AGH I can't deal with the SHEER AWESOMENESS of this contest! Lip Tars are light years ahead of the many icky tubes of MAC Lip Mix I have. I can already see myself locked in the bathroom for 3 straight days getting my Mad Scientist on...mixing and concocting the most perfect shades! My mouth is actually watering.
Warning: This post is extremely nerdy!
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Ahh what does makeup mean to me? It sort of means everything really...
M-
Memories. My most influential life events involve exactly what kind of makeup I was wearing when something big happened in my life. Wedding? It took me 2 weeks to mix the perfect shade of no-smear red lips. Birth of my daughter? My false lashes and full face didn't budge for 3 days in the hospital. The nurses thought I was crazy. I will always remember how the makeup made me feel, and how that contributed to the special happiness of many events.
A- Advancement. There is no better feeling than learning a skill, and then growing and nurturing it until it is uniquely your own style and signature. Learning makeup application for me never ends, as I constantly learn from other artists, regular people, everyone. Honing this skill taught me patience, creativity, and freedom to make my own rules. Having the confidence and skill in makeup helped me advance my life and career, and still have fun while doing it!
K- Kickin' Butt! Makeup is an instant confidence booster. My "game face" consists of perfect application and bold colors. I wouldn't dare attend an important meeting, interview, or event without my own version of kick butt makeup. Just part of the every day uniform! I can kick butt every day in my own creative, colorful way.
E- Evenings Out. Most ladies wouldn't dare leave the house for a nice evening out without some substantial thought to the overall makeup look. I can attest to this because I apply makeup to ladies going out on the town almost every day! How can one possibly attend the newest Vegas club opening without a fierce smoky, glittery eye and lacquered lips?? When I was little I always knew my Mom was going out for the evening when she pulled out that iconic bottle of Giorgiou and shiny red Estee Lauder lipstick (obviously the 80s!) Nothing says "special night out" like makeup.
U- Understanding. Though we all have our own perfect idea about how one's makeup should look, I have learned to think of makeup as a tool for freedom and creativity. This means I had to really take the time to understand that women use makeup to express themselves, and if that means letting someone rock a line of black eyeliner in their crease rather than a soft blend of warm tones, then so be it! It wouldn't be my choice as it is harsh and there are many more flattering things she could do instead. But it is what she loves to see, and I understand that makeup shouldn't really have rules unless one is being filmed or photographed.
P- Passion. I feel like as one grows older, less and less becomes exciting and new. It takes more drama and bigger things to spark a passion sometimes. In my 20s, the only 2 things that really drove me in life were makeup artistry, and the band Velvet Revolver! I am passionate about everything having to do with makeup and the industry. It sparks a passion in me to create, to teach, even to write about it. It's rare sometimes to find something that can fulfill you for most of your life, and I know makeup has made me a passionate artist. Though Velvet Revolver may now be broken up, I know I'll always have makeup (and of course my husband and little girl!) to spark that fire in me.
T- Teaching. Education has always been a super big deal to me, and there isn't much that makes me happier than helping someone learn makeup. It could be teaching about undertones, how to apply false lashes easily, how to contour one's face, or even how to cover up a scar. They seem like small things, but these tiny answers can really change someone's life. It makes me so happy to educate someone and see the happiness on their face as they accomplish a new skill.
A- Attitude. I don't know about most people, but my attitude directly correlates with my makeup. It's another form of expression for people I think, and attitudes can change as quickly as makeup. If I am happy and slept well the night before, I am fully done up without a lash out of place. If I am tired and/or crabby, perhaps my false lashes failed to make it onto my lids that day. Makeup can also help change an attitude. Feeling icky? Maybe sweep on your most decadent shade of berry lipstick and see if it transforms you just a little bit. It can also give you that little spark of edgy attitude you may need some days. You know Beyonce's alter ego on stage, Sasha Fierce, would never step out without perfect makeup. It's all in the attitude.
L- Life and Love. Since I was a very young girl I have been fascinated by makeup. Little did I know many years later I could actually make my own career in it and love every second of my life because of the opportunities to which it led. Makeup is definitely a very huge part of my life as my career and creativity lives in it. It also led me to love, as I re-located for a better career opportunity and met my husband because of it. It seems such a small thing, maybe even superficial to some people, but to me makeup is all about life changes and love in many forms.
K- Kaleidoscope. Remember when you were a kid and picked up that cardboard tube of crazy color patterns? I feel like my insane makeup kit is my grown up version that. It's a literal kaleidoscope of colors I can play with and mold and change every day! I may already have 25 versions of "pink" eyeshadow, but I will always buy more because the next one will be ever-so-slightly different, and I can create something new again. Makeup is always growing and changing into something different, whether it be formula or pigment or texture. Having that ever-changing kaleidoscope of color makes me an excited little kid again!
