was a teenager, in ninth Grade, I first began exploring the world of maquillage, which is the French term for makeup; I believed that the more the merrier worked. I see photos from that time, and it turns out I was wrong. I outlined my whole eye with black, liquid eyeliner, whose line soared off into a kind of slutty-lookin’ cat’s eye at the far corners. A bit Egyptian. Then I added blue eyeshadow on the lid, a line of black in the crease, and white under the eyebrow. Did it stop there? You wish. No, I frequently did little fake lash lines at the bottom of the lower lid, and capped it off with — false eyelashes. I had to put them on the night before and sleep carefully, as I have never been a morning person.

Lorraine’s teen eye makeup.

I finished off this Patti Smith meets Morticia look with white lipstick. It was the late sixties. Don’t judge.

Now? I ALWAYS wear eyeliner, but now it’s MAC pencil liner in a nice, subtle brown. The cat’s eye? Yes, the liner does extend out, but not all the way to the back of my head. I’ll throw on some mascara if it’s a special event, and — I’m done.

So, why am I sharing the foibles of my made-up youth with you? Because I don’t really know what I’m doing! Although I love lipstick, I don’t often wear it, as it often changes color on me after application. Also, I was not blessed with full, pouty lips, and a great red lipstick just calls attention to the smallness of my lippage. So I just use gloss and hope for the best.

So here’s what I am going to do, for myself AND for you, my fashion-forward readers — I am going to seek professional help! A dear friend of mine just began working for Urban Decay cosmetics at Macy’s, and she is one hell of a makeup artist. I shall drag my face in there, and get some serious advice, and even — a makeover! I will then let all y’all know how it went, and share her expert tips with you.

In the meanwhile, enjoy the week, and remember — clothes don’t look great unless they FIT! I would always be happy to do your alterations, special event clothing and costumes.

Buh bye for now,

Lorraine

Tags: featured, makeover, makeup, opinion, style

Category: Style