September Chatterbox

Ain’t nothing wrong with feeling glitzy and glam!

Hello everyone! This month, my column is dedicated to the ladies. How many of you scare yourselves when you catch a glimpse of your morning look in the
mirror? Sometimes I do! Part of my morning ritual includes putting on my face –
in other words, my makeup. Within minutes, I can hide all my imperfections and
look and possibly feel like a different person.


Women wear makeup for different reasons, either for protection or seduction.
By covering imperfections and accentuating natural beauty, a woman can feel
confident, glamourous and alluring. I remember being a little girl watching my
mum apply makeup. She’d give me the last bit of her eye shadow and lipstick to play around with. I started becoming aware of beauty and skin treatments when I was in high school and went for facials on a regular basis. I started
experimenting with makeup after high school, and now that I’m working I wear
makeup on a daily basis (except when I’m home alone vegging out!)


I like to think of my face as a canvas. I start off with a good moisturizer and sun block.Then, foundation and setting powder. Eye shadow, eye liner, a bit of 
blush, lip liner and a glossy lipstick. Once my hair and makeup is done, I am
ready for the day. Of course, makeup is like a mask. I can be anything or
anyone with my ‘mask’ on. I can be sassy, sweet or even sultry! I also apply
my makeup according to the colour of clothing I’m wearing (maybe a touch of
green eye shadow if I’m wearing green) and whether it’s during the day or night. If I’m attending an evening function, I tend to be more generous with shiny and
sparkling colours.


Some of the guys I’ve asked about makeup have all said that they prefer the
natural or subtle look on ladies. One even went as far as saying that heavy
makeup makes one look like they’re in a theater show. Some ladies despise
using makeup, saying that it’s time-consuming and that they find no need to use makeup, except for some eye liner and / or lipgloss.


I, on the other hand, love makeup. I enjoy trying new products and get pretty
excited when I find something that agrees with my skin. As much as I enjoy
wearing makeup, I will never go to bed without washing it off. This is something
that I’m very fussy about. Cleanse.Tone. Moisturise.


I was recently in South Africa and visited Durban for a few days. I had the
delightful pleasure of meeting professional makeup artist, Khadija. For an hour,
Khadija taught my mum and I how to apply makeup correctly, giving it a very
professional look. The hour was jampacked with foundation, eye shadows, eye
liner, blush and so much more. Applying lipstick isn’t as simple as just smearing gloss over your lips, but rather like an art. (Khadija – thank you for making us
look and feel like princesses!)


There are a number of debates surrounding people who want to rectify any
imperfections on their skin and body. My take on the matter is this – if you are
able to change something that is hindering your self-confidence, then by all 
means do it. If you’re able to afford it, go forth and change it if you can. As long as it will leave you feeling happy.


I also believe that beauty is only skin deep, and that true beauty comes from 
within.


Makeup makes me feel beautiful. When I feel beautiful, I feel confident and
happy. And at the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters? By accentuating
your outer beauty, no doubt your inner beauty will also radiate and shine
through.


I’ve heard stories of women whose boyfriends and husbands have never seen
them without their “face”. They even sleep with makeup and wake up before their husbands to touch up. Some women have said that they feel very naked without the layer of cover up and colour on their face.


I’m no makeup expert, but I can tell you that if you enjoy using makeup, experiment and play with colour. Of course, with my skin tone, I can’t be outrageous and wear blue eyeshadow to work everyday. So be cautious, but have fun!


I hope you have a super September with all the joys of spring. Thank you to my readers who’ve connected with me via e-mail and Twitter. I love interacting with you all! Till next time.