Put Some Lipstick On

Hello! Welcome to my first official blog post. I thought I would introduce myself and give you a little background into why I chose to blog about makeup.

Growing up, I was introduced to beauty products at an early age.  My mother was my biggest influence because she always took care of herself - her hair was always done, her nails were always painted and she always wore makeup. To this day, she looks fabulous and she's in her fifties. Here she is:

 

So, growing up with this goddess, you might imagine that beauty routines were a staple. I can remember being dragged to salons while she got her hair and nails done. Eventually, I think it was fourth grade, I was allowed to get my first perm. Ah, yes, the good old perms from the 80's. They ruined my hair, but I digress.

I've heard a lot of women say they weren't allowed to wear makeup until they were 16 years old. I think I was around 13 when one day I came downstairs and my mother said, "You're going out like that? Go put some lipstick on!" I was the lipstick queen from 8th grade on. I remember one day in the locker room after gym class, one of the girls asked me how my lipstick stayed on all day. I stood in front of  the mirror and gave my rigorous application instructions to about 12 girls.

Here's me, at 14. Not the greatest picture, but the red lipstick is noticeable.

I eventually graduated to eyeliner and mascara and as the years passed, my girlfriends would ask me to do their makeup for proms and weddings. I was not a makeup artist, I was just the only one out of my friends that wore makeup daily. I was also the only one of my friends who would get their makeup done professionally for weddings and not rub it off in the car on the way to the church. (Yes, my one girlfriend did that.) Once I was asked by my friend, whose idea of bridesmaid makeup was Bonne Belle lip balm, "Why would you get all that makeup put on your face?" My response was, "I want to look pretty in the pictures, don't you?" I mean, come on, even supermodels look different without makeup.  Victoria's Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio is gorgeous without makeup, but it definitely helps enhance her beauty. Don't you think?

 

Listen, I'm not a makeup maven. I just take the time to put makeup on everyday and learn more about it as much as I can. This blog is for the novice. I'll talk about basic tips and tricks, try out different looks and review drugstore makeup, as well as some higher end brands from MAC and Sephora. Maybe I'll teach you something, maybe you'll give me some suggestions of things to try, and I'll learn as much as I can. The idea is to share what I know and what I learn, so you can enhance your own faccia bella.