The cosmetic store was pretty empty. Apparently I’m one of the few in need of some makeup help today. My friend Nadia’s teenage daughter recommended a bronzer as something to use throughout the day to touch things up. God knows I need something.
The young saleswoman who pulled the short straw came over to offer assistance.
“I’m looking for a bronzer”, I said with authority.
She took me over to a section that didn’t look any different from the one in front of us, just different containers. She handed me a Kindergarten sized crayon. I started applying it to my cheeks. “Whoa, this is a bit dark”, I murmured.
“You don’t put it on your cheeks, you draw a number 3 from the middle of your forehead, out to your ear, back into the cheekbone and back out and around your chin on both sides of your face. You accentuate where you want contour and definition.”
This takes paint by numbers to a new level.
“I’m not sure that I want to define anything. I just want to look…uh…(pretty, perky, pulled together?)…uh…more consistent.” She walked me to another area. How was she choosing our path? Why don’t I ask her? It’s like when the salesperson says “That color makes your eyes pop!”.
Why? How?
I recently read that when going for a make-over you should find someone with your coloring and age. I wish I’d known that when I got the last one. He was an attractive, young, African American, gay man. The only thing we had in common was that we were both wearing shoes.
I don’t think I was clear enough about that fact that I don’t wear much makeup generally, have no reason to, and tend to forget what goes where. It was more like a 40 year old’s rite of passage. He was quite pleasant though and deserved his sizable commission.
Yoga encourages us to accept ourselves and that takes steady and consistent practice. Change and impermanence is a given. Physical abilities, appearances and attitudes can be altered in a second. Anyone who has slipped on the ice knows that, especially if you land on your face.
Practice means we work to control thoughts in our minds that feed impatience, irritation and irritability. Sometimes we need help, kind words from a friend, advice from a mentor, palette recommendations from a makeup artist.
A new shade of lipstick allows the mind to say “Okay the color looks great. Now can we focus on what comes out of your mouth not what goes on it?”.
Applying bronzer takes practice. Applying patience, calmness, and kindness is, frankly, easier.
Reminder to self: You are not a beautiful, teenage redhead.
Namaste- I think pink is the shade of the day!
Alexandra Langstaff 
So one time we went to Sephora in NYC. Ok, the only time. A tall man in vibrant blue eye shadow helped us pick out mascara. He really did look good. This gave the store a lot of street cred for the girls.
I never use bronzer- not natural on blotchy Scottish skin. But my grandmother always went 10 shades darker as if she was returning to the brief time she lived in Hawaii in her heyday. As Andy would say, “she awoke an elderly white woman, but by the crack of noon she had transformed into an elderly Hawaiian princess.”
You go princess Alexandra!
C
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I started reading this, figuring it was a fake person commenting. The realization that it was you felt like a warm wash of Bare Minerals’ “You’re Getting Closer” foundation!
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Hahahahaha! “The only thing we had in common was we were both wearing shoes.”
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