Saving Face

Another oldie. Oldy? Moldy.


Monday, August 15, 2005

Saving Face

So I have had a love of makeup for as long as I can recall. I think my earliest memory would be stealing my mother's blue mascara from her and learning how to apply it in the second grade. That is when it began. I have been wearing some form of makeup since about the second grade.


I don't wear it because I think I look ugly without makeup, or to make men think that I look better. I do think makeup definitely has enhancing qualities to the face and it can bring out features on somebody with it on. But I don't NEED it, I just enjoy the ritual of putting it on, seeing what I can do different with my face that day, trying to make my eyes look more blue or gray, pronouncing my cheeks or putting on some bright red lipstick to make my lips stand out, matching my eyeshadow to my clothing. It is almost like art for me. Anybody that knows me, knows I wear a lot of makeup. Some days I do it up just right, some days it is borderline ridiculous. Other times it is hardly any at all.

So, in with loving makeup, which may seem materialistic or vain, but if you read the above paragraphs it really isn't, I have to purchase it. I buy all sorts of makeup. I buy the cheap stuff, the medium price, the overpriced, and the overly super inflated ridiculously priced. When you go to Wal-Mart to buy one dollar eyeliner, you really don't put a lot of thought into it, you put it in the basket, hope it looks good, if not, oh well you are out a dollar. Sometimes after working at the bar I will stop off at Wal-Greens to pick up something I need and get sucked into the makeup aisles. I will be there for a half hour picking one or two new eyeshadows out or a foundation I have been wanting to try.


For the most part, I don't need to go to the makeup counters, you can find things that are comparable at the cheaper places. But every once in awhile, flipping through a magazine some new shiny promising product will catch my impressionable eye and I have to have it, got to try it out, need it now I don't care if it is just sparkly mascara & and it is $30 I am getting it right after work!


Then comes the dilemma of actually hitting up a, shudder, counter. I am not being paranoid or making any of this up. Dealing with the bitch at the counter. Countless times I have been to makeup counters without getting any help whatsoever, I have been completely brushed off. Once again, anybody who knows me will tell you that on a given day I am one to drop $100 on an eyeshadow,some lipstick and some blush. These girls are making commission, I assume, so I guess it makes me feel even worse when they don't pounce on me and sink their talons right in.


Granted I don't look like I am loaded by any means. Actually I am not loaded by any means. But I am horrible with money and when I get extra money there are about three things I am more than likely to spend it on even over groceries. Music, makeup, & clothing. I once went to Vegas with my friends with no intent to gamble. I knew there was a Sephora and it had every kind of makeup imaginable all wrapped into one big giant store. I went to Vegas to blow money in that one store. I believe the first day in there I spent $160. I went back the second day and spent $50.


So comes the cliche term, don't judge a book by its cover.

I made my way down to Cottonwood Mall on Friday to return a skirt I had bought that was too big (suprise!) and a shirt I had purchased months before that I never wore. I had the receipt for the skirt but not for the shirt. I returned the skirt and got money back. For the shirt, I got about $30 in store credit. I couldn't find any clothing so I figured I hadn't bought any nice makeup in awhile and I would make my way down to the counters.


I browsed around for awhile, not seeing anything that quite caught my eye. I usually don't buy from the Clinique counter but they have an overpriced $12 mascara that I love but haven't been able to afford in awhile. Also they had some new blush and eyeliners out that I was quite taken to. I stood there for a good five minutes browsing waiting for the lady that was so obviously behind the counter to help me.


She looked like she was in her 50's, blonde dyed hair, botoxed a bit that was probably in need of a touchup soon, smart looking suit on. Completely ignoring me. I tried a few times to make eye contact with her at no avail.

Bored, I decided maybe I would go browse a couple more counters. Nothing that I really wanted.


I ambled back to the Clinique counter wondering if maybe my BRIGHT FUCKING PINK HAIR hadn't quite caught her attention the first time. Well apparantly it hadn't the second time as well.

I stood there not looking at anything, kind of like when you set down your menu at a restaurant to let the waitress let you know that you are ready? Nothing.

