Shortly after Charlie and I were married in 1994, I went out shopping one day. Whilst on that shopping soiree, I stumbled across a make-up counter in the Mall.
Now, I'd never been to a make-up counter before. Up until that point in my life, all of the make-up that I'd ever purchased came from Rite Aid. Or a grocery store. But on that one particular day, as a newly wed bride and graduate student with a hefty sum of financial aid in my pocket, I was feeling mature, radiant and foolishly extravagant. So I stopped by the Chanel make-up counter and very quickly, a team of cosmetologists descended upon me and worked their magic. For the next two hours, I sat in a black pleather chair. During that time, there was a transformation of cosmetological wonder upon my face, the likes of which had never been seen before.
Nor since.
When it was over, I was handed a small bag of make-up supplies including (but not limited to) foundation, blush, eye shadow, mascara, eye liner, lipstick, brushes, foam wedges, instructions on how to recreate this look at home (which I never quite mastered) and a price tag that could have paid for all of my post-grad text books. That feeling of "Me So Pretty!" is what prompted me to traipse from the make-up counter directly in to a salon where I had eight inches of hair lopped off. What remaining locks were on my head, were permed and frosted. When I returned home, my new husband gasped and said, "Wow. Um? Gee, honey. So, do you like this look?"
Turns out: I did not like that look and it took five years for the perm to fully grow out. But eighteen years later, I still have some of the make-up that I purchased on that fateful day. The day that made me afraid to step near a make-up counter, again because:
1. It's ridiculously expensive.
2. It makes me do crazy things like cut off all my hair and get a poodle perm.
Now, I don't know if the fact that I still have eye shadow from 1994 indicates how infrequently (and lightly) I use it, or if Chanel makes such a great product it just lasts and lasts.
Or perhaps this just reflects that I'm someone who doesn't exactly have make-up shopping at the top of their priority list. Despite the fact that I still have more eye shadow remaining, that would probably last me another couple of years, what recently drove me to replace my stash is the feeling that my optometrist would be APPALLED if they knew I was using eye shadow that was almost two decades old.
Last weekend, I bucked it up, strode in to the Mall with a 20% off coupon and replenished my make-up supply. Without further adieu ... introducing: my new eye shadow:
Also, my new blush in it's fancy velvet carrying case:
I opted to spend more on the Chanel because it really is better quality. Consider my eye shadow (and the compact case) has lasted for EIGHTEEN YEARS. Compare that to my Target blush that I recently purchased (ten months ago, which is like yesterday in my make-up world) that has been crushed to smithereens. Of course, I'd still use this until every bit was gone, but I have a trip coming up and this wouldn't travel well in my suitcase...
By all accounts, I should now be set on the make-up front until 2030.
