Life

Here’s a little story that made me laugh this morning. It’s more about life than it is about writing.

I was putting on my makeup, as usual; but this was not my usual makeup. I’d bought a few new cosmetics in anticipation of some upcoming author events on my calendar. After all, how could I sign books without new makeup?

I like to watch the TV show What Not to Wear. It’s a makeover show whose clients generally are women whose images need a boost. Unbeknownst to her, a woman’s friends, relatives, or business colleagues nominate her for a $5,000 New York shopping spree, courtesy of the show. In return, she must give up her current wardrobe. Her makeover consists of new clothes, a new hairstyle, and a session with a makeup artist.

The makeup artist on What Not to Wear is named Carmindy. She has a website (www.carmindy.com) that helps to illuminate the mysteries of cosmetics and the human face. I like what Carmindy does on the show, and sometime I try to emulate her techniques.

Carmindy does wonders with women’s eyes. So, when I bought my new makeup, I took a bit of advice from What Not to Wear and went shopping for eye shadow that was “the opposite” of my eye color, to make my eyes “pop.” Only what is the opposite of brown? I got to the store and had to ask a clerk, who steered me to a nice blue-gray.

Next I had to practice putting it on. Carmindy has a way of sweeping the shadow across the lids to make “smoky eyes.” The color looks so pretty and smooth when she’s done. I had been trying this for two or three weeks, every day, but I just couldn’t get it. My eye shadow wouldn’t behave!

Again today I looked in the mirror and oh, so carefully applied the shadow to my eyelids. The same thing happened! I knew my hands didn’t shake. How long was it going to take me to learn this? And then it dawned on me. The eye shadow did not go on smoothly because my eyelids are WRINKLED!

I just celebrated another birthday last week, and let’s just say that wrinkles should not be a surprise. I guess they were there all along; it just took a little blue-gray eye shadow to make them pop.