It's such a cliché. When I was younger I couldn't wait to grow up. Now that I'm older, I wish I could go back in time. I do. But only to wipe some of that makeup off of my face.
It's funny how things change... and how great it is to have some wisdom stacked up behind me. Certainly, there's room to keep growing and learning, but one lesson I'm pretty sure I've nailed down is in the beauty department -- specifically, makeup.
Now, this lesson didn't happen overnight. Oh, no. There were several adolescent instances of a super-smudgy eye look gone wrong. Layers upon layers of blush and lipstick. Lipliner, eyeliner, concealer lines, a literal rainbow of shades upon my lids. And most of the time, these heavy-handed tasks happened simultaneously. Yikes.
I used to think that if makeup could make a woman beautiful, then using it (and a lot of it!) could make me feel beautiful too. The truth is, not a product in the world can do that for us, ladies. It happens to be true what they say: Beauty does resonate, reverberate, and reflect from the inside out. So why not just accentuate what we have? And let's do it one feature at a time.
I have learned from trial and error that this is my best look. I looove me some bright lips. It suits me. It suits my wardrobe, my lifestyle -- and it makes me feel like myself. (A very feminine version of myself!) A flick of a cat-eye with liquid liner, coats of thickening mascara, and zero shadow let my lips do all the talking.
Focusing on one feature is key. A smoky eye is soooo sexy, and who doesn't want that? But my eyes will get lost in all that color if I don't choose the right shade, the right placement, the right amount. Learning how to do this was life changing. And learning that when I do rock a heavy eye, I need to keep those lips in the nude... well, that was the most important lesson of all.
Big beauty moment that has changed your life? I'd love to know! xx
This post is part of BlogHer’s Transformative Beauty
editorial series, made possible by Sonia Kashuk at Target.
