In my daily life, I prefer to go without makeup.  It takes time away from minutes I could be sleeping, and I never have been a morning person!  My mom never wore a lot of makeup, it was not something we could bond over.  And during my teenage years when my classmates were really starting to get into lipstick and eyeliner, I was focused on qualifying for the state championships.  There are always gonna be those girls who would not be seen without a full face of makeup, but I never felt like that could ever be me.  It wasn’t a priority.  Another reason I probably was not that into makeup was the lack of pressed powder in darker shades.  I grew up in a predominately Caucasian neighborhood, so the best I could hope for was deep.  You ended up looking like a ghost and your mom would just make you go wash it off so you would not be walking around looking crazy.

I really began to explore my “girlie” side when I entered college.  I was just coming into my own as an adult, started going to parties, discovering my creative interests, and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.  I also started to define my own style.  I developed an interest in makeup, but I wanted it to look natural, not trying too hard.  My first effort at finding grown up makeup was Fashion Fair.  I had a job and a little car of my own and could now drive to the departments store whenever I felt the need.  It was my first taste of freedom, I was so happy to find darker shades for my skin even if it wasn’t the natural look I was going for.  I moved on from Fashion Fair and tried other brands like Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Iman.

I have heard every sales pitch there is to be had about makeup and skincare.  I was probably in my thirties before I had my first facial.  And it all comes down to doing what feels good for you.  There are different looks for different occasions and times of day.  I like going to different counters and working with different makeup artists as they help me see myself in ways I had not thought of and push me out of my comfort zone when it comes to colors.  When I see someone like Lupita Nyong’o, it inspires me to try different looks.  Sometimes you just need to see it is possible.

There are so many brands to experience out there, but we still have a ways to go when it comes to getting more shades of face powder.  I was a big fan of Prescriptives, but they decided to get rid of their physical stores.  Don’t know how well that will go when the premiss of your business was custom blend, kinda hard to do online?  And more and more, I have come to enjoy making up my face just for me.  There is power in a tube of lipstick, and sometimes, when you are having a bad day, it feels good to put on your war-paint and face the world!