My Thoughts on Make-Up.

I went for a two mile run today and while out, I thought about this blog.

Normally, I come home from my runs and write "Run Reflections" on my facebook page, but today it is not to be.

I've been neglected RJ and my loyal readers here and if I'm going to make a career out of this thing I'd better be posting more often than once a month or something.

Anyway, my thoughts today were about make-up.

I encourage people on a regular basis not to wear it. I don't understand how people can take the time every single day to put make-up on. I also find the stuff uncomfortable.

In the summer before eighth grade, my mother took me to the make-up counter at the Bon Ton (remember the Bon Ton?) for a make-up consultation. Believe it or not, this is what I wanted for my birthday. I think it was probably free, but that's beside the point. Mom did come through at the end and buy me any make-up that looked good on me that I wanted. A whole set of stuff, from lipliner to purple eye shadow.

I remember after the consultation I thought I looked okay - but sort of weird. I didn't really recognize myself. I looked really pretty, I thought, but I didn't look like me.

Looking back now, it reminds me of trying on wedding dresses.

I tried on several (much to my chagrin - I despire trying on clothes, really) and there were two I thought I looked really good in. It's my wedding, so I wanted to look beautiful, of course, and though Michael would have most likely still gone through with the vows had I showed up in sweats and a t-shirt, this seemed much more appropriate, and I admit that I love getting dressed up. There are no two ways about it, girls love to feel like princesses. Even girls who would rather play backyard football than dish over the latest crocodile purse at Target.

Anyway, at the dress shop I looked at those two dresses. One was champagne colored and fun. I really loved how I felt in the dress and how I looked in the dress and it looked like ME. The other dress - well it was gorgeous. Beautiful. Fit me like a glove.

But I looked like that person in the mirror at Bon Ton.

The girl who if she put in a little more effort probably could've been one of the popular girls, but really, the effort wasn't worth it.

I realize that most women wear make-up every day. I realize that most women don't like to leave the house without their make-up. But I feel like maybe they've forgotten who they are. Maybe that person in the mirror has become them, and the person underneath looks foreign and strange. Not bad. Just different.

I admit that I like the application process when it comes to make-up.

I have always adored colors and my fetish with glitter and purple and green and just art in general continues to this day. Doing my make-up for a play is much like an art project. I'm the girl doing everyone else's make-up as well. When it's on, I know I look good. I look in the mirror and say "Damn, Girl, you should do this every day!" And then I laugh because I know it'll never happen.

I must say that since realizing I'm not an every day make-up kind of person, it makes those special occassions that much more interesting when I DO wear make-up. I just add a touch of eye shadow (because that's the colorful stuff) and some lip gloss so I don't look parched. I feel more confident in myself, even if the eye shadow has been all rubbed off in the first hour of the day. I wore make-up for my wedding. Prom. Other people's weddings. You know. Special stuff.

No matter what I say on this blog, women can't help but want to be pretty.

We are designed that way.

I read the book, Captivating, by John and Stacey Elderidge a few years ago. Women have this question, from the day they are born, and the way they turn out largely depends on how that question has been answered by the people around them, especially their fathers. The question is "Am I lovely?"

This is why little girls spin and twirl and dance in flowing skirts. This is why they steal their mother's toe nail polish and do a number on their fingers and feet. This is why we dress the way we do, the reason we go through the make-up routine, why we adore dressing like a princess. We desperately want the answer to our question to be YES.

Men have a question too - it's in Wild at Heart, by John Elderidge. Their question is "Do I have what it takes?'

It's good to know about both of these questions if we'd like to maintain positive relationships with those people around us of either gender.

Anyway....

I've preached to forget the make-up, to leave it at home. To see what it's like to go without it. I still encourage everyone reading this blog to try no make-up for a week and see how it goes for you. I'd love to hear what happens as a result.

Here I say, whip it out for that special occassion. Heck. Make TONIGHT special. Dress like a princess, look in the mirror, and answer the question for yourself with a resounding YES.