Saturday, August 8, 2009

My First Makeup Encounter

I'll be the first to admit that my fascination and experience with makeup are limited. Throughout most of my school years, I lived in a household that forbade makeup and fervently believed in the parental mantra: "You're beautiful enough just the way you are!"

Once in elementary school, I went to a birthday party where the hostess gave out little goody bags. Among the contents was a miniature silver nail polish with Hello Kitty's face on the bottle. Nail polish was a definite no-go as well, but I kept the pretty bottle in my little silver train case of miscellaneous treasures, among them marbles, cards and pony bead bracelets.

It was years and years later, already in the 9th or 10th grade, that I picked up a bottle of nail polish again. By now my parents considered me old enough to wear it, as long as I chose a "tasteful color" -- absolutely no gaudy reds or outrageous neon greens. Not knowing anything about brands or quality, I picked up a bottle of creme baby pink polish by N.Y.C. because it was 99 cents, and put it on as soon as I got home.

My mom hated the color so much, she called it "Pepto-Bismol Pink," which wasn't too far from the truth. The polish was chunky and uneven, applied with the sloppy hand of a novice who'd never touched the stuff before in her life. Even so, I found I loved it. One of my simple joys was picking up another 99 cent bottle of N.Y.C. polish at every visit to Target.

So there you have it: my first "official" experience with makeup (if nailpolish is considered makeup). It was actually a few years before I ever ended up purchasing real makeup - my very first eyeliner - but it was a start in the right direction. :)