Drugstore Makeovers

Unlike a lot of women, I tend to be a fashion blivet. Rarely if ever am I tempted by the latest trends, and if the truth is known they're usually not all that trendy anymore by the time I even realize they're out there. If my mental radar IS in tune with "what people are wearing," I'm usually thinking something like "now, WHY would you wear a pair of jeans that give you back fat and exposed butt cleavage on purpose?" rather than joining in.

But while fashion has always evaded me, I used to be the girliest of girls when it came to makeup. From my teenage years on, I loved collecting vast quantities of eye shadows and liners, blushes and lipstick and experimenting with myself and my friends.

I'd try to find the best combos for the season or whatever I was wearing. I'd challenge myself to using my "face kit" to create the most understated, or professional, or goth, or rocker chick look possible. Half the time I'd never even leave the house wearing what I'd slapped on, it was just fun to play.

Come to think of it, I've always been fascinated with putting colors to some sort of canvas - living or otherwise - and seeing what I can do with them. In my teens and then again in my 20's, I went through stages of fancying myself an oil painter. I guess I WAS an oil painter - just a very average one. Remember the guy who did the oil painting TV show - the one with the fuzzy hair who would show you how to paint "happy little trees" and sunsets and mountains and lakes? I used to LOVE watching him and then trying to play around with my own paints.

Anyway, this week I was thinking about how busy my life has become - primarily due to work insanity but also because of the revamped exercise routine - and I realized I don't have many creative outlets in my life at the moment. I haven't even READ much lately, because when I do have downtime I tend to be glued to the political and economic news scene instead of having my nose buried in a piece of fiction. That got me thinking about all the time I used to spend writing, and reading, and then I delved farther back into my memory and recalled my oil paints, and even my makeup fiascos.

It dawned on me that after years of experimenting with my face, I have pretty much worn the same brands and shades of eye shadow, blush, etc since I was in my early 30's. I've gotten ... boring.

Well, there's not much I can do about the lack of spare time these days. Work is only going to get worse between now and March. All the writing I do FOR work leaves me with creative-writer's constipation, if you will. And I sure don't have time at the moment to take up the oil paints again. Besides, the happy-tree guy is gone, and he was my mentor.

So while out picking up a few things one night this week, I bought some new makeup. I picked all sorts of colors I haven't played with in a while. And yesterday, I went to work with a slightly new look.  

It felt good to get out of the rut I'm in for a bit, like a breath of fresh air. It isn't exactly being an artist or a writer, but it gives me a few minutes of fun each morning.

As long as I don't decide to go goth or Ozzy Osbourne for work, I guess that's a good thing!