A couple in their 30's walked up with a small child that looked maybe three. They were literally standing there for about one minute when the woman rushed over to them and asked if she could help them. They weren't quite sure of exactly what they wanted, so she coached them through what each item was, what it did, how much it cost.

Great. Well, maybe they were going to spend more money then myself. I should have just up and left by this time, but it was almost to where I wanted to make this woman help me at this point.

The couple made their purchase which came to $30, the same amount I was about to spend.

After they left, it took a good two or three minutes of me giving her a dirty look to come help me.

"Can I help you?" she asked wanely. "Yes, I would like some of this new blush you have here." "Sorry, we are sold out of that." "Ok," I said "I would like some of the High Impact Mascara in black please." She went and grabbed it and didn't politely ask if there was anything else she could help me with. Instead, she said "What else do you want?" "Well, I would like to know if you have anything comparable to that blush you are sold out of, you know something light and shimmery?" "All of our colors are on the makeup wall, you can go look at those if you want." Wow! what sales skills!!! What a great tactic! Go do it yourself if you want to find it. Nevermind. "Ok?" I said "Can I actually just get this new eyeliner you have?" She came back after a minute of rooting around and said "Sorry, sold out." Then she just stared at me. "Alright,can I get it in black?" I queried. She went and grabbed it in black.

At this point I was really unsure of what to do. Should I make her ring it up and then I pay for it? Then wait about five minutes, come back and say "You know what? You are a bitch and I don't want you to get commission for any of this, could you please just return all of this? Thanks!"

As she coldly rang up my purchases, which came to, guess what? $30, the same that couple just spent. I had my gift card in my hand, that I got for store credit and she looked at me and said "Swipe your card." I said "I can't swipe my card, it is a gift card." So she takes it, finishes with my purchases and mumbles a thank you.

What did I do? Nothing. I took my shit, and her shit and got out of there. What does one do in a situation like that?

At least I got my free gift.

Now. August 19, 2010

Now that I am all old (30 gasp) My skin has gone through second puberty. It sucks. So now I feel like I need to wear some form of makeup every day. It sucks even more balls that I have to do that.

But now that I am all old, wrinkles and weird things happen to my skin. I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, and I wonder who the hell is looking back at me. I am in school, so I don't sleep. So here comes the giant bags. I work under fluorescent lighting all day at work. That gave me a complex so terrible that I was convinced I needed Botox forever. I will hold off another five years when I have earned my cougar merit badge.

I still spend shitloads of money on the stuff though. I still flip through the magazines and I think, "If I own this one thing, it is going to change my life" It hasn't so far, but I haven't learned so far either.

We have a Sephora in Utah now. I am embarrassed to say that I waited in line on opening day for 1.5 HOURS to get in and peruse. I am not embarrassed to say that I wasn't aware that it was opening day but I felt since I had made my way down there I felt some sort of obligation to stand in line. Plus, I was hoping for free shit. I got a free tote for waiting all that time. Shit indeed.

I'm no longer afraid of makeup counters. Of all places to thank, I have the Chanel makeup counter. This wonderful woman there did my friend's makeup for her wedding and mine as well. She was quirky, older, sweet. She loved us. She loved that we were different than the usual people she got, and that she got to have fun with our makeup. Her name was Taylor and she was so very New York. As she applied my makeup, she would tell me how she goes to other Chanel stores to see how the employees treat her. She said no matter what you look like, they should never judge and always be willing to help. She has suckered me into spending $45 on blushes, $35 on lipsticks, $30 on eyeliners. Granted Chanel is decadently splurgalicious, but every penny is worth it when you get someone like that.

I have toned down my makeup over the years. Big time. No more glitter eyeliner, no more clown cheeks, and green eyeshadows. I look like I'm trying too hard now when I do that, and I like to look unnaturally natural now. Gone is the pink hair, and the juniors clothing that I liked to purchase at Hot Topic. My skirts now ALMOST hit my knees.

Though I may look about 10% classier, I haven't started acting it.