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Looks in the Mirror: Daughters Inquisitive Nature

Tale of Love not Vanity

By Saroyan ColesPublished 3 years ago 6 min read
4
Looks in the Mirror: Daughters Inquisitive Nature
Photo by Mar Bustos on Unsplash

So,let me take you back in time, to the days of King Arthur and his imaginary horse

“Clack, Clack” goes coconuts!

Too far, but let’s call my make routine, as a teenager, for the lack of a better analogy “The Dark Ages...”

I had always watched my grandma, mom, and aunts, throw on a quick makeup look for work. I asked my mother once,” How did you get your eyeliner so straight?” She paused and looked back at me in the mirror, “ Its tattooed on, baby...”

My face dropped open, “You, let someone, poke you with needle, on you’re face on purpose? “ She laughed so hard, the mascara dropped in the sink.

“Why is it brown? Auntie’s mascara is black?”

“I like to look natural.” She replied.

I just nodded at her.

Flash forward, to 6th grade. In the girls restroom waiting to wash my hands. As a group of 8th grade girls crowded around the bathroom mirror. Their faces gaping open, like it was a funhouse mirror.

One girl, pulled out a lighter from her pocket. With a click, the lighter sparked catching her black eye pencil, on fire it bubbled in plume of smoke floated up, as if it was like from a genie’s lamp.

I observed, her blow it out like a birthday candle. As pencil glided on her top lid into a wing. Without realizing it I spouted, “ Why did you heat it up?”

She smiled and said, “It turns into a liquid, so it’s easier to apply, Also, makes it a darker color. “Another girl, was applying blue eyeliner to her waterline. To my surprise, my mouth spouts again, “Why are you putting the eyeliner on there?” She giggled and said, “It emphasizes your eyes, and makes them look bigger.”

I said,”My glasses magnifying my eyes like that already... “ She turned and looked at me, her navy blue eyeliner caught my attention, “Wow you look beautiful!”

So, when I went to visit my grandma, I asked, “Can I borrow your lighter, and eye pencil? I told her, a girl did her make up that way and I wanted to try it.” She agreed and pulled out the lighter from her night stand. She watched me, horribly apply the wing eyeliner, looked more if the riddler had applied it. But my grandma said, “I looked beautiful.“

Flash forward to high school. You know how the moon goes through phases, I went through figuring out my style. With the releases of Avril Lavigne’s album she had red eye shadow, I was like I am going to copy her. Grabbed red lipstick my aunt had given me, and dabbed it onto my eyes, going over light with a cream shadow to smooth it out. Then with evanescence release of their “Bring me to Life Album.”I went through my goth make-up phase. That’s how, I learned the importance of a smoky eye is layered look, the highlight color is applied to the inside of the eyelids.

For Christmas, my mom got me blue mascara and glitter gel make-up pallet. That started my new trend of sparkle and shiny strawberry flavored lip gloss.

I experimented with foundation and concealer.

I looked more like a member of the undead. Whom devoured a whole tray of vanilla frosted cupcakes. So let’s just say that step; I skip in my make-up routine.

In college, I came across this make-up shop, and out of all the products I could choose, I picked eyeshadow tattoos, of butterflies, animal prints, and shapes. That was my go to look for my public speaking and theater classes.

At this point, I went from a single make-up pouch, to a make-up case for all of my must have products.

When my sister got married my cousin offered to do my makeup, she introduced me to eyebrow power. Which was a brownish tint, changing my blonde brows in a matter of minutes.

She did a great job! But, my creative imagination thought: My brows looked like fuzzy caterpillars.

Just like the foundation and concealer, it did not become a step in my makeup routine.

Flash forward the end of my twenties. My four year old became my make-up expert make-up artist. At the mercy of her, stylistic choices.

I stopped with my daily make-up routine. I had gotten so lazy, I used the glamour filters on snap chat! It looked perfect every-time.

My cousin showed me an aloe lipstick, that was green and turns pink when applied to lips. So my creative side was like, I need!

In two years, a global pandemic would change my whole routine. While internet surfing, I came across an article that would change my view on lips forever. The natural color of your lips, is the color of your butthole. I laughed as I dusted off my make-up case. Noticing I was low on supplies, I went searching for a long distance option. That’s when I found the a wonderful brand of make-up pallets by Deck of Scarlet. Each collection creative named and numbered, in a vast amount of shades. With colored glosses, balms, glitter shadows and blushes. Including brushes with them. That ships to my door! I am in!

My favorite collection, I have received so far is “Siren of The Sea” it makes me feel as enchanting as a mermaid, with deep blue opaque lip balm called abyss. The best part of the pallet is a roll on face gloss named nymph! The make-up pallets are clean and vegan! No harsh chemicals-

My personal make up routine, has evolved into something more simpler nowadays. The biggest change for me,in my routine is the additional step of moisturizing with either goat soap. Or simply walking to my kitchen and cutting off an aloe leaf, scooping out the gel inside to hydrate my skin.

However, my love for the following products remain a love affair.

Trademark of my makeup routine:

Avon blue or black eye liner pencil (apply to waterline)

Lighter ( bic)

Black mascara maybaline ( apply to both sides of top and bottom lash)

Red and aloe lipstick (varies)

Eye shadow tattoos( Amazon)

Glitter eye shadows ( Deck of Scarlet)

Lip glosses ( Deck of Scarlet)

Lip balms ( Deck of Scarlet)

Roll on face gloss( Deck of Scarlet)

Spare eyeshadow brushes ( Saphora)

Spare mascara brushes (Saphora)

My daughter and I have definitely bonded over conversations we have had while I put make-up on I allow her to try. It’s funny how you don’t realize a tradition. Until your kid ask, “Mom, why do you put that type of make up on?”

Then just as my mother, smiled and dropped her tube of mascara, I too did twenty years later.

makeup
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About the Creator

Saroyan Coles

I want to empower others with my writing. I have always dreamed of seeing my name, on something.

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