How is it that in all this time of masks, the only type of makeup I’ve worn has been tinted sunscreen and lip balms. Nobody sees either. Foolishness? Denial? An abiding love of printing my lips on the inside of PPE? Mysteries of selfhood. But let’s talk eyeshadow.
For context, consider that I hope to take a few little trips this summer. They will by both necessity and good fortune involve meeting with people. I’m still masking, and plan to do so until Long COVID is figured out. Hence, eye makeup. Given that we’ve been locked up for two years, all my old stuff is now somewhere in my municipal garbage system, and given that I continue to try to shift towards ingredients with no cloud hanging over them, I’ve been hanging with our quirky old friends, Silk Naturals.
I now own three little pots of loose powder eyeshadow named Hushpuppy (on top), Drive (to the right) and Boots ( bottom left), along with a new blending brush just because. Mysteries of makeup naming we shall never understand. The shadows cost $4.95 each, which also feels mysterious but beneficial. Then I finer-tap the RMS Living Luminizer in Natural, which is a pearly white, right in the center of my eyelid. Also ingredient approved.
Hush Puppy on me becomes a lavender taupe, if such a such a color is conceivable. I use it for my eyelids and whatever that area underneath the eyebrow is called. (Not only have I not worn make up in a while, I haven’t talked about it.) Boots—as it says on the site—is a lovely, dimensional, blackened copper. I use it as an eyeliner and in the creases. Drive I think will turn out to be too red for me, but this project is really more about the process of choosing, and learning, and solving, and creating than the result per se. Nah, (as true as I can make it, my friends) if didn’t look good I wouldn’t do it.
Let’s say the creating, solving, etc. is what makes the effort to look good worth the, well, effort. And that it’s a continuation of the project this blog became, i.e. a the deconstruction of self-image into personal aesthetics and emotional presentation, as opposed to an inchoate effort around social presence, appropriate behavior, and the use of brands to signal/enrich self. Big word quota for the morning met. Bam! Let’s have more toast!
I am failing you completely by not posting on-the-face photos; I’ll remedy that this summer or sooner if I can muster. By that point however, I may have moved onto marine blue eyeliner flecked with gold, guaranteeing vision across the ocean and all following seas.
Have an absolutely wonderful and dimensional weekend.
Signed, yours truly, still largely dictating due to elbow tendonitis, and in this case using no commissioned links.
9 Responses
Oh I love the names! I used to buy complicated eye makeup in lovely colours but after 45mins or so on me they all looked a bit bleahh… So I simplified to just black kohl which was appropriate even while swimming and didn’t need special remover either . And I miss lipgloss with all this masking !
Black kohl is so glamorous…I didn’t know it was also practical!
I commend you for exploring eyeshadows. I used to wear them years ago, but haven’t in such a long while. I do wear eyeliner (brown) and mascara (also brown) and foundation and eyebrow color and blush–but that is all. I could probably really up my game with eyeshadow.
I hadn’t worn them, except for nights out in the city, in ages. This is really prompted by the idea of wearing masks through 2022…
I love eye make-up! I usually wear a little something – wing and fill both brows a bit with brown pencil, plus accent beauty mark below one brow with a lighter brown pencil, then just a bit of dark blue or black eye-liner at base of lashes along outer half of lid (I rarely wear mascara b/c it always smears, but that dark half-lid line works well as a replacement). Then blue-grey pencil in crease. Maybe sage green or light sapphire eye shadow for evenings, with just a bit of shimmer in the center. (Not that I have been doing much in the evening for the past couple of years!)
The great virtue of The Mask is that I don’t have to worry about anything else on my face! But when I do, it’s tinted moisturizer only, with a bit of blush on the outer cheeks near my eyes. Anything more and I feel “like mutton dressed as lamb” (to borrow a Regency phrase from Georgette Heyer)…
Wow, your eyeshadow game is on point! I’m in awe!
Oh those shadows sound lovely and your eyes will look more prominent above your mask as they are highlighted by those lovely colours!
Look forward to seeing them soon.
Why, thank you, Leslie!
hi
i’m wearing lipstick again. i’ve missed it so much. i also continue to mask. Since the K-95 masks are white, i cut a patch of the blue paper mask as a barrier between the mask and my lipstick. it’s been working great so far!
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