Makeup Monday – Hive and Nest

So I’m starting a new feature.  Today is my first Makeup Monday.  Nope, it’s not about how Mister and I get in a big fight every weekend (we don’t.  Usually.)  It’s not about kids, crafts, photography or baking (moms who blog are not normally allowed to veer so far off topic like this).  It’s about one of my favorite subjects: make-up (both hyphenated and non-hyphenated seem equally correct.  I’ll use them both however the mood strikes).  I come from a heavily made-up family.  I remember my mother trying to convince me to wear some lipstick and blush in fifth grade so that I didn’t look so “washed out” (“washed out” being the worst fate that can befall a woman).   Over the years I’ve made lots of foolish mistakes (the “all-lavender” look being #1 on my list of bad ideas), and I’ve learned a thing or two.

If you find your finger moving over to click off of my blog, STOP!  You’re the one I want to talk to.  The one who is rolling her eyes and thinking that make-up is not her thing.  I’m shocked at how many people are still scared of the cosmetic aisle and everything it contains.  My sister-in-law who is 43, for example, has never bought a lipstick.  The only lipsticks she ever wears are ones her mom gives her or that she gets free as a Clinique bonus gift. 

I’m going to tell you the truth:  you need make-up.  Probably not a lot.  But you need some.  Every day. It doesn’t have to be complicated.  Or expensive.  As a matter of fact I think a lot of fancy make-up is a big rip-off.   Or maybe you already love your makeup bag and just want some new ideas.  Makeup Monday will give us the chance to talk all about it. So let’s get started!

When India turned 14 last year I figured it was time to initiate her into the the World of Cosmetics. I searched high and low for a good beginner book about teen make-up and strangely there really wasn’t one.  Crazy, since teens plus makeup can lead to bad news. I’m sure you have some scary memories of your own (especially if you were a teen in the 80’s).  I settled on this book, MakeUp Makeovers by Robert Jones.

This book is great for covering the basics.  It’s for women of all ethnicities and ages, and the make-up is pretty low-key and non-intimidating.  It covers everything you could ever want to know about how-to’s and basics like your face and eye shape. So if you really want to get off to a good start, I’d highly recommend it (just a caveat: everyone in this book is completely airbrushed, so don’t think that any make-up is going to make your skin look that good.  It won’t.)

Next week: lipstick.  You may hate it but it doesn’t have to be that way!